最新美国发明专利第2015-08-25期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US09117811B2	Flip chip assembly and process with sintering material on metal bumps A microelectronic package includes a substrate overlying the front face of a microelectronic element. A plurality of metal bumps can project from conductive elements of the substrate towards the microelectronic element, the metal bumps having first ends extending from the conductive elements, second ends remote from the conductive elements, and lateral surfaces extending between the first and second ends. A conductive matrix material can contact the second ends and at least portions of the lateral surfaces of respective ones of the metal bumps and join the metal bumps with contacts of the microelectronic element.
US09117810B2	Leadless semiconductor package and method of manufacture A leadless semiconductor package includes a package body on a leadframe that includes a die paddle and a plurality of bond pads, none of which extend as far as a lateral face of the body. During manufacture of the package, molding compound is deposited over a face of the leadframe on which the die paddle and bond pads are positioned. After the molding compound is cured, a back side of the leadframe is etched to isolate the die paddle and bond pads, back surfaces of which remain exposed at a back face of the body. During manufacture of the leadframe, a parent substrate is etched to define the die paddle and a plurality of bond pads on one side of the substrate and a plurality of cavities on the opposite face.
US09117809B1	Ultra-thin semiconductor device and preparation method thereof A preparation method of small and ultra-thin power semiconductor device comprising the steps of: providing a chip mounting unit with a plurality of pads with a plate arranged on top surface of each pad; flipping and attaching a semiconductor chip on the chip mounting unit, where the electrodes at the front of the chip are electrically connected to the pads; forming a plastic packaging body covering the chip mounting units and the chip, where the top surface of the plate and the back surface of the chip are exposed out from top surface of the plastic packaging body and the bottom surfaces of the pads are exposed out of the bottom surface of the plastic packaging body; forming a plurality of top metal segments arranged on the top surface of the plastic packaging body and electrically connected to the top surface of each plate and the back surface of the chip.
US09117808B2	Semiconductor packages and methods of packaging semiconductor devices A method of forming semiconductor assemblies is disclosed. The method includes providing an interposer with through interposer vias. The interposer includes a first surface and a second surface. The through interposer vias extend from the first surface to the second surface of the interposer. A first die is mounted on the first surface of the interposer. The first die comprises a first surface with first conductive contacts thereon. The interposer comprises material with coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to that of the first die. The first conductive contacts of the first die are coupled to the through interposer vias on the first surface of the interposer.
US09117805B2	Air-spacer MOS transistor A MOS transistor including, above a gate insulator, a conductive gate stack having a height, a length, and a width, this stack having a lower portion close to the gate insulator and an upper portion, wherein the stack has a first length in its lower portion, and a second length shorter than the first length in its upper portion.
US09117801B2	Semiconductor devices having a glass substrate, and method for manufacturing thereof A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices includes providing a stack having a semiconductor wafer and a glass substrate with openings and at least one trench attached to the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer includes a plurality of semiconductor devices. The openings of the glass substrate leave respective areas of the semiconductor devices uncovered by the glass substrate and the trench connects the openings. A metal layer is formed at least on exposed walls of the trench and the openings and on the uncovered areas of the semiconductor devices of the semiconductor wafer. A metal region is formed by electroplating metal in the openings and the trench and by subsequently grinding the glass substrate to remove the trenches. The stack of the semiconductor wafer and the attached glass substrate is cut to separate the semiconductor devices.
US09117798B2	Thin film transistor, method of fabricating the same and organic light emitting diode display device including the same A thin film transistor, a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device including the same. The thin film transistor includes a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including a channel region; source/drain regions including ions and an offset region; a gate insulating layer disposed on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer; a first insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode; a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer; and source/drain electrodes disposed on the second insulating layer, and electrically connected to the source/drain regions of the semiconductor layer, respectively. The sum of thicknesses of the gate insulating layer and the first insulating layer that are on the source/drain regions is less than the vertical dispersion depth of the ions included in the source/drain regions.
US09117795B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate with a conductive pattern including an insulating substrate, a conductive pattern formed on a front surface of the insulating substrate, and a rear heat-sink formed on a back surface of the insulating substrate; a semiconductor chip joined on the conductive pattern through joining material, and leading terminals; and a mold resin exposing a surface of the rear heat-sink and end portions of the leading terminals, and sealing a front surface of the insulating substrate with the conductive pattern, a back surface of the insulating substrate with the conductive pattern, the semiconductor chip, the rear heat-sink excluding the exposed surface thereof, and the leading terminals excluding the end portions thereof. Each of side surfaces of the conductive pattern and the rear heat-sink is formed with a recessed groove, and the recessed grooves are filled with the mold resin.
US09117793B2	Air cavity packages having high thermal conductivity base plates and methods of making A high thermal conductivity base plate is provided for use in air cavity packages. The base plate is at least partially comprised of a composite made of silver-diamond or a silver alloy-diamond. In some embodiments, the base plate is entirely comprised of the composite. In other embodiments, the base plate has a core made of the composite. The core can include at least one outer layer on the core. The semiconductor package can include one or more dice or transistors on the base plate, an insulated frame on the base plate, and one or more leads on the insulated frame.
US09117791B2	Selective germanium P-contact metalization through trench Techniques are disclosed for forming transistor devices having reduced parasitic contact resistance relative to conventional devices. The techniques can be implemented, for example, using a standard contact stack such as a series of metals on, for example, silicon or silicon germanium (SiGe) source/drain regions. In accordance with one example such embodiment, an intermediate boron doped germanium layer is provided between the source/drain and contact metals to significantly reduce contact resistance. Numerous transistor configurations and suitable fabrication processes will be apparent in light of this disclosure, including both planar and non-planar transistor structures (e.g., FinFETs), as well as strained and unstrained channel structures. Graded buffering can be used to reduce misfit dislocation. The techniques are particularly well-suited for implementing p-type devices, but can be used for n-type devices if so desired.
US09117789B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes at least one arm series circuit. The at least one arm series circuit includes an upper arm, a lower arm, an insulating substrate, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, an upper arm control terminal, a lower arm control terminal, and an insulating member. The lower arm is connected to the upper arm in series. Each of the upper arm and the lower arm includes a switching element and a diode connected in anti-parallel to the switching element. The insulating substrate is disposed on ground. The positive terminal is provided on the insulating substrate. The negative terminal is provided on the insulating substrate. The upper arm control terminal is provided on the insulating substrate. The lower arm control terminal is provided adjacent to the negative terminal on the insulating substrate.
US09117787B2	Integrated circuit device and method of enabling thermal regulation within an integrated circuit device An integrated circuit device comprising at least one electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp device. The at least one ESD clamp device comprises a first channel input, a second channel input, and a control input arranged to receive a control signal. The at least one ESD clamp device is arranged to selectively operate in a conductive state in which the at least one ESD clamp device permits current to flow between the first and second channel inputs thereof based at least partly on the received control signal. The integrated circuit device further comprises at least one biasing module. The at least one biasing module comprises at least one output operably coupled to the control input of the at least one ESD clamp device, and at least one input arranged to receive a thermal regulation signal. The at least one biasing module being arranged to apply a bias to the control signal for the at least one ESD clamp device based at least partly on the received thermal regulation signal.
US09117786B2	Chip module, an insulation material and a method for fabricating a chip module The chip module includes a carrier, a semiconductor chip arranged on or embedded inside the carrier, and an insulation layer that at least partly covers a face of the carrier. The dielectric constant ∈r and the thermal conductivity λ of the insulation layer satisfy the condition λ·∈r<4.0 W·m−1·K−1.
US09117785B2	Display device and method of manufacturing the same Provided is a display device, including a pixel electrode in each of a plurality of pixels; an auxiliary wiring part including a first auxiliary wiring having a first edge portion, and a second auxiliary wiring having a second edge portion spaced apart from and facing the first edge portion; an insulating layer on the pixel electrode and the auxiliary wiring part, and in which a first opening and a second opening are defined, the first opening overlapping the pixel electrode, and the second opening overlapping the first edge portion and the second edge portion; an organic light-emitting layer on the insulating layer and contacting the pixel electrode through the first opening; and an upper electrode on the organic light-emitting layer and having a connection portion electrically connected with the auxiliary wiring part through the second opening.
US09117783B2	Organic light emitting diode display including a gate insulating layer supporting a driving voltage line and a data line An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including: a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including a switching semiconductor layer and a driving semiconductor layer connected to the switching semiconductor layer; a first gate insulating layer disposed on the semiconductor layer; a switching gate electrode and a driving gate electrode disposed on the first gate insulating layer and respectively overlapping with the switching semiconductor layer and the driving semiconductor layer; a second gate insulating layer disposed on the switching gate electrode and the driving gate electrode; a driving voltage line configured to transmit a driving voltage and disposed on the second gate insulating layer; an interlayer insulating layer disposed on the driving voltage line and the second gate insulating layer; and a data line configured to transmit a data signal and disposed on the interlayer insulating layer.
US09117779B2	Organic light-emitting display device An organic light-emitting display device includes a first substrate having transmitting regions and pixel regions separated from each other by the transmitting regions, a plurality of thin film transistors on the first substrate in the pixel regions, a passivation layer covering the plurality of thin film transistors, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the passivation layer and electrically connected to the thin film transistors, the pixel electrodes being in the pixel regions and overlapping the thin film transistors, an opposite electrode in the transmitting regions and the pixel regions, the opposite electrode facing the plurality of pixel electrodes and being configured to transmit light, an organic emission layer interposed between the pixel electrodes and the opposite electrode, and a color filter in corresponding pixel regions.
US09117778B2	Display device A display device includes: a display panel including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns; and a touch panel opposed to the display panel, wherein the display panel includes a non-display portion which is a region between neighboring pixels, the touch panel includes: a plurality of first electrode patterns which are formed along a first direction which is one of a row direction and a column direction of the pixels; and a plurality of second electrode patterns which are formed along a second direction which is the other one of the directions, at least a part of the first electrode patterns and at least a part of the second electrode patterns being metal, and the metal parts of the first electrode patterns and the second electrode patterns are present within the non-display portion of the display panel in plan view.
US09117776B2	Organic light-emitting display and method of manufacturing the same Organic light-emitting displays and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. An organic light-emitting display includes a substrate; a display panel provided on the substrate, the display panel having an emission area in which an organic light-emitting device is provided and a non-emission area that separates the emission area; and a color-changing material layer provided on the display panel, wherein the color-changing material layer includes a light-transmission part corresponding to the emission area and a light-blocking part corresponding to the non-emission area.
US09117775B2	Alignment to multiple layers A method of aligning a new pattern to more than one previously defined pattern during the manufacture of an integrated circuit. A method of aligning a photolighography pattern reticle to a first previously defined pattern in a first direction and also aligning the photolithography pattern reticle to a second previously defined pattern in a second direction. A method of aligning a photolighography pattern reticle to two previously defined patterns in the same direction.
US09117773B2	High concentration water pulses for atomic layer deposition Methods are provided herein for forming thin films comprising oxygen by atomic layer deposition. The thin films comprising oxygen can be deposited by providing higher concentration water pulses, a higher partial pressure of water in the reaction space, and/or a higher flow rate of water to a substrate in a reaction space. Thin films comprising oxygen can be used, for example, as dielectric oxides in transistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, and other semiconductor applications.
US09117772B2	Bonding package components through plating A method includes aligning a first electrical connector of a first package component to a second electrical connector of a second package component. With the first electrical connector aligned to the second electrical connector, a metal layer is plated on the first and the second electrical connectors. The metal layer bonds the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector.
US09117770B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a first base material having a first surface; a second base material having a coefficient of linear expansion different from that of the first base material, being in contact with the first base material, and having a second surface being adjacent to the first surface; and a first interconnect formed over the first and second surfaces to straddle a borderline between the first and second base materials. The cross-sectional area of the first interconnect along the borderline is greater than the cross-sectional area of at least part of a portion of the first interconnect on the first surface along a width of the first interconnect, or the cross-sectional area of at least part of a portion of the first interconnect on the second surface along the width of the first interconnect.
US09117762B2	Methods of fabricating fine patterns and photomask sets used therein Photo mask sets and methods of fabricating fine patterns are provided. The method includes forming a first layer having a first main pattern part and a first dummy pattern part on a base layer, forming a second layer on the first layer, etching the first layer using the second layer as an etch mask to form a third main pattern part composed of a remaining portion of the first main pattern part and to remove the first dummy pattern part, and removing the second layer. The second layer is formed to have a second main pattern part exposing portions of the first main pattern part and to have a second dummy pattern part exposing the first dummy pattern part.
US09117761B2	Polishing composition and polishing method A polishing composition contains a water-soluble polymer, a polishing accelerator, and an oxidizing agent. The water-soluble polymer is a polyamide-polyamine polymer having an amine value of 150 mg KOH/1 g·solid or greater.
US09117760B2	Method and system for energized and pressurized liquids for cleaning/etching applications in semiconductor manufacturing A wet chemical processing method and apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing and in other applications, is provided. The method and apparatus provide for energizing a processing liquid such as a cleaning or etching liquid using ultrasonic, megasonic or other energy waves or by combining the liquid with a pressurized gas to form a pressurized spray, or using both. The energized, pressurized fluid is directed to a substrate surface using a fluid delivery system and overcomes any surface tensions associated with liquids, solids, or air and enables the processing liquid to completely fill any holes such as contact holes, via holes or trenches, formed on the semiconductor substrate.
US09117759B2	Methods of forming bulb-shaped trenches in silicon A method of creating a trench having a portion of a bulb-shaped cross-section in silicon is disclosed. The method comprises forming at least one trench in silicon and forming a liner in the at least one trench. The liner is removed from a bottom surface of the at least one trench to expose the underlying silicon. A portion of the underlying exposed silicon is removed to form a cavity in the silicon. At least one removal cycle is conducted to remove exposed silicon in the cavity to form a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile, with each removal cycle comprising subjecting the silicon in the cavity to ozonated water to oxidize the silicon and subjecting the oxidized silicon to a hydrogen fluoride solution to remove the oxidized silicon. A semiconductor device structure comprising the at least one trench comprising a cavity with a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile is also disclosed.
US09117757B2	Silicone polymers with high refractive indices and extended pot life Novel compositions and methods of using those compositions to form high refractive index coatings are provided. The compositions comprise a mixture of two silicone polymers, a catalyst, and an inhibitor for the catalyst. The preferred catalyst comprises platinum. Unlike prior art silicone systems, the inventive composition can be provided in a one-part form due to a substantially improved pot life. The compositions can be spin- or spray-applied, followed by baking to crosslink the polymers and form a cured layer. The inventive cured layers have high refractive indices and light transmissions.
US09117756B2	Encapsulant with corrosion inhibitor A packaged electronic device including an electronic device, a conductive structure, and an encapsulant. The encapsulant has chlorides and a negatively-charged corrosion inhibitor for preventing corrosion of the conductive structure.
US09117751B2	Endpointing detection for chemical mechanical polishing based on spectrometry Methods and apparatus for spectrum-based endpointing. An endpointing method includes selecting a reference spectrum. The reference spectrum is a spectrum of white light reflected from a film of interest on a first substrate and has a thickness greater than a target thickness. The reference spectrum is empirically selected for particular spectrum-based endpoint determination logic so that the target thickness is achieved when endpoint is called by applying the particular spectrum-based endpoint logic. The method includes obtaining a current spectrum. The current spectrum is a spectrum of white light reflected from a film of interest on a second substrate when the film of interest is being subjected to a polishing step and has a current thickness that is greater than the target thickness. The method includes determining, for the second substrate, when an endpoint of the polishing step has been achieved. The determining is based on the reference and current spectra.
US09117745B2	Mechanisms for forming stressor regions in a semiconductor device A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes performing a pre-amorphous implantation (PAI) process to form an amorphized region on a substrate. The method also includes forming a stress film over the substrate, and performing an annealing process to recrystallize the amorphized region after the stress film is formed. The method further includes forming a recess region on the substrate. The recess region overlies the recrystallized region. The method additionally includes forming an epitaxial stress-inducing material in the recess region.
US09117742B2	High electron mobility transistor with shortened recovery time A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a buffer layer of GaN containing at least one of Fe and C and disposed on the substrate, a channel layer of GaN disposed on the buffer layer and through which electrons travel, an electron supply layer disposed on the channel layer and producing a two-dimensional electron gas in the channel layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode. Recovery time of a drain current of the semiconductor device is no more than 5 seconds, where the recovery time is defined as the period of time after the semiconductor device is stopped from outputting high frequency power until the change in the drain current, after the stopping of the semiconductor device, reaches 95% of the change in the drain current occurring during the first 10 seconds after the stopping of the semiconductor device.
US09117741B2	Semiconductor device The semiconductor device 200 includes a wiring substrate 201, a lower chip 203 mounted on a surface of the wiring substrate 201, and an upper chip 205 mounted on the lower chip 203, the lower chip 203 includes a plurality of fuse opening portions 113, each of the fuse opening portions 113 is fully covered with or fully exposed from the upper chip 205.
US09117738B2	Interconnection of semiconductor device with graphene wire According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device using multi-layered graphene wires includes a substrate having semiconductor elements formed therein, a first graphene wire formed above the substrate and including a multi-layered graphene layer having a preset impurity doped therein, a second graphene wire formed on the same layer as the first multi-layered graphene wire above the substrate and including a multi-layered graphene layer into which the preset impurity is not doped, a lower-layer contact connected to the undersurface side of the first multi-layered graphene wire, and an upper-layer contact connected to the upper surface side of the second multi-layered graphene wire.
US09117737B2	Molybdenum trioxide-coated hydrogen-terminated diamond surface and uses thereof A conducting material includes a carbon-based material selected from a diamond or an insulating diamond-like carbon, having a hydrogen-terminated surface and a layer of MoO3 coating the surface. A method for the fabrication of such a material. The conducting material is useful in the fabrication of electronic components, electrodes, sensors, diodes, field effect transistors, and field emission electron sources.
US09117733B2	Light emitting module and lighting apparatus having the same A light emitting module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and first through m-th lighting blocks (‘m’ is an integer greater than one). The PCB has wiring patterns electrically connecting optical semiconductor devices. The first through the m-th lighting blocks are disposed on the PCB and configured to generate light. Each of the first through the m-th lighting blocks includes first through n-th lighting groups (each block includes at least one group), each of which includes optical semiconductor devices disposed on the PCB, and an electric currents configured to flow through each lighting group is substantially the same.
US09117730B2	Printed wiring board and method for manufacturing printed wiring board A printed wiring board includes a core substrate, a first conductive pattern formed on the substrate, an insulation structure having a first insulation layer and formed on the substrate such that the first insulation layer covers the first pattern, a second conductive pattern formed on the structure, and a second insulation layer formed on the structure such that the second insulation layer covers the second pattern. The structure has a via conductor connecting the first and second patterns through the first insulation layer, the first insulation layer includes a first layer containing a reinforcing fiber material and a second layer formed on the first layer such that the first layer is on the substrate side and a second layer is on the second insulation layer side, and the second layer is made of an insulating material which is the same material as an insulating material forming the second insulation layer.
US09117729B2	Depleted charge-multiplying CCD image sensor In various embodiments, a charge-coupled device includes channel stops laterally spaced away from the channel by fully depleted regions.
US09117725B2	Pixel structures for optimized x-ray noise performance There is provided a pixel (100) for an image sensor, wherein the pixel (100) is based on a doped substrate (110) on which a lightly doped epitaxial layer (120) is provided. A photosensitive structure (130) and an isolating reversely biased well (140) are defined in the epitaxial layer, and the photosensitive structure (130) is encapsulated in the reversely biased well (140). Alternatively, or as a complement, the pixel (100) includes isolating wells extending on respective sides of the photosensitive structure (130) throughout the entire or at least a major part of the epitaxial layer to provide isolation from neighboring pixels of the image sensor.
US09117723B2	Image sensors including well regions of different concentrations An image sensor includes a high concentration well region in contact with a device isolation layer extending along a periphery of a photoelectric converting part, which can improve dark current properties of the image sensor. The image sensor also includes a low concentration well region in contact with a sidewall of the device isolation layer overlapped with a transfer gate, which can improve image lag properties of the image sensor. Related fabrication methods are also discussed.
US09117722B1	Image sensor integrated circuit An integrated circuit (IC) sensor is described. The IC sensor includes a pixel array and IC components. The pixel array has a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel includes an EMR absorption region including a detector material having a plurality of nanoparticles embedded in a matrix material and exhibiting a nano-plasmonic property. The IC components are arranged to provide amplification of a voltage signal from the EMR absorption region, and to select the voltage signal from the EMR absorption region.
US09117719B2	Solid-state imaging apparatus, manufacturing method for the same, and electronic apparatus A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, an upper layer film, and on-chip lenses. On the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of pixels are formed. The upper layer film is laminated on the semiconductor substrate. The on-chip lenses are formed on the upper layer film so as to correspond to the respective pixels. A pupil correction amount of one of the on-chip lenses is changed depending on a distance between a center of a pixel area and the on-chip lens, and depending on a film thickness of the upper layer film at a position of the on-chip lens on the upper layer film.
US09117718B2	Solid-state image sensor with a plurality of pixels for focus detection A solid-state image sensor includes a plurality of pixels for focus detection by a phase difference detection scheme. The pixel includes a semiconductor region provided therein with a plurality of photoelectric converters configured so that signals therefrom are independently read out, a microlens, and a lens surface arranged between the microlens and the semiconductor region, wherein the lens surface exerts a negative power on light which passes through the microlens toward the semiconductor region.
US09117716B2	Image sensors including hydrophobic interfaces and methods of fabricating the same A method of fabricating an image sensor device includes forming an insulating layer on a substrate including a photodiode therein, and forming a wiring structure on the insulating layer. The wiring structure includes at least one wiring layer and at least one insulating interlayer. A cavity is formed extending into the wiring structure over the photodiode to expose a surface of the at least one insulating interlayer. The surface of the at least one insulating interlayer exposed by the cavity is modified to define a hydrophobic surface. Related systems and devices are also discussed.
US09117715B2	Wafer-level device packaging The present invention relates to a semiconductor device packaged at the wafer level such that an entire packaged device is formed prior to separation of individual devices. The semiconductor device package includes a semiconductor chip having one or more bonding pads associated with the chip and a protective layer bonded over the semiconductor chip. An insulation layer is positioned on at least side edges and a lower surface of the semiconductor chip. Interconnection/bump metallization is positioned adjacent one or more side edges of the semiconductor chip and is electrically connected to at least one bonding pad. A compact image sensor package can be formed that is vertically integrated with a digital signal processor and memory chip along with lenses and a protective cover.
US09117710B2	Solid-state image pickup device, electronic apparatus using such solid-state image pickup device and method of manufacturing solid-state image pickup device A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
US09117706B2	Pixel structure with pixel electrode connected to conductive pattern through plural contact holes A pixel structure includes a flexible substrate, an active device, a conductive pattern, a first insulation layer, and a pixel electrode. The active device is disposed on the flexible substrate and includes a gate, a channel, a source, and a drain. The source and the drain are connected to the channel and are separated from each other. The channel and the gate are stacked in a thickness direction. The active device is disposed between the conductive pattern and the flexible substrate. The conductive pattern is electrically connected to the drain of the active device. The first insulation layer covers the conductive pattern and has first contact holes separated from one another, and the first contact holes expose the conductive pattern. The first insulation layer is disposed between the pixel electrode and the conductive pattern. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the conductive pattern through the first contact holes.
US09117705B2	Thin-film transistor active device The present invention relates to a thin-film transistor (TFT) active device. The TFT active device includes: a gate electrode; a gate insulation layer covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulation layer; a first protection layer formed on the oxide semiconductor layer; a source/drain electrode electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor layer; and a second protection layer covering the source/drain electrode. At least one of the gate insulation layer, the first protection layer, and the second protection layer is made of a nitride of silicon and has a refractive index between 2.0-3.0. The TFT active device according to the present invention helps suppressing diffusion of metal ions from a metal electrode and reducing hydrogen content of the GI layer, the ES layer, or the PV layer so as to effectively improve the stability of the manufacture operation of TFT.
US09117704B2	Semiconductor device, and manufacturing method for same A semiconductor device of the present invention includes an n-channel first thin film transistor and a p-channel second thin film transistor on one and the same substrate. The first thin film transistor has a first semiconductor layer (27), and the second thin film transistor has a second semiconductor layer (22). The first semiconductor layer (27) and the second semiconductor layer (22) are formed from one and the same film. Each of the first semiconductor layer (27) and the second semiconductor layer (22) has a slope portion (27e, 22e) positioned in the periphery and a main portion (27m, 22m) which is a portion excluding the slope portion. A p-type impurity is introduced into only a part of the slope portion (27e) of the first semiconductor layer with higher density than the main portion (27m) of the first semiconductor layer, the main portion (22m) of the second semiconductor layer, and the slope portion (22e) of the second semiconductor layer. Accordingly, a driving voltage of the semiconductor device provided with the n-type TFT and the p-type TFT can be reduced.
US09117702B2	Method for manufacturing a double-gate electronic memory cell and associated memory cell A method of manufacturing a double-gate electronic memory cell is presented. The cell includes a substrate; a first gate structure, with the first gate structure having a lateral flank; a stack including several layers and of which a layer is able to store electrical charges, the stack covering the lateral flank of the first gate structure and a portion of the substrate; and a second gate structure. The second gate structure includes a first portion formed from a first gate material; a second portion formed from a second gate material, with the first gate material able to be etched selectively in relation to the second gate material and with the second gate material able to be etched selectively in relation to the first gate material; a first zone of silicidation extending over the first portion of the second gate structure; and a second zone of silicidation extending over the second portion of the second gate structure.
US09117701B2	Semiconductor device Noise generated on a word line is reduced without increasing a load on the word line. A semiconductor device is provided in which a plurality of storage elements each including at least one switching element are provided in matrix; each of the plurality of storage elements is electrically connected to a word line and a bit line; the word line is connected to a gate (or a source and a drain) of a transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially; and capacitance of the transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially can be controlled by controlling a potential of a source and a drain (or a gate) the transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially. The transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially may include a wide band gap semiconductor.
US09117696B2	Semiconductor devices having balancing capacitor and methods of forming the same A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate including cell block, a balancing block, and a sense block. A plurality of cell bit lines are formed in the cell block of. A plurality of cell plugs are formed adjacent to side surfaces of the bit lines. Cell inner spacers, air spacers, and cell outer spacers are formed between the cell bit lines and the cell plugs. A plurality of balancing bit lines are formed in the balancing block. A plurality of balancing plugs are formed adjacent to side surfaces of the balancing bit lines. Balancing inner spacers and balancing outer spacers are formed between the balancing bit lines and the balancing plugs. The balancing bit lines and at least some of the cell bit lines are connected to the sense block.
US09117694B2	Super junction structure semiconductor device based on a compensation structure including compensation layers and a fill structure A super junction semiconductor device includes strip structures between mesa regions that protrude from a base section in a cell area. Each strip structure includes a compensation structure with a first and a second section inversely provided on opposing sides of a fill structure. Each section includes a first compensation layer of a first conductivity type and a second compensation layer of a complementary second conductivity type. The strip structures extend into an edge area surrounding the cell area. In the edge area the strip structures include end sections. The end sections may be modified to enhance break down voltage characteristics, avalanche ruggedness and commutation behavior.
US09117692B2	Semiconductor device having dual metal silicide layers and method of manufacturing the same A semiconductor device is manufactured using dual metal silicide layers. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having first and second regions, a first metal gate electrode on the substrate in the first region, a second metal gate electrode on the substrate in the second region, a first epitaxial layer on and in the substrate at both sides of the first metal gate electrode, a second epitaxial layer on and in the substrate at both sides of the second metal gate electrode, a first metal silicide layer on the first epitaxial layer, a second metal silicide layer on the second epitaxial layer, an interlayer dielectric layer on the first and second metal silicide layers, contact plugs passing through the interlayer dielectric layer and electrically connected to the first and second metal silicide layers.
US09117691B2	Low cost transistors An integrated circuit containing an analog MOS transistor has an implant mask for a well which blocks well dopants from two diluted regions at edges of the gate, but exposes a channel region to the well dopants. A thermal drive step diffuses the implanted well dopants across the two diluted regions to form a continuous well with lower doping densities in the two diluted regions. Source/drain regions are formed adjacent to and underlapping the gate by implanting source/drain dopants into the substrate adjacent to the gate using the gate as a blocking layer and subsequently annealing the substrate so that the implanted source/drain dopants provide a desired extent of underlap of the source/drain regions under the gate. Drain extension dopants and halo dopants are not implanted into the substrate adjacent to the gate.
US09117689B2	Light emitting device and manufacturing method thereof The light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements that is mounted on one or more wiring patterns on a substrate. A new light-emitting element that replaces a defective element is mounted on the same wiring pattern on which the defective element is mounted. The defective element or a trace that remains after removal of the defective element is sealed by a same sealing member by which the new light-emitting element is sealed.
US09117687B2	High voltage CMOS with triple gate oxide An integrated circuit containing a first plurality of MOS transistors operating in a low voltage range, and a second plurality of MOS transistors operating in a mid voltage range, may also include a high-voltage MOS transistor which operates in a third voltage range significantly higher than the low and mid voltage ranges, for example 20 to 30 volts. The high-voltage MOS transistor has a closed loop configuration, in which a drain region is surrounded by a gate, which is in turn surrounded by a source region, so that the gate does not overlap field oxide. The integrated circuit may include an n-channel version of the high-voltage MOS transistor and/or a p-channel version of the high-voltage MOS transistor. Implanted regions of the n-channel version and the p-channel version are formed concurrently with implanted regions in the first and second pluralities of MOS transistors.
US09117683B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer provided with a gate trench, a first conductivity type source region formed to be exposed on a surface side of the semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type channel region formed on a side of the source region closer to a back surface of the semiconductor layer to be in contact with the source region, a first conductivity type drain region formed on a side of the channel region closer to the back surface of the semiconductor layer to be in contact with the channel region, a gate insulating film formed on an inner surface of the gate trench, and a gate electrode embedded inside the gate insulating film in the gate trench, while the channel region includes a channel portion formed along the side surface of the gate trench so that a channel is formed in operation and a projection projecting from an end portion of the channel portion closer to the back surface of the semiconductor layer toward the back surface.
US09117680B2	Biomedical electrode A biocompatible, implantable electrode for electrically active medical devices. The implantable medical electrode has a surface geometry which optimizes the electrical performance of the electrode, while mitigating the undesirable effects associated with prior art porous surfaces. The electrode has an optimized surface topography for improved electrical performance. Such a electrode is suitable for devices which may be permanently implanted in the human body as stimulation electrodes, such as pacemakers, or as sensors of medical conditions. Such is achieved by the application of ultrafast high energy pulses to the surface of a solid, monolithic electrode material for the purpose of increasing the surface area and thereby decreasing its after-potential polarization.
US09117679B2	Organic light emitting diode, touch display device and method for fabricating the same The invention provides an OLED, a touch display device and method for fabricating the same. The OLED comprises: a substrate; a pixel electrode functioning as a first conducting electrode on the substrate; a first signal electrode and a second signal electrode disposed on the same layer as the pixel electrode; an insulating layer overlaying the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode; an EL layer in the same layer as the insulating layer and overlaying the pixel electrode; a second conducting electrode overlaying at least the EL layer; and an encapsulating layer overlaying at least the second conducting electrode.
US09117675B2	Semiconductor device production method A semiconductor device production method includes: forming a protection film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first resist pattern on the protection film; implanting a first impurity ion into the semiconductor substrate using the first resist pattern as a mask; removing the first resist pattern; forming on the surface of the semiconductor substrate a chemical reaction layer that takes in surface atoms from the semiconductor substrate through chemical reaction, after the removing of the first resist pattern; removing the chemical reaction layer formed on the semiconductor substrate and removing the surface of the semiconductor substrate, after the forming of the chemical reaction layer; and growing a semiconductor layer epitaxially on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, after the removing of the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09117673B2	Electrostatic discharge protection circuit including a plurality of doped regions and a gate connected to a capacitor and a resistor An ESD protection device is described, including a substrate of a first conductivity, a well of a second conductivity, a transistor including a first doped region of the second conductivity located in the substrate and extending into the well, a second doped region of the first conductivity and a gate over the substrate between the two doped regions, a third doped region of the second conductivity and a fourth doped region of the first conductivity disposed in the substrate in sequence from an outer side of the second doped region and coupled to ground, and a fifth doped region of the first conductivity and a sixth doped region of the second conductivity disposed in the well in sequence from an outer side of the first doped region and coupled to a bonding pad. When an ESD voltage is applied to the bonding pad, it is coupled to the gate.
US09117669B2	Apparatus for ESD protection A structure comprises an N+ region formed over a first fin of a substrate, a P+ region formed over a second fin of the substrate, wherein the P+ region and the N+ region form a diode, a shallow trench isolation region formed between the P+ region and the N+ region and a first epitaxial growth block region formed over the shallow trench isolation region and between the N+ region and the P+ region, wherein a forward bias current of the diode flows through a path underneath the shallow trench isolation region.
US09117660B2	Apparatus, method and program for manufacturing nitride film A nitride film manufacturing apparatus forms a nitride film on a substrate provided in a chamber by a plasma CVD technique. Specifically, the nitride film manufacturing apparatus includes a controller for calculating a first period for applying first high-frequency power having a relatively high frequency and a second period for applying second high-frequency power having a relatively low frequency in order to obtain desired compressive stress or tensile stress of the nitride film, based on distribution of a refractive index of the nitride film and/or distribution of a deposition rate of the nitride film, the distribution falling within a predetermined numerical range and being obtained using the first high-frequency power and/or the second high-frequency power applied independently for forming the nitride film.
US09117658B2	Method of producing semiconductor wafer, semiconductor wafer, method of producing semiconductor device and semiconductor device There is provided a fabrication technique of a MOS structure that has a small EOT without increasing the interface trap density. More specifically, provided is a method of producing a semiconductor wafer that includes a semiconductor crystal layer, an interlayer made of an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride of a semiconductor crystal constituting the semiconductor crystal layer, and a first insulating layer made of an oxide and in which the semiconductor crystal layer, the interlayer, and the first insulating layer are arranged in the stated order. The method includes (a) forming the first insulating layer on an original semiconductor crystal layer, and (b) exposing a surface of the first insulating layer with a nitrogen plasma to nitride, oxidize, or oxynitride a part of the original semiconductor crystal layer, thereby forming the interlayer, together with the semiconductor crystal layer that is the rest of the original semiconductor crystal layer.
US09117657B2	Method for filling recesses using pre-treatment with hydrocarbon-containing gas A method for filling recesses of a substrate with an insulation film includes: (i) exposing surfaces of the recesses of the substrate to a pre-deposition gas in a reactive state in a reaction space to treat the surfaces with reactive hydrocarbons generated from the pre-deposition gas without filling the recesses; and (ii) depositing a flowable insulation film using a process gas other than the pre-deposition gas on a surface of the substrate to fill the recesses treated in step (i) therewith by plasma reaction. The pre-deposition gas has at least one hydrocarbon unit in its molecule.
US09117655B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a main active region provided in a semiconductor substrate and having a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other. A first auxiliary active region adjacent the first side surface of the main active region and spaced apart from the main active region by a first distance is provided. A second auxiliary active region adjacent the second side surface of the main active region and spaced apart from the main active region by the first distance is provided. A first conductive pattern crosses the main active region and includes first and second side portions facing each other. The first side portion of the conductive pattern is disposed between the first auxiliary active region and the main active region, and the second side portion of the conductive pattern is disposed between the second auxiliary active region and the main active region.
US09117654B2	Methods of forming fine patterns in integrated circuit devices A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device includes forming first and second mask structures on respective first and second regions of a feature layer. Each of the first and second mask structures includes a dual mask pattern and an etch mask pattern thereon having an etch selectivity relative to the dual mask pattern. The etch mask patterns of the first and second mask structures are etched to partially remove the etch mask pattern from the second mask structure. Spacers are formed on opposing sidewalls of the first and second mask structures. The first mask structure is selectively removed from between the spacers in the first region to define a first mask pattern including the opposing sidewall spacers with a void therebetween in the first region, and a second mask pattern including the opposing sidewall spacers with the second mask structure therebetween in the second region.
US09117652B2	Nanoporous structures by reactive ion etching A method for forming porous metal structures and the resulting structure may include forming a metal structure above a substrate. A masking layer may be formed above the metal structure, and then etched using a reactive ion etching process with a mask etchant and a metal etchant. Etching the masking layer may result in the formation of a plurality of pores in the metal structure. In some embodiments, the metal structure may include a first end region, a second end region, and an intermediate region. Before etching the masking layer, a protective layer may be formed above the first end region and the second end region, so that the plurality of pores is contained within the intermediate region. In some embodiments, the intermediate metal region may be a nanostructure such as a nanowire.
US09117649B2	Resistive thin layer heating of fluorescent lamp Fluorescent lamps, along with their methods of manufacture and use, are provided. The fluorescent lamp can include a discharge tube extending from a first end to a second end; a resistive transparent coating (e.g., a tin oxide thin film layer, such as a fluor-doped tin oxide thin film layer) on the outer surface of the discharge tube; and a pair of electric terminals positioned on the discharge tube such that a first terminal is on the first end and a second terminal is on the second end.
US09117647B2	Electrostatic trap An electrostatic trap such as an orbitrap is disclosed, with an electrode structure. An electrostatic trapping field of the form U′(r, Φ, z) is generated to trap ions within the trap so that they undergo isochronous oscillations. The trapping field U′(r, Φ, z) is the result of a perturbation W to an ideal field U(r, Φ, z) which, for example, is hyperlogarithmic in the case of an orbitrap. The perturbation W may be introduced in various ways, such as by distorting the geometry of the trap so that it no longer follows an equipotential of the ideal field U(r, Φ, z), or by adding a distortion field (either electric or magnetic). The magnitude of the perturbation is such that at least some of the trapped ions have an absolute phase spread of more than zero but less than 2 π radians over an ion detection period Tm.
US09117642B2	Interfacing capillary electrophoresis to a mass spectrometer via an impactor spray ionization source A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a separation device arranged and adapted to emit an eluent over a period of time. The separation device preferably comprises a Capillary Electrophoresis (“CE”) separation device. The mass spectrometer further comprises a nebulizer and a target. Eluent emitted by the separation device is nebulized, in use, by the nebulizer wherein a stream of analyte droplets are directed to impact upon the target so as to ionize the analyte to form a plurality of analyte ions.
US09117639B2	Collision cell A method of operating a gas-filled collision cell in a mass spectrometer is provided. The collision cell has a longitudinal axis. Ions are caused to enter the collision cell. A trapping field is generated within the collision cell so as to trap the ions within a trapping volume of the collision cell, the trapping volume being defined by the trapping field and extending along the longitudinal axis. Trapped ions are processed in the collision cell and a DC potential gradient is provided, using an electrode arrangement, resulting in a non-zero electric field at all points along the axial length of the trapping volume so as to cause processed ions to exit the collision cell. The electric field along the axial length of the trapping volume has a standard deviation that is no greater than its mean value.
US09117638B2	Intelligent background data acquisition and subtraction A scan of a separating sample mixture is received from a mass spectrometer at each interval of a plurality of intervals. It is determined at a first interval that a received mass spectrometry scan at the first interval and one or more preceding received mass spectrometry scans include a varying ion signal that represents an ion of a known compound and has an intensity above a threshold level. The mass spectrometer is instructed to perform a dependent scan for the ion at the first interval producing a spectrum for the known compound. A second interval is selected after the first interval where the varying ion signal has an intensity that is not above the threshold level. The mass spectrometer is instructed to perform a dependent scan for the ion at the second interval producing a spectrum for a background.
US09117637B2	Redundant anode sputtering method and assembly A method is provided for coating a substrate with the aid of a magnetron cathode and two electrodes which are alternately impinged upon by a positive potential and a negative potential. Also disclosed is an assembly for coating a substrate, comprising a vacuum chamber, a magnetron cathode, two electrodes, and a voltage source. A negative potential is generated at a level that is no greater than the level of the cathode potential, thus preventing the electrode that is to be cleaned from being stripped to a greater extent than the same was coated in the previous half-wave. The magnetron cathode and the electrodes are connected to the voltage source via switching elements without being galvanically such that a negative and a positive voltage generated from the voltage source can be alternatively applied to the electrodes, the level of said voltage being no greater than the cathode voltage.
US09117635B2	Electrode plate for plasma etching and plasma etching apparatus An electrode plate for a plasma etching is formed as a disc shape having a predetermined thickness, a plurality of gas holes penetrating a surface of the electrode plate perpendicularly to the surface are provided on different circumferences of a plurality of concentric circles, the electrode plate is divided in a radial direction of the electrode plate into two or more regions, types of gas holes provided in the two or more regions are different from each other by region.
US09117631B2	Method of handling a substrate support structure in a lithography system Method of handling a substrate support structure for clamping a substrate on a surface thereof in a lithography system. First, a substrate support structure adapted to absorb energy from a substrate clamped thereon and a substrate are provided. The substrate is clamped on a surface of the substrate support structure. The substrate support structure with the substrate clamped thereon is transferred to a lithography apparatus, in which a lithographic process is performed on the substrate clamped onto the substrate support structure. The substrate support structure with the substrate clamped thereon is then removed from the lithography system. The substrate is removed from the substrate support structure, and the substrate support structure is conditioned by removing energy stored in the substrate support structure before providing a new substrate onto the substrate support structure.
US09117630B2	Insulation structure of high voltage electrodes for ion implantation apparatus An insulation structure of high voltage electrodes includes an insulator having an exposed surface and a conductor portion, which includes a joint region in contact with the insulator, and a heat-resistant portion provided, along at least part of an edge of the joint region, in such a manner as to be adjacent to the exposed surface of the insulator. The heat-resistant portion is formed of an electrically conductive material whose melting point is higher than that of the conductor portion. The heat-resistant portion may be so provided as to have a gap between the insulator and the exposed surface.
US09117627B2	Ion implantation apparatus and ion implantation method An ion implantation apparatus includes an implantation processing chamber, a high voltage unit, and a high-voltage power supply system. In the implantation processing chamber ions are implanted into a workpiece. The high voltage unit includes an ion source unit for generating the ions, and a beam transport unit provided between the ion source unit and the implantation processing chamber. The high-voltage power supply system applies a potential to the high voltage unit under any one of a plurality of energy settings. The high-voltage power supply system includes a plurality of current paths formed such that a beam current flowing into the workpiece is returned to the ion source unit, and each of the plurality of energy settings is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of current paths.
US09117625B2	Electrostatic lens and charged particle beam apparatus using the same To provide an electrostatic lens which improves an irradiation accuracy of an electron beam while satisfying the need for higher throughput. An electrostatic lens according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate which includes an insulating plate in which a plurality of first through holes that allow an electron beam to pass through are formed, a plurality of electrodes that are formed on an inner wall of the plurality of first through holes, and a plurality of wirings that are formed on the insulating plate and are electrically connected to each of the electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes are electrically independent from each other.
US09117622B2	Miniaturized high-speed modulated X-ray source A miniaturized high-speed modulated X-ray source (MXS) device and a method for rapidly and arbitrarily varying with time the output X-ray photon intensities and energies. The MXS device includes an ultraviolet emitter that emits ultraviolet light, a photocathode operably coupled to the ultraviolet light-emitting diode that emits electrons, an electron multiplier operably coupled to the photocathode that multiplies incident electrons, and an anode operably coupled to the electron multiplier that is configured to produce X-rays. The method for modulating MXS includes modulating an intensity of an ultraviolet emitter to emit ultraviolet light, generating electrons in response to the ultraviolet light, multiplying the electrons to become more electrons, and producing X-rays by an anode that includes a target material configured to produce X-rays in response to impact of the more electrons.
US09117619B2	Device for generating heavy-ion beam and method thereof There is provided a device for generating a heavy-ion beam. The device includes a laser beam generating unit configured to generate a laser beam; a target configured to generate a heavy-ion beam by the laser beam; a laser optical system configured to focus the laser beam on the front of the target; and a plasma treating unit disposed at a rear surface of the target and configured to remove impurities within the target by plasma surface treatment that is performed by radiating cationic plasma onto the rear surface of the target.
US09117618B2	Ion generating apparatus A discharge electrode 5 for generating ions and a high-voltage generating circuit unit 2 that supplies the discharge electrode 5 with a high voltage are housed in a housing 3. A discharge opening 12 for discharging the generated ions is formed in the housing 3. The housing 3 is covered by an exterior case 15. The exterior case 15 is connected to the high-voltage generating circuit unit 2 and functions as an induction electrode. A passage opening 33 leading to the discharge opening 12 is formed in the exterior case 15. An insulating sheet 36 covers the periphery of the passage opening 33 in the exterior case 15 facing a space into which the ions are discharged so that the discharged ions do not attach to the exterior case 15. Decrease in the amount of discharged ions can be prevented while using a peripheral component of the discharge electrode 5 as the induction electrode.
US09117617B2	Axial magnetic ion source and related ionization methods An ion source is configured for electron ionization and produces coaxial electron and ion beams. The ion source includes an ionization chamber along an axis, a magnet assembly configured for generating an axial magnetic field in the ionization chamber, an electron source, and a lens assembly configured for directing the ion beam out from the ionization chamber along the axis, reflecting the electron beam back toward the electron source, and transmitting higher energy ions out from the ion source while reflecting lower energy ions toward a lens element for neutralization.
US09117612B2	Triggering unit for actuating a mechanical switching unit of a device A triggering unit includes a tappet having a moving bearing, a power accumulator, a holding device and a printed circuit board coil. In the normal state the power accumulator acts upon the tappet with a power accumulator force in the direction of the first stop position and the holding device holds the tappet with a holding force in the second stop position. A printed circuit board coil force can be generated by an activation of the printed circuit board coil. The power accumulator, the holding device and the printed circuit board coil are formed such that the tappet rests in the second stop position in the inactive state of the printed circuit board coil and through an activation of the printed circuit board coil, the tappet assumes the first stop position such that the triggered status is given.
US09117609B2	Electromagnetic opening/closing device A contact resistance value detected by a detection means (a resistance detection part) is compared with a predetermined threshold value. A determining means (an abnormality determining part) determines that there is a failure when the contact resistance value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, and then an abnormality detection signal is outputted from an output means (an output part). Therefore, it is possible to detect a failure in a contact, such as oxidization generated on a surface of a contact or contact pressure reduction generated between contacts, based on the contact resistance value of a contact part.
US09117608B2	Switchgear A switchgear includes a fixed contactor provided in a tank filled with insulating gas, and a movable contactor provided in the tank, the movable contactor being connected to and disconnected from the fixed contactor so as to move forward and backward. The switchgear includes an arc extinction member including a surrounding portion which is slidably connected to the outer circumferential surface of the movable contactor halfway in a movement range from a close contact state to an open contact state and is formed so as to surround an arc space portion in a sealed manner, the surrounding portion being formed with a through hole through which the arc space communicates with the outside of the arc space.
US09117605B2	DC power relay Provided is a DC power relay. The DC power relay includes a pair of fixed contacts disposed parallel to each other, a movable contact vertically movable with respect to the pair of fixed contacts, the movable contact being in connect with or being separated from the pair of fixed contacts, a pair of permanent magnets for guide an arc generated when the movable contact is in contact with or is separated from the pair of fixed contacts to the outside, and a damping magnet reducing a force generated in a direction in which the movable contact is separated from the fixed contacts when the movable contact is in contact with the fixed contacts.
US09117597B2	Self-aligning portable actuator for remotely operating a power circuit breaker A portable actuator assembly for remotely operating the control components on a circuit breaker which self-aligns by engaging a recessed area of the circuit breaker. The portable actuator assembly is easily and accurately aligned with the control components on the circuit breaker by an alignment fixture that engages the recessed area of the circuit breaker. The alignment fixture is moveable along one axis that lies perpendicular to the face of the circuit breaker in order to compensate for variations between the plane of the face of the circuit breaker and the plane of the sheet metal enclosure surrounding the circuit breaker. The alignment fixture is forced toward the face of the breaker by spring action to ensure it remains in constant contact with the circuit breaker. Strong magnets may hold the portable actuator assembly against the circuit breaker by attaching to the sheet metal enclosure surrounding the circuit breaker.
US09117594B2	Photoelectric conversion device and electronic equipment A photoelectric conversion device provided with an electron transport layer having an excellent electron transport ability and having an excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency, and electronic equipment provided with such a photoelectric conversion device and having a high reliability are provided. A solar cell, to which the photoelectric conversion device is applied, has a first electrode provided on a substrate, a second electrode arranged opposite to the first electrode and retained on a facing substrate, an electron transport layer provided between these electrodes and positioned on the side of the first electrode, a dye layer being in contact with the electron transport layer, and an electrolyte layer provided between the electron transport layer and the second electrode and being in contact with the dye layer. The electron transport layer includes particles of sodium trititanate.
US09117588B2	Combination converter arrangement and switching device A combination converter arrangement and a switching device including such a combination converter arrangement are disclosed. The combination of a current transformer with a core made of ferromagnetic material and a Rogowski coil is referred to as a combination converter, the current transformer being used to supply energy to the electronic tripping unit of the switching device, and the Rogowski coil being used to measure current. In order to make use of the installation space available in the switching device for installing combination converters, a plurality of combination converters are arranged in a common housing to thereby provide a multi-pole combination converter module.
US09117587B2	Noise reduction device and bus bar module A noise reduction device includes a magnetic core and an elastically deformable elastic sheet. The magnetic core surrounds an outer periphery of an electric cable, and reduces noise emitted from the electric cable. The elastic sheet is wrapped around the electric cable so as to surround the electric cable, and is sandwiched between an inner peripheral surface of the magnetic core and an outer peripheral surface of the electric cable and elastically deformed.
US09117586B2	Trimmable transformer arrangement A circuit arrangement includes a coreless transformer. A trimming device is connected to the transformer and includes a variable capacitance and/or inductance.
US09117582B2	Magnetic powder material, low-loss composite magnetic material containing same, and magnetic element using same The present invention provides a material which can be used for low pressure molding, and which has a low core loss while maintaining the characteristic of an amorphous powder that is the high coercive force. It provides a magnetic powder material containing, relative to the weight thereof, amorphous powders of 45 to 80 wt %, crystalline powders of 55 to 20 wt %, and a bonding agent. The magnetic powder material contains, relative to the mass thereof, Si of 4.605 to 6.60 mass %, Cr of 2.64 to 3.80 mass %, C of 0.225 to 0.806 mass %, Mn of 0.018 to 0.432 mass %, B of 0.99 to 2.24 mass %, P of equal to or less than 0.0248 mass %, S of equal to or less than 0.0165 mass %, Co of equal to or less than 0.0165 mass %, and a balance of Fe and inevitable impurities.
US09117574B2	Adjustable double insulator cover for electrical distribution systems An expandable dielectric cover system for a pair of insulators supporting a conductor includes a first insulator cover and a separate insulator cover. A sleeve covers portions of the first insulator cover and second insulator cover and covers the conductor between the two covers. The sleeve covers a variable length of the first insulator cover and second insulator cover to accommodate a wide range of separations between the two covers while still covering the conductor. Pivotable arms are connectable to the other sides of the covers for covering a length of the conductor extending away from the sleeve.
US09117570B2	Copper clad aluminum wire, compressed conductor and cable including the same, and method of manufacturing compressed conductor Disclosed are a copper clad aluminum wire, a compressed conductor and a cable including the same and a method of manufacturing the compressed conductor. The copper clad aluminum wire, the compressed conductor and a cable including the copper clad aluminum wire and the method of manufacturing the compressed conductor according to embodiments of the present invention may exhibit electrical features similar to those of a conventional pure copper wire without greatly increasing outer diameters of the conductor and the cable, guarantee workability of a worker when the worker installs the cable even in a narrow work space, and efficiently utilize an installation space.
US09117565B2	Magnetic grain boundary engineered ferrite core materials A composite material can include a grain component and a nanostructured grain boundary component. The nanostructured grain boundary component can be insulating and magnetic, so as to provide greater continuity of magnetization of the composite material. The grain component can have an average grain size of about 0.5-50 micrometers. The grain boundary component can have an average grain size of about 1-100 nanometers. The nanostructured magnetic grain boundary material has a magnetic flux density of at least about 250 mT. The grain component can comprise MnZn ferrite particles. The nanostructured grain boundary component can comprise NiZn ferrite nanoparticles. Core components and systems thereof can be manufactured from the composite material.
US09117564B2	Variable angle collimator A system for producing a controllable beam of radiation is controllable electronically, and includes no parts that must move relative to one another while in operation to form the beam. The direction and cross-section of the beam may be controlled electronically by controlling an electron beam. Various embodiments provide an X-ray collimator that allows forming a scanning X-ray beam of desired size and flux independently of the aperture material thickness without requiring movement of the aperture or physical components that create the aperture. Some embodiments provide an X-ray collimator that allows forming a scanning X-ray beam of desired size and flux independently of the beam angle.
US09117562B2	Method for producing scintillator panel, scintillator panel and flat panel detector The steps of the method to make the scintillator panel are providing a first support having thereon a phosphor layer; dividing the first support the phosphor layer into a plurality of scintillator panel sections each having a first support section and a phosphor layer section thereon; providing an adhesive member between a side of the first support section of each of the plurality of the scintillator panel sections and a side of a second support; adhering the plurality of the scintillator panel sections onto the second support; forming a protective layer on a whole surface of the plurality of the scintillator panel sections except a portion of the scintillator panel sections which is contacted with the adhesive member; and separating the scintillator panel sections with their protective layer thereon from the second support. The separated scintillator panel sections with their protective layer are then adhered to light receiving element to form the flat panel detector.
US09117560B1	Densified waste form and method for forming Materials and methods of making densified waste forms for temperature sensitive waste material, such as nuclear waste, formed with low temperature processing using metallic powder that forms the matrix that encapsulates the temperature sensitive waste material. The densified waste form includes a temperature sensitive waste material in a physically densified matrix, the matrix is a compacted metallic powder. The method for forming the densified waste form includes mixing a metallic powder and a temperature sensitive waste material to form a waste form precursor. The waste form precursor is compacted with sufficient pressure to densify the waste precursor and encapsulate the temperature sensitive waste material in a physically densified matrix.
US09117556B2	Method for waste burial and container for waste storage A method for waste burial includes preparing metallic containers (11) for waste storage each being configured to contain drum cans (12) in each of which waste is contained, and being sealed; drilling a vertical hole (26) to bury a plurality of the containers (11) for waste storage in a ground (20), thereafter disposing a steel pipe (27) in the vertical hole (26); providing a concrete base (30) on a lower portion of the steel pipe (27), thereafter disposing the container (11) for waste storage on the concrete base (30), and thereon stacking a plurality of the containers (11) for waste storage; and sealing an upper portion of the uppermost container (11) for waste storage with a concrete (34), after stacking the containers (11) for waste storage from the ground (20) to a predetermined depth.
US09117552B2	Systems and methods for testing memory Embodiments of systems and methods for testing memory are disclosed, where memory errors are detected, and, in at least one embodiment, memory units containing errors are prevented from being accessed by applications on a computing system.
US09117549B1	Auto low current programming method without verify A flash memory device employs a low current auto-verification programming scheme using multi-step programming voltage and cell current detection. The low current auto-verification programming scheme performs programming of memory cells by the application of programming voltages in step increments. For each programming pulse, the cell current of the memory cell is sensed to determine when the memory cell is programmed. The programming pulse is terminated when the cell current decreases below a reference current level.
US09117545B1	Sense-amplifier driving device and semiconductor device including the same A semiconductor device includes a sense-amplifier driving device. The sense-amplifier driving device includes a sense-amplifier driver configured to provide a first pull-up voltage and a first pull-down voltage to a pull-up power line and a pull-down power line, respectively, during a first over-driving time period, provide the second pull-up voltage and the first pull-down voltage to the pull-up power line and the pull-down power line, respectively, during an active time period, and provide a third pull-up voltage and a second pull-down voltage to the pull-up power line and the pull-down power line, respectively, during a second over-driving time period, and a drive-signal generator configured to generate a plurality of drive signals, which is selectively activated during the first over-driving time period, the active time period, and the second over-driving time period, to control an operation of the sense-amplifier driver.
US09117544B2	Row hammer refresh command A memory controller issues a targeted refresh command. A specific row of a memory device can be the target of repeated accesses. When the row is accessed repeatedly within a time threshold (also referred to as “hammered” or a “row hammer event”), physically adjacent row (a “victim” row) may experience data corruption. The memory controller receives an indication of a row hammer event, identifies the row associated with the row hammer event, and sends one or more commands to the memory device to cause the memory device to perform a targeted refresh that will refresh the victim row.
US09117542B2	Directed per bank refresh command A memory device includes a per bank refresh counter applicable to multiple banks in a group. The memory device increments a row address counter only when the per bank refresh counter is reset. The memory device receives a per bank refresh command from an associated memory controller, and performs a per bank refresh in response to receiving the per bank refresh command. The memory device refreshes a row identified by a row address counter for a bank identified by the per bank refresh command. The memory device increments the per bank refresh counter in response to receiving the per bank refresh command, and increments the row address counter when the per bank refresh counter is reset, either by rolling over or by a reset condition.
US09117534B2	Fuse circuit with test mode During a program operation of a fuse cell of a fuse circuit, all of a group of select transistors of a fuse cell are made conductive to program the fuse cell. During a test operation of a fuse cell of the fuse circuit, less than all of the group of select transistors are made conductive so that current less than a programming current flows through the fuse cell.
US09117524B2	Adjusting operational parameters for memory cells Techniques and devices relating to adjusting one or more operational parameters for memory cells are provided. One such device may include a detection unit configured to perform one or more reading operations on a set of memory cells to determine an upper bound of the threshold voltages of the set of memory cells. The device may further include a parameter adjustment unit configured to adjust one or more operational parameters for the set of memory cells based, at least in part, on the determined upper bound of the threshold voltages. Other techniques and devices are also provided.
US09117519B2	Methods, devices and systems using over-reset state in a memory cell Memory cells, devices and methods are disclosed, including those that involve applying a waveform to a resistive memory cell to program the memory cell to an over-reset state representing a logic value.
US09117511B2	Control circuits for asynchronous circuits The described embodiments include a computing device with one or more asynchronous circuits and control circuits that control the operation of the asynchronous circuits. In some embodiments, the control circuits are arranged in a hierarchy with a top-level control circuit atop the hierarchy and one or more local control circuits lower in the hierarchy. In these embodiments, the top-level control circuit processes operating information for the one or more asynchronous circuits and/or other functional blocks in the computing device to determine an operating state for the computing device. Based on the operating state, the top-level control circuit communicates commands to the local control circuits to cause the local control circuits to operate in corresponding operating modes. Based on a corresponding operating mode command, each local control circuit sets one or more operating parameters for corresponding asynchronous circuits (and/or one or more other functional blocks).
US09117509B2	Electronic apparatus, DRAM controller, and DRAM The invention provides an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and a DRAM controller. The DRAM receives at least one control and address signal and a clock signal, delays the clock signal by a predetermined value to obtain a delayed clock signal, samples the control and address signal according to the clock signal to obtain a first sample signal, samples the control and address signal according to the delayed clock signal to obtain a second sample signal, and compares the first sample signal with the second sample signal to obtain a status signal. The DRAM controller sends the control and address signal and the clock signal to the DRAM, receives the status signal from the DRAM, and adjusts a phase difference between the clock signal and the control and address signal according to the status signal.
US09117508B2	Integrated circuit with adaptive power state management Methods and apparatuses that relate to an integrated circuit (IC) with adaptive power state management are described. The IC can be coupled with, and can control the operation of, a memory device. The IC and the memory device can be operated in multiple operational states, wherein each operational state may represent a tradeoff point between performance and power consumption. The IC may be capable of: (1) changing the operational state of the IC and/or the operational state of the memory device based on the occurrence of one or more conditions, and/or (2) changing the one or more conditions based on measuring one or more performance values associated with the IC and/or the memory device.
US09117502B2	System and method for memory management of unique alpha-numeric order identifiers subjected to hashing and truncation for mapping to limited memory space An embedded hardware-based risk system is provided that has an apparatus and method for the management of unique alpha-numeric order message identifiers within DDR memory space restrictions. The apparatus provides a new design for assigning orders (CLOrID) to memory and the method thereof specifically with the intention to not impact latency until memory is over 90% full.
US09117498B2	Memory with power savings for unnecessary reads A memory device includes a plurality of sense amplifiers, an array of memory cells including a first subset of memory cells, and a plurality of word lines. Each word line is coupled to each memory cell in a respective row of the memory cells and each row of the memory cells includes one memory cell of the first subset of memory cells. Each of a plurality of control word lines is coupled to a respective one of the memory cells in the first subset of memory cells and each of the memory cells in the first subset of memory cells generates a sense amplifier control signal coupled to control operation of a respective one of the plurality of sense amplifiers.
US09117493B2	Discrete three-dimensional memory comprising off-die address/data translator The present invention discloses a discrete three-dimensional memory (3D-M). Its 3D-M arrays are located on at least one 3D-array die, while its address-data translator (A/D-translator) is located on a separate peripheral-circuit die. The A/D-translator converts at least an address and/or data between logical space and physical space for the 3D-array die. A single A/D-translator die can support multiple 3D-array dies.
US09117489B1	Data storage device screening heads by verifying defects after defect scan A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks. A defect scan of at least one of the tracks is executed, and a log entry is generated when a defect is detected. After the defect scan, a verify operation is executed for at least two of the detected defects. A number of times the verify operation detects a false defect is counted, and whether the head is defective is determined based at least partly on the count.
US09117483B2	Method and apparatus for dynamically recording, editing and combining multiple live video clips and still photographs into a finished composition The present invention relates to a method of dynamically creating a video composition including the steps: a) recording a first real-world event as a first video clip using a video composition creation program residing on a portable device in response to a first user record input, the portable device comprising a camera lens, a processor, a memory device, and a display device that displays an image of the first real-world event perceived by the camera lens during the recording of the first real-world event; and b) selecting a transition using the video composition creation program in response to a user transition selection input, the video composition creation program automatically combining the first video clip and the selected transition to create the video composition; and c) the video composition creation program saving the video composition on the memory device as a single file in response to a user save input.
US09117482B1	Hybrid drive changing power mode of disk channel when frequency of write data exceeds a threshold A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a disk channel including a head actuated over a disk, the disk comprising a plurality of data sectors, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of memory segments. Write commands are received from a host, wherein the write commands comprise write data. When a frequency of the write data exceeds a threshold, an operating mode of the disk channel is changed to change a power consumption rate of the disk channel.
US09117481B1	Delaying unload operation when rate of unloads exceeds a time varying unload limit A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head, and a ramp located near an outer periphery of the disk. The disk drive further comprises control circuitry operable to load the head off the ramp over the disk, receive an unload command to perform an unload operation, evaluate a number of unloads relative to an unload limit that varies over time, and when the number of unloads exceeds the unload limit, delay the unload operation.
US09117476B1	Magnetic media on a plastic substrate A method of adhering a magnetic layer to a plastic substrate of a magnetic recording medium, the method including depositing a SiN-containing layer on the plastic substrate and depositing a magnetic layer on the SiN-containing layer is disclosed. Also disclosed is a disc for a rotating recording system including a plastic substrate, a bilayer including a SiN-containing layer and a metal-containing layer on the plastic substrate, and magnetic media on the bilayer.
US09117470B1	Write delay to de-skew data in read while write function for tape storage devices According to one general embodiment, a method includes determining an offset between first and second arrays of transducers on a magnetic head in a direction perpendicular to an intended direction of media travel when the magnetic head is positioned at a first position, tilting the magnetic head to a second position, and delaying writing by at least some of the write transducers to provide magnetic transitions on a magnetic medium as if the longitudinal axis of the array was aligned in the direction perpendicular to the intended direction of media travel. At least one of the arrays of transducers includes write transducers. Moreover, the arrays of transducers have longitudinal axes aligned at the second position greater or less than 0 degrees from the longitudinal axes of the arrays of transducers aligned at the first position.
US09117469B1	Suspension design with split substrate for improved interference signal immunity A “split-substrate” design is described for the metal ground layer in the suspension for a slider for use in a disk drive that reduces crosstalk from signals being transmitted on the conductive traces and allows externally induced interference to be shunted away from sensitive traces along selected portions of the suspension. In embodiments of the invention a slit formed in the metal ground layer to provide two parallel ground paths respectively on the left and right sides of the selected portion of the suspension. By positioning interference signal generating traces like writer traces on one side of the slit, that side becomes the noisy ground path leaving the other side as a “quiet” ground path. The shape, positioning and grounding of the split substrate structure can shunt return/ground currents created by external RFI into the noisy leg and thereby shield the quiet leg.
US09117467B1	Disk drive head suspension including a grounded conductive substrate A suspension includes a flexure including a conductive substrate, and a dielectric layer formed on the conductive substrate, and the conductive substrate being grounded; and a plurality of electrical traces formed on the dielectric layer and extending from a leading portion to a trailing portion of the flexure, and the electrical traces at least having a pair of read traces. At least one via is formed at certain position on the read traces to connect the read traces with the conductive substrate that is etched partially. It can minimize ESD damage during various stages of manufacturing process of the disk drive unit, reduce manufacturing cost, and also improve electrical performance of the suspension interconnection.
US09117460B2	Detection of end of utterance in speech recognition system The present invention relates to speech recognition systems, especially to arranging detection of end-of utterance in such systems. A speech recognizer of the system is configured to determine whether recognition result determined from received speech data is stabilized. The speech recognizer is configured to process values of best state scores and best token scores associated with frames of received speech data for end of utterance detection purposes. Further, the speech recognizer is configured to determine whether end of utterance is detected or not, based on the processing, if the recognition result is stabilized.
US09117459B2	Processing of audio signals during high frequency reconstruction The application relates to HFR (High Frequency Reconstruction/Regeneration) of audio signals. In particular, the application relates to a method and system for performing HFR of audio signals having large variations in energy level across the low frequency range which is used to reconstruct the high frequencies of the audio signal. A system configured to generate a plurality of high frequency subband signals covering a high frequency interval from a plurality of low frequency subband signals is described. The system comprises means for receiving the plurality of low frequency subband signals; means for receiving a set of target energies, each target energy covering a different target interval within the high frequency interval and being indicative of the desired energy of one or more high frequency subband signals lying within the target interval; means for generating the plurality of high frequency subband signals from the plurality of low frequency subband signals and from a plurality of spectral gain coefficients associated with the plurality of low frequency subband signals, respectively; and means for adjusting the energy of the plurality of high frequency subband signals using the set of target energies.
US09117455B2	Adaptive voice intelligibility processor Systems and methods for adaptively processing speech to improve voice intelligibility are described. These systems and methods can adaptively identify and track formant locations, thereby enabling formants to be emphasized as they change. As a result, these systems and methods can improve near-end intelligibility, even in noisy environments. The systems and methods can be implemented in Voice-over IP (VoIP) applications, telephone and/or video conference applications (including on cellular phones, smart phones, and the like), laptop and tablet communications, and the like. The systems and methods can also enhance non-voiced speech, which can include speech generated without the vocal track, such as transient speech.
US09117450B2	Combining re-speaking, partial agent transcription and ASR for improved accuracy / human guided ASR A speech transcription system is described for producing a representative transcription text from one or more different audio signals representing one or more different speakers participating in a speech session. A preliminary transcription module develops a preliminary transcription of the speech session using automatic speech recognition having a preliminary recognition accuracy performance. A speech selection module enables user selection of one or more portions of the preliminary transcription to receive higher accuracy transcription processing. A final transcription module is responsive to the user selection for developing a final transcription output for the speech session having a final recognition accuracy performance for the selected one or more portions which is higher than the preliminary recognition accuracy performance.
US09117448B2	Method and system for speech recognition using social networks In an example embodiment, there is disclosed an apparatus comprising an audio interface configured to receive an audio signal, a data interface is configured to communicate with at least one social graph, and logic is coupled to the audio interface and the data interface. The logic is configured to identify a calling party. The logic is further configured to acquire data representative of a called party from the audio signal. The logic is configured to initiate a search of the at least one social graph for the data representative of the called party to identify the called party responsive to acquiring the data representative of the called party.
US09117443B2	Wearing state based device operation Methods and apparatuses for wearing state device operation are disclosed. In one example, a headset includes a sensor for detecting a headset donned state or a headset doffed state. The headset operation is modified based on whether the headset is donned or doffed.
US09117439B2	Method and apparatus for ultrasound synthetic imagining A method for ultrasound imaging is provided. The method includes at least a transmission step, a coherence enhancing step, and a beamforming step. In the transmission step, a plurality of ultrasonic waves are transmitted into an imaged region and a set of raw data is acquired by an array of transducers in response to each ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic waves have different spatial frequency content. In the coherence enhancing step, for each of a plurality of virtual transmit focal zones in the imaged region, at least one set of coherent data is synthesized from the sets of raw data. In the beamforming step, for each of a plurality of locations included in each of the virtual transmit focal zones, an image pixel is computed by beamforming, using the set of coherent data.
US09117438B2	Pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell with plug The present invention relates to a pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10) comprising a substrate (12), and a membrane (14) disposed above a total membrane area ((Atotal), wherein a cavity (20) is formed between the membrane (14) and the substrate (12), the membrane (14) comprising a hole (15) and an edge portion (14a) surrounding the hole (15), the edge portion (14a) of the membrane (14) being collapsed to the substrate (12). The cell further comprises a plug (30) arranged in the hole (15) of the membrane (14), the plug (30) being located only in a subarea (Asub) of the total membrane area (Atotal). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10).
US09117435B2	Volume amplifying assembly and portable electronic device packing case using the volume amplifying assembly A portable electronic device packing case includes a packing body and a volume amplifying assembly received in the packing body. The volume amplifying assembly includes a volume amplifying body. The volume amplifying body includes a top wall formed on one end of the volume amplifying body, a side wall connected to the top wall, and a supporting member for supporting a portable electronic device positioned in the volume amplifying body. The top wall defines a plurality of sound holes therein, and the supporting member has a bottom surface defining a plurality of sound transmitting holes. The top wall, the side wall, and the supporting member cooperatively define a sound chamber for sound emitted by the electronic device to resonate therein.
US09117433B2	Tuning device A tuning device is provided. The sound to be tuned is inputted by an input means while a reference sound is produced by an output means. At least two pitches are detected independently from a mixture of the sound to be tuned and the reference sound by a pitch detection means. Based on pitch information of the reference sound acquired by an acquiring means, the pitch of the sound to be tuned is extracted by a pitch extraction means from the at least two pitches detected by the pitch detection means. Information about the pitch of the sound to be tuned is displayed by a display means under control of a display control means. Therefore, the user can easily perform tuning on the sound to be tuned, based on the pitch information displayed by the display means, while listening to the reference sound and producing the sound to be tuned.
US09117432B2	Apparatus and method for detecting chord A chord detection apparatus retrieves musical performance data indicative of musical performance played by a user, retrieves musical piece information indicative of a musical piece played by the user, retrieves chord tendency information indicative of degrees of likelihood or unlikelihood of chords appearing in the musical piece, and detects a chord on the basis of the retrieved musical performance data and the retrieved chord tendency information.
US09117429B2	Input interface for generating control signals by acoustic gestures Tone input device having a tone signal input, a tone signal output and a sound classifier connected to the tone signal input for receiving a tone signal incoming at the tone signal input and for analyzing the tone signal for identifying, within the tone signal, one or several tone signal passages corresponding to at least one condition. Further, the tone input device has a command signal generator connected to the sound classifier for generating a command signal allocated to the at least one condition, and a command output for outputting the command signal to a command processing unit. The sound classifier is configured to interrupt an output of the tone signal via the tone signal output for a duration of the one or several tone signal passages, when the at least one condition exists. A related tone generation device has, in particular, a command processing unit for generating a processed tone signal from the incoming tone signal according to a processing regulation determined by the command signal, up to a cancelling command signal. Respective methods and computer programs are also disclosed.
US09117427B2	Drumstick controller A percussion device includes a drumstick assembly and a sleeve. The drumstick assembly includes a drumstick having a base and a tip end, and a drumstick tip secured to the tip end of the drumstick, the drumstick tip including a sensor. The sleeve is disposed about at least a portion of the drumstick including the base thereof, and includes at least one control button, a communication element, and a processor in communication with the at least one control button, the drumstick tip and the communication element. The processor is configured to receive a signal from the drumstick tip and to generate output to the communication element. The output so generated includes a signal that specifies a sound file selected by operation of the at least one control button.
US09117426B2	Using sound-segments in a multi-dimensional ordering to find and act-upon a composition A method, apparatus and system that enables a user to find and act-upon a sound-containing composition, in a group of compositions. One or more sound-segments, which are intended to prompt a user's memory, may be associated with each composition in a group of compositions. A recognition sound-segment may include a portion of its associated composition, which is more recognizable to users than the beginning part of its associated composition. A recognition-segment may contain one or more highly recognizable portion(s) of a composition. When the user is trying to locate or select a particular composition, the recognition-segments are navigated and played-back to the user, based upon a user-device context/mode. When a user recognizes the desired composition from its recognition-segment, the user may initiate a control action to playback; arrange; and/or act-upon, the composition that is associated with the currently playing recognition-segment.
US09117424B2	Multilayer article that provides cushioning A multilayer article is configured to provide cushioning for a musical instrument. The multilayer article has an attachment layer configured to be detachably coupled to the musical instrument. An upper raised section layer is attached to the attachment layer and configured to be concave downward. A lower raised section layer attached to the attachment layer and configured to be concave upward. A center raised section layer attached to the attachment layer between the upper raised section layer and the lower raised section layer. The upper raised section layer, the lower raised section layer and the center raised section layer are arranged to ergonomically accommodate a clavicle of a human user.
US09117419B2	Gate driver and liquid crystal display device The present invention provides a gate driver and liquid crystal display device. The gate driver, for driving scan lines of liquid crystal display device, includes: an input buffer, for receiving clock signal, first frame start pulse signal and second frame start pulse signal; shift register, including n+2 triggers, connected serially from the first trigger to the n+1st trigger, a clock signal input terminal of the n+2nd trigger being connected to the clock signal transmission line, wherein n being a natural number, when the first frame start pulse signal starting, the shift register shifting vertical synchronization signal and outputting n+1 outputs of shift registers based on the clock signal; a voltage level shifter, for shifting the output of the shift register to predefined voltage level and outputting shifted result serially; and an output buffer, for applying output of voltage level shifter to scan lines.
US09117417B2	Redundant power/control system for liquid crystal displays A system for powering and controlling an LED-backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) where redundancy is used to provide two independent paths from a pair of power supplies to the LED backlight. Further, two independent paths are also used from a pair of power supplies to the LCD. If any one of the paths were to fail or begin to degrade in performance, the system contains monitoring circuits which can direct another path to be used by the system. Two separate control circuits for the LCD may be used so that either one may be used to control the LCD if one were to fail. Two separate temperature sensors and luminance sensors may also be used to increase the durability of the system.
US09117413B2	Touch panel and touch display device A touch display device including a display, a touch panel and a transparent shielding layer is provided. The touch panel is disposed on the display, and includes a substrate and touch sensors positioned thereon. The transparent shielding layer is set between the display and the touch sensors of the touch panel, and includes an edge region and a central region wherein the impedance of the edge region is less than or equal to that of the central region.
US09117409B2	Light-emitting display device with transistor and capacitor discharging gate of driving electrode and oxide semiconductor layer Display defects of a display device are suppressed. The display device includes in each pixel, a light-emitting element, a driving transistor which supplies current to the light-emitting element, and transistors in each of which a channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer. A transistor which controls whether to electrically connect a gate and a source of the driving transistor provided in each pixel is provided. The above transistor and a transistor which controls electrical connection between the gate of the driving transistor and another node are transistors in each of which a channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer. Accordingly, charge stored in the node electrically connected to the gate of the driving transistor can be arbitrarily retained or released. Consequently, display defects of the display device can be suppressed.
US09117407B2	Pixel circuit, method of driving the same, and organic light emitting display device having the same A method of driving a pixel circuit includes initializing a driving transistor and a storage capacitor by simultaneously applying an initialization voltage and a first power voltage to a gate electrode of the driving transistor and the storage capacitor, respectively, diode-coupling the driving transistor, applying a data voltage to the storage capacitor, applying the data voltage to the gate electrode of the driving transistor by a coupling of a compensation capacitor coupled between the gate electrode of the driving transistor and the storage capacitor, and applying a current corresponding to the first power voltage and the data voltage to an organic light emitting diode that is coupled to the driving transistor.
US09117406B2	Display apparatus and control method for display apparatus A display apparatus is provided which optimally restores decreased luminance and extends a life of a light emitting element. The display apparatus includes a memory that stores a plurality of trap levels in association with a plurality of use durations of the light emitting element. An obtainer determines one of the plurality of use durations of the light emitting element. A controller reads, from the memory, one of the plurality of trap levels associated with the one of the plurality of use durations, and removes a charge from the light emitting element by application of a reverse bias voltage having a level associated with the one of the plurality of trap levels. The controller changes the level of the reverse bias voltage which is applied to the light emitting element so that as the one of the plurality of use durations increases, the level of the reverse bias voltage increases.
US09117404B2	Organic light emitting diode display device An organic light emitting diode display device that implements a high quality screen having uniform brightness by supplying uniform driving voltages to pixels irrespective of an external change is provided. The organic light emitting diode display device includes: an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel comprising a plurality of pixels formed at crossings of a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines of the panel; a timing controller configured to generate a plurality of control signals for driving the OLED panel; a data driver for driving the plurality of data lines; a gate driver for driving the plurality of gate lines; and a power supply unit configured to receive an input voltage and generate a stable driving voltage for driving each unit pixel of the liquid crystal panel without being affected by an instantaneous voltage rising and falling phenomenon of the input voltage.
US09117400B2	Compensation technique for color shift in displays A system for maintaining a substantially constant display white point over an extended period of operation of a color display formed by an array of multiple pixels in which each of the pixels includes multiple subpixels having different colors, and each of the subpixels includes a light emissive device. The display is generated by energizing the subpixels of successively selected pixels, and the color of each selected pixel is controlled by the relatives levels of energization of the subpixels in the selected pixel. The degradation behavior of the subpixels in each pixel is determined, and the relative levels of energization of the subpixels in each pixel are adjusted to adjust the brightness shares of the subpixels to compensate for the degradation behavior of the subpixels. The brightness shares are preferably adjusted to maintain a substantially constant display white point.
US09117399B2	Method of driving pixel circuit, light emitting device, and electronic apparatus There is provided a method of driving a pixel circuit that includes a light emitting element; a driving transistor that is connected to the light emitting element in series; and a storage capacitor that is interposed between a gate of the driving transistor and a path, which is formed between the light emitting element and the driving transistor.
US09117394B2	Image display device and driving method thereof An image display device includes luminescence pixels arranged in rows and columns. The image display device includes a first and second signal lines, first control lines, and at least two drive blocks. Each drive block is composed of luminescence pixels in at least two rows. Each luminescence pixel includes a luminescence element and a current controller. Each luminescence pixel that belongs to a kth drive block further includes a first switch provided between the first signal line and the current controller. Each luminescence pixel that belongs to a (k+1)th drive block further includes a second switch provided between the second signal line and the current controller. Each first control line is connected to all of the luminescence pixels in one of the drive blocks and not connected to the luminescence pixels in a different drive block.
US09117393B2	Color display device and method It is intended to provide a field sequential color display device capable of reducing the problem of saccadic color breakup. The color display device represents color images by depicting data of respective color images with a monochromatic display element in synchronism with sequential on-off switching to three color light sources of red, green and blue. Each display frame, which is the minimum cycle of sequential on-off switching of red, green and blue light sources to display any given color image, includes a red color field for displaying data of a red color image, a green color field for displaying data of a green color image and a blue color field for displaying data of a blue color image. In each green color field, at least the red light source or the blue light source is turned on and off in addition to the green light source.
US09117392B2	Direct interfacing of an external graphics card to a data processing device at a motherboard-level A method includes providing an Input/Output (I/O) interface at a periphery of a motherboard of a data processing device, and providing traces between a processor of the data processing device and the I/O interface across a surface of the motherboard. The traces provide conductive pathways between circuits of the processor and the I/O interface. The method also includes exposing the I/O interface through an external cosmetic surface of the data processing device in an assembled state thereof by way of a port complementary to that of a port of an external graphics card to enable direct coupling of the external graphics card to the data processing device through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through the data processing device.
US09117391B2	Portable terminal, and operation interval setting method A disclosed portable terminal includes: an inclination measurement unit that measures an inclination of the portable terminal; a change unit that change a display direction of contents to be displayed on a display screen of the portable terminal according to a state of a user holding the portable terminal; an operation interval setting unit that sets an operation interval of the change unit based on change of the inclination over time, which was measured by the inclination measurement unit; and an operation controller that causes the change unit to operate at intervals that were set by the operation interval setting unit.
US09117390B2	Display device and driving method of the same A display device and a driving method thereof. The display device includes a plurality of pixels, each receiving a predetermined on-bias voltage transferred through a data line during one frame, receiving a first image data signal corresponding to the corresponding frame through the data line and storing the same, and emitting light according to a driving current that corresponds to a second image data signal that corresponds to the previous frame of the corresponding frame, and a first period for storing the first image data signal and a second period for light emission according to a driving current corresponding to the second image data signal overlap each other in one frame.
US09117381B1	Mountable sign holding apparatus A mountable sign holding apparatus attaches a sign to a handlebar or a steering wheel of a vehicle to communicate a warning to pedestrians against touching the vehicle. The apparatus includes an elongated tube. A sign is coupled to and extends outwardly from an upper end of the tube. A coupler is attached to a bottom end of the tube and is configured to frictionally engage a steering control of a vehicle and support each of the tube and the sign on the steering control.
US09117379B2	Backlight unit, display using the same and lighting system including the same Disclosed are a backlight unit, a display using the same and a lighting system including the same. The backlight unit includes a first reflector, a second reflector, at least one light source module disposed between the first reflector and the second reflector, and a bottom cover including a bottom part supporting the second reflector and at least one side wall part inclined and extending from the bottom part.
US09117375B2	Equation-based assessment grading method and participant response system employing same A computerized assessment grading method comprises creating a syntax tree for a received equation-based response to at least one assessment question and a syntax tree for at least one solution to the at least one question, comparing the syntax trees, and grading the response based on the results of the comparison.
US09117373B2	Method and apparatus for extra-vehicular emergency updates following an accident A system includes a processor configured to receive instructions from a vehicle computing system (VCS) to being reporting a mobile device location. The processor is also configured to access a list of emergency contacts. Further, the processor is configured to determine that a mobile device has left a predetermined perimeter around a last known vehicle location. The processor is additionally configured to periodically report mobile device GPS coordinates to members of the emergency contacts list, until the mobile device reaches a destination.
US09117369B2	Method for detecting a wheel of a vehicle A rotating wheel of a vehicle is detected by evaluating the Doppler shift of a measuring beam, which is emitted by a detector unit passed by the vehicle, and is reflected by the wheel and returned in Doppler-shifted form. In a relative position to the wheel, the vehicle comprises an onboard unit, which can establish radio communication with a transceiver having a known location in the detector unit. The direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver are measured on the basis of at least one radio communication between the same. The radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam is controlled in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the aforementioned relative position and location.
US09117365B2	Device identification apparatus and remote control system Each device identification apparatus includes a circuit for generating a delay time and transmits a device identification code signal at a different delay time in response to a device selecting signal from a remote controller, thereby making it possible to prevent interference. Further, an infrared light amount detecting circuit is provided in a device identification apparatus or a remote controller, and an electronic device to which a device identification apparatus having a higher intensity of infrared is attached is displayed on the remote controller so that the electronic device is easily selected.
US09117355B2	Wireless signal actuated security tag Systems and methods for operating a security tag of an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system. The methods involve providing a unique identifier from the security tag to an application installed on a mobile communication device via a first short-range communication when the security tag is attached to an article for sale. A second short-range communication is received by the security tag from the mobile communication device that comprises a detachment command. The detachment command is received by the security tag exclusively after the article has been successfully purchased. Thereafter, the security tag verifies that the second short-range communication is intended to be processed thereby. Next, the security tag performs operations to actuate a detachment mechanism in response to the detachment command so that the security tag can be detached from the article for sale.
US09117352B2	Electronic device Provided is an electronic device having a high anti-theft effect with a simple structure. The electronic device includes: a fixed panel; a detachable panel which is attached to or detached from the fixed panel; a first sensor which detects detaching of the detachable panel from the fixed panel; and a second sensor which detects detaching of the detachable panel from the fixed panel. A controller (CPU) restricts some of the plurality of functions when at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor detects that the detachable panel is detached from the fixed panel.
US09117346B2	Goods channel for vending machine A vending machine includes a goods rack, a restricting piece, and a positioning piece mounted on the goods rack. The goods rack defines a goods accommodating space and an opening. The restricting piece is pivotally mounted on the goods rack to cover the opening. The restricting piece includes a clasp. The positioning piece defines a first engaging hole and a second engaging hole. The restricting piece can rotate on the goods rack between a first securing position and a second securing position. In the first securing position, the clasp engages in the first engaging hole, so that the restricting piece is set at a first height. In the second securing position, the clasp engages in the second engaging hole, so that the restricting piece is set at a second height.
US09117345B2	Game machine, game system, and game control method In the game machine which includes a plurality of lottery machines having different lottery probabilities and executing a plurality of lotteries by a plurality of lottery machines selected as a predetermined combination among a plurality of lottery machines as a chance game provided in common to players, a plurality of station units is provided with a touch panel which receives an operation of the player. The game machine executes the lotteries by the plurality of lottery machines as the chance game in a predetermined order. The game machine changes at least one of the plurality of lottery machines into another lottery machine according to an operation input from the touch panel in case that a predetermined change condition is satisfied. The change of the combination of the plurality of lottery machines is applied to the chance game for other players playing the chance game.
US09117334B2	Gaming system including multiple displays having game symbols with common characteristics A gaming system and method involving a game having a plurality of symbols. The gaming system displays a play of the game on a first display while displaying a sequence of the symbols on a second display. The gaming system includes one award associated with the play and another award associated with a characteristic in common between a symbol displayed on the first display and a symbol indicated on the second display.
US09117329B2	Gaming system for data management and collection and related methods Systems for managing gaming devices in a networked environment are disclosed herein. The system includes one or more gaming device, at least one data repository, host system, and a datastore. The gaming devices have a gaming processor and a plurality of gaming components, wherein one or more parameters are associated with the gaming components. The data repository is in communication with the one or more gaming components, and the data repository stores data that includes one or more parameters from each gaming component. A host system is in communication with the gaming devices, and the host system is configured to collect data from the data repository. The host system also includes a datastore in communication with the host system, wherein the datastore stores data from the gaming devices.
US09117327B1	Automated banking machine that charges a fee in exchange for dispense of clean currency bills An ATM is configured to dispense both used currency bills that have been in public circulation and clean, new, uncirculated currency bills. The ATM provides users an option to receive the uncirculated currency bills in exchange for a clean cash surcharge fee.
US09117317B2	Intelligent physical mail method and system A method for creating an intelligent physical mailpiece includes looking up a mailpiece preference of an addressee concerning mail received by the addressee. A physical mailpiece to the addressee is prepared and includes on the mailpiece the addressee preference. The mailpiece is scanned to determine the addressee preference. The mailpiece may also be processed to link the owner of a meter employed to imprint an indicia on the mailpiece to the mailpiece.The intelligent physical mailpiece system may include a database of recipient preferences. A sender mail creation means is coupled to the recipient preference database. A processor is coupled to a scanner. A communications means is coupled between the processor and the sender mail creation means for communicating recipient preferences to the sender mail creation means for storage in the database of recipient preferences.
US09117316B1	Social identity models for automated entity interactions One or more social interactive goals for an automated entity such as an avatar may be determined during a social interaction between the automated entity and a selected entity such as a human. Identity attributes of identity images from an identity model of the automated entity may be used to determine a set of behavioral actions the automated entity is to take for the determined goals. Paralanguage elements expressed for the automated entity via a user interface may be altered based on the determined set of behavioral actions. The automated entity may refer to a computer implemented automaton that simulates a human in the user interface of an interactive computing environment. By way of example, an avatar cybernetic goal seeking behavior may be implemented in accordance with an identity theory model.
US09117311B2	Systems and methods for displaying patient-related data Systems and methods for displaying patient-related data to a care provider are provided. Patient-related values are received. The quantity of values is greater than a graph overflow threshold indicative of an amount of display space of a graph. A set of visible values is defined based at least in part on the graph overflow threshold. Sets of hidden values and anomalous values are also defined. The values in the visible-value set are displayed within the display space of the graph. An anomaly indicator is provided for any value in both the visible-value set and the anomalous-value set, to notify a care provider of any visible anomalous patient-related value. An overflow identifier is displayed instead of any value in the hidden-values set. The overflow identifier indicates the number of values in the hidden-value set to inform the care provider as such.
US09117301B2	Method and apparatus for obtaining panoramic image A method of obtaining a panoramic image and an apparatus for the same are disclosed. In particular, a method of obtaining a panorama image and an apparatus for the same capable of obtaining a more clear panoramic image with reproducibility by extracting best-focused-images in case of forming images of multiple image-layer-trace images are disclosed. In accordance with the method and the device of this invention for obtaining the panoramic image, it is possible to complete the optimal image-layer-trace to be reconstructed and to obtain a clear panoramic image which vividly shows an arch of a patient by reconstructing a panoramic image for an optimal image-layer-trace most closely related to a focus-trace.
US09117297B2	Reduced on-chip memory graphics data processing An electronic device as taught herein offers reduced on-chip memory processing of graphics data, while also offering low memory bandwidth requirements. The electronic device includes a host block with off-chip memory, a graphics processing block with on-chip memory, a display controller, and a graphics display. The off-chip memory stores a frame of graphics data. The graphics processing block processes that frame of graphics data in blocks, or “tiles,” of graphics data. For each tile, the graphics processing block fetches rendering instructions and graphics data corresponding to that tile from the off-chip memory, stores the graphics data in the on-chip memory, and renders pixel values for the tile by processing the graphics data in accordance with the rendering instructions. The graphics processing block then sends the rendered pixel values for the tile directly to the display controller and partially updates the graphics display memory with those rendered pixel values.
US09117293B2	Image processing apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and image processing method that use a super-resolution technique for generating a super-resolution image An image processing apparatus includes: a high-pass filter that extracts a high-frequency component of an input image; an edge judgment unit that judges whether there is an edge based on the high-frequency component and estimates an edge position when there is an edge; a coordinate conversion unit that obtains an edge position in an enlarged image corresponding to the estimated edge position; an interpolation unit that obtains, regarding a position where an edge position of the high-frequency component and the edge position of the enlarged image overlap, a pixel value at each pixel position of an edge circumference of the enlarged image using a pixel value of the high-frequency component; a first enlargement processing unit that generates the enlarged image by enlarging by a desired enlargement factor; and a synthesis unit that synthesizes the interpolated pixel value of the high-frequency component and the pixel value of the enlarged image.
US09117292B2	Picture processing device The present technique includes: an area-characteristic detector configured to calculate a maximum value, an average value, and a minimum value of signal levels of pixels around a certain pixel; a first gain creating part configured to calculate a first calculation value for the certain pixel; a second gain creating part configured to calculate a second calculation value for the certain pixel; and an adjustment part configured; to perform enhancement by multiplying the difference between the average value and the signal level of the certain pixel by the first calculation value when the signal level of the certain pixel is equal to or higher than the average value, and to perform enhancement by multiplying the difference between the average value and the signal level of the certain pixel by the second calculation value when the signal level of the certain pixel is lower than the average value.
US09117287B2	Image analysis apparatus, method, and program An image analysis apparatus that analyzes, based on a series of three-dimensional images of lungs at different time phases, a three-dimensional distribution of ventilation volume of the lungs, includes a lung region extraction unit that extracts a lung region from each of the three-dimensional images; an alignment unit that aligns the lung regions between the series of three-dimensional images and calculates a displacement vector field in the lung region; a function calculation unit that calculates a local ventilation volume function representing a temporal change in ventilation volume at each point in the displacement vector field in each of the three-dimensional images based on the displacement vector field; and a quantification unit that quantifies a difference between the local ventilation volume function and a benchmark ventilation volume function serving as a reference and calculates a quantitative value representing the difference.
US09117285B2	Centralised interactive graphical application server A system for processing a plurality of graphical programs on a centralized computer system whereby the images produced by the programs are compressed and transmitted to a plurality of remote processing devices where they are decompressed. Compression assistance data (CAD) is produced by intercepting instructions outputted by the programs and the CAD is then used in the compression step.
US09117283B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable, non-transitory medium Provided are an image processing apparatus, image processing method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can accurately detect document edges from a readout image. The image processing apparatus includes a first edge pixel detector for detecting a plurality of first edge pixels from an input image, a straight line detector for detecting a straight line from the first edge pixels, a classifying module for classifying the first edge pixels into on-line edge pixels and non-on-line edge pixels, a second edge pixel detector for detecting second edge pixels located between two of the on-line edge pixels, when there is any one of the non-on-line edge pixels between two of the on-line edge pixels, and a determining module for determining whether the non-on-line edge pixel represents a document edge, based on whether the two on-line edge pixels are connected by the second edge pixels via the non-on-line edge pixel.
US09117282B2	Foreground / background separation in digital images A method for providing improved foreground/background separation in a digital image of a scene is disclosed. The method comprises providing a first map comprising one or more regions provisionally defined as one of foreground or background within the digital image; and providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of the digital image. The provisionally defined regions are compared with the subject profile to determine if any of the regions intersect with the profile region. The definition of one or more of the regions in the map is changed based on the comparison.
US09117279B2	Hair surface reconstruction from wide-baseline camera arrays The subject disclosure is directed towards reconstructing an approximate hair surface using refinement of hair strands. Hair strands are first extracted from 2D images of a camera array, and projected onto a 3D visual hull. The 3D positions of these strands are refined by optimizing an objective function that takes into account orientation consistency, a visual hull constraint and/or smoothness constraints defined at the strand, wisp and/or global levels.
US09117277B2	Determining a depth map from images of a scene Methods for determining a depth measurement of a scene which involve capturing at least two images of the scene with different camera parameters, and selecting corresponding image patches in each scene. A first approach calculates a plurality of complex responses for each image patch using a plurality of different quadrature filters, each complex response having a magnitude and a phase, assigns, for each quadrature filter, a weighting to the complex responses in the corresponding image patches, the weighting being determined by a relationship of the phases of the complex responses, and determines the depth measurement of the scene from a combination of the weighted complex responses.
US09117276B2	Method and system for correction of optical satellite image Provided are a method and a system for the correction of an optical satellite image, the method including: a first step in which a satellite image judgment unit inputs and receives a plurality of satellite images divided according to spectral information and judges whether or not some area is a missing satellite image; a second step in which when the satellite image judgment unit judges that the some areas is the missing satellite images, a first interpolation unit inputs and receives the plurality of satellite images and carries out one-dimensional interpolation for each satellite image; a third step in which a second interpolation unit carries out two-dimensional interpolation for each satellite image in which the one-dimensional interpolation is carried out; and a fourth step in which a satellite image composing unit composes a corrected satellite image by gathering each satellite image in which the two-dimensional interpolation is carried out.
US09117275B2	Content processing device, integrated circuit, method, and program Attribute information is extracted from content stored by users. A product expression model indicating a product display method is corrected using reference information pertaining to content characteristics suitable for the product expression model and using attribute information. Processing information is then determined for making the content suit the corrected product expression model. The content is processed according to the determined processing information and a product is generated using the corrected product expression model.
US09117273B2	Method and apparatus for single-particle localization using wavelet analysis Accurate localization of isolated particles is important in single particle based super-resolution microscopy. It allows the imaging of biological samples with nanometer-scale resolution using a simple fluorescence microscopy setup. Nevertheless, conventional techniques for localizing single particles can take minutes to hours of computation time because they require up to a million localizations to form an image. In contrast, the present particle localization techniques use wavelet-based image decomposition and image segmentation to achieve nanometer-scale resolution in two dimensions within seconds to minutes. This two-dimensional localization can be augmented with localization in a third dimension based on a fit to the imaging system's point-spread function (PSF), which may be asymmetric along the optical axis. For an astigmatic imaging system, the PSF is an ellipse whose eccentricity and orientation varies along the optical axis. When implemented with a mix of CPU/GPU processing, the present techniques are fast enough to localize single particles while imaging (in real-time).
US09117270B2	Pre-processed information embedding system Methods and devices are provided for reducing perceptible artifacts in a host content when the host contend is embedded with watermarks. In one method, a first segment of a host content that includes a first logical value is obtained. A second segment of the host content that includes a second logical embedded therein is also obtained. The second logical value is different from the first logical value, and the second segment is adjacent to the first segment of the host content. The host content at a boundary location of the first and the second segments is modified according to a transition function to suppress transitions in the host content at the boundary location caused by the different logical values embedded in the first and the second segments of the host content.
US09117267B2	Systems and methods for marking images for three-dimensional image generation Methods and systems for image marking and generation of a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object are described. In an example, a computing device may be configured to receive a first set of images of an object that capture details of the object. The computing device may also be configured to receive a second set of images that include markings projected on the object and that are indexed to correspond to images of the first set of images. The computing device may be configured to spatially align images of the second set of images based on the markings projected on the object and determine respective images of the first set of images corresponding to spatially aligned images of the second set of images. The computing device may then generate a 3D image of the object from the respective images of the first set of images.
US09117262B2	Learned piece-wise patch regression for image enhancement Systems and methods are provided for providing learned, piece-wise patch regression for image enhancement. In one embodiment, an image manipulation application generates training patch pairs that include training input patches and training output patches. Each training patch pair includes a respective training input patch from a training input image and a respective training output patch from a training output image. The training input image and the training output image include at least some of the same image content. The image manipulation application determines patch-pair functions from at least some of the training patch pairs. Each patch-pair function corresponds to a modification to a respective training input patch to generate a respective training output patch. The image manipulation application receives an input image generates an output image from the input image by applying at least some of the patch-pair functions based on at least some input patches of the input image.
US09117257B2	Method to prepare an interventional and/or diagnostic imaging procedure with at least two different medical imaging modalitites In a method and medical imaging system to prepare an interventional and/or diagnostic imaging procedure to be conducted with at least two different medical imaging modalities of the system, a patient is positioned on a patient support device and the patient support device, together with the patient, are moved into a patient acquisition region of a first medical imaging modality of the system. A first image data set of the patient to be examined is acquired with the first medical imaging modality. The first image data set is automatically evaluated in a data evaluation unit. At least patient parameter is automatically calculated from the evaluated first image data set. At least one compatibility value is automatically calculated depending on the at least one patient parameter and depending on at least one apparatus parameter of at least one additional medical imaging modality in the system. The compatibility value indicates whether the additional modality is compatible with the patient in order to conduct another of the procedures using that additional modality.
US09117253B2	Perspective warp Systems and methods are provided that allow a user to specify one or more areas of, e.g., a digital image, upon which perspective manipulation is to be applied. Once the one or more areas of the digital image have been specified, the user may specify one or more portions within the one or more areas, such as points, lines, etc., as being constrained in some manner. Thereafter, the user is able to manipulate perspective within the one or more specified areas in an intuitive and efficient manner.
US09117252B2	Information processing device, terminal, server, and method for data transfer An information processing device includes a first unit which predicts use data used in the future on the basis of action plan information resulting from prediction of an action of a user, and outputs use data identification information; a second unit which predicts a communication state in a situation indicated by the action plan information on the basis of the action plan information and communication environment information regarding a communication environment of the terminal, and outputs information regarding the predicted communication state; and a third unit which calculates a prefetch necessary degree regarding each of the use data on the basis of the use data identification information and the information regarding the predicted communication state.
US09117250B2	Methods and systems for recommending social network connections Methods and systems for recommending social networking connections are disclosed. Information is received from a mobile device relating to software applications that are installed on a first user's mobile device. A weight for each software application is calculated based on usage information and each software application is designated to at least one category. A priority is calculated for each category based at least in part on respective weights of software applications designated to the category. A second user, who is not connected to the first user, is detected, wherein the second user has a predetermined number of categories that are the same as the first user's categories, and wherein priorities corresponding to the second user's categories are within a predetermined range of priorities corresponding to the first user's categories. A recommendation to connect with the second user is provided to the first user.
US09117249B2	Selectively providing content on a social networking system News feed stories are ranked so that new stories appear above previously viewed stories for users of a social networking system. Top news stories are selected by the social networking system based on a ranking algorithm that incorporates an analysis of affinities for interests, users, and entities in the social networking system based on user interactions. Other new stories are provided after the top new stories in a chronological order. For each user of the social networking system, a view state is recorded that includes the order of news feed stories provided to users. Based on the view state and received user input, the social networking system may determine whether to provide new news feed stories to a viewing user.
US09117246B2	System and method for providing a user interface for vehicle mentoring system users and insurers System and method for communicating between an insurer and insured. The system detects operating characteristics of a driver or vehicle, and a cost of insuring the driver or vehicle, as decided by the insurer in consideration of the detected operating characteristics. The system provides an interface system for communicating the operating characteristics and the cost of insuring the driver or vehicle between the insurer and the insured. The system provides a vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the operating characteristics and for providing mentoring feedback to a driver, and a storage system for storing the operating characteristics. The system includes a processing system for deciding the cost of insuring the driver or vehicle based upon the monitored operating characteristics.
US09117244B2	System and method for management and analysis of electronic trade orders A system and methods are provided for using order descriptor identifiers in relation to orders being used in trading strategies. According to one example method, when a hedge order is submitted upon detecting a fill of another order, the hedge order includes one or more order descriptor identifiers conveying a purpose of the hedge order to a user. The order descriptor identifiers can be used to search for desired orders and perform more effective order management and post trade analysis.
US09117242B1	System and method for a mobile wallet A computer-implemented system and method includes receiving, from a mobile device, a request to initiate a transaction. The method includes receiving, from the mobile device, a selection of a stored value card from among a plurality of stored value cards as a payment option for the transaction. Additionally or alternatively, the method includes receiving value card information from the mobile device of a user and transferring funds from the balance of the value card to the merchant. The method includes reducing the balance of the value card by the amount of the transferred funds.
US09117240B2	Building a social graph based on links received and selected by recipients A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. A technique can include a sender sending a first link to at least one recipient. When a first node representative of the sender in social graph is not identified and after receiving the activity information, creating a second node to represent the sender in the social graph.
US09117227B1	Temporal features in a messaging platform A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.
US09117226B2	System and method for delivering an authorized in-store promotion to a consumer A system and method for delivering an authorized in-store promotion to a consumer includes storing in an offer database a plurality of offer data items for use in creating an in-store promotion. The method further includes storing in an authorization database an authorization parameter. In response to receiving a request from a consumer device to present the in-store promotion, the server uses the authorization parameter to verify that the request is authorized without requesting additional information from a consumer operating the consumer device. When the request is authorized, the server dynamically generates the in-store promotion using at least one of the plurality of data items stored in the offer database. Once generated, the server transmits the in-store promotion to the consumer device without any system-specific client software to be stored by the consumer device.
US09117221B2	System and method for the transmission of live updates of embeddable units A delivery method and system of dynamic embedded web output on a web page in a browser on a client device is provided. A web page contains an embed code for an embeddable unit. A content delivery network provides an embedded URL specified in the embed code. The URL contains executable static runtime code using a unit ID. The unit ID is passed to a dynamic server which performs a lookup to convert the unit ID into a cache key URL. The cache key URL points to a location on the content delivery network and encodes a cache key containing information for the embeddable unit. The client device loads the cache key URL, which targets the content delivery network to make a request for the embeddable unit. The content delivery network serves the embeddable unit to the client device on which the embeddable unit is displayed or updated.
US09117220B2	Web-based interactive meeting facility with revenue generation through sponsorship A computer-implemented method to help organize in-person gatherings of users of topic-related interest includes the steps of: providing a web-based meeting facility to a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of users choose to join at least one of a plurality of meeting groups based on at least one of topic-related interest and geographic locale; enabling at least one organizer to maintain control of organizing meetings with the at least one of the plurality of meeting groups, wherein the one of the plurality of meeting groups is made up of a subset of the plurality of users; and providing the organizer with a revenue generation facility where the organizer generates revenue through commercial sponsorship of at least one of the meeting group and specific meetings.
US09117218B2	System and method for effectively performing a distribution procedure using an electronic backbone A system and method for effectively performing an information distribution procedure includes user devices that perform registration procedures for receiving distribution services from a distribution system. The user devices are also used to generate user metadata regarding respective device users of the user devices. A plurality of workstations are associated in the distribution system with respective advertisers. The workstations analyze the user metadata to produce corresponding bid metadata. A bid server then evaluates the bid metadata to determine one or more winning workstations from among the original workstations. The one or more winning workstations automatically transmit their advertising information to appropriate ones of the user devices. Relevant advertising information is therefore specifically targeted toward individual device users by analyzing the user metadata.
US09117214B2	System for selecting and purchasing products from a predetermined manufacturer or retailer System, for selecting and purchasing products or services from a predetermined manufacturer or retailer, including a first device, in the form of a physical receptacle, for containing a plurality of second devices for presentation of a product or service from an assortment of products and/or services from a predetermined manufacturer, provider and/or retailer, each product or service for which a second presentation device is contained by the first device being selected from the assortment, and wherein the system also includes a voucher of a nominal value to be used for purchasing a product and/or service chosen from the assortment.
US09117212B2	System and method for authentication using speaker verification techniques and fraud model Embodiments of the invention provide for speaker verification on a communication device without requiring a user to go through a formal registration process with the issuer or network. Certain embodiments allow the use of a captured voice sample attempting to reproduce a word string having a random element to authenticate the user. Authentication of the user is based on both a match score indicating how closely the captured voice samples match to previously stored voice samples of the user and a pass or fail response indicating whether the voice sample is an accurate reproduction of the word string. The processing network maintains a history of the authenticated transactions and voice samples.
US09117211B2	System and method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment A system and method for correlating questions and answers in an instant messaging environment. First creating an instant messaging client at least two zones, each zone of the at least two zones corresponding to a unique end user, each zone of further comprising at least one textbox. After creating the instant messaging client, providing the instant messaging client to each end user of at least two end users. Receiving a message from an end user, the message comprising a first value and a second value and text. Finally, sending the text received in the message to each instant messaging client not being controlled by the sending end user, the text therein being displayed in a textbox having the second value and being located in a zone corresponding to the sending end user.
US09117210B2	Systems and methods for randomized mobile payment Systems and methods for improving security in mobile payment systems are described. A user device may be operated to request temporary account data for an account. No actual account number may be stored on the device. A remote system may correlate temporary account data to actual account data and transmit temporary account data to the user device, which use the data to make a purchase or generate a temporary account number than may be used to make a purchase. Temporary account data may be automatically erased or expire. A purchase authorization request may be sent by a merchant with temporary account data to a provider of temporary account data. The provider may transmit a request for purchase authorization using actual account data to a payment processor, sending a response to the merchant that does not include actual account data based on a response from the payment processor.
US09117209B2	Method and system for using a camera cell phone in transactions A method facilitating a transaction between a camera-phone user and a business entity. The business entity produces a printed medium indicating a transaction. The printed medium includes a barcode that includes direct contact data for communicating with the business entity. The barcode further includes specific transaction data relating to the transaction in the printed medium. Using the digital camera feature, the user captures a digital image of the barcode. The camera-phone is programmed to decode the digital image to retrieve the direct contact data and the transaction data embedded in the barcode. The camera-phone then automatically initiates a direct communication with the business entity via the mobile communications device using the decoded direct contact data. One communications are established, the camera phone further transmits the transaction data derived from the barcode to further facilitate the transaction.
US09117208B2	Systems and methods of access control and system integration Automated provisioning, according to one example embodiment, enables a mutual customer to establish an intelligent and automated connection between an accounting software system and their financial institution. For example, this might be achieved by allowing a financial institution customer to make feeds from their bank accounts available to the accounting software system within financial internet software (e.g., hosted and operated by the customer's financial institution). Once a customer selects the bank account(s) they want to share with the accounting software system, they are passed along to the accounting software system to link the selected bank account with an account they have set up in the accounting software system.
US09117202B2	Identifying and displaying messages containing an identifier In a computerized method of identifying and displaying messages containing an identifier, where the messages are privately stored for restricted access by a user, the identifier of a document displayed in a navigation area result window is identified. In addition, the message store is scanned to identify messages containing the identifier and the messages identified as containing the identifier are displayed in a messaging area window.
US09117198B1	Listener survey tool with time stamping Embodiments provide on-line non-downloadable software for use by others to access media content, such as musical selections, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. to solicit listener or viewer participation in surveys to determine listener or viewer approval of the content, musical selections, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. and to assist in planning future content, musical selection, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. to be presented on radio, television, movies, websites, released to the public or other media outlets in International Class 042. Time stamping is generally used in conjunction with display of the media content and surveys, allowing for better recordation of user interactions with the media.
US09117196B2	System and method for relevant business networking based in controlled relevancy groups, responsibilites and measured performance A business networking system and method for groups of people within a variety of business types to organize themselves into specific and relevant categories in order to maximize the exchange of relevant information and further development of relevant business contacts. The method and system offer tools for registering members and sub-dividing those registered members into smaller relevant groups. The method matches members of similar backgrounds and business experiences and provides communications, messaging and meetings for relevant. The system provides tools to encourage reciprocal relevant communications, both online and in the real world, between members. All activity is tracked and grouped into a plurality of statistics that are then ranked and shared with members. The statistics are used by the TBS system as a scorecard or as punishment in the form of expulsion from the categorized group.
US09117191B2	Automatic device inventory management for different types of devices An apparatus and method for automatically inventorying a plurality of devices is disclosed herein. A secure, trusted connection is established between a remote device each device of a plurality of devices. The remote device automatically extracts device information from each device of the plurality of devices. The remote device creates an inventory of the plurality of devices based on the extracted device information. The remote device automatically maintains the inventory including automatically extracting at least updated device information associated with an update event of the first device.
US09117190B2	Calculating speed and travel times with travel delays Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for forecasting travel delays corresponding to streets, street segments, geographic areas, geofenced areas, and/or user-specified criteria. And from the forecasted travel delays, speed and travel times that take into account such travel delays can be determined.
US09117187B2	Presenting a filtered list of work items For each of a plurality of the work items, at least a first parameter to be associated with the work item can be received and associated with the work item. Each of the plurality of work items can be compiled in a work item list. In response to receiving a request to present the work item list to the user, the work item list can be filtered, via a processor, based on the first parameter and at least a second parameter associated with the user that corresponds to the first parameter. The filtered work item list can be presented to the user.
US09117186B2	Joint marketed customer hub The instant application describes a method for receiving, at a hub and from a first partner, a request for a common identifier for linking an account of the customer associated with the first partner with an account of the customer associated with a second partner to provide the customer with enhanced joint account services; in response to the request, generating the common identifier and providing the common identifier to the first partner; generating at the hub a common ID status based on a first partner customer ID status and a second partner customer ID status; and forwarding the common ID status to the first partner and the second partner.
US09117183B2	Real-time predictive simulation modeling Methods, systems, and computer storage media are provided for generating simulation graphs using real-time clinical data. A user may indicate one or more scenario variables to apply to an area of interest. A simulation graph is then generated that includes at least an indication of a scenario status. The scenario status indicates an expected result based on the one or more scenario variables selected by the user. The simulation graph may also include a baseline status indicating an expected result should no changes be made to a current environment. Multiple simulation graphs for varying areas of interest may be generated and compared to one another such that a user is able to quickly identify efficient solutions.
US09117182B2	Method and system for dynamic travel plan management The various embodiments herein provide a method and system that provides curated, reliable information of destinations, information that is particularly relevant while planning a trip which travelers use to decide on what places to go and what activities to do. The system and method provides a preset itinerary of any place that is used or altered to their own liking using various tools and features. The system and method allows traveler/user to use itinerary from the social pool of the travel plans created by other users in the past. The system and method allows the traveler to change a set of preferences that govern the original plan and get a refreshed and up to the minute plan that contains a list of places in proximity to the current location.
US09117177B1	Generating module stubs Sequence diagrams and executable stub modules are generated based on log data associated with a transaction. A sequence diagram generator receives data identifying a relationship between one or more requests and one or more replies stored in the log data. The sequence diagram describes the flow of events of any transaction described by the log data. A stub module comprising executable code in one or more programming languages may be automatically generated using the sequence diagram as input. The stub module may be executed to implement similar functionality of one or more components of the transaction described in the log data.
US09117173B2	Systems and methods of predicting a subject's medical outcome Disclosed are methods of constructing systems for predicting a subject's medical outcome. Also disclosed are methods and systems for predicting a subject's medical outcome. The disclosed methods and systems can include identifying a group of subjects with the same medical condition and classifying this group of subjects into one or more subgroups. The subgroups are classified based on similarity of medical outcome, using classification and regression trees (CART) to generate a classification tree based on the presence of identifying genetic characteristics. Each node in the classification tree describes the presence of a specific genetic marker and each branch in the classification tree describes a genetic profile that predicts a subject's medical outcome.
US09117172B2	Optimisation of resource management using perfect knowledge bias Methods and computer implemented systems for evaluation and optimisation of methods used for forecasting, modeling, valuation, and decision-making, in staged resource planning are provided. Fundamentally, a universal comparator that accounts for perfect decision differencing (PERNOB) is determined and used for evaluating benefits associated with the use of prediction method-sets and decision-making method-sets in staged resource planning. According to one application, PERNOB is used to evaluate different prediction method-sets and decision-making method-sets and enable the selection of optimal method-sets corresponding to a given situation. According to another application, PERNOB is used to create an unbiased operational decision making environment through realistic re-valuation of system resource(s).
US09117170B2	Complex NFA state matching method that matches input symbols against character classes (CCLs), and compares sequence CCLs in parallel Disclosed is a method and system for matching a complex NFA state comprising a spinner followed by a character class sequence which may be represented by the general regular expression form [S] {N,M}[A0][A1] . . . [Ak−1]. An input transition activates the spinner and the spin count increments with successive matches of the spin class [S]. When the spin count is between N and M, sequence matching begins. Several base sequence CCLs are compared in parallel with a corresponding window of input symbols. If all match, a signal enters a delay line until the end of the base sequence. When the signal exits the delay line, extended sequence CCLs are accessed from a table sequentially and compared with successive input symbols. After the final extension CCL matches, an output transition is signaled. For short sequences, unused base sequence CCLs may be configured with look-ahead classes.
US09117169B2	Methods and apparatuses for modeling shale characteristics in wellbore servicing fluids using an artificial neural network An apparatus and method for determining a formation/fluid interaction of a target formation and a target drilling fluid is described herein. The method may include training an artificial neural network using a training data set. The training data set may include a formation characteristic of a source formation and a fluid characteristic of a source drilling fluid and experimental data on source formation/fluid interaction. Once the artificial neural network is trained, a formation characteristic of the target formation and fluid characteristic of target drilling fluid may be input. The formation characteristic of the target formation may correspond to the formation characteristic of the source formation. The fluid characteristic of the target drilling fluid may correspond to the fluid characteristic of the source drilling fluid. A formation/fluid interaction of the target formation and the target drilling fluid may be determined using a value output by the artificial neural network.
US09117157B2	Wireless IC device and electromagnetic coupling module A wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip, a feeder circuit substrate which is coupled to the wireless IC chip and includes a feeder circuit including an inductance element, and a radiation plate. The inductance element includes a plurality of stacked layers having coil conductors electrically connected, and a coil conductor electrically connected in a middle portion of the inductance element is arranged at an end position in the coil axis direction and faces a coupling portion of the radiation plate.
US09117154B2	Radio frequency identification (RFID) toggle switch The invention described herein generally pertains to a system and method for managing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system by employing a switching means to at least a portion of at least one RFID tag in order to activate or deactivate such RFID tag. The switching means allows the transmission of data between an RFID tag and RFID reader to be controlled.
US09117150B2	Optical-reading code preparation device An optical-reading code preparation device includes: a storage unit able to receive data to be coded, and parameter data including presentation data, an encoding unit, able to produce code data on the basis of data to be coded and of parameter data, an imaging unit, able to produce data defining an image plane on the basis of presentation data and/or of code data, a scheduler devised so as to, in response to the receipt of data to be coded and of parameter data comprising presentation data: call the encoding unit with the data to be coded and the parameter data received so as to produce associated code data, call the imaging unit with the associated code data, selectively with some at least of the presentation data, call the imaging unit, and prepare an optical-reading code.
US09117147B2	Marginal space learning for multi-person tracking over mega pixel imagery A method for tracking pedestrians in a video sequence, where each image frame of the video sequence corresponds to a time step, includes using marginal space learning to sample a prior probability distribution p(xt\|Zt−1) of multi-person identity assignments given a set of feature measurements from all previous image frames, using marginal space learning to estimate an observation likelihood distribution p(zt\|xt) of the set of features given a set of multi-person identity assignments sampled from the prior probability distribution, calculating a posterior probability distribution p(xt\|Zt) from the observation likelihood distribution p(zt\|xt) and the prior probability distribution p(xt\|Zt−1), and using marginal space learning to estimate the prior probability distribution p(xt+1\|Zt) for a next image frame given the posterior probability distribution p(xt\|Zt) and a probability p(xt+1\|xt), where the posterior probability distribution of multi-person identity assignments corresponds to a set of pedestrian detection hypotheses for the video sequence.
US09117145B2	Finger biometric sensor providing coarse matching of ridge flow data using histograms and related methods An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor and a processor cooperating with the finger biometric sensor. The processor may be capable of determining enrollment finger ridge flow angles over an enrollment area for an enrolled finger, and determining match finger ridge flow angles over a match area for a to-be matched finger. The processor may also be capable of determining at least one likely match sub-area of the enrollment area by dividing the enrollment area into a plurality of regions and determining a respective enrollment ridge flow histogram for each region of the enrollment area, and determining whether the to-be matched finger matches the enrolled finger based upon the at least one likely match sub-area.
US09117141B2	Method and apparatus for identifying regions of interest in medical imaging data In a method and apparatus for identifying a region of interest in medical imaging data of a subject is described, an intensity projection image is generated from the medical imaging data. The medical imaging data is then processed to find one or more maxima in the medical imaging data. The found maxima are compared with the intensity projection image, and one of the maxima which is not represented in the intensity projection image is identified.
US09117140B2	System and method of in-season nitrogen measurement and fertilization of non-leguminous crops from digital image analysis Systems and methods of determining nitrogen levels from a digital image and in-season nitrogen measurement and fertilization of non-leguminous crops from digital image analysis are disclosed herein. In particular, a method of determining leaf nitrogen concentration and yield from a digital photograph of a fully developed leaf (collared leaf) of a crop of non-legumes, such as corn, wheat, rice, cotton, potatoes sugarcane, turfgrass or forage grass species. The digital image is processed to determine a dark green color index (“DGCI”), which is closely related to leaf nitrogen concentration and yield. Standardized color disks having known DGCI values are included in the digital photograph and serve as an comparative standard. The comparative standard allows correction of DGCI of samples when using different cameras and/or when lighting conditions change. The DGCI values can then be used to determine the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that should be applied to recover crop yield potential.
US09117137B2	Visual inspection device, visual inspection method, and computer program Inputs of a plurality of images constituting a group of images of items regarded as non-defective items are previously accepted and stored, and a defect threshold for detecting a defective portion of an inspection object is set based on the plurality of stored images. A defect amount to be compared with a determination threshold for making a non-defective/defective determination on the inspection object is calculated with respect to each of the plurality of stored images based on the set defective threshold, and whether or not each of the calculated defect amounts is an outlier is tested by use of at least one of a parametric technique and a non-parametric technique. Outlier information for specifying an image whose defect amount has been tested to be the outlier is displayed and outputted.
US09117135B2	Corresponding point searching apparatus A corresponding point candidate determiner (108) determines whether plural correlation peaks appear, based on a correlation value calculated by a corresponding point determiner (107). In the case where the corresponding point candidate determiner (108) determines that plural correlation peaks appear, the corresponding point determiner (107) calculates a ratio between the correlation values as represented by the correlation peaks, determines one or more corresponding points, based on the calculated ratio, and notifies the determination result to an initial position setter (106). In the case where the corresponding point determiner (107) searches plural corresponding points, the initial position setter (106) sets an initial search position with respect to each of the corresponding points in a reference image of a layer immediately higher than a target layer.
US09117131B2	System and method for recognizing deformed linear barcodes from a stream of varied focus video frames In a system and method of recognizing a barcode from a stream of video frames, a processor-implemented camera module receives a stream of video frames, with at least one video frame including a barcode. A processor-implemented barcode blur estimate module estimates an amount of defocus blur in a video frame. The processor-implemented barcode blur estimate module further estimates an identity of the barcode. A processor-implemented barcode localization module identifies a region of the video frame containing the barcode. A processor-implemented barcode geometric modeler module generates a geometric model of the barcode that includes an identified barcode deformity. A processor-implemented barcode decoder module decodes the barcode from the video frame using the estimated amount of defocus blur, the estimated identity of the barcode, and the geometric model of the barcode.
US09117130B2	Information obtaining method and apparatus Various embodiments provide methods, apparatus, and electronic devices for information obtaining, information management and 2D barcode generation. In an exemplary method implemented by an electronic device, a first two-dimensional (2D) barcode can be obtained. An image transformation can be performed on the first 2D barcode to obtain a virtual 2D barcode. Further, according to validity of the virtual 2D barcode, relationship information of the first 2D barcode can be obtained based on a mapping relationship of the virtual 2D barcode in a database.
US09117125B2	Electronic device and handwritten document processing method According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a display processor, a transmitter and a receiver. The display processor displays on a screen a handwritten document including a plurality of strokes described by handwriting. The transmitter transmits to a system a handwritten part designated by a select range on the screen. The receiver receives from the system a reshaping result corresponding to the handwritten part. The display processor displays the reshaping result on the screen, the reshaping result and the handwritten part associated with each other.
US09117122B2	Apparatus and method for matching parking-lot outline An apparatus and a method for tracing a parking-lot is provided that includes a controller configured to recognize at least one parking-lot from a previous image frame which photographed a surrounding of a vehicle and extract a template according to a type of a parking-lot line of the recognized parking-lot. In addition, the controller is configured to generate a template transformed based on a position information of the parking-lot and calculate similarity by comparing a template generated from a previous image frame with a parking-lot line recognized from a current image frame. A position of a parking-lot is determined according to the calculated similarity and the controller is configured to correct the template based on an information of a parking-lot line extracted from the determined position.
US09117119B2	Mobile identity platform The present disclosure is directed towards a compact, mobile apparatus for iris image acquisition, adapted to address effects of ocular dominance in the subject and to guide positioning of the subject's iris for the image acquisition. The apparatus may include a sensor for acquiring an iris image from a subject. A compact mirror may be oriented relative to a dominant eye of the subject, and sized to present an image of a single iris to the subject when the apparatus is positioned at a suitable distance for image acquisition. The mirror may assist the subject in positioning the iris for iris image acquisition. The mirror may be positioned between the sensor and the iris during iris image acquisition, and transmit a portion of light reflected off the iris to the sensor.
US09117114B2	Image processing device, image processing method, program, and electronic device for detecting a skin region of a subject An image processing device for detecting a skin region representing a skin of a subject from a pickup image obtained by imaging said subject, the image processing device includes: a first irradiating section; a second irradiating section; an image pickup section; an adjusting section; and a skin detecting section.
US09117108B2	Method for controlling the authorization of a person to access a secure area A method for controlling the authorization of a person to access a secure area, particularly a cockpit of a passenger aircraft, is provided. According to the method, an access control apparatus for detecting a set of biometric features is provided, which apparatus can be enabled by entering a predetermined access code. The access code is transferred by the person to the access control apparatus. The access control apparatus detects a set of biometric features of the person transferring the access code. The set of biometric features of the person are saved. Access for the person for a predetermined time period is subsequently enabled. Solely verifying the set of biometric features of the person seeking access allows access to be enabled again for the person during the predetermined time period.
US09117105B2	3D face recognition method based on intermediate frequency information in geometric image A 3D face recognition method based on intermediate frequency information in a geometric image as follows: (1) preprocessing a library and test models of 3D faces, including 3D face area cutting, smoothing processing and point cloud thinning, and discarding the lower portion of the face; (2) mapping the remainder of the face to a 2D grid using grid parameters, and performing linear interpolation on the 3D coordinates of the grid top to acquire the 3D coordinate attributes and generating a geometric image of a 3D face model; (3) performing multi-scale filtering with a multi-scale Haar wavelet filter to extract horizontal, vertical, and diagonal intermediate frequency information image images as invariable facial features; (4) calculating the similarity between the test model and the library set model with a wavelet domain structuring similarity algorithm; and (5) judging the test and library set model models with the maximum similarity belong to the same person.
US09117104B2	Object recognition for 3D models and 2D drawings A first method is disclosed for recognizing 3D objects in 3D models created by 3D scanners, depth sensing cameras or created by a 3D modeling software application. A second method is disclosed for recognizing 2D objects in drawings. The 3D/2D objects can be individual objects that have simple forms or combined objects that are comprised of a plurality of individual objects that are attached to each other in a certain manner to form one entity. The first and second methods serve a variety of medical, engineering, industrial, gaming and augmented reality applications.
US09117101B2	Medium processing apparatus and control method for medium processing apparatus A processing device for a medium may include magnetic heads which face a medium transport channel from a lower side, magnetic heads which face the medium transport channel from an upper side, pad rollers which are disposed so as to face each of the magnetic heads, a movement mechanism for evacuating pad rollers from the medium transport channel, and a movement mechanism for evacuating pad rollers from the medium transport channel. In the transport direction for the recording medium, the magnetic head and the magnetic head are offset from each other, and the distance between the magnetic head and the magnetic head in the direction is shorter than the length of the range for recording of magnetic data recorded upon a magnetic stripe of the recording medium.
US09117099B2	Method and apparatus for signal filtering and for improving properties of electronic devices The present invention relates to nonlinear signal processing, and, in particular, to adaptive nonlinear filtering of real-, complex-, and vector-valued signals utilizing analog Nonlinear Differential Limiters (NDLs), and to adaptive real-time signal conditioning, processing, analysis, quantification, comparison, and control. More generally, this invention relates to methods, processes and apparatus for real-time measuring and analysis of variables, and to generic measurement systems and processes. This invention also relates to methods and corresponding apparatus for measuring which extend to different applications and provide results other than instantaneous values of variables. The invention further relates to post-processing analysis of measured variables and to statistical analysis. The NDL-based filtering method and apparatus enable improvements in the overall properties of electronic devices including, but not limited to, improvements in performance, reduction in size, weight, cost, and power consumption, and, in particular for wireless devices, NDLs enable improvements in spectrum usage efficiency.
US09117093B2	Centralized, policy-driven maintenance of storage for virtual machine disks (VMDKS) and/or physical disks In a method of operating a computing system, a disk image corresponding to a production managed machine is mounted on a service managed machine that performs operations distinct from those performed by the production managed machine in providing a computing service. The disk image is scanned at the service managed machine to determine a corrective action to be performed with respect to the disk image, and performance of the corrective action for the disk image of the production managed machine is initiated at the service managed machine. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.
US09117087B2	System and method for creating a secure channel for inter-application communication based on intents System and method for creating a secure channel for inter-application communication based on the messaging system called Intents in the Android OS are disclosed. In one embodiment, an application for accessing a cloud-based storage platform triggers the broadcast of a custom Intent to all applications on a mobile device to detect an authorized application that is capable of interacting with the application. Once an authorized application is chosen, the application opens a secure channel for communication with the authorized application and passes encrypted data stream to the to the secure channel for access by the authorized application.
US09117086B2	Virtual bands concentration for self encrypting drives An apparatus includes a storage device and a host device. The storage device may be configured to encrypt and decrypt user data during write and read operations, respectively. The host device is communicatively coupled to the storage device. The host device may be configured to execute the write and read operations by concentrating a first number of virtual bands into a second number of real bands, wherein said second number is smaller than said first number.
US09117083B2	Managing booting of secure devices with untrusted software Normally, at the time of manufacturing, security may be provided to a device being manufactured through the loading of an operating system that has been cryptographically signed. The present application discloses a “factory mode” for the device. The “factory mode” allows the device to execute untrusted operating system code, such as unsigned operating system code and operating system code that has been signed, but the certificate authority is not trusted. To support execution of untrusted operating system code in a secure manner, the device may be adapted to prevent data of predetermined type from being loaded on the device while the device is in the “factory mode”. In contrast to the “factory mode”, the secure mode of the device is referred to herein as a “product mode”. There develops a need to manage, in a secure manner, transitions between the “product mode” and the “factory mode”.
US09117080B2	Process evaluation for malware detection in virtual machines Described systems and methods allow protecting a computer system from malware, such as viruses and rootkits. An anti-malware component executes within a virtual machine (VM) exposed by a hypervisor executing on the computer system. A memory introspection engine executes outside the virtual machine, at the processor privilege level of the hypervisor, and protects a process executing within the virtual machine by write-protecting a memory page of the respective process. By combining anti-malware components executing inside and outside the respective VM, some embodiments of the present invention may use the abundance of behavioral data that inside-VM components have access to, while protecting the integrity of such components from outside the respective VM.
US09117078B1	Malware behavior analysis and policy creation Creating a policy to be used by a malware prevention system uses multiple events triggered by malware. A sample of malicious computer code or malware is executed in a computer system having a kernel space and a user space. Event data relating to multiple events caused by the malicious code executing on the computer system are captured and stored. The event data is configured using a specific property that facilitates malware behavior analysis. A behavior list is then created utilizing the multiple events and associated event data. The behavior list, together with data in a malware behavior database, is used to derive a policy for use in a malware prevention system. The computer system is free of any malicious code, including viruses, Trojan horses, or any other unwanted software code. The malicious computer code executes without any constraints so that the execution behavior of the malicious code may be observed and captured. Critical events are selected based on the user's expertise and experience in dealing with malware and a sequential stream including the event as the events occur is created.
US09117075B1	Early malware detection by cross-referencing host data A computer network of an enterprise includes a central management computer linking at least one trusted host computer with at least one user computer. The trusted host computer is not used for normal day-to-day activities within the enterprise, and may also not be used for reading electronic mail nor for accessing the Internet and downloading Web site content. Antivirus software on the user computer screens for suspect activity or features and, if found, the suspect activity or features are compared to rules database. If a determination of malware cannot be made, then these unresolved activities or features are sent to the central management computer to be compared to the trusted, known activities and features of the trusted computer. The suspect activities may be deemed acceptable if activities are shared amongst a certain number of user computers all configured to perform the same function. A user computer may be compared against itself over time.
US09117073B1	Secure, controlled, and autonomous network path generation In systems and methods of network path generation, instructions are transferred from a first network node to a second network node instructing the second network node to establish a first secure communication link with the first network node. According to the instructions, instructions are transferred from the second network node to a third network node instructing the third network node to establish a second secure communication link with the second network node. Within the first secure communication link and the second communication link, a third secure communication link between the first network node and the third network node is established.
US09117070B2	Method for adapting and executing a computer program and computer architecture therefore A computer architecture (100) and a method for adapting and executing (200) a computer program therefore, is provided. A value is computed by processing the instructions comprised in a basic block of the program in accordance with a first mathematical function (208). An instruction comprising an original address is modified, using a second mathematical function (214) taking the value as input, to comprise a modified address. In this manner, a fault attack during execution of the computer program will cause a disturbance of the control flow, thereby making such an attack unlikely to succeed.
US09117067B2	Mobile information terminal and gripping-feature learning method A mobile information terminal includes a mode acquisition section adapted to acquire the mode of the mobile information terminal; a sample filling section adapted to, when the number of gripping feature samples acquired in a mode is insufficient, fill in lacking gripping feature samples with gripping feature samples acquired in another mode; a gripping-feature sample acquisition section adapted to acquire gripping feature samples; a switch adapted to switch the mobile information terminal between a learning state and an authentication state; a template learning section adapted to learn an authentication template in each mode using the gripping feature samples when the mobile information terminal is in the learning state; an authentication section adapted to compare the learned authentication template with gripping feature samples in each mode to perform authentication; and a locking section adapted to lock some or all of functions of the mobile information terminal when the authentication fails.
US09117066B2	Camera-based portal content security The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for providing a camera-based portal content security mechanism for client devices. One computer-implemented method includes receiving a request for portal content from a client device, determining that the requested portal content requires a camera security operation, notifying the client device that a camera image is needed as a prerequisite to display at least part of the requested portal content, receiving the camera image from the client device, and analyzing, by operation of a computer, the received camera image for more than one viewer.
US09117063B2	Session manager for secured remote computing A method for managing a session between a local computing device and a remote computing device, in which a session is established between a local computing device and a remote computing device, a lock session signal is transmitted from the remote computing device to the local computing device, a lock session signal is received at the local computing device, and the session is locked, at the local computing device. Furthermore, the user is prompted for identification information at the remote computing device, and the identification information is transmitted from the remote computing device to the local computing device. Moreover, the identification information is received at the local computing device, the identification information is authenticated at the local computing device, and the session is unlocked, at the local computing device.
US09117062B1	Stateless and secure authentication Authenticated requests can be sent without requiring the requests to include or potentially expose secret information used for the authentication process. A client device use a security credential such as a key to sign a request to be sent to a recipient. When the request is received, the recipient determines whether the request was signed using the correct key for the sender. In some embodiments a client token is included with the request that statelessly encodes the key, enabling a recipient capable of decoding the client token to determine the key and compare that key to the signature of the request. The sender can store the secret information in a secure location, such as a browser security module, such that the secret information is not exposed to the browser or script executing on the client device.
US09117061B1	Techniques for securing authentication credentials on a client device during submission in browser-based cloud applications Techniques for securing authentication credentials on a client device during submission in browser-based cloud applications are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for securing authentication credentials on a client device comprising: detecting, on the client device, display of an authentication form in a browser window associated with a first flow to a target server; accessing, on the client device, one or more authentication credentials associated with a user of the client device; and submitting, to the target server, the one or more authentication credentials via a second flow to the target server.
US09117060B2	System and method for preventing proper execution of an application program in an unauthorized processor A system and method for preventing an application program, which is licensed to a customer to be exclusively executed in a processor based on a certain processor design, from being executed properly in unauthorized processors is provided. The system includes a scrambling module and a recovery module. The scrambling module scrambles a selected portion of the application program using an identifier which identifies the authorized processor design. The recovery module adds an unscrambling program to the application program such that when the program is running in a processor, it retrieves a second identifier from the processor and unscrambles the scrambled portion of the application program using the retrieved second identifier. If the second identifier does not correspond to an authorized processor design, the unscrambling operation will incorrectly unscramble the scrambled portion and the application program will not run properly.
US09117058B1	Monitoring services and platform for multiple outlets A monitoring services and platform for multiple outlets includes: communicating with a plurality of sources in order to obtain at least one piece of content from each one of the plurality of sources; displaying, via a central user interface, the obtained content; and displaying, via the central user interface, a control which if selected causes an action to be performed on at least one piece of the displayed content.
US09117055B2	Method and apparatus for downloading DRM module A Digital Rights Management (DRM) service system providing digital content to which DRM technology is applied, when one or more DRM content is provided to a client device, download information for a DRM module capable of installing a DRM agent corresponding to a DRM system applied to the DRM content is provided together, making it possible for the client device to download the DRM module based on the download information, install the DRM agent, and use the DRM content.
US09117052B1	Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for interactively implementing physical electronic designs with track patterns Some aspects enable users to interactively define a region in an electronic design, identify or generate a track pattern, and assign the track pattern to the region for subsequent physical implementation for the region. Another aspect interactively represents various results on a display apparatus using one or more distinguishing representation schemes. Another aspect is directed at interactive editing a component of an electronic design having track patterns by iteratively modifying a set of track patterns to reach a reduced set of track patterns and by automatically snapping the component to active track(s) in the reduced set for the physical implementation.
US09117051B2	High density field effect transistor design including a broken gate line A design layout includes a set of active region-level design shapes representing semiconductor active regions, and a set of gate-level design shapes representing gate lines straddling the semiconductor active regions. The set of gate-level design shapes include a sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) that connects two gate-level design shapes, and is physically manifested as a gap between two gate lines upon printing employing lithographic methods. An edge of a gate line in proximity to a semiconductor active region can be cut employing a cut mask that includes a cut-level design shape that has a protruding tap. The protruding tap allows reliable removal of an end portion of a gate line and prevents disruption of raised source and drain regions by an unwanted residual gate structure.
US09117041B2	Magnetic property analyzing apparatus and method A magnetic property analyzing apparatus includes a first computing unit to perform a magnetic field analysis utilizing a FEM using an average magnetization given with respect to each of elements to which an analyzing target is segmented, and a second computing unit that computes an effective magnetic field acting on each element using a magnetic field computed by the magnetic field analysis, computes magnetization vectors within each element by obtaining a time integral of a LLG equation using the effective magnetic field, and computes an average magnetization for each element by averaging the magnetization vectors.
US09117033B2	Method, device, and system for packet transmission on PCIE bus A method, device, and system for packet transmission on the PCIE bus according to the embodiments of the present invention, a SCSI protocol packet is encapsulated to obtain an encapsulated SCSI protocol packet, and the encapsulated SCSI protocol packet is carried in a PCIE data packet, and then the PCIE data packet carrying the encapsulated SCSI protocol packet is transmitted to the receiver device through the PCIE bus. Thereby, transmission of SCSI protocol packets is implemented on the PCIE bus, and any devices interconnected through the PCIE bus can operate each other through SCSI protocol packets with a high data transmission bandwidth and high processing speed, without requiring a specific physical device or adapter to perform protocol conversion.
US09117031B2	Generating interface adjustment signals in a device-to-device interconnection system Described are a system and method to control interface timing and/or voltage operations of signals transmitted between devices. A processor may be coupled through one or more bus interfaces of a bus to one or more corresponding interface timing and/or voltage comparison circuits and corresponding interface timing and/or voltage adjustment circuits.
US09117028B2	Automated framework for dynamically creating test scripts for software testing A computer program product and method for dynamically creating test scripts for software testing. The method includes selecting one or more reference scripts to create a selected script set, selecting one or more parameters to create a selected parameter set, generating permutations of the selected script set based upon the selected script set and the selected parameter set, and generating permutation test scripts for each of the generated permutations which include test code, a dynamic variable, and varying values for the dynamic variable amongst the permutation test scripts. Depending upon the scope of the parameters, the generation of permutations uses variations of an n-ary Cartesian product to determine the permutations and varying content of the generated permutation test scripts.
US09117027B2	Method and system for compliance testing in a cloud storage environment The invention provides automated test suite for compliance testing of cloud storage server to a Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI) by performing functional testing of CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations. It offers a solution containing test scripts for validating the response from CRUD operations performed on CDMI objects and checks for the cloud storage to be CDMI compliant.
US09117026B1	Reporting the presence of hardcoded strings on a user interface (UI) A method and apparatus analyzes user interface (UI) screens associated with a software application, and determines whether any of the strings displayed on the UI screens are erroneously displayed to an end user. Based on the analysis, the method and apparatus generates a report for a developer or tester, for example, which allows that party to remove unwanted hardcoded strings from the UI screen code.
US09117025B2	Tracking of code base and defect diagnostic coupling with automated triage In response to a test case error generated by execution of a test case against a code build, a source code segment that caused the test case error is identified by a defect monitor. The identified source code segment is linked to the test case that generated the test case error. The linked source code segment is monitored for code changes. A determination is made as to whether a test case re-execution criterion associated with the test case has been satisfied based upon a detected code change of the linked source code segment. An indication to re-execute the test case is generated in response to determining that the test case re-execution criterion associated with the test case has been satisfied.
US09117020B2	Determining control flow divergence due to variable value difference An embodiment is directed to a method for analyzing a computer program that includes receiving an instruction specifying a first variable of the program. The first variable has a first value at a first location during program execution. The instruction further specifies a second value for the first variable at the first location. The method includes determining that a second location during program execution includes a conditional control flow instruction that includes the first variable. In addition, the method includes evaluating the conditional control flow instruction using the first and second values of the first variable at the second location. It may be determined whether control flow diverges at the second location based on the evaluating of the conditional control flow instruction using the first and second values at the second location.
US09117015B2	Management method and system for implementation, execution, data collection, and data analysis of a structured collection procedure which runs on a collection device A collection device for performing a structured collection procedure may include a processor that executes program instructions communicably coupled to at least one memory. The processor can initiate a schedule of events of the structured collection procedure upon one or more entry criterions being met and segregate the at least one memory into a primary data store and a secondary data store. The processor can write structured patient data collected in accordance to the schedule of events to the secondary data store. The processor can transform a relevant portion of the structured patient data into an evaluated data object. The processor can generate a data abstraction based in part upon the evaluated data object. The processor can link the primary data store and the secondary data store with the data abstraction.
US09117014B2	Database system and control method therefor In an open environment, a consensus building means for maintaining dependability throughout the entire life cycle of a target system between stakeholders is provided, thereby appropriately operating the target system in accordance with the content of an agreement between the stakeholders.A consensus building support tool provides a support for consensus building through an argument regarding an ordinary operation state of a target system. History obtained in the process of the consensus building is recorded in a database layer as an agreement graph. A monitoring node tool detects deviation from the ordinary operation state of the target system based on an actual operation state of the target system and the agreement graph. A contract generating tool extracts information data regarding the consensus building from the agreement graph when the deviation from the ordinary operation state is detected in the target system.
US09117013B2	Combining monitoring techniques A first subset of information about a transaction is received from a first application. The first application has a first monitoring technique. A second subset of information about the transaction is received from a second application. The second application has a second monitoring technique that is different from the first monitoring technique. The first subset of information is combined with the second subset of information to produce composite information about the transaction.
US09117008B2	Display apparatus and display method for displaying the radiographing range of a human body to be examined A display apparatus comprises an obtaining unit that obtains information associated with a human body to be examined, a forming unit that forms, based on information on a radiographing range of a radiographing apparatus with respect to the human body to be examined included in the obtained information, a graphic showing the radiographing range of the radiographing apparatus onto a body diagram of the human body to be examined; and a display control unit that controls a display unit to display the formed graphic.
US09117000B2	Information retrieval using decoded machine-readable optical codes A method is disclosed for reading a machine-readable optical code encoding information formed in an image that is presented to a user. The method includes using a processor to receive the image with the machine-readable optical code; using a graphic user interface to visually present the received image on a display; using the graphic user interface to receive a user selection of the machine-readable optical code; using a processor to decode the selected machine-readable optical code; and using the graphic user interface to present information referenced by the decoded information on the display.
US09116994B2	Search engine optimization for category specific search results Search engine optimization for all digital content of an entity, including category specific content such as images, videos, products, news, places, and other content, can change the entity's visibility on the internet, particularly on search engine result pages. A method for increasing search engine optimization of digital content can include performing a search and analyzing the search results to identify category specific search results. The method can further include determining an equivalent search engine ranking for each category specific search result that depends on one or more factors and making a recommendation on how to increase the search engine optimization of the entity's digital content.
US09116992B2	Providing time series information with search results Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing time series information with search results. In one aspect, a method includes determining that a first query is indicative of a request for time series information; generating a cost estimate that quantifies one or more costs of including the time series information with one or more search results, each search result including a resource locator that references a corresponding resource determined to be responsive to the query; generating a benefit estimate; determining to generate the time series information when the benefit estimate is greater than the cost estimate and generating the time series information in response to the determination, wherein generating the time series information includes collecting responsive time series information from one or more resources; and determining to not generate the time series information when the cost estimate is greater than the benefit estimate.
US09116989B1	System and method for using speech for data searching during presentations There is provided for a system, method, and computer readable medium storing instructions related to controlling a presentation in a multimodal system. A method for the retrieval of information on the basis of its content for real-time incorporation into an electronic presentation is discussed. One method includes controlling a media presentation using a multimodal interface. The method involves receiving from a presenter a content-based request associated with a plurality of segments within a media presentation preprocessed for context-based searching; displaying the media presentation and displaying to the presenter results in response to the content-based request; receiving a selection from the presenter of at least one result; and displaying the selected result to an audience.
US09116986B1	Interactive calendar with an integrated journal A system and method for integrating a journal associated with a user into a calendar is disclosed. The journal application includes a calendar module, a metadata module, a user preference engine, an action engine, a suggestion engine and a user interface engine. The calendar module receives one or more goals set by the user and creates one or more events in the calendar. The metadata module aggregates one or more types of metadata associated with the user and the one or more events. The user preference engine associates a sharing level with the one or more types of metadata. The action engine executes one or more actions based on the one or more types of metadata. The suggestion engine determines an effect of the one or more actions on the one or more goals set by the user and provides one or more suggestions to the user.
US09116981B2	Systems and methods for cluster analysis with relational truth Systems and methods for measuring similarity between a set of clusters and a set of object labels, wherein at least two of the object labels are related, receive a first set of clusters, wherein the first set of clusters was formed by clustering objects in a set of objects into clusters of the first set of clusters according to a clustering procedure; and calculate a similarity index between the first set of clusters and a set of object labels based at least in part on a relationship between two or more object labels in the set of object labels.
US09116979B2	Systems and methods for creating an interest profile for a user Profiling systems and methods of creating and using user interest profiles are described. In some example embodiments, the method includes: creating a topic set which includes topics which are organized in a hierarchical structure which includes a plurality of topic levels including an upper topic level and a lower topic level, each topic in the lower topic level being a subtopic of at least one of the topics in the upper topic level; monitoring interest in a plurality of documents for a user to identify one or more documents-of-interest to the user; and based on the monitored interest for the user, creating an interest profile for the user by determining a measure of topical interest for the user for at least one of the topics at the upper topic level and for a subtopic of that topic, the subtopic being at the lower topic level.
US09116978B2	Query engine for building management systems A computer-implemented system for facilitating cross-subsystem queries of a plurality of building automation subsystems includes a first database storing a logical model for a building automation system. The system further includes a second database storing information for the plurality of building automation subsystems. The second database relates information for the plurality of building automation subsystems based on the logical model of the first database. The system also includes a query engine configured to decompose a cross-subsystem query received from an application into a plurality of subsystem queries using the information of the second database.
US09116976B1	Ranking documents based on large data sets A system ranks documents based, at least in part, on a ranking model. The ranking model may be generated to predict the likelihood that a document will be selected. The system may receive a search query and identify documents relating to the search query. The system may then rank the documents based, at least in part, on the ranking model and form search results for the search query from the ranked documents.
US09116968B2	Methods and apparatus related to graph transformation and synchronization In one general aspect, a computer system can include instructions configured to store on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer system can include a subgraph transformer configured to transform a plurality of subgraphs of a source graph into a plurality of transformed subgraphs, and configured to define a target graph that is a transformed version of the source graph based on the plurality of transformed subgraphs. The computer system can include a change detector configured to receive an indicator that a portion of the source graph has been changed, and a synchronization module configured to synchronize a portion of the target graph with the changed portion of the source graph.
US09116966B2	Displaying search results Website search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores may be displayed transparently without distinguishing the electronic information store. The search may be performed by a web host and may include receiving at least one search term that then is compared with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the first electronic information includes content provided by an internal source. The search term also is compared with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the second electronic information includes content provided by an external source. Results are displayed based on matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information. The results are combined in a single list of results.
US09116963B2	Systems and methods for promoting personalized search results based on personal information A method is performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory. The server receives a search query from a user and identifies a list of search results associated with the search query. Each search result has an initial position in the list. The server identifies a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user. Each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times. The server identifies in the list of search results, one or more search results that are associated with at least one of the user-preferred search results and reorders the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset. The server then provides the reordered list of search results to the user.
US09116961B2	Information processing device, information processing system and search method An information processing device includes a memory unit that stores registration data of a search target and error information indicating an error of the registration data in association with each other. The information processing device includes a search unit that searches for registration data from the registration data stored by memory unit, the registration data searched by the search unit being registration data for which a value obtained by subtracting a value of the error information from a value of distance between query data related to a search request and the registration data is within the predetermined neighborhood range.
US09116960B2	Calculation engine with optimized multi-part querying A database server receives a multi-part query from a remote application server. The multi-part query specifies a calculation scenario defining a data flow model that includes a plurality of calculation nodes that include a main section of nodes and two or more branches of nodes. Each calculation node defines one or more operations to execute on the database server. Thereafter, the database server instantiates the specified calculation scenario and additionally executes the operations defined by the calculation nodes of the main section of the instantiated calculation scenario a single time and executes the operations defined by the calculation nodes of the branches to result in respective responsive data sets corresponding to each branch. The responsive data sets are then provided by the database server to the application server. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09116957B1	Substitute term scoring Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage media are disclosed that involve a server receiving a search query including a query term and a substitute term for the query term and data corresponding to a set of documents. The server accesses a value corresponding to a relevance of the search query to a selected document from the set of documents and determines that the value satisfies a predetermined threshold. The server then generates a score for the selected document according to a first scoring model, the first scoring model including a first increment value for the substitute term. The first scoring model is different than a second scoring model used to generate scores for one or more other documents from the set of documents.
US09116955B2	Managing data queries In one aspect, in general, a method of generating a dataflow graph representing a database query includes receiving a query plan from a plan generator, the query plan representing operations for executing a database query on at least one input representing a source of data, producing a dataflow graph from the query plan, wherein the dataflow graph includes at least one node that represents at least one operation represented by the query plan, and includes at least one link that represents at least one dataflow associated with the query plan, and altering one or more components of the dataflow graph based on at least one characteristic of the at least one input representing the source of data.
US09116954B1	Data source joins Database report generation technology for handling a single logical query that requires data that is physically located in two different sources. The system uses intelligent push-down joins, which move data from one source to the other and join data within that source. The system dynamically determines which direction to move data depending on how the data is used in a query.
US09116952B1	Query refinements using search data Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining query refinements using search data. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first query and a second query each comprising one or more n-grams for a user session, determining a first set of query refinements for the first query, determining a second set of query refinements from the first set of query refinements, each query refinement in the second set of query refinements including at least one n-gram that is similar to an n-gram from the first query and at least on n-gram that is similar to an n-gram from the second query, scoring each query refinement in the second set of query refinements, selecting a third query from a group consisting of the second set of query refinements and the second query, and providing the third query as input to a search operation.
US09116950B2	Method and apparatus for internet-based human network brokering Matches between search queries and potential targets of such search queries are automatically brokered by (i) comparing search criteria specified in the search queries with profile criteria describing the potential targets, and (ii) reporting instances of acceptable correspondence between the search criteria and the profile criteria, provided that access controls associated with the profile criteria of the targets permit such reporting in light of access levels assigned to the search inquiries. Initiators, using client applications at various remote locations, may formulate the search queries and the brokering may be performed at one or more server locations communicatively coupled (e.g., via the Internet) thereto. The profile criteria may include portions of rich descriptive profiles of the potential targets.
US09116949B2	Filtering of a shared, distributed cube A method of performing a query on a cube of data is provided. An access key associated with a user is created at a computing device. The access key defines the user's access to a cube of data distributed onto a plurality of computing devices with each computing device of the plurality of computing devices storing a different portion of the cube of data. A plurality of access masks is stored in association with the portion of the cube of data stored on the computing device. A process space associated with the user is created. A query on the cube of data is received by the computing device. The query is associated with the user. The query is processed while masking the created access key with the stored plurality of access masks, wherein the masking controls access to the stored portion of the cube of data. A result of the processed query is sent to a requesting computing device.
US09116944B1	Promotion selection via interest detection Techniques for selecting content may include determining that a URL was historically visited, determining an interest associated with the URL, and selecting content associated with the interest. Selected illustrative applications for displaying relevant content, subscribing to relevant content sources, displaying relevant advertisements, and offering and/or applying relevant promotions are disclosed.
US09116943B2	Halloween protection in a multi-version database system Mitigating problems related to the Halloween problem including where update operations potentially allow the record to be visited more than once during the operation. A method includes accessing an instance of a data store operation statement. The instance of the data store operation statement is executed causing an update or delete to an old version of data store record or creation of a data store record resulting in a new version of the data store record in the case of an update or creation of a data store record and a deleted version of the data store record in the case of a delete in the data store. The instance of the data store operation statement is correlated with the new version of the data store record or the deleted version of the data store record.
US09116941B2	Reducing digest storage consumption by tracking similarity elements in a data deduplication system For reducing digests storage consumption in a data deduplication system using a processor device in a computing environment, input data is partitioned into chunks, and the chunks are grouped into chunk sets. Digests are calculated for input data and stored in sets corresponding to the chunk sets. Similarity elements are calculated for the input data and the similarity elements are stored in a similarity search structure. The number of similarity elements associated with a chunk set which are currently contained in the similarity search structure is maintained for each chunk set, and when this number of a specific chunk set becomes lower than a threshold, the digests set associated with that chunk set are removed from the repository.
US09116939B2	Tree comparison to manage progressive data store switchover with assured performance Technologies are generally provided for progressive key value store switchover by evaluating a maturity of a migrated data store and allowing piecewise switching of substructure area query servicing from an origin data store to a destination data store. In some examples, abstractions of origin and destination tree structures may be compared to each other in order to generate an evaluation metric at substantially reduced performance evaluation load. The evaluation metric may target performance sampling while assuring a desired performance level with localized query servicing switchover. Piecewise data transfer may also be optionally enabled such that overall storage can be similar to the storage of a single data store copy while reducing an impact on existing data store services.
US09116934B2	Holistic database record repair A computer implemented method for repairing records of a database, comprises determining a first set of records of the database which violate a functional dependency of the database, determining a second set of records of the database comprising duplicate records, computing a cost metric representing a measure for the cost of mutually dependently modifying records in the first and second sets, modifying records in the first and second sets on the basis of the cost metric to provide a modified database instance.
US09116932B2	System and method of querying data A system and method of querying data. The method includes transforming first data according to a unified data model. The unified data model has a hierarchical structure with tree nodes and leaf nodes. A leaf node contains a table. The method further includes executing a unified data model query on the first data (having been transformed) to result in second data. The method further includes outputting the second data.
US09116930B2	Method and system for configuring a contact database associated with a user A method implemented by a network entity that comprises identifying contact information associated with a previously-originated call, receiving from a user information indicative of a desired modification to a database associated with the user, wherein the desired modification involves the contact information associated with the previously-originated call. The method further comprises configuring the database associated with the user at least in part on the basis of the desired modification and the contact information associated with the previously-originated call.
US09116929B2	Workload priority influenced data temperature A system and method for managing one or more database systems, wherein the database systems perform database queries to retrieve data stored by the database systems. One or more regulators are used for managing the database systems, wherein the regulators monitor workload priority influenced data temperature in order to allocate resources for the systems. The data temperature is a measure of physical accesses to logical data, and the workload priority is used to further define data temperature, in order to optimize data storage placement and data access decisions.
US09116926B2	Sharing photos Implementations generally relate to sharing photos. In some implementations, a method includes collecting photos associated with one or more objects, where the photos are collected from a plurality of users. The method also includes collecting attention information associated with the one or more objects. The method also includes generating an attention map based on the attention information. The method also includes grouping the one or more photos into groups of photos based on the attention map. The method also includes causing the groups of photos to be displayed to a target user based on one or more predetermined criteria.
US09116925B2	Hierarchical ranking of facial attributes In response to a query of discernable facial attributes, the locations of distinct and different facial regions are estimated from face image data, each relevant to different attributes. Different features are extracted from the estimated facial regions from database facial images, which are ranked in base layer rankings as a function of relevance of extracted features to attributes relevant to the estimated regions, and in second-layer rankings as a function of combinations of the base layer rankings and relevance of the extracted features to common ones of the attributes relevant to the estimated regions. The images are ranked in relevance to the query as a function of the second-layer rankings.
US09116923B2	Construction drawing evaluation systems and methods The invention provides the ability to count symbols within drawings in an automated fashion using a computer processor. This may be accomplished by identifying a particular symbol (representing a drawing part) and then permitting the computer to search for the identified symbol in the drawing. Following the initial search, a secondary search may be performed to increase the accuracy of an initial automated count, and obtaining refined searches results representing similar parts (represented by the same symbol) but being a part type as indicated by an identifier associated with the initial symbol.
US09116922B2	Defining and matching segments Defining and matching segments is disclosed. In some embodiments, defining and matching segments includes receiving a user defined segment via a user interface input; and determining a matching effort (e.g., which can include a set of Geographic Positioning System (GPS) data) to the segment using a processor. In some embodiments, the data associated with the effort includes one or more of the following: heart rate, speed, time, and power. In some embodiments, defining and matching segments further includes storing data associated with the matching effort with the segment. In some embodiments, the user defined segment is based at least in part in uploaded GPS data. In some embodiments, the user defined segment is based at least in part on selected points on a map application.
US09116917B1	Augmenting a geographic information system Provided is a process for augmenting a geographic information system. Some examples of the process include comparing, with a computer system, street addresses to a geographic information system to identify addresses having a term that is not recognized by the geographic information system; removing, with the computer system, the term from the identified addresses to form redacted addresses; retrieving, with the computer system, a plurality of geolocations corresponding to the redacted addresses from the index; determining, with the computer system, a bounding area of the plurality of geolocations; and augmenting, with the computer system, the geographic information system with an entry associating the bounding area with the term.
US09116916B2	Information organizing sytem and information organizing method An information organizing system includes a reference information database storing reference information, a generalized expression unit to map measurement data and non-measurement data in a space in such a manner that the more they resemble each other, the shorter a distance between them becomes, an extended reference database in which the reference information is expressed in an extended manner by using the generalized expression unit, extended log data in which log data is expressed in an extended manner by using the generalized expression unit, a relevance detection unit to detect extended reference information having high relevance with the extended log data, and a template creation unit to create a predetermined template in which the log data is summarized by using the detected extended reference information.
US09116911B2	Remote file sharing based on content filtering Embodiments of the invention include a system, method and computer program product for accessing a remote file system in which files in the remote file system are mapped to a local file system that is coupled to the remote file system by a network, wherein the mapped files meet a filtering criterion and are used in subsequent file operations at the local file system.
US09116909B2	Reduced bandwidth data uploading in data systems Methods and apparatus for uploading data from a sender to a receiver. A data deduplication technique is described that may reduce the bandwidth used in uploading data from the sender to the receiver. In the technique, the receiver, rather than the sender, maintains a fingerprint dictionary for previously uploaded data. When a sender has additional data to be uploaded, the sender extracts fingerprints for units of the data and sends the fingerprints to the receiver. The receiver checks its fingerprint dictionary to determine the data units to be uploaded and notifies the sender of the identified units, which then sends the identified units of data to the receiver. The technique may, for example, be applied in virtualized data store systems to reduce bandwidth usage in uploading data.
US09116904B2	File system operation on multi-tiered volume A file system that operates on an underlying volume that has multiple tiers, each tier including a particular trait set. Upon creating or otherwise identifying a file system namespace (such as a directory or file) that is in a volume or that is to be included within the volume, a storage trait set to be applied corresponding to the file system namespace is identified. Then, the storage trait set is compared against the trait sets for the multiple tiers to identify a tier into which to store the file system namespace. The file system namespace is then caused to be stored within the identified tier. Thus, the file system is provided with a volume that has multiple tiers (each having different trait sets) to choose from in storing files.
US09116902B1	Preferential selection of candidates for delta compression A computer-implemented method and system for improving efficiency in a delta compression process selects a data chunk to delta compress and generates a sketch for the selected data chunk. A set of candidate data chunks with a matching sketch is searched for. The set of candidate data chunks with at least a minimum degree of similarity is ranked by location status data. Tie-breaking of the set of candidate data chunks is done using a degree of sketch similarity for each candidate and the selected data chunk is delta compressed with a selected candidate data chunk.
US09116901B2	Database snapshot analysis Analysis tools summarize and provide statistics from snapshot files. The analysis tools may provide a temporal view of the changes of the data values across two or more periods of time from one or more snapshot files to show trends in performance of the system. The analysis tools may include meta-data definitions for different sources of the snapshot information.
US09116900B2	Methods for controlling remote archiving systems Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
US09116895B1	Document processing system and method A computer-implemented method comprises storing a plurality of construction project specification documents in a data storage system. The method further comprises, for each of the plurality of construction project specification documents, extracting a plurality of blocks of text from the document, extracting formatting information for the document based on the extracted text blocks, generating a location descriptor for each of the text blocks based on the formatting information, the location descriptor indicating the location of the text block within the document, determining the type of text contained in each of the text blocks, and storing the location descriptor and the type of text contained in the text block for each of the text blocks.
US09116893B2	Network connected media gateway for communication networks A network traffic managing node of a local area network, such as a router or gateway, can implement a network discovery and remote access mechanism for the local area network. A catalog of a plurality of files stored in a plurality of network devices of the local area network is created at the network traffic managing node based, at least in part, on information associated with the plurality of files determined using a network discovery procedure. The catalog of the plurality of files is provide to a remote network node of a wide area network in response to receiving a message from the remote network node requesting access to the plurality of files. One or more files are provided to the remote network node in response to receiving a message from the remote network node requesting the one or more files from the catalog of the plurality of files.
US09116876B2	Programmable built-in-self tester (BIST) in memory controller Some novel features pertain to a memory controller that includes a memory controller logic, a built-in-self-tester (BIST) logic, and a switch. The memory controller logic is for controlling memory on a memory die. The built-in-self tester (BIST) logic is for testing the memory. The switch is coupled to the BIST logic and the memory. In some implementations, the BIST logic bypasses the memory controller logic when testing the memory by accessing the memory through the switch. The switch may be controlled by the BIST logic. In some implementations, the switch is coupled to the memory controller logic. The switch may control data to the memory that is transmitted from the memory controller logic and the BIST logic based on priority of the data.
US09116875B2	Test circuit and method for processing a test routine According to one embodiment, a test circuit is provided comprising a tester configured to perform a test routine comprising a plurality of test commands for testing an electronic circuit, wherein the tester comprises a checker configured to, if a test command of the plurality of test commands is to be performed, check, whether there is currently a state in which performing the test command could lead to a damage of the electronic circuit and configured to, in case it determines that there is currently a state in which performing the test routine could lead to a damage of the electronic circuit, output a signal indicating that performing the test routine could lead to a damage of the electronic circuit.
US09116871B2	Ink to text representation conversion Technologies are generally provided for converting handwritten ink input to text annotations. A user may provide handwritten ink input to content displayed on a computing device to edit and mark up the content. The ink input may be provided employing touch or an electronic stylus on a user interface of the computing device to edit the content. The ink input may be processed to identify insertion of comments, deletion of text, and to identify insertion of markup symbols and shapes. The ink input may be converted to a text annotation based on a context of the ink input and a grammar and proofreading analysis. The text annotation may be displayed in an annotation view. The ink input may be converted periodically after predefined periods of time and upon detection of selection of a conversion button to activate conversion of the ink input.
US09116868B2	Automated selection of images for web pages In various embodiments, a method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are disclosed for creating a pool of images available for display, such as in one or more web pages. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes generating a pre-determined number N of numbers and encoding an instruction in a markup language document. The instruction includes the N numbers and is executed by one or more processors to select N images for insertion into the markup language document. The N images are selected from all available images using the N numbers, and the N images are placed in the markup language document at one or more respective locations defined in the instruction with the N images to be displayed on one or more web pages. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09116864B2	Automatic abstract determination method of document clustering An automatic abstract determination method of a document clustering is disclosed. The method includes forming a database for correspondingly packing and storing each document clustering including several abstract contents and body contents of subdocuments preloaded by a user as a document clustering process record file. Each document clustering process record file records the original abstract contents and the body contents of the subdocuments, and sets several determination values for analysis. When the user wishes to browse the contents of one document clustering, the method then determines whether or not to generate new abstract contents which is much more closer to the key points of the body contents to all of the subdocuments in the document clustering, according to the contents and values recorded in the corresponding document clustering process record file of the document clustering.
US09116859B2	Disk array system having a plurality of chassis and path connection method According to the conventional art disk array system, when a drive box of a first chassis is blocked, all the drive boxes of a second chassis connected subsequently therefrom will be blocked, and the data in the drive boxes arranged subsequently therefrom cannot be recovered based on the RAID configuration. Even if the data could be recovered based on RAID configuration, it is necessary to perform the recovery process based on RAID in all the subsequently arranged drive boxes, according to which the performance is deteriorated. The present system stores a first drive box in a first chassis out of a plurality of chassis, and a second drive box and a third drive box are stored in a second chassis. One of a plurality of expander controllers within the first drive box is connected to an expander controller in the second drive box, and the other expander controller is connected to an expander controller in the third drive box.
US09116857B2	Secure archive Storage apparatus (20) includes a memory (30) and an encryption processor (28), which is configured to receive and encrypt data transmitted from one or more computers (24) for storage in the memory. A one-way link (32) couples the encryption processor to the memory so as to enable the encryption processor to write the encrypted data to the memory but not to read from the memory.
US09116856B2	Intelligent dual data rate (DDR) memory controller Various embodiments include systems, methods, and devices configured to reduce the amount of information communicated via system buses/fabrics when transferring data to and from one or more memories. A system master component may send a source address and a destination address to a direct memory access controller inside of, or adjacent to, a memory controller. The direct memory access controller and/or the memory controller may determine whether the source and destination addresses are inside relevant portions of the memory. When both the source and destination are inside the relevant portion of the memory, the memory controller may perform a memory-to-memory data transfer without accessing the system bus.
US09116853B1	Tape backup and restore in a disk storage environment A command to write data to a disk location is received at a disk storage system. The data is written to the disk location and a record including the data, the disk location, and a sequence value is generated. The first sequence value indicates relative sequence when compared to other sequence values. The record is written to a record location on a tape cartridge loaded in a tape drive. Record metadata on the disk storage system is modified to indicate that the record location contains current data. Tape cartridges containing records may be used to restore data to disk storage.
US09116850B2	Client-side repository in a networked deduplicated storage system A storage system according to certain embodiments includes a client-side repository (CSR). The CSR may communicate with a client at a higher data transfer rate than the rate used for communication between the client and secondary storage. During copy operations, for instance, some or all of the data being backed up or otherwise copied to secondary storage is stored in the CSR. During restore operations, copies of the data stored in the CSR is accessed from the CSR instead of from secondary storage, improving performance. Remaining data blocks not stored in the CSR can be restored from secondary storage.
US09116849B2	Community-based de-duplication for encrypted data Technologies for de-duplicating encrypted content include fragmenting a file into blocks on a computing device, encrypting each block, and storing each encrypted block on a content data server with associated keyed hashes and member identifications. The computing device additionally transmits each encrypted block with an associated member encryption key and member identification to a key server. As part of the de-duplication process, the content data server stores only one copy of the encrypted data for a particular associated keyed hash, and the key server similarly associates a single member encryption key with the keyed hash. To retrieve the file, the computing device receives the encrypted blocks with their associated keyed hashes and member identifications from the content data server and receives the corresponding member decryption key from the key server. The computing device decrypts each block using the member decryption keys and combines to blocks to generate the file.
US09116845B2	Remote permissions provisioning for storage in a cache and device therefor A system and method are disclosed for determining whether to allow or deny an access request based upon one or more descriptors at a local memory protection unit and based upon one or more descriptors a system memory protection unit. When multiple descriptors of a memory protection unit apply to a particular request, the least-restrictive descriptor will be selected. System access information is stored at a cache of a local core in response to a cache line being filled. The cached system access information is merged with local access information, wherein the most-restrictive access is selected.
US09116844B2	Data processing apparatus and method for analysing transient faults occurring within storage elements of the data processing apparatus A data processing apparatus has a plurality of storage elements residing at different physical locations within the apparatus, and fault history circuitry for detecting local transient faults occurring in each storage element, and for maintaining global transient fault history data based on the detected local transient faults. Analysis circuitry monitors the global transient fault history data to determine, based on predetermined criteria, whether the global transient fault history data is indicative of random transient faults occurring within the data processing apparatus, or is indicative of a coordinated transient fault attack. The analysis circuitry is then configured to initiate a countermeasure action on determination of a coordinated transient fault attack. This provides a simple and effective mechanism for distinguishing between random transient faults that may naturally occur, and a coordinated transient fault attack that may be initiated in an attempt to circumvent the security of the data processing apparatus.
US09116843B2	Avoiding restart on error in data integration According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system avoids restart on an error in a data integration process. The system processes data received from a data source in accordance with a parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme and submits said processed data to a destination. In response to an indication of an error, the system pauses receiving of data and saves unprocessed data received from the source. After correction of the error, the system resumes processing of the received and saved data in an order of the parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for avoiding restart on an error in a data integration process in substantially the same manners described above.
US09116842B2	Avoiding restart on error in data integration According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system avoids restart on an error in a data integration process. The system processes data received from a data source in accordance with a parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme and submits said processed data to a destination. In response to an indication of an error, the system pauses receiving of data and saves unprocessed data received from the source. After correction of the error, the system resumes processing of the received and saved data in an order of the parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for avoiding restart on an error in a data integration process in substantially the same manners described above.
US09116840B2	Semiconductor device and data processing method A semiconductor device has: as security states to which the nonvolatile memory device can transition, an unprotected state in which, when secret information is not set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is permitted, and reading the stored information is permitted; a protection unlocked state in which, when the secret information is set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is permitted on condition that a result of authentication using the secret information is correct, and reading the stored information is permitted; and a protection locked state in which, when the secret information is set in the nonvolatile memory device, rewriting the nonvolatile memory device is inhibited until correctness as a result of authentication using the secret information is confirmed, and reading the stored information is inhibited under a predetermined condition.
US09116837B2	Pinning content in nonvolatile memory Systems and methods relating to pinning selected data to sectors in non-volatile memory. A graphical user interface allows a user to specify certain data (e.g., directories or files) to be pinned. A list of pinned sectors can be stored so that a driver or controller that operates on a sector basis and not a file or directory basis can identify data to be pinned.
US09116833B1	Efficiency for erasure encoding Embodiments are directed towards efficient erasure coding for storage systems. A smallest integer in a set may be determined based on a number of storage devices in the storage system such that the determined integer is greater or equal to the number of storage devices. The smallest integer in the set may be determined from the set {2N−1} where N is an integer based on the number of storage devices. A matrix may be generated based on a number of columns equal to the determined integer and a number of rows equal to the number of columns plus a number of global repair symbol devices and plus a number of virtual repair symbol devices. Each virtual repair symbol device enables an additional of level of protection against failures in the storage system.
US09116832B2	Storing raid data as encoded data slices in a dispersed storage network A method begins by a processing module receiving data for storage and interpreting the data to identify the data as redundant array of independent disks (RAID) data. The method continues with the processing module interpreting the RAID data to identify at least one of RAID block data and RAID parity data. When the RAID data includes RAID block data and RAID parity data the method continues with the processing module encoding the RAID block data in accordance with error coding dispersal storage function parameters to produce at least one set of encoded data slices and outputting the at least one set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network memory.
US09116831B2	Correcting an errant encoded data slice A method begins by a processing module decoding a set of encoded data slices to produce a decoded data segment and determining whether the decoded data segment includes an error. When the decoded data segments includes the error, the processing module identifies one or more errant encoded data slices by decoding another set of encoded data slices to produce another decoded data segment. The method continues with the processing module determining whether the other decoded data segment includes the error. When the other decoded data segment does not include the error, the processing module identifies the one or more errant encoded data slices and corrects the one or more errant encoded data slices. When the other decoded data segment includes the error, the processing module repeats, for yet another set of encoded data slices, the decoding step, the determining step, and the identifying and correcting step or the repeating steps.
US09116830B2	Method to extend data retention for flash based storage in a real time device processed on generic semiconductor technology This invention is a method to extend data retention for FLASH based storage in a real time device embodied in generic semiconductor technology. This invention provides a manner to re-energize the Flash memory array to improve the retention characteristics of the memory without altering the clock cycle determinism of the system. Under certain conditions the Flash memory bit cells will lose their charge/non-charge over time. In this particular FLASH technology, an ECC is used to correct single bit errors within a 32 bit word. If there is time before multiple errors occur within a word, the single error cases are identified and “ReFlashed” to bring the value of the cell back to its “newly” programmed levels. This dramatically improves the long term retention characteristics of the memory while requiring some control logic and an area of non-volatile scratch/status information.
US09116829B2	System and method to prioritize large memory page allocation in virtualized systems The prioritization of large memory page mapping is a function of the access bits in the L1 page table. In a first phase of operation, the number of set access bits in each of the L1 page tables is counted periodically and a current count value is calculated therefrom. During the first phase, no pages are mapped large even if identified as such. After the first phase, the current count value is used to prioritize among potential large memory pages to determine which pages to map large. The system continues to calculate the current count value even after the first phase ends. When using hardware assist, the access bits in the nested page tables are used and when using software MMU, the access bits in the shadow page tables are used for large page prioritization.
US09116828B2	Data bus inversion usable in a memory system Implementations of Data Bus Inversion (DBI) techniques within a memory system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of random access memory (RAM) integrated circuits (ICs) is separated from a logic system by a bus. The logic system can contain many of the logic functions traditionally performed on conventional RAM ICs, and accordingly the RAM ICs can be modified to not include such logic functions. The logic system, which can be a logic integrated circuit intervening between the modified RAM ICs and a traditional memory controller, additionally contains DBI encoding and decoding circuitry. In such a system, data is DBI encoded and at least one DBI bit issued when writing to the modified RAM ICs. The RAM ICs in turn store the DBI bit(s) with the encoded data. When the encoded data is read from the modified RAM ICs, it is transmitted across the bus in its encoded state along with the DBI bit(s). The logic integrated circuit then decodes the data using the DBI bit(s) to return it to its original state.
US09116826B2	Encoding and decoding using constrained interleaving Serially-concatenated codes are formed in accordance with the present invention using a constrained interleaver. The constrained interleaver cause the minimum distance of the serial concatenated code to increase above the minimum distance of the inner code alone by adding a constraint that forces some or all of the distance of the outer code onto the serially-concatenated code. This allows the serially-concatenated code to be jointly optimized in terms of both minimum distance and error coefficient to provide significant performance advantages. These performance advantages allow a noise margin target to be achieved using simpler component codes and a much shorter interleaver than was needed when using prior art codes such as Turbo codes. Decoders are also provided. Both encoding and decoding complexity can be lowered, and interleavers can be made much shorter, thereby shortening the block lengths needed in receiver elements such as equalizers and other decision-directed loops. Also, other advantages are provided such as the elimination of a error floor present in prior art serially-concatenated codes. That allows the present invention to achieve much higher performance at lower error rates such as are needed in optical communication systems.
US09116823B2	Systems and methods for adaptive error-correction coding A storage module is configured to store data segments, such as error-correcting code (ECC) codewords, within an array comprising a plurality of columns. The ECC codewords may comprise ECC codeword symbols. The ECC symbols of a data segment may be arranged in a horizontal arrangement, a vertical arrangement, a hybrid channel arrangement, and/or vertical stripe arrangement within the array. The individual ECC symbols may be stored within respective columns of the array (e.g., may not cross column boundaries). Data of an unavailable ECC symbol may be reconstructed by use of other ECC symbols stored on other columns of the array.
US09116822B2	Stopping criteria for layered iterative error correction The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to stopping criteria for layered iterative error correction. A number of methods can include receiving a codeword with an error correction circuit, iteratively error correcting the codeword with the error correction circuit including parity checking the codeword on a layer-by-layer basis and updating the codeword after each layer. Methods can include stopping the iterative error correction in response to a parity check being correct for a particular layer.
US09116819B2	Reducing metadata in a write-anywhere storage system Systems and methods for reducing metadata in a write-anywhere storage system are disclosed herein. The system includes a plurality of clients coupled with a plurality of storage nodes, each storage node having a plurality of primary storage devices coupled thereto. A memory management unit including cache memory is included in the client. The memory management unit serves as a cache for data produced by the clients before the data is stored in the primary storage. The cache includes an extent cache, an extent index, a commit cache and a commit index. The movement of data and metadata is by an interval tree. Methods for reducing data in the interval tree increase data storage and data retrieval performance of the system.
US09116815B2	Data cache prefetch throttle The present invention provides a method and apparatus for throttling prefetch requests for a cache. One embodiment of the method includes selecting a sequence of relative addresses for prefetching data from a memory into lines of a cache in response to detecting a cache miss to a first address. The sequence of relative addresses is determined relative to the first address. This embodiment of the method also includes issuing a prefetch request for data from a memory address indicated by one of the sequence of relative addresses when at least one previous prefetch stream accessed prefetched data associated with this one of the sequence of relative addresses.
US09116812B2	Systems and methods for a de-duplication cache A de-duplication is configured to cache data for access by a plurality of different storage clients, such as virtual machines. A virtual machine may comprise a virtual machine de-duplication module configured to identify data for admission into the de-duplication cache. Data admitted into the de-duplication cache may be accessible by two or more storage clients. Metadata pertaining to the contents of the de-duplication cache may be persisted and/or transferred with respective storage clients such that the storage clients may access the contents of the de-duplication cache after rebooting, being power cycled, and/or being transferred between hosts.
US09116811B1	System and method for cache management A method, computer program product, and computing system for providing an option to a user of a cache system to have a copy of at least one IO operation directed toward the cache system redundantly provided to a remote device. If the user selects to have the copy of at least one IO operation redundantly provided, the copy of the at least one IO operation directed toward the cache system is provided to the remote device.
US09116810B2	Margin test methods and circuits Described are methods and circuits for margin testing digital receivers. These methods and circuits prevent margins from collapsing in response to erroneously received data, and can thus be used in receivers that employ historical data to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI). Some embodiments detect receive errors for input data streams of unknown patterns, and can thus be used for in-system margin testing. Such systems can be adapted to dynamically alter system parameters during device operation to maintain adequate margins despite fluctuations in the system noise environment due to e.g. temperature and supply-voltage changes. Also described are methods of plotting and interpreting filtered and unfiltered error data generated by the disclosed methods and circuits. Some embodiments filter error data to facilitate pattern-specific margin testing.
US09116809B2	Memory heaps in a memory model for a unified computing system A method and system for allocating memory to a memory operation executed by a processor in a computer arrangement having a first processor configured for unified operation with a second processor. The method includes receiving a memory operation from a processor and mapping the memory operation to one of a plurality of memory heaps. The mapping produces a mapping result. The method also includes providing the mapping result to the processor.
US09116807B2	Handling intermittent recurring errors in a network Embodiments relate to a computer for transmitting data in a network. The computer includes at least one data transmission port configured to be connected to at least one storage device via a plurality of paths of a network. The computer further includes a processor configured to detect recurring intermittent errors in one or more paths of the plurality of paths and to disable access to the one or more paths based on detecting the recurring intermittent errors.
US09116805B2	Method and system for processing events The present disclosure provides a computer system with an event handling architecture. The computer system includes a processing node (104) comprising an event generator (200) configured to detect a system error corresponding to the processing node (104) and generate a tokenized event message. The tokenized event message is structured according to conformance rules. The system also includes a data broker (202) configured to receive the tokenized event message and send the tokenized event message to a structured query language (SQL) event consumer (204). The SQL event consumer (204) is configured to generate a database record based on the tokenized event message and the conformance rules. The system also includes an event repository (106) with a relational database configured to receive the database record from the SQL event consumer (204).
US09116803B1	Placement of virtual machines based on page commonality Various systems and methods for placing a virtual machine on one of a plurality of candidate physical machines. For example, one method can involve generating a list that comprises entries for a virtual machine. Each entry in the list indicates a portion of data that is associated with the virtual machine. The method then involves calculating a number of common entries between the list and each of a plurality of candidate lists, where a common entry is an entry that is included in the respective candidate list and in the list. Each candidate list is associated with a computing device. In response to detecting which candidate list has the most common entries, the method involves assigning the virtual machine to the computing device associated with that candidate list.
US09116801B2	Registration status management for endpoint devices A registration status manager may poll a user device, such as a session initiation protocol (SIP) endpoint device, for a registration state value indicative of its registration state. The registration status manager may receive the registration state value and determine that it indicates a registration state error such as an out-of-service no dial tone (NDT) condition. The registration status manager may determine a possible cause for failure associated with the registration state error. Subsequently, the registration status manager may determine a possible solution associated with the possible cause for failure.
US09116799B2	Method for detecting bank collision at a memory and device therefor A pipeline circuit determines a first effective address based a sum of a first value and a second value. The first effective address is based upon an actual value of a carry-in into a bit-wise region of the first and second values. The bit-wise region includes a predefined internal region of bits of the first and second values. The pipeline circuit also determines a second effective address based a sum of a third value and a fourth value. A collision detector circuit receives bits from the bit-wise region of each of the four values and determines a plurality of speculative results based upon the bits of the bit-wise regions and based upon a plurality of speculative carry-in values. A collision indicator is asserted based on at least one result of the plurality of speculative results, and the actual values of the first and second carry-in.
US09116798B2	Optimized memory management for class metadata A method for managing class metadata in a garbage collected system, including (i) allocating a metaspace to a class loader of a mutator using a memory heap, where the metaspace is configured to store the class metadata generated by the class loader, (ii) storing, in the metaspace, class metadata items associated with classes defined by the class loader, where the class metadata items and the class loader are coterminous, and where all of the class metadata items are identified by a garbage collector as live if any of the class metadata items is reachable by the mutator, (iii) updating a linkset graph during resolution of symbolic links to sumarize cross-metaspace references, and (iv) reclaiming, by the garbage collector based on a pre-determined algorithm using the metaspace, memory locations unreachable by the mutator, where all memory locations allocated to the class metadata items are reclaimed together as a group.
US09116797B2	Flash memory devices including reserve units operating in abnormal situations and controlling methods thereof A flash memory controller is provided. The flash memory controller includes a read/write unit, a state machine, a processing unit, and a reserve unit. The read/write unit is coupled to a flash memory. The read/write unit is configured to perform a write command or a read command. The state machine is configured to determine a state of the flash memory controller. The processing unit is coupled to the read/write unit and the state machine. The processing unit is configured to control the read/write unit. The reserve unit is coupled to a first data line, a second data line, and the read/write unit. When the flash memory controller is operating abnormally, the reserve unit receives an external signal via the first data line and the second data line and controls the read/write unit according to the external signal.
US09116786B2	On board vehicle networking module The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable remote control module operable to receive, via a remote node, a command from a vehicle owner to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of a selected vehicle component and, when the vehicle owner is authenticated successfully by the remote control module, to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of the selected vehicle component.
US09116781B2	Memory controller and memory device command protocol Embodiments generally relate to a command protocol and/or related circuits and apparatus for communication between a memory device and a memory controller. In one embodiment, the memory controller includes an interface for transmitting commands to the memory device, wherein the memory device includes bitline multiplexers, and accessing of memory cells within the memory device is carried out by a command protocol sequence that includes a wordline selection, followed by bitline selections by the bitline multiplexers. In another embodiment, a memory device includes bitline multiplexers and further includes an interface for receiving a command protocol sequence that specifies a wordline selection followed by bitline selections by the bitline multiplexers.
US09116779B2	Test management domain asset discovery and analysis Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and computer program product for automated discovery and analysis of test management domain assets. The system includes a host server, a unified repository of test management artifact data, a plurality of crawlers disposed in the host server. Each crawler including a configuration of program code to crawl a remotely disposed repository of test management artifacts of a particular repository type in order to locate test management artifacts. A plurality of analyzers, each analyzer including a configuration of program code to parse test management artifacts of a particular repository type located by the crawlers into test management artifact data and to store the test management artifact data in the unified repository data. The system can also include a query interface to the unified repository through which queries are applied to the test management artifact data stored within the unified repository.
US09116778B2	Remotable project Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to remote project access. In aspects, project data for a project that is hosted on a server is provided to a client for use in a development environment of the client. A development environment may be instantiated and configured to allow a user to interact with the project as if the project existed solely on the client. Components on the client and server take care of transferring data and messages to and from the server to ensure that the user experience is seamless.
US09116777B1	In-flight process instance migration between business process execution language (BPEL) suites A method for performing process instance migration between a source workflow environment and a target workflow environment is provided. The method includes a server computing system, exporting a source workflow environment to a target workflow environment. The method further includes the server computing system, migrating process instances from the source workflow environment to the target workflow environment. The method further includes, if a jump function of the target workflow environment is restricted to an activity sequence, a target computing system of the target workflow environment, adjusting the exported process models. The method further includes the target computing system, initializing another process instance, from the exported process models in the target workflow environment.
US09116773B2	Information processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for controlling information processing apparatus Provided is an information processing apparatus that allows program updating to be promptly completed. In the information processing apparatus, a memory of at least one of a plurality of devices or a storage portion stores program updating order information specifying an order for updating a program in each device group. Upon an acquisition portion acquiring update data, in accordance with an order of priority in each device group represented by the program updating order information, each of the plurality of devices classified into a plurality of device groups performs program updating with respect to itself.
US09116772B2	Dynamic customization of pluggable service by users Downloadable pluggable services and methods of distributing the same are described. The downloadable pluggable services may correspond to communication services that can be downloaded to upgrade a communication system. The downloadable pluggable services may include a number of component parts that can be distributed among various servers in the communication system being upgraded along with instructions that enable the component parts to instruct each server in the communication system to operate in a coordinated fashion so as to provide the downloaded service.
US09116771B2	Merging weighted recommendations for installation and configuration of software products A method for installation and configuration of selectable components of a software product. An installation user interface allows a user to identify and select a plurality of install and configuration templates from multiple sources for recommended installation of selectable software components. Responsive to a user selecting multiple install and configuration templates, the user is enabled to apply a relative weight for each of the selected install and configuration templates, wherein the relative weight is applied to each selectable software component included in the weighted template. The weighted software components from each of the install and configuration templates are merged to determine a weighted value for each selectable component. Weighted software components having a weighted value that exceed a predetermined threshold value are determined. Each selectable component having a weighted value exceeding the predetermined threshold value is installed and configured including the components to install, the install path, and other configuration options.
US09116769B2	ASIP with reconfigurable circuitry implementing atomic operations of a PLL A novel and useful apparatus for and method of software based phase locked loop (PLL). The software based PLL incorporates a reconfigurable calculation unit (RCU) that is optimized and programmed to sequentially perform all the atomic operations of a PLL or any other desired task in a time sharing manner. An application specific instruction-set processor (ASIP) incorporating the RCU includes an instruction set whose instructions are optimized to perform the atomic operations of a PLL. The RCU is clocked at a fast enough processor clock rate to insure that all PLL atomic operations are performed within a single PLL reference clock cycle.
US09116763B2	Interactive transaction center interface A transaction module having a summary interface is provided as part of a software suite for enabling viewing and manipulation of multiple categories of aggregated data compiled from a plurality of data sources and accessible through a single interfacing node operated on a data-packet-network. The transaction module comprises, an interactive main interface accessible through the summary interface, the main interface for listing new transactions related to registered financial accounts, an interactive history link embedded in the main interface for providing access to a secondary interface for viewing transaction history, an interactive menu provided within the main interface for assigning categories to the listed transactions, an interactive save feature for saving category assignments to the listed transactions; a interactive bill-payment link provided within the main interface for linking the interface to a bill-payment module and an interactive transfer-funds link provided within the summary interface of the module for linking the summary face of the module to a secondary interface for transferring funds from one account to another. A user operating the main interface from a remote node having access to the data-packet-network may view all transactions according to option of category, account, and time period.
US09116762B2	XML remote procedure call (XML-RPC) Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is implemented using XML-based message encoding wherein elements in the message corresponding to arguments of the RPC are associated with element type indicators selected from a defined set. The type indicators may allow the message itself to identify structural aspects of the message, particularly useful in the context of array elements, but useful for other types of elements as well.
US09116760B2	Multicast message filtering in virtual environments Various systems, processes, and products may be used to filter multicast messages in virtual environments. In particular implementations, a system, process, and product for filtering multicast messages in virtual environments may include the ability to determine whether a multicast message has been received, examine a local filtering store for a match for the destination address of the multicast message, and send the message to a number of virtual machines if a match for the address is found. The system, process, and product may also include the ability to analyze a filtering store of at least one of the virtual machines for a match for the address if a match is not found in the local filtering store and send the message to a number of the virtual machines if a match for the address is found in a filtering store of one of the virtual machines.
US09116759B2	Restarting data processing systems Techniques are disclosed that include a computer-implemented method including transmitting a message in response to a predetermined event through a process stage including at least first and second processes being executed as one or more tasks, the message instructing the abortion of the executing of the one or more tasks, and initiating abortion of execution of the one or more tasks by the one or more of the processes on receiving the messages.
US09116755B2	System and method for managing a hybrid compute environment Disclosed are systems, hybrid compute environments, methods and computer-readable media for dynamically provisioning nodes for a workload. In the hybrid compute environment, each node communicates with a first resource manager associated with the first operating system and a second resource manager associated with a second operating system. The method includes receiving an instruction to provision at least one node in the hybrid compute environment from the first operating system to the second operating system, after provisioning the second operating system, pooling at least one signal from the resource manager associated with the at least one node, processing at least one signal from the second resource manager associated with the at least one node and consuming resources associated with the at least one node having the second operating system provisioned thereon.
US09116754B2	Hierarchical scheduling apparatus and method for cloud computing A hierarchical scheduling apparatus for a cloud environment includes a schedule configuring unit configured to classify a plurality of tasks into one or more local tasks and one or more remote tasks; a schedule delegating unit configured to transmit, to another resource, a list of the remote tasks and a list of available resources to delegate scheduling authority for the remote tasks to the other resource; and a scheduling unit configured to schedule the local tasks.
US09116752B1	Systems, methods, devices and arrangements for server load distribution A variety of methods, systems, devices and arrangements are implemented for controlling server load-distributions. According to one such computer-implemented method, a desired server load-distribution is assigned for a plurality of computer servers that collectively provide services to computer clients. In response to a computer client request for service, a subset of computer servers is selected from the plurality of computer servers. Weight factors for servers of the selected subset of servers are determined as a function of the overall server load-distribution-profile and the selected subset.
US09116749B2	Method for dynamic on demand startup of a process or resource An apparatus comprising a processor configured to startup a new process on a peer processor to off-load a load of a local process on the processor in a dynamic manner based on monitoring an amount of resources used by the processor, wherein the startup of the new process on the peer processor is initiated when the amount of resources used by the local process reaches a threshold.
US09116745B2	Resource allocation method and device for foreground switch of J2ME application A resource allocation method and a resource allocation device for foreground switch of a J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) application are provided in the present invention. A JAVA application program receives a first message from a JAVA virtual machine when switching to background from foreground, wherein the first message carries information indicating that the JAVA application program needs to release partial resources; and the JAVA application program returns a first response message to the JAVA virtual machine so as to realize release of the resources, wherein the first response message carries information of resources to be released and/or information of resources to be reserved for restoring to an executing state. The user experience can be improved and the normal use of local applications can be ensured according to the technical solution provided by the present invention.
US09116744B2	Resource management within a process via iterative negotiation A system and method manages resources within a process by identifying a first resource threshold associated with available resources. The method receives a resource request from a resource requesting participant requiring the available resources. The method determines that an estimated resource usage, associated with the resource request, approaches the first resource threshold. The method negotiates with at least one resource consuming participant to voluntarily release resources until the estimated resource usage approaches a second resource threshold associated with the available resources within the process.
US09116742B1	Systems and methods for reducing interrupt latency Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with reducing interrupt latency are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a buffer storing instructions awaiting execution by an execution device. The apparatus also includes an interrupt logic that, in response to receiving an interrupt, classifies instructions as either safe or unsafe. An unsafe instruction will cause the instructions to execute in a manner inconsistent with an instruction set architecture. The interrupt logic also establishes an interrupt boundary between safe and unsafe instructions, and causes the interrupt to be processed at the interrupt boundary such that the interrupt is processed before processing of the unsafe instructions.
US09116735B2	Offline provisioning of virtual machines An offline provisioning system provides a facility for provisioning a virtual machine without requiring that the virtual machine be launched. The system extends the configuration file or other mechanism used for storing virtual hardware configuration to store provisioning information for software state. The system uses the configuration information for pushing selective contents of the configuration information into the guest virtual machine as it is launched to perform guest provisioning. With these changes in place, a guest virtual machine can be provisioned when the virtual machine image is offline and not running. The system can even perform provisioning before an appropriate host has been identified to launch the guest virtual machine. This allows for much more rapid deployment and provisioning of virtual machines and frees administrative resources for other tasks.
US09116732B1	Establishing a social application layer A virtual space may be presented within a plurality of virtual environments provided by different platforms without requiring idiosyncratic APIs associated with the virtual space for each different platform. An API adaptor module may be configured to facilitate interfacing between a single virtual space API and platform APIs associated with two or more different platforms. A space module may be configured to execute an instance of a virtual space, and to implement the instance of the virtual space to determine view information defining views of the instance of the virtual space for presentation via two or more virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms. Facilitating user interactivity with the virtual space via a given virtual environment provided by a given platform may include interfacing between the virtual space API and a platform API associated with the given platform.
US09116725B1	Systems and methods for using virtualization of operating-system-level components to facilitate software testing A computer-implemented method for facilitating software testing using operating-system component virtualization may include 1) identifying a software product installed on a computing system comprising a base operating system; 2) selecting an operating-system-level component with which the software product is to be tested; 3) isolating the operating-system-level component in a virtualization layer that is distinct from the base operating system; 4) activating the virtualization layer such that access requests directed to the base operating system for the operating-system-level component are redirected to the virtualization layer; 5) testing the software product while the virtualization layer is active to determine how the software product would function if the operating-system-level component was part of the base operating system; and 6) after the testing is complete, deactivating the virtualization layer such that the operating-system-level component is no longer visible to the base operating system or the software product.
US09116719B2	Partial commits in dynamic binary translation based systems Described herein are technologies for optimizing computer code. A code generator can optimize a portion of original code to create optimized code. The code generator can create a partial commit point to indicate that execution of the optimized code produces an invalid architectural state. The code generator can create recovery information recover a valid architectural state at a recovery point. The code generator can associate the partial commit point and recovery information with the optimized code.
US09116715B2	Systems and methods for efficiently booting and configuring virtual servers Techniques for providing faster and more efficient ways to deploy virtual server configurations in a hosted virtual server service are described. Broadly, a base machine image is created with essential or standard virtual server functionality, and a configuration manager, which allows the virtual server to be customized after instantiation. This post-instantiation customization, which can include network or system parameters, software upgrades or modifications, role specification, specification of locations of other virtual servers, software installation, and loading of application data, allows virtual servers to be customized without the need for separate machine images for each virtual server instance.
US09116704B1	Delaying the initiation of transitioning to a lower power mode by placing a computer system into an intermediate power mode between a normal power mode and the lower power mode A method may include operating a device in a first power mode, setting flag(s), each flag representing an executing task, detecting a request to place the device in a second power mode. The second power mode consumes less system resources than the first power mode, and delaying the transition to the second power mode by placing the device in a third power mode that consumes less system resources than the first power mode but more than the second power mode. While in the third power mode, the method may include estimating an amount of system resources required for each of the task(s), determining if the total estimated amount of system resources to complete each of the task(s) exceeds one or more system resource threshold values, and if the estimated total amount of system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, ceasing execution of the task(s).
US09116698B2	Intelligent selection of operating state upon change of power state A method includes operating a computing device in a first power mode and a first operating state. The first operating state includes first operating state information stored in a volatile memory. The method includes receiving a first request to change the power mode from the first power mode to a second power mode. In response to receiving the first request, a sub-portion of the first operating state information that includes less than all of the first operating state information is stored in a non-volatile memory. The method includes receiving a second request to change the power mode from the second power mode to the first power mode. In response to receiving the second request, the computing device is restored to the first power mode, and is placed in a second operating state, by re-creating a portion of the first operating state information.
US09116694B2	Efficient low power exit sequence for peripheral devices Embodiments of the invention describe methods, apparatuses and systems for providing an efficient low power exit sequence for peripheral devices. In embodiments of the invention, a signal from a host device is transmitted to a SATA peripheral device for exiting a low-power state. An initialization time for OOB transmission and reception logic of the SATA peripheral device is tracked, and a reference time value based on the tracked initialization time is stored. In subsequent transitions from said low-power state, the reference time value for waking a host physical layer is utilized, thereby improving the efficiency of the management and use of said low power state. In some embodiments, the above described tracked initialization comprises a time from a transmission of an OOB signal (from the host to the peripheral device) to receiving an OOB response at the host device from the SATA peripheral device.
US09116693B2	Arithmetic unit and arithmetic processing method for operating with higher and lower clock frequencies There is a need for providing a battery-less integrated circuit (IC) card capable of operating in accordance with a contact usage or a non-contact usage, preventing coprocessor throughput from degrading despite a decreased clock frequency for reduced power consumption under non-contact usage, and ensuring high-speed processing under non-contact usage. A dual interface card is a battery-less IC card capable of operating in accordance with a contact usage or a non-contact usage. The dual interface card operates at a high clock under contact usage and at a low clock under non-contact usage. A targeted operation comprises a plurality of different basic operations. The dual interface card comprises a basic arithmetic circuit group. Under the contact usage, the basic arithmetic circuit group performs one basic operation of the targeted operation at one cycle. Under the non-contact usage, the basic arithmetic circuit group sequentially performs at least two basic operations of the targeted operation at one cycle.
US09116691B2	Power supply management controller integrated circuit, power management circuit for electrically powered systems, and method of managing power to such systems A power supply management controller integrated circuit for managing power supply to system units of a system, comprising power supply means for powering the system units, a power supply control unit for controlling the powering, a wake-up timer unit, and means for acknowledging an active or passive state of the system, wherein the power supply control unit is arranged for cooperating with the means for acknowledging the state of the system for enabling the power supply control unit to cease powering of the system units for de-activation of the system during the passive state of the system, and for enabling the power supply control unit to maintain powering during an active state of the system, and wherein the power supply control unit is arranged for cooperating with the wake-up timer unit for periodically powering the system units during the passive state of the system for enabling activation of the system.
US09116689B2	Power consumption reduction method of swapping high load threads with low load threads on a candidate core of a multicore processor An information processing unit includes a processing unit including a plurality of processor cores; and a power consumption reduction device configured to reduce power consumption of the processing unit. The power consumption reduction device measures the loads on threads that are running in the plurality of cores; checks the number of high load threads which are threads in a high load state and the number of low load threads which are threads in a low load state for each core, on the basis of the measuring results; selects, when there exists a core having high load threads whose number is less than a preset threshold on the number of high load threads, the core as a candidate core; and replaces the high load threads existing in the candidate core with the low load threads existing in other cores when the total number of the low load threads in a core other than the candidate core is not less than the number of the high load threads in the candidate core.
US09116688B2	Executing prefix code to substitute fixed operand in subsequent fixed register instruction For efficient issue of a superscalar instruction a circuit is employed which retrieves an instruction of each instruction code type other than a prefix based on a determination result of decoders for determining instruction code type, adds the immediately preceding instruction to the retrieved instruction, and outputs the resultant. When an instruction of a target code type is detected in a plurality of instruction units to be searched, the circuit outputs the detected instruction code and the immediately preceding instruction other than the target code type as prefix code candidates. When an instruction of a target code type cannot be detected at the rear end of the instruction units, the circuit outputs the instruction at the rear end as a prefix code candidate. When an instruction of a target code type is detected at the head in the instruction code search, the circuit outputs the instruction code at the head.
US09116687B2	Packing in destination register half of each element with saturation from two source packed data registers An apparatus includes an instruction decoder, first and second source registers and a circuit coupled to the decoder to receive packed data from the source registers and to unpack the packed data responsive to an unpack instruction received by the decoder. A first packed data element and a third packed data element are received from the first source register. A second packed data element and a fourth packed data element are received from the second source register. The circuit copies the packed data elements into a destination register resulting with the second packed data element adjacent to the first packed data element, the third packed data element adjacent to the second packed data element, and the fourth packed data element adjacent to the third packed data element.
US09116685B2	Table call instruction for frequently called functions An apparatus includes a memory that stores an instruction including an opcode and an operand. The operand specifies an immediate value or a register indicator of a register storing the immediate value. The immediate value is usable to identify a function call address. The function call address is selectable from a plurality of function call addresses.
US09116684B2	Performing a cyclic redundancy checksum operation responsive to a user-level instruction In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving incoming data in a processor and performing a checksum operation on the incoming data in the processor pursuant to a user-level instruction for the checksum operation. For example, a cyclic redundancy checksum may be computed in the processor itself responsive to the user-level instruction. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09116672B2	Method and system for displaying selectable autocompletion suggestions and annotations in mapping tool A method and system for generating annotations in a code editor of a development environment is provided. A user enters code into a code editor of a development environment and the code accesses a data source. The execution of the code accesses the data and presents output to the user in the code editor in real time. Another aspect is the triggering of an autocompletion event, which causes the code to be compiled and executed, wherein the executing of the code accesses the data and presents selectable options for autocompletion and enabling user selection of available options.
US09116671B2	Storage device with wireless router function A storage device with wireless router function includes a main module having a base board, and a network connector. A USB controller, a memory and a router chip are located on the base board. One end of the base board is equipped with a first connector. The USB controller, the memory and the first connector are coupled with the router chip. The storage device performs a data storage function via electrically plugging the first connector to an electronic product and accessing data in the memory. The network connector is electrically connected to the router chip of the base board. The network connector is capable of being further connected to a local area network via a wire link so as to make the storage device perform a wireless router function through the router chip providing a wireless LAN to wirelessly connect the electronic product with an internet.
US09116669B2	Calendar interface for digital communications Information from communications is displayed in a calendar format. Text from the communications is used to determine whether a scheduling entry should be created. If so, text from the communication is used to create a proposed calendar or to-do list entry, which can be saved, modified or canceled by the user. Information from a call log can be filtered and displayed in a calendar format.
US09116667B1	Wearable display system having removable OLED display A wearable display system comprises a garment and a removable flexible display. The garment includes a retaining means for the display, which, according to the habit of wearing a particular garment, may involve magnetic or mechanical retaining means, or both. The retaining means allows of usual washing of the garment and may be so selected as to anticipate vigorous activity, colder weather, rapid update of the display for purposes of public information and other factors that might relate particular uses of a publicly-visible garment to the level of stresses created between the garment and the display in a particular use. The user may update the display actively, by connecting a source of image information to a USB interface supplying the display through a processor or passively, through a network-enabled SPI port module substituted in favor of the USB port.
US09116666B2	Gesture based region identification for holograms Techniques are provided for allowing a user to select a region within virtual imagery, such as a hologram, being presented in an HMD. The user could select the region by using their hands to form a closed loop such that from the perspective of the user, the closed loop corresponds to the region the user wishes to select. The user could select the region by using a prop, such as a picture frame. In response to the selection, the selected region could be presented using a different rendering technique than other regions of the virtual imagery. Various rendering techniques such as zooming, filtering, etc. could be applied to the selected region. The identification of the region by the user could also serve as a selection of an element in that portion of the virtual image.
US09116664B2	Electronic panel, manufacturing method thereof and electronic device An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic panel. The electronic panel comprises a protection cover having a visible area and a non-visible area, and a plurality of mask layers sequentially disposed on the non-visible area of the protection cover, wherein at least one of the mask layers has at least an escape ditch. Bubbles produced during the coating process can be discharged from the escape ditch, thereby improving the product's appearance and light transmittance. In addition, the present disclosure further provides a method of manufacturing the electronic panel and an electronic device.
US09116658B2	Mobile terminal, image display device mounted on vehicle and data processing method using the same A mobile terminal including a display unit outputting an image, a communication unit transceiving data with an external mobile terminal, and a controller controlling the communication unit to receive a screen information of the mobile terminal and a 1st control information of the screen information from the mobile terminal and to transmit a 2nd control information of the screen information to the mobile terminal, the controller controlling the display unit to transform the 1st control information of the screen information and to output the transformed screen information to a user. The 1st control information includes an image size transformation information of the screen information and an image compression format information of the screen information. The 2nd control information includes a supportable compression format information.
US09116656B2	Portable presentation system and methods for use therewith An assembly for sharing information in a conference space, the assembly comprising a single large presentation display assembly including a single and contiguous large presentation surface juxtaposed within the conference space for viewing by an audience, a processor linked to the display assembly and programmed to perform the steps of presenting a master sub-space on the presentation surface wherein the master sub-space includes only a portion of the presentation surface, enabling an interface that allows movement of an image from the master sub-space to another location outside the master sub-space, wherein, upon movement of an image from the master presentation sub-space to another space outside the master presentation sub-space on the presentation surface, the processor creates a slave presentation space proximate the another location for presenting the image moved from the master presentation sub-space.
US09116650B2	Image processing apparatus signing-in to server based on sign-in data and executing one of scanning process and printing process In an image processing apparatus, a communication device is configured to communicate with a server. A memory stores computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image processing apparatus to: acquire sign-in data from a storing device; automatically sign-in to the server based on the sign-in data; and execute at least one of a scanning process and a printing process. In the scanning process, the at least one processor acquires image data by controlling the image processing device to scan an image, and controls the communication device to transmit the image data to the server. In the printing process, the at least one processor receives print data from the server via the communication device, and controls the image processing device to print an image based on the print data.
US09116648B1	Method for automatic photo album layout and printing Automatic photo-album layout methods create printed pages by assigning each image in an ordered series of images to a position on one of several rows (or positions in one of several columns). Images in each row (or each column) are scaled so that the widths of the rows (or the heights of the columns) are equal, while the heights of the rows (or the widths of the columns) are unequal. The rows or columns form a rectangle, which is centered in a rectangular drop zone, and a physical page is printed containing the array of images as arranged and scaled. Other transformations may be applied to the images, the rows or columns, or the array of images in the drop zone prior to printing.
US09116647B2	Linking a plurality of information processing apparatuses An image forming apparatus A adds a user ID of a user, who has requested a job, to job information about the job to be processed in linkage to store it. The image forming apparatus A receives a user's linkage instruction together with the user ID of the user. When the received user ID matches the user ID added to the job information, the image forming apparatus A transmits a request message including the user ID and for establishing linkage with other image forming apparatuses B and C. The image forming apparatus B receives the request message, and receives a user's linkage instruction together with the user ID of the user. When the user ID included in the received request message and the user ID received from the user match each other, the image forming apparatus B transmits a reply message permitting linkage to the image forming apparatus A.
US09116646B2	Image forming apparatus, information processing apparatus, printing system, method of controlling the same, and storage medium for managing print jobs An image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, a printing system, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium. An image forming apparatus authenticates a user, transmits a request for a list of print jobs, and receives a list of print jobs transmitted in response to the request. The image forming apparatus displays on a display unit the list of print jobs received in the receiving, and in the displaying, a list of the print jobs, for which a user name of the user authenticated in the authenticating and a job owner name of the print job match, and a list of print jobs for which a job owner name is unknown is displayed.
US09116642B2	Digital image processing with inherent compression A method including storing a plurality of page elements. Each of the page elements includes i) a drawing command to render a page on a rendering device, and ii) a plurality of segments, in which each of the segments includes a drawing command for a scanline. The page elements are non-overlapping, and the segments are non-overlapping. The method further includes receiving a first page element and merging the first page element into the plurality of page elements by reducing the first page element into a first set of segments and by merging one of the first set of segments into the plurality of segments. Merging the one of the first set of segments into the plurality of segments includes selectively shrinking one of the plurality of segments.
US09116641B2	Market-based labeling system and method A market-based labeling system and method provides tools to assist a user in accurately generating labels. The system includes a processor-based device, such as a computer, that has associated input/output devices, such as a keyboard and a display. The processor-based device also includes a user-friendly labeling application, which may be implemented as a set of instructions to be executed by the processor. The labeling application may guide the user through a series of steps to produce a set of labels. The labeling application preferably generates the user interfaces and a file that may be viewed, edited, saved and/or printed on an associated printer. The labeling application may include one or more modules, each module being geared toward labels for a particular market. This labeling application tool may run on a general purpose processor, such as a computer, and may interface with general purpose labeling software. Alternatively, the labeling application tool may be embedded in a labeling device, such as a portable hand-held printer. Also, methods are provided for quickly and accurately generating labels by adapting a labeling application tool to the user and the user's market. For example, one method allows a user to select between a guided, interview-type process for identifying labeling requirements and a user-directed process for identifying labeling requirements. The methods may be implemented in software.
US09116640B2	Image processing apparatus, display method, and storage medium An image processing apparatus can control display on the web browser to display on an operation screen a name of data whose format corresponds to a format of data acquired in a reading unit or a format of printable data in a print unit, among the data pieces acquired from and managed by an external service.
US09116638B2	Method and apparatus for reading and writing data in file system Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for reading and writing data in a file system, which are applicable to the field of communication technologies. In the embodiments of the present invention, the file system supports file-level redundancy algorithm operations of independent disks; after receiving a file read/write request, the file system determines a read/write location of the data to be read/written in the data strip, sequentially caches the to-be-read/written data information corresponding to at least one data strip, and processes the cached data information of at least one data strip. In this way, after the to-be-read/written data information corresponding to a complete data strip is cached, the data is read/written by using a data strip as a unit, and thereby improving efficiency of reading/writing data.
US09116633B2	Information management of virtual machines having mapped storage devices Software, firmware, and systems are described herein that create and use a non-production copy of a virtual machine for reverting or restoring the virtual machine. The virtual machine is associated with an external storage device via a logical mapping. A snapshot is taken of a virtual disk associated with the virtual machine to create a snapshot copy of the virtual disk. A snapshot is taken of at least a portion of the mapped external storage device to create a snapshot copy of the mapped external storage device. The snapshot copy of the virtual disk is associated with the snapshot copy of the mapped external storage device. The snapshot copies can then be used to either revert or restore the virtual machine.
US09116632B2	Storage management system The storage management system supports planning of volume migration between different storage apparatuses. The storage management system determines source volume groups to which the source volumes belong, determines sizes of volumes to be allocated from the storage device groups to the destination pools, determines sizes of volumes to be migrated from the source volume groups to the destination pools, creates image data indicating information on the determined sizes of volumes to be allocated and the sizes of volumes to be migrated, and outputs the image data to a display device.
US09116630B2	Method and system for migrating data between storage devices of a storage array Described herein are methods, systems and machine-readable media for migrating data between storage devices of a storage array. A metric is used to measure the optimality of candidate data migrations, the metric taking into account capacity balance and proper data striping. Candidate migrations are evaluated against the metric. The candidate migration that ranks as the best migration according to the metric may be carried out. This process of evaluating candidate migrations and carrying out the best candidate migration may be iterated until data is properly distributed among the storage devices of the storage array.
US09116622B2	Storage system having nonvolatile semiconductor storage device with nonvolatile semiconductor memory A storage system coupled to a host has a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device that includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory configured by a plurality of pages, and a storage controller coupled to the semiconductor storage device. In the case where data stored in the plurality of pages become unnecessary, with this plurality of pages being the basis of a region of a logical volume based on the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, the storage controller transmits, to the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, an unnecessary reduction request for reducing the number of pages that are the basis of the region having the unnecessary data stored therein. On the basis of the unnecessary reduction request, the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device invalidates the plurality of pages that are the basis of the region having the unnecessary data stored therein.
US09116616B2	Portable electronic device and method of controlling same A method includes detecting a first touch at a first location, and a second touch at a second location, on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device. In response to detecting the first and second touches, a first section of a virtual keyboard having a first boundary associated with the first location and a second section of the virtual keyboard having a second boundary associated with the second location are displayed on the touch-sensitive display.
US09116615B2	User interface for a touchscreen display A device, which may have a touchscreen display, and methods for its operation are provided using a graphical user interface and an overlay user input interface such as a virtual keyboard. The graphical user interface may include one or more user interface elements displayed in a first region of the display that are actuatable to invoke a corresponding function. When the virtual keyboard is invoked for display in the same region, the underlying graphical user interface is redrawn with a further user interface element corresponding to at least one of the user interface elements previously displayed in the first region, so that the further user interface element is actuatable to invoke a command to carry out the corresponding function. In another embodiment, the virtual keyboard may be modified instead to provide an action key corresponding to a function related to an application executing on the device.
US09116614B1	Determining pointer and scroll gestures on a touch-sensitive input device Aspects of the subject technology relate to determining whether finger movements detected by a touch-sensitive input device are intended to be a pointer gesture or a scroll gesture. Movements may be categorized as a pointer gesture or a scroll gesture based on one or more factors such as the number of fingers detected, differences between the fingers, the alignment of the fingers, the distance between fingers, the location of the fingers, the area of contact with the surface of the input device for each finger, and the movement of the fingers. In one aspect, after an initial determination is made about whether finger movements are pointer gestures or scroll gestures, further movements may be detected and used to determine whether to correct the initial determination.
US09116613B2	Mobile terminal for supporting various input modes and control method thereof The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and control method thereof capable of performing a handwriting input. A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a display unit configured to display a virtual keypad, and a controller configured to implement a handwriting mode when a drag across the virtual keypad is sensed, and recognize a trace of the drag as a handwriting character when the drag is completed in the handwriting mode.
US09116610B2	Imaging apparatus and user interface A screen ST1 of an LCD with which a digital camera is provided displays an icon of a folder F1 indicating that the folder F1 has been selected. Image files P11 and P12 are captured reproduced images. A display frame SC displays a currently captured picture of an object, files P11 and P12, and the icon of the folder F1. To switch the folder F1 to a folder F2, the user presses a down button of a cross key 27. When the user presses the down button on the screen ST1, the screen ST1 is switched to a screen ST3 through a screen ST2. On the screen ST2, the number denoted in the icon is changed. The screen ST2 displays a state of which the folders are being switched. An icon displayed on the screen ST3 indicates that the folder F1 was switched to the folder F2.
US09116608B2	Activation of dormant features in native applications A native application can be deployed that obtains configuration information for the native application at run-time. Digital marketing users or other marketing users can view or control the behavior of the native application by displaying or setting the configuration information of the native application. The native application can report tracked end user interactions and events with the native application according to the configuration information to tag management systems for data compilation by the tag management systems. In addition, the native application can enable digital marketing users or other marketing users to view or control the behavior of the native application from within the native application using an integrated configuration utility. The configuration utility can be activated using a two-stage activation process or an activation and authorization process to prevent an end user from accidentally encountering the configuration utility during routine use of the native application.
US09116601B2	Method and apparatus for providing a user interface A method and apparatus for providing a user interface in which user interfaces related to child elements are displayed on neighboring zones of a user interface related to a parent element. In the method, a first user interface related to a parent element that is associated with a plurality of child elements is displayed on a display screen. A plurality of second user interfaces related to the plurality of child elements are then displayed on neighboring zones of the first user interface.
US09116591B2	Method and apparatus for scroll information input in electromagnetic induction way There are provided a method and an apparatus for scroll information input in an electromagnetic induction way. The method comprises steps of: definition of scroll bars, where a horizontal scroll bar and a vertical scroll bar are defined for an electromagnetic board by means of a controller of the electromagnetic board; implementation of scrolls, where virtual scrolls for the scroll bars of the electromagnetic board are achieved based on positional changes of an electromagnetic pen over the horizontal scroll bar and the vertical scroll bar of the electromagnetic board; and mapping of scrolls, where the virtual scrolls for the scroll bars of the electromagnetic board are mapped into scrolls for scroll bars in a computer by means of the controller.
US09116586B2	Uniform-density coplanar touch sensor In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more drive electrodes and one or more sense electrodes of a touch sensor. Each drive electrode and each sense electrode includes a number of first and second conductive regions made of a conductive mesh of lines of conductive material. The first conductive regions have a first mesh density. The second conductive regions have a second mesh density. The first mesh density is greater than the second mesh density. The apparatus also includes one or more crossover areas of the touch sensor. Each crossover area includes at least a portion of a second conductive region of a drive electrode crossing over or under at least a portion of a second conductive region of a sense electrode. Each crossover area has a combined mesh density of the portions of the second conductive regions within it that is substantially equal to the first mesh density.
US09116580B2	Capacitive touch panel, manufacturing method and scanning method The present invention discloses a capacitive touch panel, comprises a touch sensing pattern form on a substrate, which could generate a sensing signals in response to a touch on the capacitive touch panel; a plurality of first signal lines and a second signal line for conducting the sensing signals; the touch sensing pattern comprises a plurality of first conductive assemblies arranged in a first direction, a first end of each first conductive assembly respectively connects to a corresponding first signal line; the second signal line connects the second ends of all of the first conductive assemblies together.
US09116573B2	Virtual control device A virtual control device is provided for an electronic device. The virtual control device includes a first lens, a second lens, a first photosensitive unit, a second photosensitive unit and a processor unit. The first photosensitive unit is arranged behind the first lens by a focal length, and obtains a first image via the first lens. The second photosensitive unit is arranged behind the second lens by the focal length, and obtains a second image via the second lens. The processor unit determines the object-position coordinates of a virtual control plane according to a first position of the projection of the object on the first photosensitive unit and a second position of the projection of the object on the second photosensitive unit, and the processor unit provides the object-position coordinates to the electronic device.
US09116571B2	Method and system of data input for an electronic device equipped with a touch screen Systems and methods are disclosed for differentiating between stylus touches and non-stylus touches on a touchscreen device. A stylus emits a signal, received by the touchscreen device, and software selects a touch, the touch start event for which occurred near the time of the signal, and the size and location of which best fit filters, as being the touch made by the stylus. The software associates that touch with the stylus until the touch ends, or until the stylus emits a signal indicating that contact has ended. The signal may be mechanically generated audio, such as from the stylus contacting the screen, or electronic (audio, RF, IR), generated by the stylus upon detecting pressure or capacitive flux. The methods and systems allow software to perform palm rejection filtering, to track one stylus or multiple styluses, and to ignore touches triggered by dirt, rain, and other environmental causes.
US09116570B2	Touch display apparatus sensing touch force A touch display device is provided which includes a display panel for displaying an image, and a touch screen panel disposed on the display panel and configured to sense at least one touch. The touch screen panel includes a touch substrate at which the touch can be generated; sensing electrodes provided on the touch substrate and spaced apart from one another, each of the sensing electrodes being formed of a piezoresistive material having a resistance value that varies according to an applied force; and a touch processor electrically connected to the sensing electrodes. The touch processor extracts a touch coordinate based on time constants of sensing signals applied to the sensing electrodes, and calculates a touch force of the touch based on resistance values of the sensing electrodes.
US09116566B2	Liquid crystal display device having touch sensor A liquid crystal display having a touch screen panel (TSP) function includes a sensor unit formed on the first substrate; a first sensor wire disposed on the first substrate and a second sensor wire extending perpendicular to the first sensor wire, wherein the sensor unit includes a first sensor electrode connected to the first sensor wire and a second sensor electrode connected to the second sensor wire, wherein said first sensor electrode and said second sensor electrode connect when touched, and said first and second sensor wires confirm a touch position by transmitting a sensing current through the connection between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode, a trench is formed near the sensor unit and a silicon protrusion pattern to increase the sensitivity of the touch screen panel.
US09116563B2	Connecting touch screen phones in a vehicle A system and method for connection management between a consumer device and a vehicle. The connection management is performed automatically using a computing device, e.g., an application executing on a smartphone. The system and method configure the vehicle and consumer device in a manner that the screen display of the consumer device is mirrored on a touch panel of the in-vehicle computer system and the consumer device is controlled remotely by the user using the touch panel of the in-vehicle computer system.
US09116562B2	Digital sample clock generator, a vibration gyroscope circuitry comprising such digital sample clock generator, an associated apparatus, an associated semiconductor device and associated methods A digital sample clock generator for generating a sample clock signal from an input signal derived from a drive measurement voltage signal of a vibrating MEMS gyroscope is provided.
US09116557B2	Apparatus and method for supporting eraser function of digitizer pen in digitizer system An apparatus and method for supporting an eraser function of a digitizer pen in a digitizer system are provided. The method includes, if it is recognized that an eraser part of the digitizer pen gets contact on a reception device, determining a pressure of the eraser part contacting on a surface of the reception device and, according to the determined pressure, changing a frequency transmitted to the reception device.
US09116555B2	Gaming controller A controller for interfacing with an interactive application is provided, including: a housing defined by a main body, a first extension extending from a first end of the main body, and a second extension extending from a second end of the main body, the first extension and the second extension for holding by a first hand and a second hand of a user, respectively; an input device positioned along a top surface of the main body; a touch-sensitive panel defined along the top surface of the main body.
US09116551B2	Method for quickly inputting correlative word The present invention provides a text input method, which is integrated in a text input program or device supporting word input (e.g., software/hardware keyboard, input method, etc.) and assists a user in easily inputting a word or a phrase (e.g., various tense forms of a verb, etc.) relating to a certain word. The user may fast input a specific word relating to the certain word by a specific operation (e.g., clicking a software or hardware key, moving a screen contact point, etc.) or by a combination of a plurality of operations.
US09116548B2	Input method editor user profiles Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor (IME) communicates with a central data store and stores user data, e.g., typing patterns and user-generated words associated with the user, in a user profile. A client device associated with the user may instantiate an IME environment and access the user profile by a client login over a network.
US09116547B2	Traffic information presentation system, traffic information presentation method, and electronic device A traffic information presentation system according to an embodiment is a system for presenting a tactile sensation to a user based on traffic information, including: a touch section; a tactile presentation section; an input section for receiving traffic information; and a control section for controlling the tactile presentation section based on the traffic information. The control section monitors a status of touch with respect to the touch section, and accepts an instruction from the user that corresponds to the touch input operation when detecting that an amount of change in touched position equals to or exceeds a certain amount. When detecting that the amount of change in touched position is less than the certain amount and that the touch duration equals to or exceeds a certain length, the control section causes the tactile presentation section to present a tactile sensation based on the traffic information.
US09116543B2	Virtual input system For a user having a user input actuator, a virtual interface device, such as for a gaming machine, for determining actuation of a virtual input by the input actuator is disclosed. The device comprises a position sensing device for determining a location of the user input actuator and a controller coupled to the position sensing device, the controller determining whether a portion of the user input actuator is within a virtual input location in space defining the virtual input.
US09116542B2	System and method for provisioning a dynamic module system within a component oriented application development framework A system and method can support a hybrid application development environment. The system can provision a framework instance for a dynamic module system in the application runtime environment. Furthermore, the system can associate a host application in the application runtime environment with a system bundle in the dynamic module system, wherein an application class loader can be used to load the framework instance when the host application is started/loaded. Then, the host application can export one or more resources associated with the host application to the dynamic module system, and/or consume one or more services provided by the dynamic module system.
US09116541B2	Method of determining whether a lens device is shifted and optical touch system thereof A method of determining whether a lens device is shifted is applied to an optical touch system including a screen, a first light source and a first lens device respectively disposed corresponding to a first corner of a touch surface of the screen, and first and second optical strips respectively disposed at first and second sides of the touch surface. The method includes the first lens device setting a first brightness threshold according to a first original image captured by the first lens device toward the touch surface, disposing first and second reflection members at one end of the first optical strip and one end of the second optical strip respectively, and the first lens device determining whether a first optical axis of the first lens device is shifted according to the first brightness threshold and a first actual image captured by the first lens device.
US09116537B2	Thermophotovoltaic energy generation Inventive systems and methods for the generation of energy using thermophotovoltaic cells are described. Also described are systems and methods for selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from an emitter for use in thermophotovoltaic energy generation systems. In at least some of the inventive energy generation systems and methods, a voltage applied to the thermophotovoltaic cell (e.g., to enhance the power produced by the cell) can be adjusted to enhance system performance. Certain embodiments of the systems and methods described herein can be used to generate energy relatively efficiently.
US09116535B2	Differential amplifier A differential amplification circuit includes a first current control unit configured to control driving current in response to a voltage level difference between first input voltage and second input voltage, a second current control unit configured to control the driving current in response to a voltage level difference between the second input voltage independent from temperature and a temperature voltage depending on the temperature, and a signal output unit configured to generate a detection signal in response to the driving current.
US09116528B2	Hydrogen generation apparatus, fuel cell system, and method of operating the same A hydrogen generation apparatus (100) includes: a reformer (1) configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas by causing a reforming reaction of a raw material; a combustor (2) configured to heat the reformer; and a controller (5) configured to set a controlled temperature of the reformer to a first temperature when an oxygen concentration in the raw material is in a first state where the oxygen concentration is relatively low, and change the controlled temperature of the reformer to a second temperature higher than the first temperature when the oxygen concentration in the raw material is in a second state where the oxygen concentration is relatively higher than the oxygen concentration in the first state.
US09116527B2	Motor control system that detects voltage saturation A motor control system comprises a plurality of control apparatuses and a host control apparatus, wherein each of the control apparatuses include a position control unit controlling position based on a position command and commanded speed from the host control apparatus, a speed control unit controlling speed based on a speed command from the position control unit, a current control unit controlling current based on a current command from the speed control unit, and a current amplifier which amplifies motor driving current based on a voltage command from the current control unit, and wherein the current control unit includes a voltage saturation processing unit which determines whether the voltage command has exceeded supply voltage of the current amplifier, and which outputs the result of the determination, and a voltage saturation notifying unit which notifies the host control apparatus of the result of the determination made by the voltage saturation processing unit.
US09116526B2	Gas concentration controller system The present invention is one that prevents standard gas from remaining in a standard gas line to prevent a concentration of standard gas from being reduced due to adsorption, modification, or the like, and has: a diluent gas line provided with a diluent gas flow rate controlling mechanism; a standard gas line provided with a standard gas flow rate controlling mechanism; an output gas line joined by the diluent gas line and standard gas line and outputs the standard gas having a predetermined concentration; an exhaust gas line connected to an upstream side of the standard gas flow rate controlling mechanism in the standard gas line and provided with an on/off valve and a flow rate control part; and a control part that, depending on a flow rate of the standard gas flowing through the standard gas line or the type of the standard gas, switches on/off the on/off valve.
US09116524B1	System and method for vertical navigation based on GPS waypoints and autopilot programming A system and method for achieving vertical navigation by using a satellite based navigation system exemplified by a GPS system and implementing the vertical navigation features in an autopilot unit interfaced to the satellite based navigation system. The autopilot reads waypoint information output from the satellite navigation system and receives VNAV altitudes and other commands from the pilot. The autopilot then performs VNAV calculations and guidance in accordance with the VNAV program. VNAV setup and progressive status are displayed on an economical small screen autopilot display. Modes are disclosed for exemplary GPS direct to waypoint VNAV, waypoint transition VNAV, multiple waypoint VNAV and other VNAV modes. Safety limits may be imposed on the VNAV program.
US09116523B2	Apparatus and method of cell-based path planning for mobile body Disclosed are an apparatus and method of cell-based path planning for a mobile body and a computer-readable recording medium storing the method therein. The method includes receiving a configuration space including a start point and a goal point of the mobile body and position information of obstacles, determining a search order of the obstacles located in the configuration space, performing cell decomposition by repeatedly connecting a vertex of one of the obstacles to a vertex of another obstacle according to the determined search order, and performing cell decomposition by making an extended line from each of non-connected vertices in a direction of dividing vertical angle of each of the non-connected vertices into two.
US09116522B2	Alternating state flow valve An improved sequencing fluid control valve comprising a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, a valve seat disposed within the housing, a collapsible valve member disposed within the housing and forming a chamber and a bulb. A sequencing means disposed within the chamber that controls the axial motion of the valve member in response to application of fluid pressure at the inlet such that the motion of valve member alternates between an open free flowing state and a closed restricted flow state. Housing and valve member cooperate in the open position to provide an annular flow path that does not require the fluid flow direction to change by more than 45 degrees while flowing from inlet to outlet. Housing and valve member bulb cooperate in the closed position to form a circumferential seal to restrict the fluid flow.
US09116521B2	Autonomous moving device and control method thereof An autonomous moving device includes a travel unit with a wheel driven by a motor and an upper body including an environment-recognition sensor that detects an obstacle in a traveling direction. The upper body includes means that recognize device and obstacle positions, means that evaluates avoidance capability, and means that obtains priority of collision avoidance of an estimated passage area of the obstacle. The upper body further includes a control unit that moves the travel unit to an area where an estimated passage area of an obstacle whose priority of collision avoidance is high that does not overlap an area where the travel unit is located and which is an area where collision can be avoided even if an area where an estimated passage area of an obstacle whose priority of collision avoidance is low overlaps the area where the travel unit is located.
US09116509B2	Rhythm brain fitness processes and systems Methods and systems for training cognitive skills are disclosed. The methods and systems include: providing, via a computing device and user interface display, musical rhythm training comprising at least one trial comprising: displaying on the user interface display, via the user computing device, a rhythm track comprising at least one stationary beat timing mark and at least one moving beat timing mark repeatedly moving along the rhythm track at a uniform speed; receiving via a user interface input an indication from the user that the user perceives a moving beat timing mark to be coincident with a stationary beat timing mark; and providing, via the user interface, an indicator that the user is correct or not correct.
US09116498B2	Image forming device having belt cleaner and drum cleaner both provided in one of drum units An image forming device includes a main casing, a plurality of photosensitive accommodated in the main casing, a plurality of developer cartridges detachably mountable in the main casing, an endless belt, a plurality of first cleaning units and first conveying units provided for the respective photosensitive drums, a second cleaning unit for cleaning the endless belt, a second conveying unit, and a third conveying unit. The photosensitive drums include a first photosensitive drum and the developer cartridges include a first developer cartridge corresponding to the first photosensitive drum. The third conveying unit conveys waste developer cleaned by the first cleaning unit and conveyed by the first conveying unit corresponding to the first photosensitive drum and waste developer cleaned by the second cleaning unit and conveyed by the second conveying unit toward a first waste developer accommodating chamber of the first developer cartridge.
US09116495B2	Image forming apparatus and method for controlling drive condition of belt A control apparatus executes feedback control on an endless belt driven in a condition having a periodic disturbance to compensate an influence of the periodic disturbance. A disturbance other than the periodic disturbance is added to the belt during feedback control, and the control apparatus obtains phase angles of the periodic disturbance on timing when the other disturbance is added. The control apparatus obtains interpolation coefficients that respectively interpolate values of feedforward inputs in the case when the other disturbance is added at the time when phase angles of the periodic disturbance stored in a memory are a plurality of typical angles, and adds values obtained by adding values obtained by multiplying the interpolation coefficients respectively by the feedforward inputs to a control value of feedback control as a correction value.
US09116491B2	Image forming method and apparatus configured to correct image gradation An image forming apparatus is disclosed that corrects a gradation of an image to be formed by detecting a gradation pattern. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that transfers a correction toner image corresponding to the gradation pattern on a surface of an intermediate transfer medium and forms a correction image corresponding to the gradation pattern on a surface of a recording medium, a detection unit that detects the correction toner image and the correction image, and an image processing unit that corrects the gradation based on the detected correction toner image and the detected correction image.
US09116485B2	Temperature sensor and frame configuration for an image forming apparatus In an image forming apparatus, a heating member for heating a recording sheet and a pressuring member disposed below the heating member are supported by a fixing unit frame. A noncontact temperature sensor disposed facing the heating member detects a temperature of the heating member without contacting the heating member. An upper frame covers an upper portion of the heating member and an upstream portion of the heating member in a conveying direction of the recording sheet. A plate-shaped upper sheet guide protrudes upstream in the conveying direction from an upstream end of the upper frame and extends in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and to a vertical direction. The upper sheet guide and a lower sheet guide disposed below and facing the upper sheet guide the recording sheet in the conveying direction toward the heating member and the pressuring member.
US09116483B2	Image forming apparatus with dynamic job execution An image forming apparatus includes a job execution portion, an operation portion, and a storage portion. The job execution portion executes a job. The operation portion receives an operation of selecting a setting item used in a job to be executed, an operation of setting a setting value of a job to be executed, and an execution instruction for a job. The storage portion stores a content of a specific operation of making the operation portion into a state where a plurality of touch operations have been performed by one touch operation. The job execution portion makes a job execution speed different between a job for which the specific operation has been performed on the operation portion during setting operation, and a job set by only a normal operation without the specific operation during setting operation on the operation portion.
US09116480B2	Image forming apparatus, having air feeding portion including a fan, a duct with an opening, and opening-amount adjusting member, configured to execute first and second air feeding operations An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, including: a heating member and a back-up member forming a nip; and an air feeding portion for feeding air to a non-sheet-passing area of at least one of the heating member and the back-up member, the air feeding portion including a fan for feeding the air, a duct, including an opening, for guiding the air fed from the fan through the opening to the non-sheet-passing area, and an adjusting member for adjusting an opening amount of the opening. The apparatus executes a first air feeding operation with a first opening amount and a first rotational frequency of the fan and a second air feeding operation with a second opening amount and a second rotational frequency, when the fixing portion fixes the images on sheets having the same widths.
US09116477B2	Fixing unit with a pressure releasing member and image forming apparatus having the same A fixing unit which may be disposed in an image forming apparatus includes a heating roller, at least one pressure roller being in pressure contact with the heating roller to form a nip together with the heating roller, and a pressure releasing member partially restricting application of pressure to the nip. The nip includes an effective fixing section used for fixing. The pressure releasing member includes a pair of pressure releasing parts inserted into sections of the nip other than the effective fixing section, a connection part connecting the pair of pressure releasing parts, and guide parts extending from the connection part in the same direction as the pair of pressure releasing parts. The pressure releasing member prevents deformation of a portion of an elastic layer formed on the heating roller which corresponds to the effective fixing section.
US09116476B2	Fixing device and image forming apparatus A fixing device, including a fixing member; an opposing member contacting the fixing member to form a fixing nip; plural separation assisting members; a contact direction biasing member contacting an end of the auxiliary separation members to the surface of the fixing member; a contact and release switching member switching contacting the end of the auxiliary separation members to the surface of the fixing member and releasing the end of the auxiliary separation members therefrom; a fixing exit guide member guiding a recording medium to a discharge direction and separated from the fixing member by the separation assisting member; a first rotating member near the auxiliary separation members downstream from an end thereof; and a second rotating member guiding a recording medium guided by the fixing exit guide member in the recording medium conveyance direction while rotating.
US09116473B2	Fixing device with meandering prevention members and image forming apparatus including the same A fixing device employing resistance heating system includes: a fixing roller being loosely inserted into an endless fixing belt; a pressure member being in pressure-contact with the fixing belt to form fixing nip; meandering prevention members preventing the fixing belt from meandering; prevention member holders holding the meandering prevention members for rotation independently from the fixing roller. Each meandering prevention member has rotation center inside circle, where, when seen in rotation axis direction of the fixing roller, the circle has center coincident with midpoint between two focal points of ellipse approximating belt rotation path of the fixing belt, and has radius equal to distance from the center of the circle to straight line passing through rotation center of the fixing roller and center of the nip in rotational direction of the fixing roller.
US09116470B2	Adjustment of image density, using a density adjustment condition, in image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus configures a normal transfer potential in a yellow primary transfer unit, and configures a transfer potential which does not cause any retransfer phenomenon of a yellow measurement image in image carriers located on the downstream side of the yellow primary transfer unit. When a color difference obtained from a reference density and a density of a measurement image on an intermediate transfer belt becomes equal to or larger than a prescribed value, the image forming apparatus determines that multinary-color density adjustment is required.
US09116468B2	Powder storage container and image forming apparatus in which a gripping part includes a powder loading port and a sealing member A powder storage container capable of preventing erroneous opening of a powder loading port. The powder storage container includes a powder storage part configured to store a developer used for image forming, a powder discharge part provided on one end part of the powder storage part to discharge the developer stored in the powder storage part, a gripping part protruding through an end face of the one end part side of the powder storage part, a powder loading port causing an inner space of the powder storage part and an outer portion of the powder storage part to communicate with each other, and a sealing member capable of sealing the powder loading port. The powder loading port is enclosed by the gripping part.
US09116466B2	Cartridge, process cartridge and image forming apparatus A cartridge includes: a toner chamber; and a toner supplying chamber for supplying a toner through a developer supply opening communicating with the toner chamber. The toner chamber includes: a feeding portion, including a rotatable member and a feeding sheet connected with the rotatable member, for feeding the toner from the toner chamber to the toner supplying chamber; and a toner seal member, including a first end portion and a second end portion, for unsealing the toner supply opening by being wound up by the rotatable member. During start of unsealing of the toner supply opening, the feeding portion is located below a powder surface of the toner with respect to a direction of gravitation, and the feeding sheet is located in a position where the feeding sheet is contactable to an inner wall of the toner chamber.
US09116463B2	Seal configuration for suppressing developer leakage in a developing device A developing device including: a first seal member arranged between a housing and a layer thickness regulation blade, and a second seal member arranged between the housing and a developing roller, wherein the first seal member is arranged adjacent to the second seal member in a rotating direction of the developing roller, wherein the second seal member includes a first member contacting a circumferential surface of the developing roller and a second member arranged between the housing and the first member, wherein the second member includes a protruding portion that, in the rotating direction of the developing roller, protrudes more towards the first seal member than the first member, and wherein end portions of the first and second members in the rotating direction of the developing roller are respectively configured to contact with the first seal member.
US09116462B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit, an electrostatic charge image forming unit, a developing unit that accommodates an electrostatic charge image developer containing flake shape toner particles, a transfer unit, an arranging unit that causes transfer residual toner to rise from the surface of the image holding member, a cleaning unit, and a fixing unit.
US09116459B2	Electrophotographic image forming apparatus An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image, and a developer carrying member configured to develop the electrostatic latent image. The electrophotographic photosensitive member and the developer carrying member are separated from each other during non-image formation and brought into contact with each other after the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the developer carrying member start to be rotated. During a time period between a time when the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the developer carrying member start to be rotated and a time when the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the developer carrying member are brought into contact with each other, a number of revolutions of the developer feed member is larger than a number of revolutions of the developer carrying member.
US09116458B2	Light scanning device and image forming apparatus A light scanning device of the invention includes a scan deflection range of each of the light fluxes deflected by the deflecting part in a scan period of the scan object with the respective light fluxes is divided into a first deflection range where a reflection angle of each of the light fluxes with respect to the deflecting part is small and a second deflection range where the reflection angle is large. A polarization direction of each of the light fluxes is set such that a reflectivity of the reflective mirror when each of the light fluxes deflected in the second deflection range is reflected becomes larger than a reflectivity of the reflective mirror when each of the light fluxes deflected in the first deflection range is reflected.
US09116456B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an exposure device configured to expose image bearing members charged by charging devices to form latent images on the image bearing members, and a control unit configured to, in ether one or both of an image forming unit A and an image forming unit B, adjust an amount of exposure by which the image bearing member is exposed and a charging voltage based on information about the image bearing members of the image forming units A and B. The control unit is configured to make the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit A different from the charging voltage and the amount of exposure in the image forming unit B.
US09116453B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus calculates a positional deviation in the main and sub-scanning directions for each color by forming registration patterns in two arrays along a sub-scanning direction on an image carrier. Each registration pattern in one array is paired with an identical registration pattern in the other array. A first sensor has: a light-emitting element irradiating one registration pattern in a pair; a photodetector for regular reflection light; and a photodetector for diffuse reflection light. A second sensor has: a light-emitting element irradiating the other one in the pair; and a photodetector for regular reflection light. The relative positions of a pair of registration patters calculated using the respective sensors are corrected so as to reduce the positional deviation between the calculated positions by the amount of offset deviation estimated occur between positions detected by the respective sensors when the registration patterns are without positional deviation.
US09116452B2	Image processing apparatus which performs color conversion based on metallic level designated A metallic color conversion unit performs color conversion on an input color value so that a color of a colorimetric value of a print result when a printer performs printing by using each of at least one process color toner by each corresponding amount, which is a conversion result obtained by performing the color conversion on the input color value in accordance with a metallic level designated, and by using a toner including a metallic particle by an amount, which is obtained by a metallic amount calculation unit in accordance with the designated metallic level, becomes close to a color of a colorimetric value of a print result when the printer performs the printing by using each of the at least one process color toner by each corresponding amount, which is a conversion result obtained by converting the input color value by a normal color conversion unit.
US09116451B2	Coating for extending lifetime of an organic photoconductor A doped protective coating for extending a lifetime of an organic photoconductor is provided. The coating includes an in-situ cross-linked polymer matrix and a substantially uniformly distributed dopant therein. The dopant comprises a charge transport molecular species. A process for coating the organic photoconductor and a coated organic photoconductor are also disclosed.
US09116449B2	Electrostatic charge image developing toner, electrostatic charge image developer, and toner cartridge An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes an amorphous polyester resin and a crystalline polyester resin as a binder resin, and by differential scanning calorimetry, which undergoes processes of a first temperature rise, cooling at a rate of −10° C./min and a second temperature rise, an endothermic peak (1) derived from a resin in which at least the amorphous polyester resin and the crystalline polyester resin are compatible is present in the first temperature rise, an exothermic peak having an intensity of 0.1 J/g or more is not present during the first temperature rise, and at least one exothermic peak (2) is present in a temperature range which is lower than that of the endothermic peak (1) by from 5° C. to 15° C. during the second temperature rise.
US09116448B2	Toner Provided is a toner exhibiting satisfactory fixability even in high-speed fixing process involving a double-sided printing mechanism, keeping stable toner image even after a conveyance step, and doesn't cause curling to a fixing roller even in thin paper. In a toner including toner particles, each of which contains polyester resins A and B, a coloring agent, and a resin composition C, the resin A includes a crystal nucleating agent bonded to a polyester molecular chain including a moiety capable of forming a crystalline structure. The resin B doesn't include a moiety capable of forming a crystalline structure. The composition C is obtained by copolymerizing a vinyl-based resin component with a polyolefin resin component. SP values the resin A, the resin B, the agent, the polyolefin component, and the vinyl-based component satisfy the particular relationships.
US09116446B2	Lithographic apparatus and method A lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation, a support structure for supporting a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a projection system for projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, wherein the lithographic apparatus further comprises a patterning device masking blade provided with a hole, a diffusing material being located at the hole.
US09116434B2	Electron beam exposure method An electron beam exposure method includes the steps of: preparing an exposure mask having a plurality of opening patterns formed by dividing a drawing object pattern into exposable regions; and drawing the drawing object pattern by performing exposure with an electron beam passing through the opening patterns of the exposure mask. Each end portion serving as a joint in each opening pattern of the exposure mask is provided with a joining portion tapered in a width of the opening pattern. The exposure is performed in such a way that portions drawn through adjacent joining portions overlap each other.
US09116428B1	Micro-truss based energy absorption apparatus A micro-truss based blast protection apparatus. In one embodiment, the blast protection apparatus includes a three-dimensional (3D) ordered truss core between a first face plate and a second face plate. The 3D ordered truss core includes first truss elements defined by first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction, second truss elements defined by second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction, and third truss elements defined by third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction. The first, second, and third truss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material. The first, second, and third truss elements define an open space for providing a densification in response to a force applied to the first face plate and/or the second face plate, and the 3D ordered truss core is self-supporting.
US09116426B2	Dye compound, method of producing dipyrromethene metal complex compound, method of producing dye multimer, substituted pyrrole compound, colored curable composition, color filter, method of producing color filter, solid-state image sensor and liquid crystal display device The invention provides a dye compound having a partial structure represented by the following formula (5): wherein in formula (5), Dye represents a dye structure; G1 represents NR or an oxygen atom; G2 represents a monovalent substituent group having an −Es′ value as a steric parameter of 1.5 or more; p represents an integer from 1 to 8; when p is 2 or greater, the two or more structures represented by p may be the same or different from each other; and R represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent group.
US09116425B2	Mold for nanoimprint lithography and method for forming the same A mold for the nanoimprint lithography and a method for forming the mold are disclosed. The mold comprises a base socket, a plug chip and an adhesive. The plug chip provides a fine pattern to be transcribed in a top surface thereof. The base socket provides a pocket within which the plug chip is set such that the top surface thereof is pushed out from the top surface of the base socket.
US09116424B2	Device for embossing of substrates The invention relates to a device for embossing of substrates, especially semiconductor substrates or wafers, comprised of: at least one receiving means for holding the substrate in a working space, a calibration means located at least partially in the working space for calibration of the substrate, an embossing means which is located at least partially in the working space for embossing of the structure material onto the substrate in an embossing process, the working space being exposed to a defined atmosphere before and during the embossing process without interruption, and a method for embossing of substrates.
US09116423B2	Imprint lithography apparatus An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a structure located away from a substrate holder and extending across the substrate holder, and such that an imprint template arrangement is, in use, located between the structure and the substrate holder, wherein the structure has one or more arrays of lines or one or more encoders, and the substrate or substrate holder and the imprint template have a corresponding one or more encoders that face towards one or more of the one or more arrays of lines or one or more arrays of lines that face towards one or more of the one or more encoders, and the configuration determination arrangement is configured to determine a relative configuration between the substrate or substrate holder and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the substrate or substrate holder.
US09116416B2	Electronic device A sliding lid of an electronic device can move between an open state and a closed state, and in the open state, the external connecting terminals are exposed. The sliding lid includes a plurality of projecting shafts that project from the outer peripheral portion and a projecting portion that is formed on the surface of the device main body. A jack holder is provided with first guide rails and second guide rails that are rail members that guide the sliding lid, where first guide rails correspond to the projecting shafts of the sliding lid and second guide rails correspond to the projecting portion. In a closed state, the projecting shafts respectively abut the rails. While the sliding lid moves from the closed state to the open state, a projecting shaft separates from the first guide rails and the projecting portion slides to abut the second guide rails.
US09116414B2	Wavelength selective switch A wavelength selective switch includes: a port array that includes an input port for inputting a signal light and an output port for outputting the signal light which are arranged in a first direction; a dispersive element that disperses the signal light in a second direction; a condensing element that condenses signal lights; a light deflection element that deflects the signal lights toward the output port; a first optical system that matches a beam waist position of the signal light incident onto the condensing element with a front focus of the condensing element in the optical axis direction, in a first plane that extends in the first direction; and a second optical system that shifts the beam waist position of the signal light incident onto the condensing element from the front focus in the optical axis direction, in a second plane that extends in the second direction.
US09116413B2	Electro-optic modulator Electro-optic modulator includes a substrate, a waveguide formed in a top surface of the substrate, first modulating electrodes and second modulating electrodes. The waveguide includes a Y-shaped incident member, a Y-shaped output member, and first and second connection members. The Y-shaped incident member includes an incident portion, first and second incident branches. The Y-shaped output member includes an output portion, a first and second output branches. The first connection member includes a first branch and a second branch. The second connection member includes a third branch and a fourth branch. The first branch and the second branch are interconnected between the first incident branch and the first output branch and arranged in parallel. The third branch and the fourth branch are interconnected between the second incident branch and the second output branch and arranged in parallel.
US09116412B2	Color display architecture and driving methods The invention relates to a method for driving a display cell filled with an electrophoretic fluid comprising two types of charged particles carrying opposite charge polarities and of two contrast colors, wherein the two types of pigment particles are dispersed in a solvent of a color or in a solvent with non-charged or slightly charged colored particles dispersed therein. The method comprises driving said display cell to display the color of the solvent or the color of the non-charged or slightly charged colored particles by applying a driving voltage which is about 1 to about 20% of the full driving voltage.
US09116407B2	Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof and display device Embodiments of the present invention disclose an array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The array substrate comprises: gate scanning lines and data signal lines; pixel regions, defined by gate scanning lines and data signal lines; thin film transistors, each comprised in each of the pixel regions; pixel electrodes, each covering each of the pixel regions and comprising first and second pixel electrodes, wherein the pixel regions are divided into first and second pixel regions, the first and second pixel regions both are provided at intervals, and each of the first pixel regions is covered with a corresponding first pixel electrode, and the first and second pixel electrodes are respectively located in first and second layers, and each of the second pixel regions is covered with a corresponding second pixel electrode, and an insulating layer is provided between the first and second layers.
US09116406B2	Pixel structure and liquid crystal display device A pixel structure and a liquid crystal display device are disclosed. The pixel structure is formed on a substrate. The substrate includes at least two scan lines and at least one data line formed thereon. The pixel structure includes a main pixel, a first subpixel, and a second subpixel. The main pixel is electrically coupled to one of the two scan lines and the data line. The first subpixel is electrically coupled to the two scan lines and the data line. The second subpixel is electrically coupled to the two scan lines and the first subpixel. The present invention is capable of solving the color shift problem without a high frequency driving method and a large number of scan lines.
US09116386B2	Lens, backlight assembly and display apparatus having the same A lens includes an upper flat surface having a first outer diameter, a bottom surface having a second outer diameter and a third inner diameter, an external curved surface which connects the upper flat surface and the bottom surface, and an inner curved surface which protrudes toward the upper flat surface from the bottom surface at the third inner diameter.
US09116385B2	Light source unit base material, lighting device, display device and television receiver A light source unit base material for manufacturing a plurality of light source units includes a board base material formed in substantially a rectangular shape, and a plurality of light sources provided on the board base material in a row direction and in a column direction and connected electrically in series in the row direction and in the column direction.
US09116378B2	Liquid crystal display A liquid crystal display with an integrated mounting portion for receiving a printed circuit board is presented. A liquid crystal panel has a first surface on which an image is displayed and a second surface opposite the first surface, a printed circuit board is connected to the liquid crystal panel and has a front surface and a rear surface, and an intermediate receiving container includes a frame and a printed circuit board mounting portion positioned on a sidewall of the frame. The printed circuit board is mounted on the printed circuit board mounting portion such that the front plane of the printed circuit board and the first plane of the liquid crystal panel face the same side.
US09116376B2	Display device A display device includes a display panel and a frame body that has a lower frame, a mold member, and an upper frame, wherein the upper frame has a box shape with one surface opened along a side wall surface and the other surface forming an opening part, the mold member includes a mounting part that mounts a peripheral part of the display panel and a catching part formed in correspondence with an end surface of the display panel, the catching part of the mold member includes a first catching part having a top part opposite to the mounting part in contact with an inner surface of the upper frame and a second catching part with a projection height from the mounting part lower than a projection height of the first catching part.
US09116373B2	Liquid crystal display device including a backlight unit assembly and a bottom cover An LCD device is discussed. The LCD device includes: an LCD panel; a backlight unit configured to apply light to the LCD panel; a bottom cover configured to receive the LCD panel and the backlight unit and include a bottom surface, which supports the backlight unit, and bending processed hemming portions extended from 4 edges of the bottom surface; and a support main disposed between the bottom cover and the outsides of the LCD panel and the backlight unit, wherein the bottom cover further includes stepped portions positioned at both ends of the hemming portion and inwardly inclined at a fixed angle from the edge of the bottom surface.
US09116371B2	Liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same A thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode made of metal, a light transmissive gate insulating film that covers the gate electrode, a semiconductor film that overlaps with the gate electrode through the gate insulating film, and a source electrode and a drain electrode, made of metal, and spaced from each other. The gate electrode and the semiconductor film have respective through-holes communicated with each other so that the gate insulating film enters an inside of the through-holes. The gate insulating film has an area of the inside of the through-holes of the gate electrode and the semiconductor film. The source electrode and the drain electrode pass through the inside of the through-holes of the gate electrode and the semiconductor film so as to overlap with a part of the area of the inside of the through-hole of the gate insulating film and avoid a remaining portion thereof.
US09116370B2	Liquid crystal light variable device Provided is a liquid crystal light variable device having a liquid crystal cell, comprising a mixture of a liquid crystal material and one or more dichroic dyes interposed between a first and a second substrate, each substrate having a conductive layer disposed thereon. The device further includes a voltage supply or controller coupled with the conductive layers for application of a voltage waveform across the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal cell is configured so that based on the voltage waveform applied, the device transitions between a low-haze low-tint state (“clear state”), a low-haze high-tint state (“tinted state”), and a high-haze high-tint state (“opaque state”). The high-haze state is caused by dynamic scattering in the liquid crystal-dye mixture.
US09116368B2	Optical modulation device and bias voltage control method An optical modulation device including: bias power supplies that output a signal having a bias voltage corresponding to the null point of an optical modulation unit to the optical modulation unit; and synchronous detection circuits that determine whether an intensity of a QAM signal at a drift non-occurrence time where no drift occurs in the bias voltage becomes larger or smaller than the intensity of the QAM signal at a drift occurrence time where a drift occurs in the bias voltage, adjust the bias voltage to maximize the intensity of the QAM signal when determining that the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift non-occurrence time becomes larger than the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift occurrence time, and adjust the bias voltage to minimize the intensity of the QAM signal when determining that the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift non-occurrence time becomes smaller than the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift occurrence time.
US09116365B2	Method for determining at least one geometric/physiognomic parameter associated with the mounting of an ophthalmic lens in a spectacle frame worn by a user Method includes: (a) placing on a user's head an accessory including at least one brightness calibration element having at least two contrasted zones; (b) capturing an image of the user's head with the accessory thereon with a device; (c) determining the position of the image of the brightness calibration element of the accessory on the captured image; (d) determining a measured value of the brightness of one part of the image of the brightness calibration element or of the image located close to the brightness calibration element; (e) modifying a parameter for adjusting the optical image-acquisition conditions of the device as a function of the measured value to improve the contrast of the image of contrasted zones of the calibration element; (f) capturing another image with the modified parameter for adjusting the optical acquisition conditions; and (g) determining the required geometric/physiognomic mounting parameter on the basis of the other image.
US09116364B2	Eyewear having a flexural member An eyewear article having a flexing portion including first and second longitudinally disposed ribs is disclosed. In another exemplary embodiment, the flexing portion has a maximum height (H), in a direction parallel to a mid-sagittal plane bisecting the eyewear into imaginary left and right halves, that is greater than 10 mm. The eyewear article of the present invention provides a balance of fit and comfort suitable for a range of user head sizes.
US09116360B2	Stereoscopic image display and driving method thereof A stereoscopic image display and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The stereoscopic image display includes shutter glasses including a left eye shutter and a right eye shutter that are alternately turned on and off in synchronization with a display device, a backlight unit that irradiates light to the display device and is periodically turned on and off, a controller that divides a first frame period into a first address period and a first vertical blanking period, divides a second frame period into a second address period and a second vertical blanking period, and controls so that durations of the first vertical blanking period and the second vertical blanking period are different from each other, and a driving circuit that supplies data to the display device during the first and second address periods under the control of the controller.
US09116358B2	2D/3D switchable parallax barrier display A 3D display is provided, at least comprising a display module, a backlight module disposed beneath the display module, and a barrier module disposed above the display module. The barrier module comprises a bottom substrate having a bottom electrode layer, an upper substrate having an upper electrode layer, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the bottom substrate and the upper substrate. At least one of the bottom electrode layer and the upper electrode layer comprises at least two finger electrodes interlaced to each other, and voltages with opposite direction are applied on the two finger electrodes at the same time interval in a 3D driving mode.
US09116357B2	Hybrid multiplexed 3D display and displaying method thereof A hybrid multiplexed 3D display including a light source, an image splitter, and an image display is provided. The light source is used for sequentially providing a plurality of groups of light emitting toward different emitting directions. The image splitter is disposed above the light source for imaging each of the groups of light at a view group comprising a plurality of views. The image display is disposed above the light source for providing image data. The groups of light are sequentially transmitted through the image display and the image splitter to respectively generate a plurality of view images at the views such that an image viewed by a user includes at least two of the view images to achieve a stereoscopic visual effect.
US09116356B2	System for reproducing stereographic images A system for reproducing stereographic images is provided that includes a display unit that has a pixel array for representing image data which reproduces the same when controlled with stereoscopic image data, and a light source for fully illuminating the pixel array. The system further includes a pair of glasses that are suitable to make the reproduced stereoscopic image data available to a wearer of the pair of glasses in an eye-selective manner. The display unit has at least one additional light source for fully illuminating the pixel array. Every light source is additionally configured to emit light in a plurality of narrow spectral ranges, thereby defining a color range, the spectral ranges of the light sources being orthogonal to each other. The system also includes a control unit that sequentially operates the light sources. The pair of glasses has optical glasses, spectral transmission ranges of which are orthogonal to each other and correspond to the spectral ranges of the light sources in such a manner as to allow the reproduction of stereographic images in a reliable and cost-effective manner.
US09116353B2	Microscope device With a microscope device according to the invention, it is possible to acquire information on a deeper part of a living organism than that in the case of a conventional microscope device. The microscope device according to a first invention comprises an illumination optical system for irradiating an object with illumination rays in a line-like form, a detection optical system for receiving light rays generated by the illumination rays. The second invention relates to a microscope device wherein an objective lens of an illumination optical system, and an objective lens of a detection optical system are at respective positions. The third invention relates to a microscope device wherein a separation filter is structured such that a laser beam can pass through only a part (a region) thereof. The fourth invention relates to a microscope device wherein illumination rays having coherence are separated into two portions.
US09116348B1	Laser mapping tool and weapon replacement fixture A platform mapping tool for mapping a weapon platform includes a mandrel inserted in one of a weapon barrel and a weapon replacement fixture barrel. The tool generates a laser cone centered on the bore centerline of the weapon. The laser cone illuminates a defined cone of dispersion of ammunition. Areas where the laser cone intersects the weapon platform correspond to undesirable weapon firing positions. The undesirable firing positions can be digitized and loaded into the weapon's fire control system.
US09116346B2	Illumination apparatus, illumination method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method To optionally forming a multilevel light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil plane, the illumination apparatus implements Köhler illumination on an illumination target surface, using as a light source the light intensity distribution formed on the illumination pupil plane on the basis of light from a light source. The illumination apparatus has a spatial light modulator, a condensing optical system, and a control unit. The spatial light modulator has a plurality of reflecting surfaces which are two-dimensionally arranged and postures of which can be controlled independently of each other. The condensing optical system condenses light from the reflecting surfaces to form a predetermined light intensity distribution on the illumination pupil plane. The control unit controls the number of reflecting surfaces contributing to arriving light, for each of points on the illumination pupil plane forming the light intensity distribution, according to a light intensity distribution to be formed on the illumination pupil plane.
US09116345B2	Lens unit and manufacturing method therefor A lens unit may include at least four lens groups and a tube-shaped holder holding the lens groups. The tube-shaped holder is provided with a second lens group holding part provided with a protruded part surrounding an outer peripheral end part of the second lens group through a gap space and the protruded part is provided with a caulked part which is deformed so as to cover the outer peripheral end part from the object side. The protruded part may be provided with a thick portion and a thin portion extended to the front side from the thick portion and the thin portion is caulked by being plastically deformed to be the caulked part. After the second lens group is mounted on an inner side to the protruded part, the position of the second lens group is adjusted and then a caulked part is formed.
US09116338B2	Half mirror and image display apparatus There is provided an image display apparatus which enables an image displayed on a display device to be viewed through a half mirror. The half mirror includes two translucent resin substrates formed from resin, a metallic film composed Ag and disposed between the resin substrates, and dielectric films disposed between the metallic film and the resin substrates, respectively. Each of the dielectric films includes an SiO2 layer provided on the corresponding one of the substrates, an Al2O3 layer provided on the SiO2 layer, and a ZrO2 layer provided on the Al2O3 layer.
US09116335B2	Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus including the same A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side thereof, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a rear lens group including one or more lens units. A distance between adjacent ones of the lens units changes during zooming. The second lens unit and the third lens unit each include a resin lens element. A focal length f2p of the resin lens element included in the second lens unit, a focal length f3p of the resin lens element included in the third lens unit, and a focal length ft of the zoom lens at a telephoto end are set to satisfy predetermined mathematical conditions.
US09116334B2	Variable magnification optical system and imaging apparatus A variable magnification optical system consists of a positive first lens-group, a negative second lens-group, a positive third lens-group and a positive fourth lens-group in this order from an object side. The first lens-group and the third lens-group are fixed when magnification is changed from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, and the magnification is changed from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end by moving the second lens-group toward an image side, and correction of an image plane and focusing, which have been necessitated by magnification change, are performed by moving the fourth lens-group. The first lens-group consists of two positive lenses and a negative lens in this order from the object side. The second lens-group consists of a negative 21st lens, a positive 22nd lens, a negative 23rd lens and a negative 24th lens in this order from the object side.
US09116332B2	Zoom lens A zoom lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group and a fourth lens group, all of which are arranged in sequence from an object side to an image side along an optical axis. The first lens group is with positive refractive power and includes a first lens that is with negative refractive power and a second lens that is with positive refractive power. The second lens group is with negative refractive power. The third lens group is with positive refractive power and includes a third lens front group that is with positive refractive power and a third lens rear group that is with positive refractive power. The fourth lens group is with positive refractive power.
US09116328B2	Mobile device and optical imaging lens thereof Present embodiments provide for a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises five lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. Though controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces, the refracting power of the lens elements and/or equations between parameters, the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics and the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.
US09116325B2	Imaging lens system An imaging lens system includes, from the object side, an aperture stop, a positive first lens convex to the object side, a negative second lens, a positive third lens convex to the object side, a positive meniscus fourth lens convex to the image side, and a negative biconcave fifth lens, and fulfills the conditional formulae 0.8
US09116322B1	Cables including strength members that limit jacket elongation Cables including strength members that limit elongation of an outer jacket are described. A cable may include any number of transmission media, such as optical fibers, positioned within one or more cable cores or openings defined by an outer jacket. Additionally, at least one strength member may be in contact with the outer jacket. The at least one strength member may include central core or member and an external coating formed around or surrounding the central core. The external coating may be formed of one or more materials that limit elongation of the outer jacket to less than approximately 20 mm at temperatures up to approximately 70° C.
US09116320B1	Railway deployable composite communication cable A communication cable can comprise twisted pairs of electrical conductors for transmitting electrical signals and bundles of optical fibers for transmitting optical signals. The electrical signals and/or the optical signals can support voice and digital communication or data transmission. The twisted pairs can be disposed along a central axis of the communication cable. Each bundle of optical fibers can be disposed in a respective buffer tube. The buffer tubes can be arranged in a ring around the twisted pairs. The communication cable can be configured to manage strain on the optical fibers without subjecting the twisted pairs to deleterious tensile stress. The communication cable can include an outer jacket sized for insertion in a conduit running along a railway or other transportation line.
US09116314B2	Photoelectric conversion device A photoelectric conversion device includes an optical fiber, a molded portion covering an end portion and an end face of the optical fiber, the molded portion including a transparent resin transparent to light inputted and outputted through the optical fiber and a light input/output surface perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical fiber, electric wirings oppositely formed on the light input/output surface of the molded portion so as to sandwich a light input/output portion through which the light inputted and outputted through the optical fiber passes, and an optical device mounted on the electric wirings so as to stride over the light input/output portion. The optical device includes a surface light-emitting element or a surface light-receiving element optically coupled to the optical fiber through the molded portion.

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