| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09130182B2 |
Light-emitting element, lighting device, light-emitting device, and electronic device
A light-emitting element with high emission efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element with a long lifetime is provided. The light-emitting element includes an anode; a hole-transport layer over the anode, containing a hole-transport compound and a compound; a light-emitting layer over the hole-transport layer, containing a host material and a guest material; and a cathode over the light-emitting layer. The host material is an electron-transport compound. The guest material and the compound are each independently a phosphorescent compound or a thermally activated delayed fluorescence material. A peak of an emission spectrum of the compound is on a shorter wavelength side than a peak of an emission spectrum of the guest material. Only the guest material emits light. |
| US09130180B2 |
Image sensor with organic photoelectric layer
An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes an interlayered dielectric structure having a first recess region, in which an organic photoelectric layer is provided, and a second recess region, in which a color filter is provided. The second recess region may be provided under the first recess region. |
| US09130177B2 |
5-substituted 2 phenylquinoline complexes materials for light emitting diode
Compounds are provided that comprise a ligand having a 5-substituted 2-phenylquinoline. In particular, the 2-phenylquinoline may be substituted with a bulky alkyl at the 5-position. These compounds may be used in organic light emitting devices, in particular as red emitters in the emissive layer of such devices, to provide devices having improved properties. |
| US09130174B2 |
Material for organic electroluminescence device and organic electroluminescence device
A material for organic EL device which includes a compound having a specific structure: an azine ring having a cyano-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, an azine ring having a cyano-substituted heterocyclic group, or an azine ring having a cyano group directly bonded to the azine ring. An organic electroluminescence device including an organic thin film layer between a cathode and an anode, wherein the organic thin film layer includes a light emitting layer and at least one layer containing the material for organic electroluminescence device, has a long lifetime. |
| US09130170B2 |
Inverted organic photosensitive device
There is disclosed a method for preparing the surface of a metal substrate. The present disclosure also relates to an organic photovoltaic device including a metal substrate made by such method. Also disclosed herein is an inverted photosensitive device including a stainless steel foil reflective electrode, an organic donor-acceptor heterojunction over the reflective electrode, and a transparent electrode over the donor-acceptor heterojunction. |
| US09130168B2 |
Piezoelectric ceramic, method for making the same, piezoelectric element, liquid discharge head, and ultrasonic motor
A piezoelectric ceramic that includes barium titanate and 0.04 mass % or more and 0.20 mass % or less manganese relative to barium titanate. The piezoelectric ceramic is composed of crystal grains. The crystal grains include crystal grains A having an equivalent circular diameter of 30 μm or more and 300 μm or less and crystal grains B having an equivalent circular diameter of 0.5 μm or more and 3 μm or less. The crystal grains A and the crystal grains B individually form aggregates and the aggregates of the crystal grains A and the aggregates of the crystal grains B form a sea-island structure. |
| US09130165B2 |
Atomic layer deposition of metal oxide materials for memory applications
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to nonvolatile memory devices, such as a ReRAM cells, and methods for manufacturing such memory devices, which includes optimized, atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes for forming metal oxide film stacks. The metal oxide film stacks contain a metal oxide coupling layer disposed on a metal oxide host layer, each layer having different grain structures/sizes. The interface disposed between the metal oxide layers facilitates oxygen vacancy movement. In many examples, the interface is a misaligned grain interface containing numerous grain boundaries extending parallel to the electrode interfaces, in contrast to the grains in the bulk film extending perpendicular to the electrode interfaces. As a result, oxygen vacancies are trapped and released during switching without significant loss of vacancies. Therefore, the metal oxide film stacks have improved switching performance and reliability during memory cell applications compared to traditional hafnium oxide based stacks of previous memory cells. |
| US09130161B2 |
Vibration energy harvesting apparatus
An apparatus for harvesting energy is described. The apparatus includes a vibration component and a moving mass. The vibration component has a first and second end and further includes a magnetostrictive material. The vibration component further includes a conduction coil wrapped around the magnetostrictive material. The moving mass is coupled to the second end of the vibration assembly. The mass is configured to move in an oscillating path in response to forces acting on the vibration energy harvesting apparatus, inducing strain on the magnetostrictive material. The strain on the magnetostrictive material changes a magnetic property of the magnetostrictive material, inducing electrical energy in the conduction coil wrapped around the magnetostrictive material. Other embodiments of the apparatus are also described. |
| US09130155B2 |
Magnetic junctions having insertion layers and magnetic memories using the magnetic junctions
A method and system for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device are described. The magnetic junction includes a reference layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the reference layer and the free layer. The magnetic junction is configured such that the free layer is switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. A portion of the magnetic junction includes at least one magnetic substructure. The magnetic substructure includes at least one Fe layer and at least one nonmagnetic insertion layer. The at least one Fe layer shares at least one interface with the at least one nonmagnetic insertion layer. Each of the at least one nonmagnetic insertion layer consists of at least one of W, I, Hf, Bi, Zn, Mo, Ag, Cd, Os and In. |
| US09130153B2 |
Semiconductor device and electronic device including the same
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer spaced from the first conductive layer, a variable resistance layer interposed between the first and second conductive layers, and an impurity-doped layer provided over a side surface of the variable resistance layer. The variable resistance layer has a smaller width than the first and the second conductive layers. |
| US09130152B2 |
Piezoelectric component
A piezoelectric component includes at least one planned fracture layer for generating and guiding cracks in the component in a controlled manner. The planned fracture layer is disposed between two electrode layers adjacent to each other in the direction of the stack. The distance d2 of the two electrode layers is greater than the distance dl of two adjacent electrode layers between which no planned fracture layer is provided. |
| US09130150B2 |
Semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof
A semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device includes a local silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate in which a portion of a line-shaped active region is connected to a semiconductor substrate, and a remaining portion thereof is insulated from the semiconductor substrate, gate structures formed in a line shape to be substantially perpendicular to the active region on the active region insulated from the semiconductor substrate, and to surround a side and an upper surface of the active region, and having a stacking structure of a gate insulating layer, a liner conductive layer, a gate conductive layer, and a hard mask layer, a source region formed in the active region connected to the semiconductor substrate, and a drain region formed in the active region insulated from the semiconductor substrate between the gate structures. |
| US09130148B2 |
Piezoelectric resonator plate, piezoelectric resonator, method for manufacturing piezoelectric resonator plate, and method for manufacturing piezoelectric resonator
A piezoelectric resonator plate includes at least a pair of excitation electrodes and at least a pair of extraction electrodes. The pair of extraction electrodes are respectively extracted from the pair of excitation electrodes to electrically and mechanically bond the pair of excitation electrodes to an external electrode. The pair of extraction electrodes each include a distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a connecting electrode extracted to a vicinity of one end portion on one principal surface of the piezoelectric resonator plate. The connecting electrodes each include a top surface where a first metal film to be bonded to the external electrode is formed. The first metal film includes a top surface with two or more protruding portions. The first metal film has a larger surface roughness and a smaller area compared with the respective connecting electrodes. The protruding portions are formed with cross-sections in curvature shapes. |
| US09130146B2 |
Actuator and optical scanning apparatus
An actuator includes a drive beam; a lower electrode formed on the drive beam; a piezoelectric element provided on the lower electrode; an upper electrode provided on the piezoelectric element; an upper wiring connecting the upper electrode and a wiring for supplying a voltage to the upper electrode; and an insulating part providing electrical insulation between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and formed under the upper wiring such that it covers an end of the lower electrode. The insulating part includes insulating extension parts extended on opposite sides of the upper wiring in a width direction of the upper wiring. |
| US09130144B2 |
Multiferro-heterostructure composition having tunable magnetic coupling at room temperature
A ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructure thin film is disclosed that exhibits significant magneto-electric coupling. The ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructure thin film includes a) a base layer of silicon substrate, b) a first copper layer deposited on the silicon substrate, c) a first iron layer deposited on the copper layer, d) first aluminum layer deposited on the first iron layer, e) a polymer layer exhibiting ferroelectric properties deposited on the first aluminum layer, f) a second aluminum layer deposited on the polymer layer; g) a second iron layer deposited on the second aluminum layer, and h) a second copper layer deposited on the second iron layer. |
| US09130143B2 |
Magnetic memory and method for manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory is disclosed. The magnetic memory includes a substrate, and a magnetoresistive element provided on the substrate. The magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer. The first magnetic layer or the second magnetic layer includes a first region, second region, and third region whose ratios of crystalline portion are higher in order closer to the tunneling barrier. |
| US09130139B2 |
Packaging photon building blocks having only top side connections in a molded interconnect structure
Standardized photon building blocks are packaged in molded interconnect structures to form a variety of LED array products. No electrical conductors pass between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate upon which LED dies are mounted. Microdots of highly reflective material are jetted onto the top surface. Landing pads on the top surface of the substrate are attached to contact pads disposed on the underside of a lip of the interconnect structure. In a solder reflow process, the photon building blocks self-align within the interconnect structure. Conductors in the interconnect structure are electrically coupled to the LED dies in the photon building blocks through the contact pads and landing pads. Compression molding is used to form lenses over the LED dies and leaves a flash layer of silicone covering the landing pads. The flash layer laterally above the landing pads is removed by blasting particles at the flash layer. |
| US09130132B2 |
Package for light-emitting device
The present invention provides a package for a light-emitting device, including the light-emitting device configured to provide light having a specific wavelength region, electrode pads formed on the light-emitting device, and a phosphor layer formed over the light-emitting device other than regions where the electrode pads are formed and configured to convert the light of the light-emitting device into white light by changing the wavelength of the light provided by the light-emitting device, wherein the phosphor layer is formed in a conformable thickness and is formed in a region wider than an upper region of the light-emitting device other than the regions where the electrode pads are formed. |
| US09130127B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a stacked structure body, first and second electrodes. The stacked structure body includes first and second semiconductor layers and a light emitting layer provided between the second and first semiconductor layers, and has first and second major surfaces. The first electrode has a first contact part coming into contact with the first semiconductor layer. The second electrode has a part coming into contact with the second semiconductor layer. A surface of the first semiconductor layer on a side of the first major surface has a first part having a part overlapping a contact surface with the first semiconductor layer and a second part having a part overlapping the second semiconductor layer. The second part has irregularity. A pitch of the irregularity is longer than a peak wavelength of emission light. The first part has smaller irregularity than the second part. |
| US09130123B2 |
Light emitting device and light emitting device package
A light emitting device and a light emitting device package including the same are provided. The light emitting device may include a light emitting structure including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer, a first electrode on the light emitting structure, the first electrode including a pattern, and a pad electrode on the first electrode. |
| US09130121B2 |
Nitride semiconductor device
In the nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, an active layer 12 is sandwiched between a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 11 and an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 13. The active layer 12 has, at least, a barrier layer 2a having an n-type impurity; a well layer 1a made of a nitride semiconductor that includes In; and a barrier layer 2c that has a p-type impurity, or that has been grown without being doped. An appropriate injection of carriers into the active layer 12 becomes possible by arranging the barrier layer 2c nearest to the p-type layer side. |
| US09130120B2 |
Group III-V substrate material with thin buffer layer and methods of making
A substrate comprises a Group III-V material having an upper surface and a buffer layer having a thickness of not greater than about 1.3 μm and overlying the upper surface of the substrate. A plurality of optoelectronic devices formed on the substrate having a normalized light emission wavelength standard deviation of not greater than about 0.0641 nm/cm2 at a wavelength within a range of between about 400 nm to about 550 nm. |
| US09130118B2 |
Photoconductive antenna, terahertz wave generating device, camera, imaging device, and measuring device
A photoconductive antenna includes a semiconductor layer, and first and second electrodes. The semiconductor layer includes a first conductive region and a second conductive region constituting portions of a surface of the semiconductor layer disposed on a side to which the pulsed light is irradiated, and a third conductive region disposed between the first and second conductive regions. The first conductive region contains a first conductive type impurity and the second conductive region contains a second conductive type impurity. The third conductive region has a carrier density lower than a carrier density of the first conductive region or a carrier density of the second conductive region. The first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on the side to which the pulsed light is irradiated. The third conductive region is configured and arranged to be irradiated by the pulsed light. |
| US09130117B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant while including a first region and a second region stepped relative to the first region, a second semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant different from the first dopant while disposed over the second region, and an active layer disposed between the first and second semiconductor layers, a first electrode disposed on the first region, and a functional member disposed between one side surface of the light emitting structure adjacent to the first electrode and the first electrode while being disposed at the first region, wherein the functional member has a thickness greater than a thickness of the first electrode and less than a thickness of the light emitting structure, with respect to a surface of the first region. |
| US09130112B2 |
Method for manufacturing solar cell and dopant layer thereof
A method for manufacturing a dopant layer of a solar cell according to an embodiment of the invention includes: ion-implanting a dopant to a substrate; and heat-treating for an activation of the dopant. In the heat-treating for the activation, the substrate is heat-treated at a first temperature after an anti-out-diffusion film is formed at a temperature lower than the first temperature under a first gas atmosphere. |
| US09130111B2 |
Method for manufacturing monocrystalline thin film and monocrystalline thin film device manufactured thereby
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a monocrystalline film and a device formed by the above method, and according to the method mentioned above, lift-off of the monocrystalline silicon film is preferably performed and a high-purity monocrystalline silicon film can be obtained. A monocrystalline silicon substrate (template Si substrate) 201 is prepared, and on this monocrystalline silicon substrate 201, an epitaxial sacrificial layer 202 is formed. Subsequently, on this sacrificial layer 202, a monocrystalline silicon thin film 203 is rapidly epitaxially-grown using a RVD method, followed by etching of the sacrificial layer 202, whereby a monocrystalline silicon thin film 204 used as a photovoltaic layer of solar cells is formed. |
| US09130110B2 |
Method of stripping hot melt etch resists from semiconductors
Hot melt etch resist is selectively applied to an anti-reflective coating or a selective emitter on a semiconductor wafer. The exposed portions of the anti-reflective coating or selective emitter are etched away using an inorganic acid containing etch to expose the semiconductor surface. The hot melt etch resist is then stripped from the semiconductor with an alkaline stripper which does not compromise the electrical integrity of the semiconductor. The exposed semiconductor is then metalized to form current tracks. |
| US09130108B2 |
Light-emitting diode and method for manufacturing thereof
The disclosure provides a light-emitting diode (LED) and a method for manufacturing the same. The LED includes a first semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a second semiconductor layer, a first current spreading layer, a current blocking having a plurality of nitrogen vacancies, and a second current spreading layer, wherein the second spreading layer includes a current spreading area and a current blocking area. The current blocking area is formed the nitrogen vacancies by high power sputtering on the current blocking area of the second semiconductor layer, so as to increase the resistance of the current blocking area and occur the efficiency of current blocking. |
| US09130107B2 |
Light emitting device
This disclosure discloses a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device comprises: a substrate; a first light-emitting stack comprising a first active layer; a bonding interface formed between the substrate and the first light-emitting stack; and a contact structure formed on the first light-emitting stack and comprising first, second and third contact layers. Each of the first, second and third contact layers comprises a doping material. |
| US09130104B2 |
Photoresistor
A photoresistor includes a first electrode layer, a photosensitive material layer, and a second electrode layer. The first electrode layer, photosensitive material layer and second electrode layer are stacked with each other. The first electrode layer is located on a first surface of the photosensitive material layer. The second electrode layer is located on a second surface of the photosensitive material layer. The first surface and second surface of the photosensitive material layer are opposite to each other. The first electrode layer includes a carbon nanotube film structure. |
| US09130102B2 |
Integrated thin film photovoltaic module and manufacturing method thereof
Disclosed is an integrated thin-film photovoltaic module. The integrated thin-film photovoltaic module includes a first cell and a second cell, all of which are formed respectively by stacking on a substrate a lower electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer and an upper electrode, wherein the lower electrode of the first cell and the lower electrode of the second cell are separated by a lower electrode separation groove, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed to be spaced from each other in the upper electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer of the first cell, and wherein the through hole is filled with a conductive material such that the upper electrode of the second cell is connected with the lower electrode of the first cell. |
| US09130099B2 |
Semiconductor structure for emitting light, and method for manufacturing such a structure
A semiconductor structure for emitting light including a substrate made of a first semi-conductor material having a first type of conductivity, a first electrical contact, a second semiconductor material, having a second type of conductivity to form a junction, a second electrical contact contacting the second semiconductor material, a polarizer configured to polarize at least one portion of the semiconductor structure, and a plurality of micro- or nano-structures each including a first end connected to the substrate. Each micro- or nano-structure includes at least one portion made from the second semiconductor material, or each micro- or nano-structure having the first type of conductivity, a second end contacting the second semiconductor material to form the junction. |
| US09130097B2 |
Solar powered variable light attenuating devices and arrangements
A solar powered variable light attenuating device includes a liquid crystal cell, a photovoltaic cell in electrical communication with the liquid crystal cell, and a light concentrator having a light absorbing surface and a light emitting surface optically coupled to the photovoltaic cell. At least a portion of light impinging on the light absorbing surface of the light concentrator is concentrated and directed through the light emitting surface to a photon-absorbing portion of the photovoltaic cell to generate a voltage. The generated voltage is used to change the liquid crystal cell from a de-energized state to an energized state in response to sunlight directed toward the photovoltaic cell. |
| US09130096B2 |
High-concentration photovoltaic solar module
A high-concentration photovoltaic solar module is formed by a casing (1) that contains photovoltaic receivers (2) in the base (3) thereof, which are interconnected with one another, and in the upper part thereof has Fresnel concentrator lenses (7) in a plane parallel to that of the photovoltaic receivers (2), which close the casing in a leak-tight manner. Each of the Fresnel concentrator lenses (7) is arranged on one of the photovoltaic receivers (2). Furthermore, the module includes secondary optical elements (8), each arranged on the photovoltaic cell (5) of each photovoltaic receiver (2). The casing (1) is produced by injection-molding of plastic and incorporates cavities (9) in the base (3), each of the cavities housing a photovoltaic receiver (2), and metal laminar elements (10) for interconnecting the photovoltaic receivers (2). |
| US09130089B2 |
Device for supporting and attaching panels or the like, and roof system comprising such a device
A device for supporting and attaching panels to a roof including an added sealing covering on the surface thereof includes brackets for tiltedly supporting and bearing the panels, including a bottom bearing portion and at least one top portion for supporting the panels, the brackets having a triangular structure and consisting of a hollow body. The device is characterized in that the bottom portion (4) of the brackets (3) is provided, on the underside thereof, with at least one added plate (5) secured to the console (3), wherein the plate(s) (5) consist of a material or contain a material that is compatible with and/or similar to the layer or the surface coating of the roof covering (2), and are bonded to the layer or the covering by an adhesive bond, and in that the top portion (4′) provides bearing surfaces for the edges of the panels or profile members for mounting such panels. |
| US09130087B2 |
Light emitting diode having carbon nanotubes therein and method for manufacturing the same
A light emitting diode includes a substrate, an un-doped GaN layer, a plurality of carbon nanotubes, an N-type GaN layer, an active layer formed on the N-type GaN layer, and a P-type GaN layer formed on the active layer. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite and parallel to the first surface. A plurality of convexes is formed on the first surface of the substrate. The un-doped GaN layer is formed on the first surface of the substrate. The plurality of carbon nanotubes is formed on an upper surface of the un-doped GaN layer. The plurality of carbon nanotubes is spaced from each other to expose a portion of the upper surface of the un-doped GaN layer. The N-type GaN layer is formed on the exposed portion of the upper surface of the un-doped GaN layer and covering the carbon nanotubes therein. |
| US09130085B2 |
Transparent photodetector for mobile devices
An apparatus comprises a graphene film; a first arrangement of quantum dots of a first type located in contact with the graphene film as a first monolayer; a second arrangement of quantum dots of a second type located in contact with the graphene film as a second monolayer; an input voltage source connected to an end of the graphene film; and an output voltage probe connected to the graphene film between the first arrangement of quantum dots and the second arrangement of quantum dots. |
| US09130083B2 |
Semiconductor light receiving device and light receiving apparatus
A semiconductor light receiving device includes a substrate having an incident surface receiving light incident on the semiconductor light receiving device and a principal surface opposite to the incident surface; a first semiconductor layer disposed on the principal surface of the substrate, the first semiconductor layer defining one of a cathode region and an anode region; a light absorbing region disposed on the first semiconductor layer; and a second semiconductor layer disposed on the light absorbing region, the second semiconductor layer defining the other of the cathode region and the anode region and forming a junction with the light absorbing region. The light absorbing region includes a semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of the first semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer of the light absorbing region forms a p-n junction with the first semiconductor layer. |
| US09130077B2 |
Structure of dielectric grid with a metal pillar for semiconductor device
An image sensor device and a method for manufacturing the image sensor device are provided. An image sensor device includes a substrate, sensor elements disposed at a front surface of the substrate, and a dielectric grid disposed over a back surface of the substrate. The dielectric grid includes a first dielectric layer as a bottom portion, a metal pillar, as a core portion of a upper portion, disposed over the first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer wrapping around the metal pillar. The image sensor device also includes a stack of layers disposed over the back surface of the substrate. Refractive index of each layers increases from top layer to bottom layer. The image sensor device also includes a color filter and a microlens disposed over the back surface of the substrate. |
| US09130075B2 |
Silver electrode-forming paste composition, method of production thereof, and solar cell
To provide a paste composition capable of forming a silver electrode having a high bond strength and a low contact resistance, and to provide a solar cell endowed with a high conversion efficiency and excellent reliability, the solar cell including an electrode formed using such a paste composition, a silver electrode-forming paste composition includes a silver powder, a glass component and an organic medium, and the glass component includes tellurium-loaded glass frit which is glass frit having a tellurium compound supported on surfaces thereof. This silver electrode-forming paste composition can be produced by a method which includes the steps of: preparing tellurium-loaded glass frit sintering the mixture in the temperature range of (Tm−35°) C. to (Tm+20°) C.; and dispersing the glass component and the silver powder in an organic medium using the tellurium-loaded glass frit as at least part of the glass component. |
| US09130074B2 |
High-efficiency solar cell structures and methods of manufacture
Solar cells of varying composition are disclosed, generally including a central substrate, conductive layer(s), antireflection layers(s), passivation layer(s) and/or electrode(s). Multifunctional layers provide combined functions of passivation, transparency, sufficient conductivity for vertical carrier flow, the junction, and/or varying degrees of anti-reflectivity. Improved manufacturing methods including single-side CVD deposition processes and thermal treatment for layer formation and/or conversion are also disclosed. |
| US09130070B2 |
Four-stage circuit architecture for detecting pulsed signals
An electrical circuit includes a photodiode that receives a light signal from a light source and generates a photocurrent signal, a trans-impedance amplifier that amplifies the photocurrent signal and generates a low noise signal, and a high pass filter that converts the low noise signal into an alternating current (AC) signal having a positive amplitude, a negative amplitude, and a zero cross-over point between the positive amplitude and the negative amplitude. The electrical circuit also includes a positive integrating amplifier that receives the positive amplitude of the AC signal and generates a positive integrated value over an integration period, and a negative integrating amplifier that receives the negative amplitude of the AC signal and generates a negative integrated value over the integration period. The electrical circuit further includes at least one analog-to-digital converter that receives the positive and negative integrated values. |
| US09130068B2 |
Light emitting devices having dislocation density maintaining buffer layers
A method for forming a light emitting device comprises forming a buffer layer having a plurality of layers comprising a substrate, an aluminum gallium nitride layer adjacent to the substrate, and a gallium nitride layer adjacent to the aluminum gallium nitride layer. During the formation of each of the plurality of layers, one or more process parameters are selected such that an individual layer of the plurality of layers is strained. |
| US09130064B2 |
Method for fabricating leadframe-based semiconductor package with connecting pads top and bottom surfaces of carrier
A semiconductor package and a method for fabricating the same are provided. A leadframe including a die pad and a plurality of peripheral leads is provided. A carrier, having a plurality of connecting pads formed thereon, is attached to the die pad, wherein a planar size of the carrier s greater than that of the die pad, allowing the connecting pads on the carrier to be exposed from the die pad. At least a semiconductor chip is attached to a side of an assembly including the die pad and the carrier, and is electrically connected to the connecting pads of the carrier and the leads via bonding wires. A package encapsulant encapsulates the semiconductor chip, the bonding wires, a part of the carrier and a part of the leadframe, allowing a bottom surface of the carrier and a part of the leads to be exposed from the package encapsulant. |
| US09130063B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device having a main electrode connected to a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate so that a pn-junction diode is formed with the first semiconductor region being interposed and a Schottky barrier diode is formed with the second semiconductor layer being interposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor device includes a first electrode configured to ohmic-contact the first semiconductor region; a second electrode configured to Schottky-contact the second semiconductor layer and not having a portion directly contacting the first electrode; and a conductive reaction suppression layer to suppress a reaction between a material configuring the first electrode and a material configuring the second electrode are provided on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the main electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US09130060B2 |
Integrated circuit having a vertical power MOS transistor
An integrated circuit comprises a plurality of lateral devices and quasi vertical devices formed in a same semiconductor die. The quasi vertical devices include two trenches. A first trench is formed between a first drain/source region and a second drain/source region. The first trench comprises a dielectric layer formed in a bottom portion of the first trench and a gate region formed in an upper portion of the first trench. A second trench is formed on an opposite side of the second drain/source region from the first trench. The second trench is coupled between the second drain/source region and a buried layer, wherein the second trench is of a same depth as the first trench. |
| US09130055B1 |
Magnetic recording head with CPP-GMR spin-valve sensor and extended pinned layer
In one embodiment, a device includes a reference layer, a free layer positioned above the reference layer, and a spacer layer positioned between the reference layer and the free layer, the spacer layer providing a gap between the reference layer and the free layer, wherein the reference layer extends beyond a rear extent of the free layer in an element height direction perpendicular to a media-facing surface of the device, and wherein a rear portion of the spacer layer that extends beyond the rear extent of the free layer has an increased resistivity in comparison with a resistivity of a rest of the spacer layer. In other embodiments, a method for forming the device is presented, along with other device structures having an extended pinned layer (EPL). |
| US09130052B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and method of fabricating the same
This technology relates to a nonvolatile memory device and a method of fabricating the same. The nonvolatile memory device may include a pipe connection gate electrode over a substrate, one or more pipe channel layers formed within the pipe connection gate electrode, pairs of main channel layers each coupled with the pipe channel layer and extended in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate, a plurality of interlayer insulating layers and a plurality of cell gate electrodes alternately stacked along the main channel layers, and etch stop layers including metal silicide and formed over the pipe connection gate electrode. |
| US09130049B2 |
Amorphous oxide and field effect transistor
A novel amorphous oxide applicable, for example, to an active layer of a TFT is provided. The amorphous oxide comprises microcrystals. |
| US09130045B2 |
Thin film transistor and method for preparing the same
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thin film transistor that includes a zinc oxide material including Si as a channel material of a semiconductor layer, and a method of manufacturing the same. |
| US09130044B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The invention relates to a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode overlapping with a channel formation region of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a source electrode or a drain electrode overlapping with a first region of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a second region between the channel formation region and the first region. An upper layer of the second region includes a microvoid. The microvoid is formed by adding nitrogen to the upper layer of the second region. Thus, upper layer of the second region contains lager amount of nitrogen than a lower layer of the second region. |
| US09130043B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor and having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a semiconductor device in which an oxide semiconductor is used for a channel formation region, after an oxide semiconductor film is formed, a conductive film including a metal, a metal compound, or an alloy that can absorb or adsorb moisture, a hydroxy group, or hydrogen is formed to overlap with the oxide semiconductor film with an insulating film provided therebetween. Then, heat treatment is performed in the state where the conductive film is exposed; in such a manner, activation treatment for removing moisture, oxygen, hydrogen, or the like adsorbed onto a surface of or in the conductive film is performed. |
| US09130042B2 |
Thin film transistor and method for fabricating the same
Disclosed is a thin film transistor and a method of fabricating the same which includes a light-shielding layer made of the same material as a semiconductor layer on a substrate, wherein the light-shielding layer absorbs light incident upon the semiconductor layer, thereby preventing deterioration in characteristics of the thin film transistor caused by exterior light. |
| US09130041B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor whose electric characteristics are stable. An insulating layer which covers an oxide semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor contains a boron element or an aluminum element. The insulating layer containing a boron element or an aluminum element is formed by a sputtering method using a silicon target or a silicon oxide target containing a boron element or an aluminum element. Alternatively, an insulating layer containing an antimony (Sb) element or a phosphorus (P) element instead of a boron element covers the oxide semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor. |
| US09130039B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
A semiconductor device is manufactured by using an SOI substrate having an insulating layer on a substrate and a semiconductor layer on the insulating layer. The semiconductor device is provided with a gate electrode formed on the semiconductor layer via a gate insulating film, a sidewall spacer formed on a sidewall of the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer for source/drain that is epitaxially grown on the semiconductor layer, and a sidewall spacer formed on a sidewall of the semiconductor layer. |
| US09130038B2 |
Three-dimensional semiconductor memory device, memory system including the same, method of manufacturing the same and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device, a memory system including the same, a method of manufacturing the same and a method of operating the same are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes a pipe channel layer, vertical channel layers coupled to a top surface of the pipe channel layer, a first pipe gate substantially surrounding a bottom surface and side surfaces of the pipe channel layer, a boosting gate formed over the pipe channel layer, and first insulating layers and conductive layers alternately stacked over the boosting gate and the pipe channel layer. |
| US09130033B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
The invention provides a semiconductor device, including: a semiconductor device includes: a substrate having a first conductivity type, including: a body region having the first conductivity type; a source region formed in the body region; a drift region having a second conductivity type adjacent to the body region, wherein the first conductivity type is opposite to the second conductivity type; and a drain region formed in the drift region; a trench formed in the substrate between the body and drift regions; a gate dielectric layer disposed adjacent to the trench; a liner lining the trench and adjoining with the gate dielectric layer; and a gate electrode formed over the gate dielectric layer and extending into the trench. |
| US09130030B1 |
Baking tool for improved wafer coating process
Baking methods and tools for improved wafer coating are described. In one embodiment, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer including integrated circuits involves coating a surface of the semiconductor wafer to form a mask covering the integrated circuits. The method involves baking the mask with radiation from one or more light sources. The method involves patterning the mask with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the substrate between the ICs. The method may also involves singulating the ICs, such as with a plasma etching operation. |
| US09130024B2 |
Three-dimensional semiconductor device
A three-dimensional semiconductor device using redundant bonding-conductor structures to make inter-level electrical connections between multiple semiconductor chips is disclosed. A first chip, or other semiconductor substrate, forms a first active area on its upper surface, and a second chip or other semiconductor substrate forms a second active area on its upper surface. According to the present invention, when the second chip has been mounted above the first chip, either face-up or face-down, the first active area is coupled to the second active area by at least one redundant bonding-conductor structure. In one embodiment, each redundant bonding-conductor structure includes at least one via portion that extends completely through the second chip to perform this function. In another, the redundant bonding-conductor structure extends downward to the top level interconnect. The present invention also includes a method for making such a device. |
| US09130017B2 |
Methods for forming interconnect structures of integrated circuits
A method includes forming a hard mask over a low-k dielectric layer, and patterning the hard mask to form an opening. A stress tuning layer is formed over the low-k dielectric layer and in physical contact with the hard mask. The stress tuning layer has an inherent stress, wherein the inherent stress is a near-zero stress or a tensile stress. The low-k dielectric layer is etched to form a trench aligned to the opening, wherein the step of etching is performed using the hard mask as an etching mask. |
| US09130016B2 |
Method of manufacturing through-glass vias
A method of forming a through-glass via hole involves providing a glass substrate having first and second substantially planar parallel surfaces; masking the first and second substantially planar parallel surfaces to form a via-patterned portion thereon; and etching the via-patterned portion on the first and second substantially planar parallel surfaces to form a first channel in the first substantially planar parallel surface and a second channel in the second substantially planar parallel surface. The first channel and second channel are substantially orthogonal or non-orthogonal to one another. The first channel and the second channel intersect to form a quadrilateral through-glass via hole having via openings at the first and second substantially planar parallel surfaces. A low cost, low complexity and high reliability method for producing a glass substrate having a plurality of through-glass via holes such that the glass substrate can be used, for example, as an interposer. |
| US09130013B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming isolation layers in a first direction at trenches at isolation regions defined at a semiconductor substrate and forming gate lines in a second direction crossing the first direction over the isolation layers and active regions defined between the isolation layers, performing a dry-etch process to remove the isolation layers, and forming an insulating layer over the semiconductor substrate to form a first air gap extending in the first direction in the trenches and a second air gap extending in the second direction between the gate lines. |
| US09130012B2 |
Microstructure, micromachine, and manufacturing method of microstructure and micromachine
Without sacrificial layer etching, a microstructure and a micromachine are manufactured. A separation layer 102 is formed over a substrate 101, and a layer 103 to be a movable electrode is formed over the separation layer 102. At an interface of the separation layer 102, the layer 103 to be a movable electrode is separated from the substrate. A layer 106 to be a fixed electrode is formed over another substrate 105. The layer 103 to be a movable electrode is fixed to the substrate 105 with the spacer layer 103 which is partially provided interposed therebetween, so that the layer 103 to be a movable electrode and a layer 106 to be a fixed electrode face each other. |
| US09130011B2 |
Apparatus for mounting semiconductor device
An apparatus for mounting a semiconductor device includes a mounting component and a loading component. The mounting component is configured to mount the semiconductor device onto a circuit board. The loading component is disposed adjacent to the mounting component, and is configured to supply the semiconductor device and the circuit board to the mounting component. |
| US09130010B2 |
Latch-up robust SCR-based devices
An approach for providing a latch-up robust silicon control rectifier (SCR) is disclosed. Embodiments include providing a first N+ region and a first P+ region in a substrate for a SCR; providing first and second n-well regions in the substrate proximate the first N+ and P+ regions; providing a second N+ region in the first n-well region, and a second P+ region in the second n-well region; and coupling the first N+ and P+ regions to a ground rail, the second N+ region to a power rail, and the second P+ region to an I/O pad. |
| US09130005B2 |
Bipolar junction transistor and method of manufacturing the same
A bipolar junction transistor includes a first trench element isolation film, a second trench element isolation film, a first base region, a second base region, a collector region, a first well, a second well, an emitter, a collector, and bases. The second well is formed by implanting an n-type impurity into the semiconductor substrate, and the emitter is formed by implanting the n-type impurity into the emitter region between the first trench element isolation film and the second well. The collector is formed by implanting the n-type impurity into the collector region between the first well and the second trench element isolation film, and the bases are formed by implanting the p-type impurity into the first base region and into the second base region between the emitter region and the second well. |
| US09130004B2 |
Heterojunction bipolar transistor, power amplifier including the same, and method for fabricating heterojunction bipolar transistor
A heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a ballast resistor layer of which resistance increases with an increase in temperature. The ballast resistor layer includes a first ballast resistor sub-layer having a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity in a first temperature range and a second temperature range and a second ballast resistor sub-layer having a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity in the first temperature range and a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity in the second temperature range. |
| US09130003B2 |
Structure for picking up a collector and method of manufacturing the same
A structure for picking up a collector region including a pair of polysilicon stacks formed in the isolation regions and extending below the collector region; and a pair of collector electrodes contacting on the polysilicon stacks, wherein the pair of polysilicon stacks includes: an undoped polysilicon layer and a doped polysilicon layer located on the undoped polysilicon layer, wherein a depth of the doped polysilicon layer is greater than a depth of the collector region; the depth of the collector region is greater than a depth of the isolation regions. |
| US09130002B2 |
Device for holding wafer shaped articles
A spin chuck for holding semiconductor wafers includes one or more damping mechanisms to limit the force with which chuck pins impact the wafer edge following wafer shift. The damping mechanism may be a linear or rotary dashpot. The dashpot or dashpots are mounted on a surface of the chuck body and include a control arm that contacts a common gear ring that in turn drives the chuck pins during radially inward and outward movement. |
| US09130001B2 |
Edge ring for a thermal processing chamber
Embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring for supporting a substrate with increased temperature uniformity. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring having one or more fins formed on an energy receiving surface of the edge ring. The fins may have at least one sloped side relative to a main body of the edge ring. |
| US09129998B2 |
Apparatus for cleaning an object and method of operating the same
An apparatus for cleaning at least one object may include a cleaning chamber, an air-blowing unit, a rotating unit and a collecting unit. The at least one object may be received within the cleaning chamber. The air-blowing unit may be configured to blow air to the at least one object in the cleaning chamber to float particles from the at least one object. The rotating unit may be configured to rotate the at least one object to provide the at least one object with the air in at least two directions from the air-blowing unit. The collecting unit may be configured to collect the floated particles. |
| US09129995B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film provided on the semiconductor substrate, a silicon film provided on the first insulating film, a metal silicide film provided on the silicon film, a second insulating film provided on the metal silicide film, and an electrode provided on the second insulating film. |
| US09129992B2 |
Method for manufacturing transistor
Designs and fabrication of dual-gate thin film transistors are provided. An active region and a top gate electrode of the transistor can be made of a transparent thin film material. A photoresist can be coated onto a surface of the transparent conductive thin film for forming the top gate electrode. Light is from the bottom of the substrate during exposure. After the development, a photoresist pattern aligned with the bottom gate electrode is formed on the surface of the conductive thin film. The top gate electrode aligned with the bottom gate electrode is formed by etching the conductive thin film. The bottom gate electrode can be used as a mask, which may save the cost for manufacturing the transistor and improve the accuracy of alignment between the top gate electrode and the bottom gate electrode and the performance of the dual-gate thin film transistor. |
| US09129990B2 |
Semiconductor device and driver circuit with drain and isolation structure interconnected through a diode circuit, and method of manufacture thereof
Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a drain region of the second conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the drain region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s). |
| US09129989B1 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device, including a semiconductor substrate, an epitaxial structure, a well region, a drain region and a source region respectively formed in the epitaxial structure inside and outside of the well region. At least one set of first, second and third heavily doped regions formed in the well region between source and drain regions, wherein the first, second and third heavily doped regions are adjoined sequentially from bottom to top. A gate structure disposed over the epitaxial structure. The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. |
| US09129985B2 |
Semiconductor device having metal gate and manufacturing method thereof
A manufacturing method of semiconductor devices having metal gate includes following steps. A substrate having a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device formed thereon is provided. The first semiconductor device includes a first gate trench and the second semiconductor device includes a second gate trench. A first work function metal layer is formed in the first gate trench and the second gate trench. A portion of the first work function metal layer is removed from the second gate trench. A second work function metal layer is formed in the first gate trench and the second gate trench. The second work function metal layer and the first work function metal layer include the same metal material. A third work function metal layer and a gap-filling metal layer are sequentially formed in the first gate trench and the second gate trench. |
| US09129984B2 |
Three dimensional semiconductor device having lateral channel and method of manufacturing the same
A 3D semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The 3D semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, an active line including a source region and a drain region formed on the insulating layer, a gate electrode located on a portion of the active line, corresponding to a region between the source region and the drain region, and extending to a direction substantially perpendicular to the active line, and a line-shaped common source node formed to be electrically coupled to the source region and extending substantially in parallel to the gate electrode in a space between gate electrodes. |
| US09129983B2 |
Memory cells, memory arrays, methods of forming memory cells, and methods of forming a shared doped semiconductor region of a vertically oriented thyristor and a vertically oriented access transistor
A memory cell includes a thyristor having a plurality of alternately doped, vertically superposed semiconductor regions; a vertically oriented access transistor having an access gate; and a control gate operatively laterally adjacent one of the alternately doped, vertically superposed semiconductor regions. The control gate is spaced laterally of the access gate. Other embodiments are disclosed, including methods of forming memory cells and methods of forming a shared doped semiconductor region of a vertically oriented thyristor and a vertically oriented access transistor. |
| US09129982B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method
A semiconductor device includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer including an active region in which a transistor having impurity regions is formed and a marginal region surrounding the active region, a second-conductivity-type channel layer formed between the active region and the marginal region and forming a front surface of the semiconductor layer, at least one gate trench formed in the active region to extend from the front surface of the semiconductor layer through the channel layer, a gate insulation film formed on an inner surface of the gate trench, a gate electrode formed inside the gate insulation film in the gate trench, and at least one isolation trench arranged between the active region and the marginal region to surround the active region and extending from the front surface of the semiconductor layer through the channel layer, the isolation trench having a depth equal to that of the gate trench. |
| US09129977B2 |
Method of controlling stress in group-III nitride films deposited on substrates
Methods of controlling stress in GaN films deposited on silicon and silicon carbide substrates and the films produced therefrom are disclosed. A typical method comprises providing a substrate and depositing a graded gallium nitride layer on the substrate having a varying composition of a substantially continuous grade from an initial composition to a final composition formed from a supply of at least one precursor in a growth chamber without any interruption in the supply. A typical semiconductor film comprises a substrate and a graded gallium nitride layer deposited on the substrate having a varying composition of a substantially continuous grade from an initial composition to a final composition formed from a supply of at least one precursor in a growth chamber without any interruption in the supply. |
| US09129970B2 |
Semiconductor device having oxidized Ti- and N-containing layer, and manufacturing of the same
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprises releasing an oxidation source included in an interlayer dielectric film having an opening portion formed on a surface thereof and being present on the surface of the interlayer dielectric film at a first substrate temperature, forming a first layer containing Ti and N to contact with at least a part of the interlayer dielectric film at a second substrate temperature lower than the first substrate temperature, wherein a Ti content in the first layer is more than 50 at % in all components, provided that oxygen and precious metals are excluded from the all components, and forming a Cu metal layer above the first layer. |
| US09129969B2 |
Nanoscale interconnects fabricated by electrical field directed assembly of nanoelements
The invention provides a fast, scalable, room temperature process for fabricating metallic nanorods from nanoparticles or fabricating metallic or semiconducting nanorods from carbon nanotubes suspended in an aqueous solution. The assembled nanorods are suitable for use as nanoscale interconnects in CMOS-based devices and sensors. Metallic nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes are assembled into lithographically patterned vias by applying an external electric field. Since the dimensions of nanorods are controlled by the dimensions of vias, the nanorod dimensions can be scaled down to the low nanometer range. The aqueous assembly process is environmentally friendly and can be used to make nanorods using different types of metallic particles as well as semiconducting and metallic nanotubes. |
| US09129968B2 |
Schemes for forming barrier layers for copper in interconnect structures
A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate; forming a low-k dielectric layer over the substrate; embedding a conductive wiring into the low-k dielectric layer; and thermal soaking the conductive wiring in a carbon-containing silane-based chemical to form a barrier layer on the conductive wiring. A lining barrier layer is formed in the opening for embedding the conductive wiring. The lining barrier layer may comprise same materials as the barrier layer, and the lining barrier layer may be recessed before forming the barrier layer and may contain a metal that can be silicided. |
| US09129964B2 |
Programmable electrical fuse
A method of forming an electronic fuse including forming a first metal line and a second metal line in a first interconnect level, the first metal line is electrically insulated from the second metal line, forming a single via in a second interconnect level above the first interconnect level, the via is made from the same material as either the first metal line or the second metal line, and the via is in direct contact with both the first metal line and the second metal line, a contact area between the via and the first metal line or the second metal line ranges from about 5% to about 25% of a total cross-sectional area of the via, the via has a height to width ratio greater than 1, and forming a third metal line in the second interconnect level in direct contact with the via. |
| US09129963B1 |
Semiconductor devices having through electrodes, semiconductor packages including the same, electronic systems including the same, and methods of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device may include a substrate including a first surface and a second surface, a through electrode penetrating the substrate to include a protrusion that protrudes from the second surface of the substrate, and a front side bump electrically coupled to the through electrode and disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The semiconductor device may include a first passivation pattern disposed on the first surface of the substrate to substantially surround a sidewall of the front side bump and may be formed to include an uneven surface, and a second passivation pattern disposed on the second surface of the substrate to include an uneven surface. The protrusion of the through electrode may penetrate the second passivation pattern to protrude from the uneven surface of the second passivation pattern. |
| US09129960B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A circuit assembly is disclosed which includes first and second substrates disposed on a heat dissipation base, and first and second semiconductor elements mounted on the first and second substrates. The first and second substrates are wired together, and three main electrode terminals are provided when the first and second semiconductor elements are connected in series, while two main electrode terminals are provided when the first and second semiconductor element are connected in parallel. In both cases, the circuit assembly is covered with a common exterior case so that one portion of each main electrode terminal or one portion of each main electrode terminal is exposed. Parts used in the circuit assembly are shared, and by changing the wiring between the first and second substrates, semiconductor modules with different functions are realized at low cost. |
| US09129959B2 |
Method for manufacturing an electronic module and an electronic module
A number of semiconductor chips each include a first main face and a second main face opposite from the first main face. The second main face includes at least one electrical contact element. The semiconductor chips are placed on a carrier. A material layer is applied into intermediate spaces between adjacent semiconductor chips. The carrier is removed and a first electrical contact layer is applied to the first main faces of the semiconductor chips so that the electrical contact layer is electrically connected with each one of the electrical contact elements. |
| US09129953B2 |
Method of making a gate structure
A method of making a gate structure includes forming a trench in a dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a gate dielectric layer in the trench. The gate dielectric layer defines an opening in the dielectric layer. The method includes forming a gate electrode in the opening. Forming the gate electrode includes filling a width of a bottom portion of the opening with a first metal material. The first metal material has a recess. Forming the gate electrode includes filling an entire width of a top portion of the opening with a homogeneous second metal material. The homogeneous second metal material has a protrusion extending into the recess, and a maximum width of the homogeneous second metal material is equal to a maximum width of the first metal material. A top surface of the gate dielectric layer is co-planar with a top surface of the homogeneous second metal material. |
| US09129952B2 |
Semiconductor devices including a stressor in a recess and methods of forming the same
Semiconductor devices including a stressor in a recess and methods of forming the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a trench in an active region and the trench may include a notched portion of the active region. The methods may also include forming an embedded stressor in the trench. The embedded stressor may include a lower semiconductor layer and an upper semiconductor layer, which has a width narrower than a width of the lower semiconductor layer. A side of the upper semiconductor layer may not be aligned with a side of the lower semiconductor layer and an uppermost surface of the upper semiconductor layer may be higher than an uppermost surface of the active region. |
| US09129950B2 |
Semiconductor devices
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a charge storage pattern formed on a substrate; a dielectric pattern formed on the charge storage pattern; a first conductive pattern including silicon doped with a first impurity of a first concentration, the first conductive pattern being disposed on the dielectric pattern; and a second conductive pattern including metal silicide doped with a second impurity of a second concentration, the second conductive pattern being disposed on the first conductive pattern. The first concentration may be higher than the second concentration. |
| US09129948B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of assembling same
A semiconductor device has a die support and external leads formed integrally from a single sheet of electrically conductive material. A die mounting substrate is mounted on the die support, with bonding pads coupled to respective external connection pads on an external connector side of the substrate. A die is attached to the die mounting substrate with die connection pads. Bond wires selectively electrically couple the die connection pads to the external leads and the bonding pads and electrically conductive external protrusions are mounted to the external connection pads. An encapsulant covers the die and bond wires. The external protrusions are located at a central region of a surface mounting side of the package and the external leads project outwardly from locations near the die support towards peripheral edges of the package. |
| US09129946B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a header, a semiconductor chip fixed to the header constituting a MOSFET, and a sealing body of insulating resin which covers the semiconductor chip, the header and the like, and further includes a drain lead contiguously formed with the header and projects from one side surface of the sealing body, and a source lead and a gate lead which project in parallel from one side surface of the sealing body, and wires which are positioned in the inside of the sealing body and connect electrodes on an upper surface of the semiconductor chip and the source lead and the gate lead, with a gate electrode pad arranged at a position from the gate lead and the source lead farther than a source electrode pad. |
| US09129943B1 |
Embedded component package and fabrication method
An array includes a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface. A backside cavity is formed in the backside surface. Backside through vias extend through the substrate from the frontside surface to the backside surface. Embedded component through vias extend through the substrate from the frontside surface to the backside cavity. An embedded component is mounted within the backside cavity and coupled to the embedded component through vias. In this manner, the embedded component is embedded within the substrate. |
| US09129940B2 |
RF calibration through-chip inductive coupling
An integrated circuit includes a first chip and a second chip coupled to the first chip in a vertical stack. The first chip includes a radio frequency circuit and a first coil electrically coupled to the radio frequency circuit. The second chip includes a calibration circuit and a second coil electrically coupled to the calibration circuit. The calibration circuit is configured to calibrate the radio frequency circuit disposed on the first chip through inductive coupling between the first and second coils. |
| US09129939B2 |
SiC semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
In some aspects of the invention, a layer containing titanium and nickel is formed on an SiC substrate. A nickel silicide layer containing titanium carbide can be formed by heating. A carbon layer precipitated is removed by reverse sputtering. Thus, separation of an electrode of a metal layer formed on nickel silicide in a subsequent step is suppressed. The effect of preventing the separation can be further improved when the relation between the amount of precipitated carbon and the amount of carbon in titanium carbide in the surface of nickel silicide from which the carbon layer has not yet been removed satisfies a predetermined condition. |
| US09129935B1 |
Multi-chip packages with reduced power distribution network noise
A multi-chip package that includes multiple integrated circuits is provided. An integrated circuit in the multi-chip package may be mounted on an interposer. The interposer may be mounted on a package substrate. The integrated circuit may have internal power supply terminals coupled to on-package decoupling (OPD) capacitor circuitry that are formed as part of the package substrate. The power supply terminals on the integrated circuit may be coupled to conductive routing paths and through-silicon vias (TSVs) in the interposer via microbumps. The through-silicon vias in the interposer may be coupled to the OPD capacitor circuitry via flip-chip bumps. The conductive routing paths and the TSVs in the interposer may be coupled to the internal integrated circuit power supply terminals in a way that minimizes power supply resonance noise. |
| US09129934B2 |
Power semiconductor module and method for operating a power semiconductor module
A power semiconductor module includes a circuit carrier including an insulation carrier having a top side on which a metallization layer is arranged. A power semiconductor chip is arranged on a side of the metallization layer facing away from the insulation carrier, and which has on a top side of the power semiconductor chip facing away from the circuit carrier an upper chip metallization composed of copper or a copper alloy having a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 μm. An electrical connection conductor composed of copper or a copper alloy is connected to the upper chip metallization at a connecting location. A potting compound extends from the circuit carrier to at least over the top side of the power semiconductor chip and completely covers the top side of the power semiconductor chip, encloses the connection conductor at least in the region of the connecting location, and has a penetration of less than or equal to 30 according to DIN ISO 2137 at a temperature of 25° C. |
| US09129932B2 |
Semiconductor module
A semiconductor module includes an insulating substrate (200) that is made of AlN and that has a first plane (201) and a second plane (202) both of which face mutually opposite directions, a first conductor layer (210) formed on the first plane (201), a second conductor layer (220) formed on the second plane (202), a semiconductor device (300) bonded to the first conductor layer (210) with a first solder layer (510) interposed therebetween, and a heat dissipation plate (400) that is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed planarly and that is bonded to the second conductor layer (220) with a second solder layer (520) interposed therebetween, and, in this semiconductor module, the heat dissipation plate (400) is deformed so as to become convex in a direction in which the second plane (202) is pointed when viewed from a width direction thereof. |
| US09129928B2 |
Display apparatus and electronic apparatus
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus, including: a plurality of subpixels disposed adjacent each other and forming one pixel which forms a unit for formation of a color image; the plurality of subpixels including a first subpixel which emits light of the shortest wavelength and a second subpixel disposed adjacent the first subpixel; the second subpixel having a light blocking member disposed between the second subpixel and the first subpixel and having a width greater than a channel length or a channel width of a transistor which forms the second subpixel. |
| US09129926B2 |
Display device including thin film transistor
A display device according to example embodiments includes a first thin film transistor on a substrate, a second thin film transistor on the first thin film transistor, and a display unit electrically connected to at least one of the first thin film transistor and the second thin film transistor. |
| US09129924B2 |
OLED display with spalled semiconductor driving circuitry and other integrated functions
Spalling is employed to generate a single crystalline semiconductor layer. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic and memory devices are formed on a single crystalline semiconductor substrate prior to spalling. Organic light emitting diode (OLED) driving circuitry, solar cells, sensors, batteries and the like can be formed prior to, or after, spalling. The spalled single crystalline semiconductor layer can be transferred to a substrate. OLED displays can be formed into the spalled single crystalline semiconductor layer to achieve a structure including an OLED display with semiconductor driving circuitry and other functions integrated on the single crystalline semiconductor layer. |
| US09129920B2 |
Display panel and display device
The present application discloses a display panel including flexible substrates on which first power lines are mounted to supply power; a substrate including a first surface provided with a display area, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and second power lines for connecting the first power lines to the display pixels; a thermal conduction member partially covering the second surface and conducting heat in an in-plane direction; and a thermal conduction seal covering a periphery of the thermal conduction member. The first surface includes an arrangement area to arrange the second power lines between the flexible substrates and the display area. The second surface includes a first area opposite to the display area and a second area opposite to the arrangement area. The thermal conduction member covers at least the first area. The thermal conduction seal covers the second area. |
| US09129914B2 |
Electronic device, test board, and semiconductor device manufacturing method
Electrical characteristics of a mounting board over which a semiconductor device is mounted is improved. A mounting board (wiring board) includes a plurality of first through holes and second through holes extending from its upper surface bearing a semiconductor device (semiconductor package) to its lower surface and through-hole wirings formed in the respective through holes. The mounting board has a capacitor arranged on its lower surface and electrically connected with the semiconductor device via second electrodes. Among a plurality of first electrodes formed on the upper surface of the mounting board, the several first electrodes to be connected with the capacitor are connected with one wiring formed in a first through hole with a larger diameter than a signal transmission path. |
| US09129904B2 |
Wafer dicing using pulse train laser with multiple-pulse bursts and plasma etch
Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. A method includes forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer. The mask is composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is patterned with a pulse train laser scribing process using multiple-pulse bursts to provide a patterned mask with gaps. The patterning exposes regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits. |
| US09129903B2 |
Methods of fabricating a semiconductor device using voids in a sacrificial layer
A semiconductor device is fabricated by forming first holes arranged along a first direction on an etch-target layer, forming dielectric patterns in the first holes, conformally forming a barrier layer on the dielectric patterns, forming a sacrificial layer on the barrier layer to define a first void, partially removing the sacrificial layer to expose the first void, anisotropically etching the barrier layer to form second holes below the first void, and etching portions of the etch-target layer located below the first and second holes to form contact holes. The first void may be formed on a first gap region confined by at least three of the dielectric patterns disposed adjacent to each other, and the sacrificial layer may include a material having a low conformality. |
| US09129901B2 |
Polishing method of non-oxide single-crystal substrate
There is provided a polishing method for polishing a non-oxide single-crystal substrate such as a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate at a high polishing rate to obtain a high-quality surface that is smooth and excellent in surface properties. This polishing method is a method of supplying a polishing liquid to a polishing pad not including abrasive grains to bring a surface to be polished of the non-oxide single-crystal substrate and the polishing pad into contact with each other and polishing the surface to be polished by a relative movement between them, the method characterized in that the polishing liquid comprises: an oxidant whose redox potential is 0.5 V or more and which contains a transition metal; and water, and does not contain abrasive grains. |
| US09129900B2 |
Polishing agent and method for polishing substrate using the polishing agent
Disclosed is a polishing agent comprising: water; tetravalent metal hydroxide particles; and an additive, wherein the additive contains at least one of a cationic polymer and a cationic polysaccharide. The present invention can provide a polishing agent which is capable of polishing an insulating film at a high speed with less polishing flaws, and having a high polishing rate ratio of a silicon oxide film and a stopper film, in the CMP technology of flattening insulating film. The present invention can also provide a polishing agent set for storing the polishing agent, and a method for polishing a substrate using this polishing agent. |
| US09129897B2 |
Metal silicide, metal germanide, methods for making the same
In one aspect, methods of silicidation and germanidation are provided. In some embodiments, methods for forming metal silicide can include forming a non-oxide interface, such as germanium or solid antimony, over exposed silicon regions of a substrate. Metal oxide is formed over the interface layer. Annealing and reducing causes metal from the metal oxide to react with the underlying silicon and form metal silicide. Additionally, metal germanide can be formed by reduction of metal oxide over germanium, whether or not any underlying silicon is also silicided. In other embodiments, nickel is deposited directly and an interface layer is not used. In another aspect, methods of depositing nickel thin films by vapor phase deposition processes are provided. In some embodiments, nickel thin films are deposited by ALD. |
| US09129892B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A vertical super junction MOSFET and a lateral MOSFET are integrated on the same semiconductor substrate. The lateral MOSFET is electrically isolated from the vertical super junction MOSFET by an n-buried isolating layer and an n-diffused isolating layer. The lateral MOSFET is formed of a p-well region formed in an n− semiconductor layer bounded by the n-buried isolating layer and n-diffused isolating layer, an n-source region and n-drain region formed in the p-well region, and a gate electrode that covers a portion of the p-well region sandwiched by the n-source region and n-drain region. As the n-buried isolating layer is formed at the same time as an n-layer (3) of the vertical super junction MOSFET, it is possible to reduce cost. Also, it is possible to suppress parasitic action between the elements with the n-buried isolating layer. |
| US09129891B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer provided over a substrate; an electron transit layer contacting a top of the first semiconductor layer; and a second semiconductor layer contacting a top of the electron transit layer, wherein the electron transit layer has a dual quantum well layer having a structure where a first well layer, an intermediate barrier layer, and a second well layer are sequentially stacked, an energy of a conduction band of the intermediate barrier layer is lower than an energy of conduction band of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and a ground level is generated in the first and second well layers, and a first excitation level is generated in the dual quantum well layer. |
| US09129888B2 |
Nitride-based semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A nitride-based semiconductor device includes a buffer layer on a substrate, a nitride-based semiconductor layer on the buffer layer, at least one ion implanted layer within the nitride-based semiconductor layer, and a channel layer on the nitride-based semiconductor layer. |
| US09129885B2 |
Power semiconductor module
A power semiconductor module in which temperature rise of switching elements made of a Si semiconductor can be suppressed low and efficiency of cooling the module can be enhanced. To that end, the power semiconductor module includes switching elements made of the Si semiconductor and diodes made of a wide-bandgap semiconductor, the diodes are arranged in the middle region of the power semiconductor module, and the switching elements are arranged in both sides or in the periphery of the middle region of the power semiconductor module. |
| US09129884B2 |
Solder bump joining structure with low resistance joining member
A semiconductor device is provided with a wiring substrate including a connection pad, a joining member joined with the connection pad, and a semiconductor chip including a connection terminal electrically connected to the connection pad via the joining member. The joining member consists of a first intermetallic compound layer formed at a boundary between the connection pad and the joining member, a second intermetallic compound layer formed at a boundary between the connection terminal and the joining member, a third intermetallic compound layer composed of an intermetallic compound of Cu6Sn5 or (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and formed between the first intermetallic compound layer and the second intermetallic compound layer, and discrete metal grains, each being composed of a simple substance of Bi, in the third intermetallic compound layer. Surfaces of each of the metal grains are completely covered by the third intermetallic compound layer so that the metal grains do not form a layer. |
| US09129883B2 |
Package structure of optical transceiver component
The invention provides a package structure of optical transceiver component, comprising: a metal base; a plurality of pins, at least one optical emitting diode and/or at least one optical receiving diode; wherein the pins are provided and passed through the metal base and insulated with the metal base by using an insulating material; the optical emitting diode and the optical receiving diode are each mounted on the metal base through a sub-mount, respectively. The optical emitting diode/optical receiving diode is connected to the pins neighboring therewith by a wire directly or through the sub-mount, when set the top surface of the pins be a reference level, at least one of the top surfaces of the optical emitting diode, the optical receiving diode, and sub-mount is flush with the reference level. |
| US09129880B2 |
Imaging device
An imaging device includes: a plurality of first absorption layers that absorb an infrared ray with a given wavelength range, and generate pixel signals of a plurality of pixels, respectively; at least one second absorption layer that absorbs an infrared ray with a wavelength range which is different from the given wavelength range of the first absorption layers, and generates a pixel signal common to the pixels; a plurality of first electrodes that take out the pixel signals from the first absorption layers, respectively; and a second electrode that takes out the pixel signal from the at least one second absorption layer. |
| US09129879B2 |
Solid state imaging device and camera system
An MOS type solid state imaging device in which unit pixels 10 each having a photodiode 11, a transfer transistor 12 for transferring the signal of the photodiode 11 to a floating node N11, an amplifier transistor 13 for outputting the signal of the floating node N11 to a vertical signal line 22, and a reset transistor 14 for resetting the floating node N11 are arrayed in a matrix and in which a gate voltage of the reset transistor 14 is controlled by three values of a power source potential (for example 3V), a ground potential (0V), and a negative power source potential (for example −1V). |
| US09129870B2 |
Package structure having embedded electronic component
A package structure having an embedded electronic component includes: a carrier having a cavity penetrating therethrough; a semiconductor chip received in the cavity and having solder bumps disposed thereon; a dielectric layer formed on the carrier and the semiconductor chip so as to encapsulate the solder bumps; a wiring layer formed on the dielectric layer; an insulating protection layer formed on the dielectric layer and the wiring layer; and a solder material formed in the dielectric layer and the insulating protection layer for electrically connecting the wiring layer and the solder bumps, thereby shortening the signal transmission path between the semiconductor chip and the carrier to avoid signal losses. |
| US09129869B2 |
Pillar on pad interconnect structures, semiconductor devices including same and related methods
Methods of fabricating interconnect structures for semiconductor dice comprise forming conductive elements in contact with bond pads on an active surface over a full pillar diameter of the conductive elements, followed by application of a photodefinable material comprising a photoresist to the active surface and over the conductive elements. The polyimide material is selectively exposed and developed to remove photodefinable material covering at least tops of the conductive elements. Semiconductor dice and semiconductor die assemblies are also disclosed. |
| US09129862B2 |
Microelectronic devices and microelectronic support devices, and associated assemblies and methods
Microelectronic devices, associated assemblies, and associated methods are disclosed herein. For example, certain aspects of the invention are directed toward a microelectronic device that includes a microfeature workpiece having a side and an aperture in the side. The device can further include a workpiece contact having a surface. At least a portion of the surface of the workpiece contact can be accessible through the aperture and through a passageway extending between the aperture and the surface. Other aspects of the invention are directed toward a microelectronic support device that includes a support member having a side carrying a support contact that can be connectable to a workpiece contact of a microfeature workpiece. The device can further include recessed support contact means carried by the support member. The recessed support contact means can be connectable to a second workpiece contact of the microfeature workpiece. |
| US09129860B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
In this embodiment, a mask material is formed above a film to be processed, and a plurality of sacrifice films are formed above the mask material, each of the sacrifice films having a columnar shape. Then, a sidewall film is formed on a sidewall of the sacrifice films, and then the sacrifice films are removed. Thereafter, the sidewall films are caused to flow. In addition, a plurality of holes are formed in the mask material using the sidewall film as a mask. Then, isotropic etching is performed for the mask material to etch back the sidewall of the mask material with respect to a sidewall of the sidewall film by a first distance. Thereafter, a deposition layer is deposited inside the plurality of holes to close an opening of the plurality of holes with the deposition layer. Anisotropic etching is conducted to remove the deposition layer in the opening. |
| US09129859B2 |
Three dimensional memory structure
A method to fabricate a three dimensional memory structure includes forming an array stack, creating a layer of sacrificial material above the array stack, etching a hole through the layer of sacrificial material and the array stack, creating a pillar of semiconductor material in the hole to form at least two vertically stacked flash memory cells that use the pillar as a common body, removing at least some of the layer of sacrificial material around the pillar to expose a portion of the pillar, and forming a field effect transistor (FET) using the portion of the pillar as the body of the FET. |
| US09129857B2 |
Semiconductor device including a first core pattern under a second core pattern
According to example embodiments, a semiconductor device includes horizontal patterns stacked on a substrate. The horizontal patterns define an opening through the horizontal patterns. A first core pattern is in the opening. A second core pattern is in the opening on the first core pattern. A first active pattern is between the first core pattern and the horizontal patterns. A second active pattern containing a first element is between the second core pattern and the horizontal patterns. The second active pattern contains the first element at a higher concentration than a concentration of the first element in the second core pattern. |
| US09129856B2 |
Method for efficiently fabricating memory cells with logic FETs and related structure
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for concurrently fabricating a memory region with a logic region in a common substrate includes forming a lower dielectric segment in the common substrate in the memory and logic regions. The method also includes forming a polysilicon segment over the lower dielectric segment in the memory region, while concurrently forming a sacrificial polysilicon segment over the lower dielectric segment in the logic region. Furthermore, the method includes removing from the logic region the lower dielectric segment and the sacrificial polysilicon segment. The method additionally includes forming a high-k segment in the logic region over the common substrate, and in the memory region over the polysilicon segment and forming a metal segment over the high-k segment in the logic and memory regions. An exemplary structure achieved by the described exemplary method is also disclosed. |
| US09129855B2 |
Non-volatile memory (NVM) and high-k and metal gate integration using gate-first methodology
A method of making a semiconductor structure includes forming a select gate over a substrate in an NVM portion and a first protection layer over a logic portion. A control gate and a storage layer are formed over the substrate in the NVM portion, wherein the control and select gates have coplanar top surfaces. The charge storage layer is under the control gate, along adjacent sidewalls of the select gate and control gate, and is partially over the top surface of the select gate. A second protection layer is formed over the NVM portion and the logic portion. The second protection layer and the first protection layer are removed from the logic portion leaving a portion of the second protection layer over the control gate and the select gate. A gate structure is formed over the logic portion comprising a high k dielectric and a metal gate. |
| US09129852B1 |
Method for fabricating non-volatile memory semiconductor device
A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate; forming a gate pattern on the substrate, wherein the gate pattern comprises a first polysilicon layer on the substrate, an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stack on the first polysilicon layer, and a second polysilicon layer on the ONO stack; forming an oxide layer on the top surface and sidewall of the gate pattern; performing a first etching process to remove part of the oxide layer; and performing a second etching process to completely remove the remaining oxide layer. |
| US09129842B2 |
Formation of silicide contacts in semiconductor devices
Methods of forming silicide contacts in semiconductor devices are presented. An exemplary method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate having an n-type field effect transistor (nFET) region and a p-type field effect transistor (pFET) region; performing a pre-amorphized implantation (PAI) process to an n-type doped silicon (Si) feature in on the nFET region and a p-type doped silicon germanium (SiGe) feature in the pFET region, thereby forming an n-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) feature and a p-type amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe) feature; depositing a metal layer over each of the a-Si and a-SiGe features; performing an annealing process on the semiconductor device with a temperature ramp-up rate tuned according to a silicide growth rate difference between the n-type a-Si and the p-type a-SiGe features. During the annealing process the n-type a-Si and the p-type a-SiGe features are completely consumed, and amorphous silicide features are formed in the nFET and pFET regions. |
| US09129841B2 |
Semiconductor device including a high voltage P-channel transistor and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device in which a reliable high voltage p-channel transistor is formed without an increase in cost and the number of manufacturing steps. The transistor includes: a semiconductor substrate having a main surface and a p-type region therein; a p-type well region located over the p-type region and in the main surface, having a first p-type impurity region to obtain a drain electrode; an n-type well region adjoining the p-type well region along the main surface and having a second p-type impurity region to obtain a source electrode; a gate electrode between the first and second p-type impurity regions along the main surface; and a p-type buried channel overlying the n-type well region and extending along the main surface. The border between the n-type and p-type well regions is nearer to the first p-type impurity region than the gate electrode end near to the first p-type impurity region. |
| US09129836B2 |
High-frequency switching transistor and high-frequency circuit
A circuit includes first, second, third and fourth terminals, and first and second switches. The first switch switches a first signal from the first terminal to the second terminal or from the first terminal to the fourth terminal. The second switch switches a second signal from the third terminal to the second terminal or from the third terminal to the fourth terminal. The first switch comprises a first switching element with a first high-frequency switching transistor connected between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a second switching element with a second high-frequency switching transistor connected between the first terminal and the fourth terminal. The second switch comprises a third switching element with a third high-frequency transistor connected between the third terminal and the second terminal and comprises a fourth switching element with a fourth high-frequency switching transistor connected between the third terminal and the fourth terminal. |
| US09129835B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a drift layer including a trench formed on a semiconductor substrate. A well in the drift layer overlaps an edge of the trench, and at least one gate electrode is formed at this overlapping edge region. The drift layer and semiconductor may be doped with a first type of impurity and the well may be doped with a second type of impurity. Through this arrangement, an improved distribution of carriers may be formed in the drift layer. |
| US09129832B2 |
LED multi-chip bonding die and light strip using the same
An LED multi-chip bonding die (1) comprises a packaging enclosure, a plurality of LED chips and a packaging cover, wherein the chips are arranged in one line from top to bottom on the emitting platform. Large area electrodes are equipped on the packaging enclosure and the packaging cover is made of transparent silicone gel so that the bonding die can emit larger light energy and higher luminance via the packaging cover while the heat produced by the chips can be quickly dissipated by the electrodes. A light strip (20) equipped with the bonding die comprises a plurality of bonding die sections and circuit board (2) and each bonding die section (1) comprises four LED multi-chip bonding dies (1) and a current-limiting resistor in series circuit. Each series circuit is connected in parallel and circuit board (2) is printed circuit board which can provide a optimal heat-dissipating structure for chips of bonding die. |
| US09129829B2 |
Silicon and silicon germanium nanowire structures
Methods of forming microelectronic structures are described. Embodiments of those methods include forming a nanowire device comprising a substrate comprising source/drain structures adjacent to spacers, and nanowire channel structures disposed between the spacers, wherein the nanowire channel structures are vertically stacked above each other. |
| US09129824B2 |
Module and assembly with dual DC-links for three-level NPC applications
A power semiconductor module has four power terminals. An IGBT has a collector connected to the first power terminal and an emitter coupled to the third power terminal. An anti-parallel diode is coupled in parallel with the IGBT. A DC-link is connected between the second and fourth power terminals. The DC-link may involve two diodes and two IGBTs, where the IGBTs are connected in a common collector configuration. The first and second power terminals are disposed in a first line along one side of the module, and the third and fourth power terminals are disposed in a second line along the opposite side of the module. Two identical instances of the module can be interconnected together to form a three-level NPC phase leg having low stray inductances, where the phase leg has two parallel DC-links. |
| US09129821B1 |
Electrostatic discharge protection device
An electrostatic discharge protection device including a protection circuit, a first resister and a low-pass filter is provided. The protection circuit includes a first element and a second element. The first element and the second element are electrically connected in series between a power line and a ground line, and a connection node is disposed between the first element and the second element. The low-pass filter, the protection circuit and the first resister are electrically connected in series between an input pad and an internal circuit. |
| US09129814B2 |
Method for integrated circuit patterning
A method of forming a target pattern includes forming a plurality of lines over a substrate with a first mask and forming a spacer layer over the substrate, over the plurality of lines, and onto sidewalls of the plurality of lines. The method further includes removing at least a portion of the spacer layer to expose the plurality of lines and the substrate. The method further includes shrinking the spacer layer disposed onto the sidewalls of the plurality of lines and removing the plurality of lines thereby resulting in a patterned spacer layer over the substrate. |
| US09129809B2 |
Silicon controlled rectifier for high voltage applications
In a silicon-controlled rectifier, an anode region includes p-type anode well regions which are laterally surrounded by an n-type well region. A length of a p-type anode well region, as measured in a first direction, is greater than a width of the p-type anode well region, as measured in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A p-type well region meets the n-type well region at a junction, wherein the junction extends between the p-type well region and n-type well region in the second direction. A cathode region includes a plurality of n-type cathode well regions which are formed in the p-type well region. A length of an n-type cathode well region, as measured in the first direction, is greater than a width of the n-type cathode well region, as measured in the second direction. |
| US09129808B2 |
Epitaxial wafer, photodiode, optical sensor device, and methods for producing epitaxial wafer and photodiode
Provided are an epitaxial wafer, a photodiode, and the like that include an antimony-containing layer and can be efficiently produced such that protruding surface defects causing a decrease in the yield can be reduced and impurity contamination causing degradation of the performance can be suppressed.The production method includes a step of growing an antimony (Sb)-containing layer on a substrate 1 by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy using only metal-organic sources; and a step of growing, on the antimony-containing layer, an antimony-free layer including a window layer 5, wherein, from the growth of the antimony-containing layer to completion of the growth of the window layer, the growth is performed at a growth temperature of 425° C. or more and 525° C. or less. |
| US09129804B2 |
Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
The present invention provides a silicon carbide semiconductor device having an ohmic electrode improved in adhesion of a wire thereto by preventing deposition of carbon so as not to form a Schottky contact, as well as a method for manufacturing such a silicon carbide semiconductor device. In the SiC semiconductor device, upon forming the ohmic electrode, a first metal layer made of one first metallic element is formed on one main surface of a SiC layer. Further, a Si layer made of Si is formed on an opposite surface of the first metal layer to its surface facing the SiC layer. The stacked structure thus formed is subjected to thermal treatment. In this way, there can be obtained a silicon carbide semiconductor device having an ohmic electrode adhered well to a wire by preventing deposition of carbon atoms on the surface layer of the electrode and formation of a Schottky contact resulting from Si and SiC. |
| US09129801B2 |
Thermally labile precursor compounds for improving the interparticulate contact sites and for filling the interstices in semiconductive metal oxide particle layers
The present invention relates to a process for producing a layer comprising at least one semiconductive metal oxide on a substrate, comprising at least the steps of: (A) applying a porous layer of at least one semiconductive metal oxide to a substrate, (B) treating the porous layer from step (A) with a solution comprising at least one precursor compound of the semiconductive metal oxide, such that the pores of the porous layer are at least partly filled with this solution and (C) thermally treating the layer obtained in step (B) in order to convert the at least one precursor compound of the semiconductive metal oxide to the semiconductive metal oxide, wherein the at least one precursor compound of the at least one semiconductive metal oxide in step (B) is selected from the group consisting of carboxylates of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids having at least three carbon atoms or derivatives of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, alkoxides, hydroxides, semicarbazides, carbamates, hydroxamates, isocyanates, amidines, amidrazones, urea derivatives, hydroxylamines, oximes, oximates, urethanes, ammonia, amines, phosphines, ammonium compounds, nitrates, nitrites or azides of the corresponding metal, and mixtures thereof. |
| US09129799B2 |
Elimination of basal plane dislocations in post growth silicon carbide epitaxial layers by high temperature annealing while preserving surface morphology
A method to remove basal plane dislocations in post growth silicon carbide epitaxial layers by capping post growth silicon carbide epilayers with a graphite cap and annealing the capped silicon carbon epilayers at a temperature of 1750° C. or greater with a nitrogen overpressure of 60-110 psi, wherein basal plane dislocations in the epilayers are removed while surface morphology is preserved. Also disclosed is the related silicon carbide substrate material made by this method. |
| US09129797B2 |
Cleaning method
Disclosed is a low-cost and resource-saving cleaning method wherein high cleaning effects are obtained by high-pressure jet cleaning or two-fluid cleaning using a gas-dissolved water. In the high-pressure jet cleaning method or the two-fluid cleaning method, a cleaning liquid or a mixed fluid of the cleaning liquid and a gas is jetted from a cleaning fluid jetting nozzle toward a subject to be cleaned, and the subject is cleaned. The cleaning liquid introduced into the cleaning fluid jetting nozzle contains the dissolved gas in a quantity equal to or more than the saturation solubility at the liquid temperature of the cleaning liquid. |
| US09129793B2 |
High pressure discharge lamp with auxiliary lamp
A high pressure discharge lamp with auxiliary lamp comprises: a high pressure discharge lamp having an arc tube and at least one sealing portion, a pair of main electrodes, and a pair of feeders supplying power to the main electrodes; an auxiliary lamp having an airtight case, an inner electrode, and an outer electrode, wherein the inner electrode is arranged at a position so as to part the inner space to large and small spaces, the outer electrode is arranged at a position so as to face the large space, the auxiliary lamp as arranged as the large space faces the sealing portion. |
| US09129789B2 |
Multi-pole ion trap for mass spectrometry
An ion trap includes a containment region for containing ions, and a plurality of electrodes positioned on a regular polyhedral structure encompassing the containment region. An electrode is positioned on each vertex of the encompassing structure and at least one of the polygonal surfaces includes additional electrodes configured to form a plurality of quadrupoles on the surface. Alternating RF voltage is applied to the plurality of electrodes, so that directly neighboring electrodes are of equal amplitude and opposite polarity at any point in time. This configuration on the polyhedral structure forms a potential barrier for repelling the ions from each of the regular polygonal surfaces and containing them in the trap. Mass selective filters can be formed from the quadrupoles for parallel mass analysis in different m/z windows. Application of a small DC potential to a plate electrode outside the quadrupoles preferentially depletes single charged ions for enhanced signal-to-noise analysis. |
| US09129783B2 |
MS/MS analysis using ECD or ETD fragmentation
A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising providing a mixture of different analyte ions and supplying electrons or reagent ions to said mixture so as to transfer charge to the analyte ions. The transfer of charge causes at least some of the analyte ions to dissociate and others of the analyte ions not to dissociate, but to form intermediate ions of altered charge state. These intermediate ions are then isolated from other ions and excited so as to dissociate into daughter ions. The intermediate ions and their daughter ions are analyzed and associated with each other so that the intermediate can be identified from their daughter ions. The analyte ions can then be identified from the intermediate ions, since they differ only in charge state. The disclosed method enables analyte ions to be associated with their fragment ions, and therefore identified, without having to isolate individual analyte ions prior to their interactions with the electrons or reagent ions. |
| US09129780B2 |
Stacked micro-channel plate assembly comprising a micro-lens
A multilayer electronic imaging module and sensor system incorporating a micro-lens layer for imaging and collimating a received image from a field of regard, a photocathode layer for detecting photons from the micro-lens layer and generating an electron output, a micro-channel plate layer for receiving the output electrons emitted from the photocathode in response to the photon input and amplifying same and stacked readout circuitry for processing the electron output of the micro-channel plate. The sensor system of the invention may be provided in the form of a Cassegrain telescope assembly and includes electromagnetic imaging and scanning means and beam-splitting means for directed predetermined ranges of the received image to one or more photo-detector elements which may be in the form of the micro-channel imaging module of the invention. |
| US09129775B2 |
Specimen potential measuring method, and charged particle beam device
The present invention has an object to perform specimen charge measurement or focusing at a high speed and with high precision also for a specimen in which fixed charge and induced charge may be mixedly present.As one mode to achieve the object, there are proposed a specimen potential measuring method and a device to implement the method characterized in that when specimen potential information obtained by a first specimen potential measuring device disposed outside a specimen chamber or specimen potential information beforehand obtained is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value or is more than the threshold value, measurement of specimen potential is selectively conducted by use of a second specimen potential measuring device in the specimen chamber. |
| US09129774B2 |
Method of using a phase plate in a transmission electron microscope
The invention relates to a method of using a phase plate, having a thin film, in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), comprising: introducing the phase plate in the TEM; preparing the phase plate by irradiating the film with a focused electron beam; introducing a sample in the TEM; and forming an image of the sample using the prepared phase plate, wherein preparing the phase plate involves locally building up a vacuum potential resulting from a change in the electronic structure of the thin film by irradiating the phase plate with a focused beam of electrons, the vacuum potential leading to an absolute phase shift |φ| with a smaller value than at the non-irradiated thin film. Preferably the phase plate is heated to avoid contamination. The phase shift achieved with this phase plate can be tuned by varying the diameter of the irradiated spot. |
| US09129771B2 |
Emitter structure, gas ion source and focused ion beam system
There is provided an emitter structure, a gas ion source including the emitter structure, and a focused ion beam system including the gas ion source. The emitter structure includes a pair of conductive pins which are fixed to a base member, a filament which is connected between the pair of conductive pins, and an emitter which is connected to the filament and has a sharp tip. A supporting member is fixed to the base material, and the emitter is connected to the supporting member. |
| US09129757B2 |
Waterproof type switch and electronic device
A waterproof type switch includes: a waterproof sheet including a flat portion and a side wall portion disposed around the flat portion, an upper portion of the side wall portion coupled to an edge portion of the flat portion; a switch disposed below the flat portion; and an electronic component coupled to an upper surface of the flat portion, the electric component being used as a key top, wherein the waterproof sheet includes a rubber and a reinforcing plate including a first reinforcing plate disposed on the upper surface of the flat portion and coupled to the electric component. |
| US09129755B2 |
Method of preparing porous metal material
Provided is a method of preparing a porous metal material. The method includes: obtaining a composite of a DNA hydrogel and a metal precursor by mixing the DNA hydrogel and the metal precursor; and reducing the composite of the DNA hydrogel and the metal precursor. |
| US09129750B2 |
Multilayered ceramic electronic component and manufacturing method thereof
There is provided a multilayered ceramic electronic component including: a ceramic body including dielectric layers having an average thickness of 0.6 μm or less; and first and second internal electrodes, wherein the ceramic body includes a capacitance formation part and a non-capacitance formation part provided on at least one surface of upper and lower surfaces of the capacitance formation part, and when the capacitance formation part is divided into three regions in a thickness direction of the ceramic body, in a central region among the three regions, dielectric grains have an average particle size of 150 nm or less, and the number of dielectric grains per layer is 4 or more, and in upper and lower regions, dielectric grains have an average particle size of 200 nm or less, respectively, and the number of dielectric grains per layer is 3 or more. |
| US09129749B2 |
Sintered electrodes to store energy in an implantable medical device
An example includes a capacitor case sealed to retain electrolyte, at least one anode disposed in the capacitor case, the at least one anode comprising a sintered portion disposed on a substrate, an anode conductor coupled to the substrate in electrical communication with the sintered portion, the anode conductor sealingly extending through the capacitor case to an anode terminal disposed on the exterior of the capacitor case with the anode terminal in electrical communication with the sintered portion, a cathode disposed in the capacitor case, a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode and a cathode terminal disposed on an exterior of the capacitor case and in electrical communication with the cathode, with the anode terminal and the cathode terminal electrically isolated from one another. |
| US09129745B2 |
Laminated ceramic electronic component and method for producing laminated ceramic electronic component
A laminated ceramic electronic component has a variety of superior mechanical properties and electrical properties, including a high degree of freedom in the design for ceramic materials, and can be manufactured at low cost and with a low percentage of defective products. The laminated ceramic electronic component includes a laminate including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and a plurality of internal electrodes containing Al as a main constituent, the internal electrodes being arranged along specific interfaces between the ceramic layers, and external electrodes located on an outer surface of the laminate, wherein surface layer sections of the internal electrodes include an Al2O3 layer. |
| US09129743B1 |
Distributed architecture for uni-directional and bi-directional power transfer in an electrical storage system
An energy distribution system and methods for coupling a plurality of energy storage cells to at least one of an energy source and an energy load. Each energy storage cell is coupled, at an interface, via a distinct power converter, to a winding, as is an energy source or load, coupled at an energy port to a secondary winding. The plurality of windings sharing a magnetic flux field and thus constitute a transformer. While separate processors are associated with each power converter, a subset of the plurality of processors may be intercoupled for control based on conditions associated with at least one of the plurality of energy storage cells. A central processor may govern operation of a subset of the processors, moreover, a subset of the plurality of processors may also be connected to a local area network and the central processor may communicate with other processors and may also be coupled to an external network such as the internet. Cells are readily switched out individually and recruited to match instantaneous load demand. |
| US09129742B2 |
Gas turbine engine comprising an ultra high temperature circuit coupling open core transformer
An inductance-stable ultra high temperature circuit coupling transformer (50) used to transmit and receive alternating current power and/or data signals (29″, 33″). Primary (30″) and secondary (34″) windings are formed on nanostructured laminated (31′) primary and secondary steel cores (32″) having a Curie temperature exceeding an ultra high operating temperature. The operating range can extend from ambient to 250° C. or to in excess of 550° C. or up to 700° C. with a change in inductance of less than 10% in various embodiments. |
| US09129737B2 |
Laminated inductor
A laminated inductor includes: a laminate having an insulating part constituted by non-magnetic layers, as well as a coil part constituted by conductors positioned between the non-magnetic layers; and external electrodes that are electrically connected to the ends of the coil part and positioned on the exterior surfaces of the laminate; wherein the external electrodes each have a first electrode layer whose primary constituent is Ag, as well as a second electrode layer whose primary constituent is Cu and which is positioned on the outer side of the first electrode layer and has a thickness of 4 μm or more, and the total thickness of the first electrode layer and second electrode layer is 5 μm or more and preferably 10 μm or less. |
| US09129730B1 |
Rare-earth-iron-based alloy material
Provided are a powder for a magnet, which provides a rare-earth magnet having excellent magnet properties and which has excellent formability, a method for producing the powder for a magnet, a powder compact, a rare-earth-iron-based alloy material, and a rare-earth-iron-nitrogen-based alloy material which are used as materials for the magnet, and methods for producing the powder compact and these alloy materials. |
| US09129728B2 |
Systems and methods of forming subsurface wellbores
A system for forming a subsurface wellbore includes a rack and pinion system including a chuck drive system. The chuck drive system operates a drilling string. An automatic position control system includes at least one measurement sensor coupled to the rack and pinion system. The automatic position control system controls the rack and pinion system to determine a position of the drilling string. |
| US09129726B2 |
Rubber composition for tire, and pneumatic tire
Provided are a rubber composition for a tire which achieves a balanced improvement in tensile properties at break and fuel economy while providing excellent conductivity; and a pneumatic tire including the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for a tire, including: a rubber component; a carbon black having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 20 to 110 m2/g and a DBP oil absorption of 60 to 130 ml/100 g; and a conductive carbon black having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 900 m2/g or larger, a DBP oil absorption of 300 ml/100 g or more, and a volatile content of 0.8% by mass or more, the rubber composition containing 0.1 to 3 parts by mass of the conductive carbon black per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component. |
| US09129724B2 |
Shielded electrical cable
A shielded electrical cable is disclosed. The cable includes a plurality of conductor sets that extend along the length of the cable and are spaced apart from each other along the width of the cable. Each conductor set includes one or more insulated conductors, and first and second shielding films that are disposed on opposite first and second sides of the cable. The first and second films include cover portions and pinched portions arranged such that, in transverse cross section, the cover portions of the first and second films in combination substantially surround each conductor set, and the pinched portions of the first and second films in combination form pinched portions of the cable on each side of each conductor set. Each conductor set also includes an EMI absorbing layer that is disposed on the first side of the cable, and an adhesive layer that bonds the first shielding film to the second shielding film in the pinched portions of the cable. The plurality of conductor sets includes a first conductor set that includes neighboring first and second insulated conductors and has corresponding first cover portions of the first and second shielding films and corresponding first pinched portions of the first and second shielding films that form a first pinched region of the cable on one side of the first conductor set. The maximum separation between the first cover portions of the first and second shielding films is D. The minimum separation between the first pinched portions of the first and second shielding films is d1. d1/D is less than 0.25. The minimum separation between the first cover portions of the first and second shielding films in a region between the first and second insulated conductors is d2. d2/D is greater than 0.33. |
| US09129721B2 |
Direct current (DC) transmission system comprising a thickness controlled laminated insulation layer and method of manufacturing
A direct current transmission system and a method for preparation including an electrical conductor layer, an inner semiconductive layer covering the conductor layer, an insulation layer provided on the semi-conductive layer including laminated polymer material and impregnated with a high viscosity fluid, and including an inner part, a middle part, an outer part, and an outer semi-conductive layer covering the insulation layer. The inner part has a first thickness, the middle part has a second thickness and the outer part has a third thickness, whereby the second thickness is greater than the first thickness and greater than the third thickness. The laminated polymer material within each part has a constant thickness and constant ratio of polymer to laminated material and wherein at least one of the parts has a thickness ratio of less than 35%. |
| US09129714B2 |
Electron linac for medical isotope production with improved energy efficiency and isotope recovery
A method and isotope linac system are provided for producing radio-isotopes and for recovering isotopes. The isotope linac is an energy recovery linac (ERL) with an electron beam being transmitted through an isotope-producing target. The electron beam energy is recollected and re-injected into an accelerating structure. The ERL provides improved efficiency with reduced power requirements and provides improved thermal management of an isotope target and an electron-to-x-ray converter. |
| US09129710B1 |
Dynamic trim method for non volatile memory products
A dynamic trim method includes testing a selected number of cells on a die with predetermined testing margins. Data from this testing is used to determine dynamic reference margins for improving yield. Advantageously, yield is improved by allowing functioning fast or slow units to pass wafer sort by applying the dynamic reference margins for varying processes. |
| US09129708B2 |
Integrated circuit with separate supply voltage for memory that is different from logic circuit supply voltage
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage and at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage. The memory circuit is configured to be read and written responsive to the logic circuit even if the first supply voltage is less than the second supply voltage during use. In another embodiment, a method includes a logic circuit reading a memory cell, the logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage; and the memory cell responding to the read using signals that are referenced to the first supply voltage, wherein the memory cell is supplied with a second supply voltage that is greater than the first supply voltage during use. |
| US09129701B2 |
Asymmetric state detection for non-volatile storage
Techniques are disclosed herein for determining whether there is a defect that occurred as a result of programming non-volatile storage elements. Example defects include: broken word lines, control gate to substrate shorts, word line to word line shorts, double writes, etc. The memory cells may be programmed such that there will be a substantially even distribution of the memory cells in different data states. After programming, the memory cells are sensed at one or more reference levels. Two sub-groups of memory cells are strategically formed based on the sensing to enable detection of defects in a simple and efficient manner. The sub-groups may have a certain degree of separation of the data states to avoid missing a defect. The number of memory cells in one sub-group is compared with the other. If there is a significant imbalance between the two sub-groups, then a defect is detected. |
| US09129699B2 |
Semiconductor storage apparatus and method including executing refresh in a flash memory based on a reliability period using degree of deterioration and read frequency
A semiconductor storage apparatus comprises a memory controller and flash memories which include a plurality of blocks as storage areas. The memory controller is configured to manage a degree of deterioration and read frequency for each of the plurality of blocks. A reliability maintained period is calculated for each storage area based on the degree of deterioration and read frequency for each storage area of a flash memory, and refresh is executed on each storage area in a planned manner based on the calculated reliability maintained period by newly storing the data stored in a block in another block based on an obtained reliability maintained period. The memory controller may also be configured to execute verification on each block and, if the number of failure bits is larger than a predetermined threshold, execute refresh to store data which is stored in a verification target block in another block. |
| US09129696B2 |
Method of reading memory cells with different threshold voltages without variation of word line voltage and nonvolatile memory device using the same
A soft-decision read method of a nonvolatile memory device includes receiving a soft-decision read command, applying a read voltage to a selected word line, pre-charging bit lines respectively connected to selected memory cells of the selected word line, continuously sensing states of the selected memory cells. The pre-charged voltages of the bit lines and the read voltage supplied to the selected word line are not varied during the sensing states of the selected memory cells. |
| US09129690B2 |
Method and system for providing magnetic junctions having improved characteristics
A method and apparatus provide a magnetic memory including magnetic junctions on a substrate. The apparatus include an RIE chamber and an ion milling chamber. The chambers are coupled such that the magnetic memory is movable between the chambers without exposing the magnetic memory to ambient. The method provides magnetic junction layers and a hard mask layer on the magnetic junction layers. A hard mask is formed from the hard mask layer using an RIE. The magnetic junction layers are ion milled after the RIE and without exposing the magnetic memory to an ambient after the RIE. The ion milling defines at least part of each magnetic junction. A magnetic junction may be provided. The magnetic junction includes pinned, nonmagnetic spacer, and free layers. The free layer has a width of not more than twenty nanometers and is switchable when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. |
| US09129687B2 |
OTP memory cell having low current leakage
A one time programmable memory cell having twin wells to improve dielectric breakdown while minimizing current leakage. The memory cell is manufactured using a standard CMOS process used for core and I/O (input/output) circuitry. A two transistor memory cell having an access transistor and an anti-fuse device, or a single transistor memory cell 100 having a dual thickness gate oxide 114 & 116, are formed in twin wells 102 & 104. The twin wells are opposite in type to each other, where one can be an N-type well 102 while the other can be a P-type well 104. The anti-fuse device is formed with a thin gate oxide and in a well similar to that used for the core circuitry. The access transistor is formed with a thick gate oxide and in a well similar to that used for I/O circuitry. |
| US09129686B2 |
Systems and methods for providing high voltage to memory devices
Apparatus, systems, and methods for providing high voltage to memory devices are provided. One apparatus includes a low voltage input and a two-rail level shifting. The two-rail level shifting is configured to increase the low voltage or to decrease the low voltage to an amount that is less than or equal to a ground potential based on the amount of the low voltage. A system includes a low voltage input for receiving a voltage and a two-rail level shifting coupled to the low voltage input. The two-rail level shifting is configured to increase the voltage to a positive voltage if the voltage is equal to a ground potential and decrease the voltage to a negative voltage if the voltage is greater than the ground potential. One method includes receiving a voltage, modifying the voltage to generate one of a plurality of output voltages, and providing the output voltage to a memory device. |
| US09129685B2 |
Word-line driver for memory
A word-line driver includes first, second and third transistors. The first transistor includes a gate terminal driven by a first group selection signal, a first conduction terminal driven by a second sub-group selection signal and a second conduction terminal coupled to the word-line. The second transistor includes a gate terminal driven by a second group selection signal, a second conduction terminal driven by the second sub-group selection signal, and a first conduction terminal coupled to the word-line. The third transistor includes a gate terminal driven by a third the group selection signal, a first conduction terminal driven by a first sub-group selection signal, and a second conduction terminal coupled to the word-line. |
| US09129684B2 |
Dynamic program window determination in a memory device
A memory device has an array of memory cells and a controller coupled to the array of memory cells. The controller is configured to determine a program window after a portion of a particular programming operation performed on the memory device is performed and before a subsequent portion of the particular programming operation performed on the memory device is performed. The controller is configured to determine the program window responsive to an amount of program disturb experienced by a particular state of a memory cell. The controller is configured to perform the subsequent portion of the particular programming operation performed on the memory device using the determined program window. |
| US09129680B2 |
Self-biasing multi-reference
Current appearing on a bit-line with no memory cells asserted may be used during a bit-line pre-charge time before a read is performed so as to bias a gate-drain shorted PMOS pull-up device connected between the bit-line and a power supply at a VDD potential. The capacitance connected to the gate of this PMOS pull-up device may be used to “store” the resultant gate-source voltage when the drain is disconnected once the pre-charge time is completed. Once the read operation starts, the current of the PMOS pull-up device that has the “stored” resultant gate-source voltage and the “stored” resultant gate-source voltage itself are re-used as the references, or multi-reference, for sensing the state of an asserted memory cell connected to the bit-line during the read operation thereof. |
| US09129677B2 |
Memory device and method of controlling memory device
According to one embodiment, a memory device includes a plurality of global column lines arranged in parallel and extending in a first direction; a plurality of row lines extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; a plurality of column lines in a two-dimensional arrangement, which extend in a third direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; and a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections between the row lines and the column lines. |
| US09129675B2 |
Resistive memory devices and methods of operating the same
Resistive memory driving methods are provided. The methods may include applying an operating voltage set according to a mode of operation to a selected word line among the plurality of word lines and a selected bit line among the plurality of bit lines within a line delay period. |
| US09129671B2 |
Semiconductor device identifier generation method and semiconductor device
A method (100) is disclosed of generating an identifier from a semiconductor device (600) comprising a volatile memory (610) having a plurality of memory cells. The method comprises causing (110) the memory cells to assume a plurality of pseudo-random bit values inherent to variations in the microstructure of the memory cells; retrieving (120) the bit values from at least a subset of the plurality of memory cells; and generating the identifier from the retrieved bit values. The method (100) is based on the realization that a substantial amount of the cells of a volatile memory can assume a bit value that is governed by underlying variations in manufacturing process parameters; this for instance occurs at power-up for an SRAM or after a time period without refresh for a DRAM. This can be used for several identification purposes, such as identifying a semiconductor device (600) comprising the volatile memory (610), or for secure key generation by mapping error-correcting code words onto the identifier bit locations. The present invention further includes a semiconductor device (600, 1000) configured to be subjectable to the method (100) of the present invention. |
| US09129670B2 |
Semiconductor devices
The semiconductor device includes a comparator and a data output unit. The comparator compares a phase of a first pulse signal generated in a first memory region with a phase of a second pulse signal generated in a second memory region and responsively generates a detection signal. The data output unit outputs first data received from the first memory region as output data in synchronization with a first output strobe signal generated by defining a pulse width of a first strobe signal in response to the detection signal and outputs second data received from the second memory region as the output data in synchronization with a second output strobe signal generated by defining a pulse width of a second strobe signal in response to the detection signal. |
| US09129668B2 |
Circuits and techniques to compensate memory access signals for variations of parameters in multiple layers of memory
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to implement circuits configured to compensate for parameter variations in layers of memory by adjusting access signals during memory operations. In some embodiments, memory cells are based on third dimensional memory technology. In at least some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes multiple layers of memory, a layer including sub-layers of semiconductor material. The integrated circuit also includes an access signal generator configured to generate an access signal to facilitate an access operation, and a characteristic adjuster configured to adjust the access signal for each layer in the multiple layers of memory. |
| US09129667B2 |
Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
A semiconductor device in which a nonvolatile memory can normally operate and power saving can be performed with a P-state function, and a driving method of the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes: a first circuit configured to control a state including a driving voltage and a clock frequency of a processor core; a first memory circuit and a second memory circuit which store state data; a second circuit generating a power supply voltage and a third circuit generating a clock which are electrically connected to the first circuit; and the processor core electrically connected to the second circuit and the third circuit through a switch. The processor cores includes: a volatile memory; and a nonvolatile memory transmitting and receiving data to/from the first memory. |
| US09129664B2 |
Internal voltage generating circuit capable of controlling swing width of detection signal in semiconductor memory apparatus
An internal voltage generating circuit capable of controlling a swing width of a detection signal in a semiconductor memory apparatus is provided. The internal voltage generating circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an internal voltage level detecting unit configured to compare an internal voltage with a target voltage and then generate a detection signal, and an internal voltage level control unit configured to control the internal voltage based on a voltage level of the detection signal, wherein the internal voltage level detecting unit is configured to control a swing width of the detection signal based on a voltage difference between the internal voltage and the target voltage. |
| US09129657B2 |
Video image display apparatus, video image display method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and video image processing/display system for video images of an object shot from multiple angles
A video image display apparatus includes a processor, a memory, and a display unit wherein the memory contains instructions for causing the processor to perform operations of reading out, among from time/angle video image data, frames corresponded to time identification information and angle identification information in a frame-by-frame manner in a time order of the time identification information. The operations include causing the display unit to display the frames in the frame-by-frame manner in the time order of the time identification information; and inputting an angle switching instruction for the video image. Upon successive input of the angle switching instruction, the video image display apparatus successively reads out a frame corresponded to the time identification information at a time of input and the angle identification information, and the display unit successively switches to and displays the frame. |
| US09129655B2 |
Time compressing video content
Methods and systems for compressing video content are presented. The methods and systems include analyzing a sequence of media frames stored in the memory device and calculating a displacement level of each of the media frames. The displacement level indicates how different each of the media frames is to a previous media frame. The sequence of media frames is divided into a plurality of cuts where each cut ends at a media frame having a substantially high displacement level. Frames to be removed from the sequence of media frames are identified in each cut based upon the frame's displacement level. The identified frames are then removed. |
| US09129653B2 |
Systems and methods for calibration coasting in a data processing system
The present inventions are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for coasting one or more calibration loops based upon identification of a probability of data inaccuracies. One embodiment is a data processing system that includes: a defect detector circuit operable to identify a defect region during a first pass processing of a received data set; a defect location buffer operable to maintain an indication of the defect region in the received data set; and a calibration circuit operable to adaptively update a calibration output during a second pass processing of the received data set, where updating the calibration output is disabled for one or more samples of the received data set corresponding to the indication of the defect region. |
| US09129648B2 |
Multiple track detection
An apparatus for reading data includes an array of analog inputs operable to receive analog signals retrieved from a magnetic storage medium, wherein the analog inputs correspond to multiple data tracks on the magnetic storage medium, and wherein the number of analog inputs in the array of analog inputs is greater than the number of data tracks being read, at least one joint equalizer operable to filter the analog inputs to yield an equalized output for each of the data tracks being read, and at least one data detector operable to apply a detection algorithm to the equalized output from the joint equalizer to yield detected values for each of the data tracks being read. |
| US09129647B2 |
Servo channel with equalizer adaptation
A servo system includes an equalizer circuit operable to filter digital servo data samples according to filter tap coefficients to yield equalized data, a detector circuit operable to apply a data detection algorithm to the equalized data to yield hard decisions, a convolution circuit operable to yield ideal digital data based on the hard decisions and on target values, a subtraction circuit operable to subtract the ideal digital data from the equalized data to yield an adaptation error signal, an error gradient calculator operable calculate an error gradient signal based at least in part on the adaptation error signal, and a tap adaptation circuit operable to calculate values of the filter tap coefficients based on the error gradient signal. |
| US09129641B2 |
Method and system for media selection and sharing
A method and system for media selection and sharing is disclosed. According to one embodiment, media content is received from a media source and is stored in a buffer for a first time period. A second time period within the first time period is determined for creating a media clip from the media content stored in the buffer. A media clip is generated as determined by the second time period. A user provides an input, and the user's input is associated with the media clip to take one or more effects on the media clip. The media clip enhanced with the one more effects is transmitted over a network to share with other users. |
| US09129640B2 |
Collaborative digital video platform that enables synchronized capture, curation and editing of multiple user-generated videos
CROWDFLIK is a video platform for mobile devices that allows multiple simultaneous videos of an event to be submitted to a proprietary platform to allow users to combine, tag, edit, view, save, curate and share personalized edits and other edits from the submitted videos. The CROWDFLIK platform, which includes mobile devices with a suitable software application and networked hosting platform, enables crowd captured, crowd curated and crowd created video. The CROWDFLIK app achieves the synchronized edit functionality by uniquely tagging captured video with location/time stamp and ‘cuts’ the video in synchronized segments of a pre-determined length of Y second(s). |
| US09129637B2 |
Disc loading device and optical disc drive including the same
Provided is a disc loading device and optical disc drive using the same. The disc loading device includes a loading roller for loading a disc in a main frame, an eject lever for discharging the disc out of the main frame, and a main slider operating the eject lever, and moving in a direction by a disc emergency ejection pin inserted from outside of the main frame. |
| US09129636B2 |
Method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic recording medium
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium by mounting a substrate for film formation on a carrier, sequentially transporting said substrate into a plurality of connected chambers, and forming at least a magnetic film and a carbon protective film on said substrate for film formation within said chambers, wherein said method comprises a step of conducting ashing to remove an accumulated carbon protective film adhered to a carrier surface, which is performed following a step of removing a magnetic recording medium from said carrier following film formation, but prior to a step of mounting a substrate for film formation on said carrier. |
| US09129634B1 |
Integrated compound DBR laser for HAMR applications
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a magnetic write head including a media facing surface and a surface opposite the media facing surface. The magnetic write head further includes a reflector extending from the surface opposite the media facing surface toward the media facing surface. A semiconductor laser diode gain region protrudes out of the surface opposite the media facing surface, and the reflector helps optimizing the optical energy generated in the semiconductor laser diode gain region to be a single mode over a large current and temperature range. |
| US09129632B1 |
Loop pulse estimation-based fly height detector
An apparatus for storing data includes a storage medium, a head assembly disposed in relation to the storage medium and operable to read and write data on the storage medium, a loop pulse estimation circuit operable to estimate a channel impulse response based on the data read by the head assembly, and a fly height detection circuit operable to detect a spacing between the head assembly and the storage medium based at least in part on the channel impulse response. |
| US09129629B1 |
Clock accuracy determining method and clock accuracy determining device
According to one embodiment, when a timing error between a signal read back from a multi-spiral pattern pre-recorded on a magnetic disc and an SSW clock generated at a read/write channel is set as an SSW clock following error, SSW clock accuracy is determined based on results of comparison between SSW clock following errors read from two different points in each of spiral patterns constituting the multi-spiral pattern. |
| US09129628B1 |
Data management for data storage device with different track density regions
Managing data stored in a Data Storage Device (DSD) including at least one disk for storing data. Data is written in a first region of the at least one disk with a first track density. A frequency of access is determined for the data written in the first region, and the frequency of access is compared to a threshold. Based on the comparison, a copy of the data written in the first region is written in a second region of the at least one disk with a second track density different than the first track density. |
| US09129627B1 |
Sector-based write operation
A method or system comprises determining a target sector of a write operation in response to a request for the write operation to a band in a storage device, determining a plurality of down-track data sectors in the band, and performing a band rewrite operation on the target data sector and the down-track data sectors. |
| US09129626B2 |
Near-field transducer with rounded or obtuse corners
Embodiments are directed to an apparatus having an air-bearing surface that is configured to interact with magnetic medium. The apparatus includes a waveguide and a plasmonic near-field transducer positioned at or near the air-bearing surface. The plasmonic near-field transducer is operatively coupled to the waveguide. The plasmonic near-field transducer includes an enlarged region and a peg region. The peg region extends from the enlarged region towards the air-bearing surface. The peg region has at least a portion of a periphery of its cross-sectional shape include curvature or at least one substantially obtuse angle. |
| US09129622B2 |
CPP-type magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic disk device
A magnetoresistive effect element that prevents a recording medium from deteriorating by effectively inhibiting erroneous writing to a medium or the like includes a magnetoresistive effect part, and an upper shield layer and a lower shield layer that are laminated and formed in a manner sandwiching the magnetoresistive effect part from above and below, and is in a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) structure in which a sense current is applied in a lamination direction. The magnetoresistive effect part includes a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer that sandwich the nonmagnetic intermediate layer from above and below, the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer have inclined magnetization structures in which magnetizations of them are respectively inclined with respect to a track width direction, the magnetizations of the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer are mutually substantially orthogonal, the first ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the upper shield layer via a first exchange coupling function gap layer that is positioned between the first ferromagnetic layer and the upper shield layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the lower shield layer via a second exchange coupling function gap layer that is positioned between the second ferromagnetic layer and the lower shield layer. |
| US09129617B2 |
Magnetic recording head, magnetic head assembly, magnetic recording apparatus, and magnetic recording method
An example magnetic recording apparatus includes a magnetic recording medium, a magnetic recording head and a signal processor. The magnetic recording head includes a first magnetic pole; a second magnetic pole; a spin torque oscillator; a first coil to magnetize the first magnetic pole; and a second coil through which a current is passed independently of the first coil. The signal processor writes and reads a signal on the magnetic recording medium by using the magnetic recording head and includes a first current circuit to supply a recording current to the first coil and a second current circuit to supply a modulating current to the second coil. |
| US09129615B2 |
Tilt adjusting apparatus and optical disc drive using the same
Provided is a tilt adjusting apparatus of an optical disc drive for adjusting a tilt of an optical pickup unit. The tilt adjusting apparatus includes an optical pickup unit moving in a radial direction of the disc, along first and second guide shafts. The tilt adjusting unit also includes a fixing support unit that fixes the first guide shaft and an adjustment supporting unit that supports the second guide shaft and enables the height of both ends of the second guide shaft to be adjusted. |
| US09129614B2 |
Magnetic head having canted arrays
An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head, the magnetic head having: a tape bearing surface having a first edge oriented perpendicular to an intended direction of tape travel thereacross; and an array of transducers in and/or adjacent the tape bearing surface, wherein a longitudinal axis of the array is defined between opposite ends thereof, wherein the longitudinal axis of the array of transducers is oriented at an angle relative to the first edge, the angle being between greater than 0.2° and about 10°. |
| US09129611B2 |
Voice analyzer and voice analysis system
A voice analyzer includes a first voice acquisition unit provided in a place where a distance of a sound wave propagation path from a mouth of a user is a first distance, plural second voice acquisition units provided in places where distances of sound wave propagation paths from the mouth of the user are smaller than the first distance, and an identification unit that identifies whether the voices acquired by the first and second voice acquisition units are voices of the user or voices of others excluding the user on the basis of a result of comparison between first sound pressure of a voice signal of the voice acquired by the first voice acquisition unit and second sound pressure calculated from sound pressure of a voice signal of the voice acquired by each of the plural second voice acquisition units. |
| US09129606B2 |
User query history expansion for improving language model adaptation
Query history expansion may be provided. Upon receiving a spoken query from a user, an adapted language model may be applied to convert the spoken query to text. The adapted language model may comprise a plurality of queries interpolated from the user's previous queries and queries associated with other users. The spoken query may be executed and the results of the spoken query may be provided to the user. |
| US09129602B1 |
Mimicking user speech patterns
Approaches are described for generating an audio signal that mimics speech captured a computing device. An input audio signal (e.g., a speech signal) can be transformed from the time domain into another domain, to generate one or more audio signal segments, where each segment can correspond to a window of time. The device can then determine, for each audio signal segment, a feature characteristic of the audio signal, such as a phoneme. Each one of segments can be mapped, based at least in part on the respective feature characteristic, to a model audio signal. The device can then generate an output audio signal including each model audio signal as determined by the mapping, where the output audio signal is in a sequence associated with the input audio signal. |
| US09129601B2 |
System and method for dialog modeling
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for dialog modeling. The method includes receiving spoken dialogs annotated to indicate dialog acts and task/subtask information, parsing the spoken dialogs with a hierarchical, parse-based dialog model which operates incrementally from left to right and which only analyzes a preceding dialog context to generate parsed spoken dialogs, and constructing a functional task structure of the parsed spoken dialogs. The method can further either interpret user utterances with the functional task structure of the parsed spoken dialogs or plan system responses to user utterances with the functional task structure of the parsed spoken dialogs. The parse-based dialog model can be a shift-reduce model, a start-complete model, or a connection path model. |
| US09129599B2 |
Automated tuning of speech recognition parameters
A method for execution on a server for serving presence information, the method for providing dynamically loaded speech recognition parameters to a speech recognition engine, can be provided. The method can include storing at least one rule for selecting speech recognition parameters, wherein a rule comprises an if-portion including criteria and a then-portion specifying speech recognition parameters that must be used when the criteria is met. The method can further include receiving notice that a speech recognition session has been initiated between a user and the speech recognition engine. The method can further include selecting a first set of speech recognition parameters responsive to executing the at least one rule and providing to the speech recognition engine the first set of speech recognition parameters for performing speech recognition of the user. |
| US09129594B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method
A signal processing apparatus feeding a frame of a signal in frequency domain of a reception voice signal into a sound echo canceler includes a first reception section for receiving frames of the reception voice signal in frequency domain before having a rate-of-speech change process applied; a second reception section for receiving frames of a signal in time domain having the rate-of-speech change process applied by units of frames; and a frequency-domain frame synthesis section for synthesizing a frame of the signal in frequency domain of the reception voice signal based on the signal in time domain having the rate-of-speech change process applied at a frame currently being processed by the signal processing apparatus, and a frame of the reception voice signal in frequency domain corresponding to the signal in time domain having the rate-of-speech change process applied. |
| US09129593B2 |
Multi channel audio processing
A method includes receiving at least a first input audio channel and a second input audio channel, and using an inter-channel prediction model to form at least one inter-channel parameter. The first and second input audio channels represent a spatial audio image of an acoustic space. The inter-channel prediction model is a linear prediction model representing a predicted sample of the first input audio channel using a weighted linear combination of samples of the second input audio channel. An apparatus for practicing the method and a corresponding computer program product are also disclosed. |
| US09129592B2 |
Signal artifact detection and elimination for audio output
A method and apparatus are provided for processing a received digital radio broadcast signal to efficiently remove signal interference artifacts from digital and/or analog signals by using signal quality information extracted from audio samples in one or more buffered audio frames to detect audio frames containing clipped noise artifacts and weaker noise artifacts and to selectively apply anti-interference processing to remove the signal interference artifacts. |
| US09129588B2 |
Configurable noise cancelling system
Systems, devices, and methods for customizable reduction of perceived ambient sounds are disclosed. Customizable reduction can be achieved via an application operable in conjunction with an audio player or a headset having a microphone. |
| US09129587B2 |
Method, device and system for eliminating noises with multi-microphone array
To solve the problems with the prior art that a multi-microphone array cannot inhibit broad-band noises well and cannot be used in the increasingly widespread broad-band communication, embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, a device and a system for eliminating noises with multi-microphone array. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises according to the number of different spacings between each of pairs of microphones of the multi-microphone array, dividing a full frequency band into the same number of sub-bands; decomposing signals of each of the pairs of microphones with the different spacings into a corresponding one of the sub-bands, wherein the larger the spacing between each pair of microphones is, the lower the frequencies of the sub-band into which the signals of the pair of microphones are decomposed will be; adaptively reducing the noises in the decomposed signals of each of the pairs of microphones with the different spacings in the corresponding sub-band to obtain noise-reduced signals for each of the sub-bands; and synthesizing the noise-reduced signals of each of the sub-bands to obtain a signal in which the noises have been reduced with the multi-microphone array in the full frequency band. The embodiments of the present invention can be used in scenarios of hands-free video calls. |
| US09129586B2 |
Prevention of ANC instability in the presence of low frequency noise
An active noise control (ANC) processor has an adaptive filter that uses a reference signal to produce an anti-noise signal, and an error signal to evaluate cancellation performance. An adaptive filter algorithm engine configures the filter coefficients of the adaptive filter, in accordance with pre-shaped versions of the error and reference signals. The pre-shaping filter has a high-pass transfer function and enables the adaptive algorithm engine to increase noise cancellation performance in a high frequency band during the presence of focused or narrow-band noise energy in a low frequency band. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US09129584B2 |
Method of playing chord inversions on a virtual instrument
A user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display for a virtual musical instrument comprising a plurality of chord touch regions configured in a predetermined sequence, each chord touch region corresponding to a chord in a musical key and being divided into a plurality of separate touch zones, the plurality of chord touch regions defining a predetermined set of chords, where each of the plurality of separate touch zones in each region is associated with one or more preselected MIDI files stored in a computer-readable medium. In some embodiments, the touch zones are configured to provide different harmonic configurations of a base chord associated with the chord touch region. Some harmonic configurations provide progressively wider harmonic ranges across each adjacent touch zone. Other harmonic configurations can provide chords with a progressively higher relative pitch across each adjacent touch zone. |
| US09129582B2 |
Master sound post gauge
The invention helps build a practical telescopic gauge to measure length and end angles needed for sound post in stringed instrument. It shows improvements of telescopic type gauge where, first adding a spring to control force while extending or reducing length and second adding rounded members at least one end of the gauge overcome difficulties in measuring the length. Further a three part swivel end consisting of ball, swivel cap and resolution plate held together by magnetic force allow satisfactory angle measurement. Because magnetic force is used, the swivel end parts can be removed leaving rounded ball end open for length measurements, then other components are added as required. This type of swivel end is also useful in improving currently available caliper type gauge. |
| US09129581B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying images
A method and apparatus for displaying images is disclosed. The method of the invention includes the steps of: transferring a content of a first one of the display buffers to the display device; overwriting a second one of the display buffers with first image data, wherein the first image data represent data of updated pixels between two corresponding adjacent frames; obtaining a bit-map mask according to the updated pixels, wherein the bit-map mask indicates altered pixels for the two corresponding adjacent frames; and, then overwriting the second one of the display buffers with second image data from the other display buffers according to at least one bit-map mask. |
| US09129579B2 |
Display drive circuit, display device and method for driving display drive circuit
A source driver (20) includes: a first amplifier circuit and a second amplifier circuit each amplifying either one of input signals that are in-phase and antiphase; and a switching control circuit (29) which supplies an offset switching signal (4) for switching the input signals, the switching control circuit (29) supplying the offset switching signal (4) having a higher frequency than a horizontal synchronization signal. This provides a display drive circuit capable of enhancing a display quality while preventing a flicker from occurring in an entire display screen. |
| US09129577B2 |
Layout of a group of gate driving stages wherein two stages are adjacent in the column direction and a third stage is adjacent to both said stages in the row direction
A display apparatus includes a display panel including a plurality of pixel columns to display an image, wherein each of the pixel columns includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and sequentially turned-on in the first direction; a gate driver disposed on the display panel and including a plurality of stages connected to the pixels to sequentially apply a gate signal to the pixels, where at least two stages of the stages are disposed adjacent to each other in a second direction different from the first direction; and a data driver which applies a data voltage to the pixels. |
| US09129574B2 |
Gate driving circuit with an auxiliary circuit for stablizing gate signals
A gate driving circuit includes a shift register circuit and an auxiliary circuit which are disposed at different sides of a pixel array. The shift register circuit includes an (N−1)th shift register stage for generating an (N−1)th gate signal according to a first clock, an Nth shift register stage for generating an Nth gate signal according to a second clock, and an (N+1)th shift register stage for generating an (N+1)th gate signal according to a third clock. The auxiliary circuit includes a first transistor. The first transistor performs the signal voltage stabilization and level switching acceleration operations on the Nth gate signal according to the (N−1)th gate signal and the second clock. |
| US09129572B2 |
Display device and related method
A display device includes a display panel that includes a first pixel and a second pixel, the first pixel being associated with a positive pixel voltage relative to a data voltage and being associated with a first leakage current, the second pixel being associated with a negative pixel voltage relative to the data voltage and being associated with a second leakage current. The display device further includes a gate driver for providing a first gate-off voltage having a first value to at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel, the first value being in a range determined based on an equality-enabling value, wherein a value of the first leakage current is equal to a value of the second leakage current if the first gate-off voltage having the equality-enabling value is provided to the at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel. |
| US09129565B2 |
Adjusting a brightness level of a side emitting backlight display device using light spreading profiles
Embodiments of methods, systems, or apparatuses relating to adjusting a brightness level of at least one luminescent body disposed, at least in part, on a side emitting backlight display device are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, for example, one or more values representing a light spreading profile for a particular luminescent body may be accessed. A process, system, or apparatus may adjust a brightness of a particular luminescent body by adjusting one or more brightness values associated with that particular luminescent body based, at least in part, on the accessed values. |
| US09129564B2 |
Display control method used in display apparatus with multiple color light sources
A display control method used in a display apparatus with multiple colored light sources, wherein the colored light sources emit different color lights, the color cast sub frame in the frame of the display apparatus tends to a specific color, and the display control method comprises for the frame, increasing the specific color light source of the frame and decreasing the other color light source of the frame. For the white-tending sub frame of the frame, sub-pixel values of the specific color are decreased according to the increasing level of the specific color light source to generate modified sub-pixel values. For the white-tending frame, the modified sub-pixel values and the sub-pixel values of the other colors are increased according to the decreasing level of the other colored light sources. |
| US09129563B2 |
System and method for timing adjustment of a backlight module
Examples of the present invention disclose system and method timing adjustment of a backlight module for a display. According to one example, a temperature of the display is monitored and a response time associated with the display is determined based on the temperature. Furthermore, a power-on timing and/or a power-off timing of the backlight module is adjusted based on the determined response time and the monitored temperature. |
| US09129561B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying images
Systems and methods for displaying at least one image on an active display include a graphics generator for generating one or more graphics in form of at least one ghost image and a projector for projecting the generated at least one ghost image as an excitation light signal on the active display. The projector is a low power projector. Also included are number of detection diodes associated with pixels for detecting one or more excitation light signals for exciting each pixel associated with the detection diodes. Further included, is a photon detection circuit for generating at least one high power image photon based on the emitted light signal of each pixel on the active display and a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) associated with each of the detection diodes for generating an emitted light signal for each of the pixels of the incident ghost image for generating an image on the active display. |
| US09129558B2 |
Organic light emitting display and method of driving the same
An organic light emitting display and method of driving the display are disclosed. The display is driven with an ith frame and an (i+1)th frame, wherein the (i+1)th frame has a shorter duration than the ith frame. The driving signals for the display are adjusted so that the apparent brightness of the frames is substantially equal. |
| US09129557B2 |
Organic light emitting display device and driving method thereof
An organic light emitting diodes (OLED's) display has differently composed OLED's with respective different voltage-to-current characteristic curves. Variable power voltages are applied to the subpixels of these differently composed OLED's based on their respective voltage-to-current characteristic curves. In one embodiment, a display unit includes first subpixels emitting respective lights according to first image data representing a first color, second subpixels emitting respective lights according to second image data representing a second color, and third subpixels emitting respective lights according to third image data representing a third color, wherein the first, and second subpixels are powered by a first variable voltage power supply and the third subpixels are powered by a second and independently variable voltage power supply. |
| US09129551B2 |
Driving circuit of display apparatus and driving chip
Disclosed are a driving circuit of a display apparatus and a driving chip, which shuts off the output of image data, in a display apparatus in which a plurality of driving chips is connected to each other in a daisy chain method to correspond to a single display panel, when serial communication of the driving chips is not completed successfully, or when any one of the driving chips is not operated normally, thereby preventing an abnormal screen from being displayed. |
| US09129546B2 |
Electronic device and method for changing setting value
A method and an apparatus for operating an electronic device for changing a setting value are provided. In the method, a touch input for a set region is detected, so that a mode is switched to a setting change mode for changing a stored setting value. At least one guide interface for receiving a change of at least one setting value among stored setting values is displayed. A predetermined gesture for an arbitrary region of the displayed at least one guide interface is detected, so that whether to store a changed at least one setting value is determined. |
| US09129541B2 |
System for a play caller to display calls to participants in an athletic competition
Disclosed is a system for displaying a play call to participants in an athletic competition, the system having an input device, a display device, a selector, a first block of at least three characters and a second block of at least three characters. The first and second blocks are separated by a division. The first and second blocks each contain one character selected by a play caller and one character selected by the selector. |
| US09129534B2 |
Roping training device
A roping training dummy is claimed comprising a dummy representing an animal having a target to be lassoed by a roper. A position sensor, such as video camera or radar system, is disposed on the dummy for monitoring the real-time position of the roper relative to the lasso target. A monitor on the dummy is visible to the roper and operatively connected to the position sensor. The monitor displays the roper's real-time position and a positional reference corresponding to a preferred roper placement. |
| US09129532B2 |
Hybrid protocol transceiver for V2V communication
A device for use in, and system for, a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and safety system that uses a hybrid combination of TDMA and CSMA protocols. The synchronized TDMA frame is partitioned into three prioritized time interval classes with differing priorities and dynamically changing sizes based on demand of higher-priority messages. The TDMA portions of a repeating time interval uses self-assigned dense time slots for high-priority safety messages, with one portion for emergency vehicles and road-side units. The CSMA protocol uses remaining available time for lower-priority and overflow messages. The higher-priority time interval classes change size dynamically based on the number of current transmissions. Modulation schemes, but not data link formats, use existing Standards. Embodiments include optimized traffic flow and signal timing. |
| US09129527B2 |
Sound playing system of a cluster
Disclosed is a sound playing system of a cluster which improves a driver's recognition of and quality of sounds played by the cluster. The sound playing system transmits driving information of a vehicle to a driver through the sound played by the cluster, and may include: a micom mounted in the cluster for supervising various controls such as sound control; a sound source chip mounted in the cluster for selecting sound sources according to a command of the micom; and a speaker for generating sound waves by the selected sound sources and outputting a sound. A database of sounds may be stored in the micom, and the micom may transmit information regarding sounds to the sound source chip based on the database so as to control selection of the sound sources. |
| US09129526B2 |
Traffic management system
A real-time traffic management system comprising a main light controller module configured to monitor and control functionality of one or more traffic lights, a master control unit server software application, a network operations control module, and a network watcher application program. The main light controller module communicates with one or more coordinating light controller modules, onsite personnel, and a network operations center. The main light controller uses a camera that detects instances of vehicle demand and provides live images for situational awareness. The main light controller module comprises a global positioning satellite receiver and a light sensor for monitoring ambient lighting conditions. The network watcher application program continuously scans incoming data, monitors performance of all components in the system, and issues alerts and alarms to notify personnel of events or conditions outside of established tolerances. |
| US09129523B2 |
Method and system for obstacle detection for vehicles using planar sensor data
A computer-implemented method and system for automatically detecting an obstacle from a moving vehicle using a planar sensor mounted on the vehicle. |
| US09129522B2 |
Traffic speed estimation using temporal and spatial smoothing of GPS speed data
Estimation of traffic speed includes applying data processing functions to determine missing speed information by smoothing spatial and temporal GPS data to achieve an accurate estimation of link speed over all links of a transportation network at all time periods. This estimation of traffic speed uses one link's observed speed information to estimate neighboring links without observed speed information and therefore provides a system and method of processing collected GPS data to obtain a thorough understanding of traffic flow conditions for all represented links without further collection of GPS data. The present invention also provides a framework for analyzing and improving real-time collection of GPS speed data. |
| US09129519B2 |
System and method for providing driver behavior classification at intersections and validation on large naturalistic data sets
A system and method for predicting whether a vehicle will come to a stop at an intersection is provided. Generally, the system contains a memory; and a processor configured by the memory to perform the steps of: generating a prediction of whether the vehicle will or will not stop at the intersection before a first time based on vehicle data measured during a first time window; and at a second time, the second time being before the first time and approximately equal to a time at which the time window ends, providing an indication that the vehicle will not stop at the intersection before the first time based upon the prediction, wherein generating the prediction comprises using a classification model, the classification model configured to indicate whether the vehicle will or will not stop at the intersection before the first time based on a plurality of input parameters, and wherein the plurality of input parameters are selected from the group consisting of speed, acceleration, and distance to the intersection. |
| US09129512B2 |
Remote control device of an electric equipment
A remote control having a button for actuating an electric equipment unit, a dongle controlled by the remote control for transmitting control orders to the equipment unit, and a housing having a designated location for the dongle, the housing having a two-part case which is convertible from open to closed positions but not closable if the dongle is not in its designated location, the two parts of the case being slidable between two positions, with a latch between the two positions, and which is movable by removal or insertion of the dongle. |
| US09129507B2 |
Portable electrical apparatus and method for detecting state of the same
A portable electrical apparatus includes a sensor, a micro-controller, and a wireless positioning module. The sensor is configured for sensing a movement of the portable electrical apparatus to generate a sensing signal. The micro-controller is configured for receiving the sensing signal and comparing a threshold value with a sensing value corresponding to the sensing signal. The wireless positioning module is configured for positioning the portable electrical apparatus to generate a plurality of position data corresponding to a location of the portable electrical apparatus. When the sensing value is greater than the threshold value, the micro-controller loads the position data generated within a predetermined period, which is right after the sensing value being greater than the threshold value, compares the loaded position data with each other, and an alarm signal is sent out according to a comparison result. |
| US09129506B1 |
Method and process for determining whether an individual suffers a fall requiring assistance
A method for monitoring an individual in a dwelling so as to know when such individual falls or indicates the need of assistance. A plurality of 3D motion and sound sensors are located in the dwelling and provide data to a computerized monitoring system. The sensors are configured to recognize one or more biometric identifiers of the individual being monitored. When the monitoring system detects that the individual has fallen or gestured, a computerized communication system contacts the individual to determine the need to send assistance to help the individual. Where assistance is required the system automatics contacts the previously designated caregiver for the individual and can also contact emergency personnel. |
| US09129503B2 |
Locking GPS device for locating children
A GPS-based child-locator device can be securely locked to a child's wrist or ankle so as to be removable only by using one or more custom mechanical keys and/or resettable software keys/codes. This prevents the child-locator device from being disabled by being removed from the child during an abduction. The GPS locator comprises a housing unit, a connecting band, by which the housing unit is attachable to a child, and a locking mechanism, by which the connecting band is lockably attachable to the housing unit. The GPS locator also utilizes a novel antenna design to achieve a very compact profile for the housing which contains the device's electrical components. |
| US09129499B2 |
Wireless device for monitoring protective headgear
A wireless device for monitoring protective headgear includes a short-range wireless receiver that receives alarm data from the protective headgear in response to an alarm event at the protective headgear. A user interface emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the alarm data to assist the user in the monitoring of the protective headgear. |
| US09129498B2 |
Evacuation system
A method includes receiving, at a node located in a structure, an indication of an evacuation condition. The structure includes a plurality of nodes in communication with one another. The method also includes sending, by the node, a message to one or more additional nodes. The message informs the one or more additional nodes that the node is going to determine an evacuation route in response to the indication of the evacuation condition such that the one or more additional nodes do not determine the evacuation route. The method also includes determining, by the node, the evacuation route based at least in part on the indication of the evacuation condition and at least in part on a layout of the structure. The method further includes providing, by the node, the evacuation route to the one or more additional nodes. |
| US09129497B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring conditions
Systems and methods for monitoring conditions are provided. A system can comprise a plurality of wireless transmitters and a plurality of repeaters. At least one wireless transmitter can be integrated into an alarm. The repeaters can be dispersed throughout a region at defined locations. The system can also include a computer to receive information communicated from the repeaters and the transmitters. The computer can include software for evaluating received information, identifying an alarm condition and an originating location of the alarm condition, and for reporting the alarm condition to a remote location. Other embodiments are also claimed and described. |
| US09129495B1 |
Multi-purpose side camera
A side camera of a vehicle, including a camera housing rotatable in a first axis and a second axis each relative to an exterior surface of the vehicle, and a camera attached to the camera housing that captures image data. The camera is positioned in a plurality of positions by rotating the camera housing along the first axis and the second axis. |
| US09129494B2 |
Alarming pusher system
An alarm device configured to monitor retail merchandise on a retail pusher system is provided. The alarm device includes a triggering mechanism that activates an alarm when retail merchandise is removed from the retail pusher system. The alarm makes store personnel aware that retail merchandise has been removed from a particular pusher system. In certain embodiments of the invention, the alarm device is disposed on a front stop of the retail pusher system. A biasing member of the pusher system biases retail merchandise into a switch of the alarm device. In this configuration, the alarm device may include a plunger switch that activates an alarm when retail merchandise is not biased into the plunger switch. |
| US09129491B2 |
Gaming machine and control method thereof
The controller of the gaming machine executing processing operations of: (a) determining a magnification of a respective one of plural kinds of colors which are produced in a color displayable manner by means of the multiple color light emitting backlight and then displaying on the display; (b) determining a light emitting color by means of the multiple color light emitting backlight and then controlling light emission in the determined color; and (c) executing a payout of a number which is obtained by multiplying the magnification that corresponds to the color determined in the processing (b), from among the magnifications of the respective colors, the magnifications being determined in the processing (a), for a payment that corresponds to the pattern of the specific symbols. |
| US09129480B2 |
Gaming machine and control method thereof
To provide a gaming machine and a control method therefor, having a new entertainment characteristics, a slot machine 10 of the present invention, when a “BONUS” symbol 250 associated with a pick-up bonus game is selected, receives selection of any one of twenty little pig's noses 210 displayed. Then, a benefit associated with the selected little pig's nose 210 is awarded. When the benefit to be awarded is a “stick house” 218 which means “step-up”, a step-up occurs to the stick house stage and the expectation value for a payout is raised. Thus, when one little pig's nose 210 is selected out of the twenty little pig's noses 210 displayed in the stick house stage, the payout amount of the benefit associated with the little pig's nose 210 is increased. |
| US09129478B2 |
Attributing user action based on biometric identity
Example apparatus and methods concern attributing user actions based on biometric identifications. One example method includes detecting an action intended to control an application associated with a shared launch surface. The method includes associating the action with a body located in a field of view of a biometric sensor associated with a shared launch surface. Data from the biometric sensor is used to determine a biometric identity for the body and then the action is attributed to a user as a function of the biometric identity. A context associated with the user is accessed and an operation associated with the action is selectively controlled based on the context. |
| US09129473B2 |
Gaming system including a gaming table and a plurality of user input devices
Intelligent gaming tables and methods of providing game play through the gaming tables are described herein. The gaming table includes a table having a table surface, a plurality of player stations, and a common display configured to display gaming content to a plurality of players. The gaming table further includes an interface configured to communicate with a plurality of user input devices. The gaming table includes a gaming controller. The gaming controller is configured to communicate with the plurality of user input devices through the interface, receive location information relating to touches or contacts detected on the table surface, analyze the information relating to the touches or contacts, identify a user performing each of the touches or contacts with the table surface, and implement player input instructions contained within the information relating to the touches or contacts. |
| US09129469B2 |
Player driven game download to a gaming machine
A service window may be provided to a gaming machine, such as a video slot machine, video poker machine, or similar electronic device. The service window may include an option to request an available game for download. A request for the game may be received via the service window and the game may be provided to the gaming machine. |
| US09129468B2 |
Gaming machine and method for validating a voucher
A method of validation of a voucher in a gaming machine includes receiving the voucher in the gaming machine from a user. The voucher includes first coded indicia having first identification data and value data. The voucher also includes second coded indicia being generally non-viewable and having second identification data. The method also includes reading the first coded indicia and decoding the first coded indicia to determine the first identification data and the value data. The method further includes reading the second coded indicia and decoding the second coded indicia to determine the second identification data. An algorithm is executed with a controller using at least one of the first identification data, the second identification data, and the value data to generate algorithm data. The method also includes validating the authenticity of the voucher with the controller using at least the algorithm data to determine if the voucher is authentic. |
| US09129467B2 |
Automated banking system controlled responsive to data bearing records
An automated banking machine operates responsive to data read from data bearing records corresponding to authorized user or financial account data. The automated banking machine includes a card reader for reading data from user cards. The automated banking machine causes financial transfers related to financial accounts that correspond to data read from user cards. The automated banking machine also includes devices that control the supply of power to transaction function devices such as the card reader to avoid exceeding power supply capacity. |
| US09129465B2 |
Medium sensing apparatus, medium handling apparatus and financial device
Provided is a medium sensing apparatus. The medium sensing apparatus comprises a first frame having a hole in a side surface thereof, a second frame coupled to the first frame, a first sensor mounted on the first frame, a bracket connected to the first sensor, the bracket contacting the second frame, and a shaft disposed on the first sensor or the bracket to pass through the hole, the shaft being movable within the hole. |
| US09129464B2 |
Staged transactions systems and methods
Systems and methods for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a merchant. In one embodiment, a method for accepting payments from a consumer for a good or service provided by a merchant comprises receiving a transaction request from the merchant, receiving a payment from the consumer, associating the payment with the transaction request, and sending at least a portion of the payment to the merchant. In this manner, the merchant stages the transaction, and the consumer completes the transaction by making the payment. An optional time limit feature also may be used, and the transaction may be staged by the consumer, or others. |
| US09129461B2 |
Apparatus, method and article for collection, charging and distributing power storage devices, such as batteries
A collection, charging and distribution machine collects, charges and distributes portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, super- or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machine employs electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. The machine determines a first number of devices to be rapidly charged, employing charge from a second number of devices identified to sacrifice charge. Thus, some devices may be concurrently charged via current from the electrical service and current from other devices, to achieve rapid charging of some subset of devices. The devices that sacrifice charge may later be charged. Such may ensure availability of devices for end users. |
| US09129459B2 |
Detecting operating mode of hybrid vehicles
A method for detecting the operating mode of a hybrid vehicle using roadside cameras, said method including the analysis of thermal images of parts of the vehicle and/or exhaust fumes, in combination with associated images of the number plates obtained using visual camera(s) operating in synchronism with said thermal camera and used for vehicle make inference and driver identification. The inferred make of the car is used for aforementioned analysis of thermal images. In a variant, the method is used to verify an operating mode reported by, or obtained from information reported by, the vehicle itself. The method can be used in a pollution management system for calculating financial charges to vehicle drivers in a low-emission zone of a Smart City for example. |
| US09129458B2 |
Mobile device
The invention relates to a mobile device for activating an electrical component (50), especially a switch (50), which is arranged inside a housing (10), with a recess (13) provided on the housing (10), at least one elastic key element (31) accessible from the outside, which is accommodated in the recess (13), and the key element (31) has a contact means (32), wherein the contact means (32) is pointing toward the interior of the housing (10), in order to activate the electrical component (50), and a carrier (35) which holds the key element (31) on the housing (10). According to the invention, the carrier (35) and the key element (31) are made of different materials and form a common assembly unit (30) that is fastened to the housing (10). |
| US09129456B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle
A method of estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of estimating an overall power of said vehicle, by estimating a rolling power component, an aerodynamic resistance component and an acceleration component, using at least one parameter obtained from an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle; determining the type of fuel used by the vehicle; and estimating said fuel consumption by summing said components of said overall power and dividing by the energy value of said fuel type and by a predetermined engine efficiency value. |
| US09129455B2 |
System and method to enable passive entry
A passive entry system is disclosed. The system comprises an unlocking module that performs a key operation in a keyless environment and a plurality of fobs configured to trigger the unlocking module to perform the key operation. each fob has a unique value associated thereto. The unlocking module determines a range of identification values, generates an authentication request packet based on the range, of identification values, and broadcasts the request packet. Each fob receives the request packet; and determines whether the unique identification value of the corresponding fob falls within the range of identification values. The fob also generates a response packet if the unique identification value falls within the range of identification values and transmits the response packet to the unlocking module. The unlocking module receives the response packets from the fobs, and performs the key operation based on one of the received response packets. |
| US09129446B2 |
Apparatus and method for object positioning
An entertainment device comprises an input, a marker detector and a failure boundary calculation processor. The input is operable to receive a captured image from a video camera. The marker detector is operable to detect a fiduciary marker within the captured image, and is also operable to estimate a distance and angle of the fiduciary marker. The failure boundary calculation processor is operable to calculate at least one of an additional distance and an additional angle from the currently estimated distance and angle of the fiduciary marker at which recognition of the fiduciary marker is assumed to fail. |
| US09129440B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing and displaying data
The present invention comprises a novel method and apparatus for displaying and managing relationships between data elements of a database, including, without limitation, relationships between data elements representing or associated with members of a social network in a social network database. In one or more embodiments, attributes or values of data elements of a database are interpreted as unique locations in a multidimensional environment. Data elements are graphically displayed from the perspective of a point within the multidimensional environment. Attributes and relationships between data elements are displayed by visual characteristics of the displayed data elements (e.g. location, color, shape, animation) and by graphical elements connecting related displayed elements (e.g. similar colors, shapes, or connecting lines or areas). |
| US09129435B2 |
Method for creating 3-D models by stitching multiple partial 3-D models
A method of creating a 3-D model by capturing partial 3-D models each comprising a sequence of 2-D images, analyzing each of the partial 3-D models to identify image features in the sequence of 2-D images of each of the partial 3-D models, identifying pairs of overlapping image features between the 2-D mages of each of the partial 3-D models by identifying image features in each 2-D image in the sequence of 2-D images of each of the partial 3-D models that overlaps image features in 2-D images of the sequence of 2-D images of the other partial 3-D models and selecting a 2-d image from each of the partial 3-D models, computing an initial transformation between 3-D coordinates of individual pairs of identified image features between the selected 2-D image from each of the partial 3-D models; and generating a final 3-D model based on the initial transformation. |
| US09129433B1 |
Photogrammetry engine for model construction
A system and methods for accessing 2D digital images and 3D geometric models over a network (preferably the Internet) and transforming and composing that media along with 2D digital image and 3D geometric model media, acquired by other means, into enhanced 2D image and 3D model representations for virtual reality visualization and simulation is disclosed. Digital images and models from a network and other sources are incorporated and manipulated through an interactive graphical user interface. A photogrammetric media processing engine automatically extracts virtual sensor (camera) and geometric models from imagery. Extracted information is used by a reconstruction processor to automatically and realistically compose images and models. A rendering system provides real-time visualization and simulation of the constructed media. A client-server processing model for deployment of the media processing engine system over a network is disclosed. |
| US09129431B2 |
Motion-tracking X-ray CT image processing method and motion-tracking X-ray CT image processing device
An x-ray CT image processing method which carries out a statistical estimate in prior knowledge relating to the movement and the x-ray absorption coefficient of a measurement subject comprises: a step of hypothesizing that the measurement subject changes smoothly over time, and defining a first probability model (prior knowledge of the measurement subject over all times) relating to movement and a second probability model (projected image observation model over all times) relating to observation; and a step of carrying out a statistical estimate dependent on both the first probability model and the second probability model. The first probability model relating to the movement of the measurement subject and the second model relating to observation are defined as probability models with which statistical estimates are carried out at the outset, and motion and CT images are simultaneously estimated by carrying out induction based on the probability models. |
| US09129430B2 |
Indicating out-of-view augmented reality images
Embodiments are disclosed that relate to operating a user interface on an augmented reality computing device comprising a see-through display system. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes identifying one or more objects located outside a field of view of a user, and for each object of the one or more objects, providing to the user an indication of positional information associated with the object. |
| US09129426B2 |
Motion compensation in image processing
Methods and systems for processing a set of images are described. In accordance with this disclosure, images are registered and an analysis is performed in view of one or more constraints (such as constraints based upon anatomical or physiological considerations). Weighting factors are determined based on the analysis. The weighting factors are used in subsequent processing of the registered (and/or unregistered) images and/or to formulate a visualization that conveys the degree of confidence in the motion estimation used in the registration process. |
| US09129413B2 |
Method and device for aligning a plurality of digital pictures
A method for aligning a plurality of first digital pictures. Each first digital picture includes a plurality of pixels wherein each pixel is associated with a pixel value. The method includes generating a second digital picture for each first digital picture. Generating the second digital picture for the first digital picture includes determining, for each of a plurality of pixels of the first digital picture, a number representing the pixel values of a plurality of pixels in a neighborhood of the pixel relatively to the pixel value of the pixel. The method further includes assigning the number as a pixel value to a pixel of the second digital image corresponding to the pixel of the first digital image. The method further includes generating aligning parameters based on the plurality of second digital pictures. The method further includes aligning the plurality of first digital pictures based on the aligning parameters. |
| US09129412B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable recording device
An image processing apparatus includes: a color feature data calculation unit configured to calculate color feature data of each pixel in an intraluminal image or color feature data of each small region obtained by dividing the intraluminal image into a plurality of small regions; a residue candidate distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among the color feature data, color feature data distributed on a side comparatively strong in redness to be a mucosa distribution and determine color feature data distributed on a side comparatively weak in redness to be a residue candidate distribution; and a residue distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among distributions of the color feature data determined to be the residue candidate distribution, a residue candidate distribution distributed on a side strong in yellowness with reference to the mucosa distribution to be a residue distribution. |
| US09129409B2 |
System and method of compressing video content
A method of interpolating a pixel value is disclosed and may include locating a missing pixel. Further, the method may include determining a plurality of closest pixels, determining a value for each of the plurality of closest pixels, and determining a distance between the missing pixel and each of the plurality of closest pixels. The method may also include classifying each of the plurality of closest pixels as either an edge-pixel or a non-edge pixel and determining a value of the missing pixel at least partially based on the value of each of the plurality of closest pixels, the distance between the missing pixel and each of the plurality of closest pixels, and a classification of each of the plurality of closest pixels. |
| US09129408B2 |
Image resampling with geometric transformation
An approach to resampling incorporates geometric transformation into the resampling process. A specification of a geometric transformation is accepted for application to the first image to produce a second image. A two-dimensional filter for application to the first image is then determined using the specification of the geometric transformation. Data characterizing relationships between pixel locations in the second image and pixel locations in the first image is computed. Pixel values of a second image are then computed by applying the two-dimensional filter to the first image, including for each of a plurality of pixels locations of the second image, computing a value for the second image at said pixel location by applying the second filter according to the data characterizing the relationships between pixel locations. The approach can be performed in two phases, with the computing of the data characterizing the relationships between the pixel locations being completed prior to the computing of the pixel values of the second image. |
| US09129407B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method for use therein, and computer program
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: operation accepting means for accept an operation input; image storing means for storing a plurality of images; management information storing means for storing management information corresponding to the plurality of images stored in the image storing means; image drawing means for drawing, in a display area including at least an image display area, at least one of images stored in the image storing means onto the image display area in a predetermined sequence; and controlling means for, when an operation input commanding selection of an image included in the image display area has been accepted by the operation accepting means, controlling recording of the selection of the image to management information stored in the management information storing means in correspondence with the image. |
| US09129405B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
An image processing apparatus generates an image appended with additional effective pixels by executing appending processing for appending additional effective pixels by extending input image data in a scanning direction using pixels at terminal ends of the input image data in the scanning direction. The image processing apparatus generates image data of a second hierarchy obtained by reducing the input image data by applying filtering to the generated image appended with the additional effective pixels, and generates image data of a third hierarchy by applying filtering to the image data of the second hierarchy. |
| US09129403B2 |
Method and system for generating enhanced images
A method of generating an image enhancement function for enhancing an input image comprising a plurality of pixels to form an enhanced output image. The method includes receiving a reference image comprising a plurality of pixels; receiving an enhanced image derived from the reference image comprising a corresponding plurality of pixels; calculating a plurality of lookup tables, each of which maps a first plurality of pixel values to a second plurality of pixel values; and generating the image enhancement function comprising a spatially varying function of the lookup tables which when applied to the reference image generates an approximation to the enhanced image. |
| US09129386B1 |
Processing image data associated with IT system components
There is disclosed a technique executed on a mobile computing device for use in analyzing image data. A heatmap is received, wherein the map comprises data representing a single channel image. A plurality of cache levels are built, wherein each cache level comprises a plurality of zones comprising pixel data, wherein each successive cache level comprises a successively lower resolution and corresponding increase in the number of zones. At each cache level, pixel data is analyzed in each zone beginning with the cache level having the lowest resolution and recursively analyzing each successive cache level. The zone is disabled from further analysis if the zone analysis determines the zone to be empty. The zone is marked for further analysis if the zone analysis determines the zone to be full. Edges associated with pixels in the zone are detected. A vector associated with a marker is created, wherein a vector includes positional and magnitude information and the vector is added to a list of vectors. |
| US09129384B2 |
Medical image processing device
A medical image processing device includes an input section to which a biological mucous membrane image obtained by picking up an image of a biological mucous membrane is inputted, a region extracting section that extracts a mucous membrane microstructure region corresponding to a mucous membrane microstructure from the inputted biological mucous membrane image, a closed region identifying section that identifies at least one closed region regarded as being surrounded by the mucous membrane microstructure region, and a unit region setting section that sets a biologically histological unit region on the basis of the mucous membrane microstructure region and the closed region. |
| US09129382B2 |
Method and system for brain tumor segmentation in multi-parameter 3D MR images via robust statistic information propagation
A method for brain tumor segmentation in multi-parametric 3D MR images. The method comprises: pre-processing an input multi-parametric 3D MR image; classifying each voxel in the pre-processed multi-parametric 3D MR image, determining the probability that the voxel is part of a brain tumor, and obtaining an initial label information for the image segmentation based on the classification probability; constructing a graph based representation for the pre-processed image to be segmented; and generating the segmented brain tumor image using the initial label information and graph based representation. This method tries to exploit the local and global consistency of the image to be segmented for the tumor segmentation and can alleviate partially the performance degradation caused by the inter-subject image variability and insufficient statistical information from training. |
| US09129378B2 |
Method and apparatus for recovering a component of a distortion field and for determining a disparity field
A method and an apparatus for recovering a component of a distortion field of an image of a set of multi-view images are described. Also described are a method and an apparatus for determining a disparity field of an image of a set of multi-view images, which makes use of such method.In a first step pixel correspondences between the image and another image of the set of multi-view images are determined. A disparity field is then determined from at least a subset of the determined pixel correspondences. The disparity field is smoothed and the component of the distortion field is estimated from the smoothed disparity field. When determining a second disparity field the estimated component of the distortion field is taken into account when determining pixel correspondences between the image and another image of the set of multi-view images. |
| US09129373B2 |
Apparatus for evaluating the accuracy of a SPECT or PET system using a phantom filled with a radioisotope
A measuring image acquisition means 2 acquires a 3-D measuring image in which a phantom filled with the radioactive material into a necessary part is measured with a SPECT system. A measuring image Fourier transform means 4 operates the 3-D measuring image with the 3-D Fourier transform. An actual image acquisition means 6 acquires a 3-D actual image of the part of the phantom which is filled with the radioactive material. An actual image Fourier transform means 8 operates a 3-D actual image with the 3-D Fourier transform. An error image calculation means 10 divides each Fourier transform value of the 3-D Fourier transform measuring image by each Fourier transform value of the corresponding 3-D Fourier transform actual image and acquires a 3-D Fourier transform error image. A point spread function calculation means 12 operates the 3-D Fourier transform error image with the inverse Fourier transform and determines the point spread function image by calculation. A measurement accuracy processing means 14 calculates the measurement accuracy of the measuring apparatus based on the point spread function image. |
| US09129372B2 |
Methods and systems for determining a transformation function to automatically register different modality medical images
A method that includes receiving an input image of a region of interest (ROI) of an individual. The input image is a medical image acquired by a first imaging modality. The method also includes generating a first feature image based on the input image. The first feature image includes a designated anatomical feature of the ROI. The method also includes obtaining an anatomical atlas. The atlas has a reference image of the ROI of at least one other individual and an organ model. The reference image is a medical image that is acquired by a second imaging modality that is different from the first imaging modality. The method also includes determining a transformation function by registering the first feature image with a second feature image that is based on the reference image and includes the designated anatomical feature. |
| US09129371B2 |
Method for analyzing biological specimens by spectral imaging
A method for registering a visual image and a spectral image of a biological sample includes aligning a first set of coordinate positions of a plurality of reticles on a slide holder and a second set of coordinate positions of the plurality of reticles on the slide holder. The method further includes generating a registered image of a visual image of a biological sample and a spectral image of the biological sample based upon the alignment of the first and second set of coordinate positions. |
| US09129369B1 |
Method for characterizing an atmospheric channel
A method for characterizing an atmospheric propagation channel comprising: generating a database of atmospheric modulation transfer functions (MTFs) over a range of known values for at least one image-quality-related parameter; capturing at least one image of an object with an image capture device, wherein the image capture device is separated from the object by the atmospheric channel; deconvolving the captured image with every atmospheric MTF in the database to create a plurality of deconvolved, captured images; scoring each deconvolved, captured image according to an image quality metric (IQM); using an optimization-decision algorithm to find the best IQM score; and characterizing the atmospheric propagation channel as possessing the type and value of the image-quality-related parameters that are associated with the corresponding MTFs used to deconvolve the image having the best IQM score. |
| US09129367B2 |
Navigating digital images using detail-in-context lenses
In an implementation, an appearance of lens is displayed on a display device for a selected region of an image to magnify the selected region of the image in comparison with a portion of the image outside of the appearance of the lens. A zoomed-in view of the image is displayed on the display device by increasing magnification of the portion of the image outside the appearance of the lens successively as an animation until the magnification of the portion of the image outside of the appearance of the lens corresponds with the magnification of the selected region of the image within the appearance of the lens, at which point the appearance of the lens is no longer displayed. |
| US09129366B2 |
Medical systems and methods
This disclosure generally relates to medical systems and methods. In one aspect of the invention, a method includes determining a fluorescent light intensity at one or more points on each of multiple recorded images, and producing an image based on the determined fluorescent light intensity at the one or more points. |
| US09129365B2 |
Visualization guided ACL localization system
A computerized system provides assistance for placement of localization markers for medical operations such as ACL repair procedures. The system displays, on a graphical user interface, an image of an anatomical structure and allows identification, via an input device on the graphical user interface, of a set of landmark locations identifying respective anatomical positions within the displayed image of the anatomical structure. The system displays a graphical overlay over the image of the anatomical structure. Placement of the graphical overlay is based on the set of landmark locations. The system displays at least one localization marker within the graphical overlay. The localization marker(s) identify a location for performing a surgical operation associated with the anatomical structure, such as ACL repair surgical operations. |
| US09129364B2 |
Level set function based image processing
A method of processing input digital image data representing an image into output digital image data, comprising: providing (100) input image data; providing and initializing (200) a level set function representation for approximating the output digital image data; providing (300) a speed function; determining (400) a propagation direction trend map relating to image points of the level set function, said map comprising one or more trend directions associated with said image points so that each one of said image points has an associated trend direction; updating (500, 520) the level set function using the speed function and the propagation direction trend map, so that the speed function is excluded from contributing in the updating of the level set function in image points for which the speed of the speed function is not in the associated trend direction; and providing (700) the output digital image data based on the level set function. By the exclusion, propagation in a coherent manner is enabled and speed penalty owing to local wiggling as observed in conventional methods can be avoided. |
| US09129363B2 |
Method for teeth segmentation and alignment detection in CBCT volume
A method of automatic tooth segmentation, the method executed at least in part on a computer system acquires volume image data for either or both upper and lower jaw regions of a patient and identifies image content for a specified jaw from the acquired volume image data. For the specified jaw, the method estimates average tooth height for teeth within the specified jaw, finds a jaw arch region, detects one or more separation curves between teeth in the jaw arch region, defines an individual tooth sub volume according to the estimated average tooth height and the detected separation curves, segments at least one tooth from within the defined sub-volume, and displays the at least one segmented tooth. |
| US09129362B2 |
Semantic navigation and lesion mapping from digital breast tomosynthesis
A method, a system, a computer program and a computer program product, as well as a computer-readable storage medium, enables navigating between different medical images and localizing dedicated positions in the images. The medical images may be digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images, full-field digital mammography system (FFDM) images and magnetic resonance (MR) images. The process is based on a shape prediction algorithm and a computer-aided detection/diagnosis (CAD) algorithm in order to find a corresponding second position in the at least one second image. |
| US09129359B2 |
Adaptive navigation technique for navigating a catheter through a body channel or cavity
A method for using an assembled three-dimensional image to construct a three-dimensional model for determining a path through a lumen network to a target. The three-dimensional model is automatically registered to an actual location of a probe by tracking and recording the positions of the probe and continually adjusting the registration between the model and a display of the probe position. The registration algorithm becomes dynamic (elastic) as the probe approaches smaller lumens in the periphery of the network where movement has a bigger impact on the registration between the model and the probe display. |
| US09129357B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method of image processing, and recording medium storing image processing program
An image processing apparatus including an image processing unit and configured to generate an enlarged image of an original image. The image processing unit is configured to generate the enlarged image by sequentially and repeatedly executing an edge-enhancement and enlargement process on the original image. The edge-enhancement and enlargement process is a process for enhancing edges in an image while enlarging the image. |
| US09129353B2 |
Charged particle beam device, and image analysis device
In a scanning electron microscope, if a failure is caused to occur in a SEM image by the influence of a disturbance such as magnetic field or vibration inside and from outside the device, the cause is identified simply and accurately using this SEM image. There is provided a measurement technique whose measurement accuracy is not influenced by a roughness of SEM image pattern. A one-dimensional scanning is performed in a scanning-line direction (X direction) by setting the Y-direction scanning gain at zero at the time of acquiring the SEM image, and a two-dimensional image is created by arranging image information, which is obtained by the scanning, in a time-series manner in the Y direction. A shift-amount data on the two-dimensional image is acquired using a correlation function, and the magnetic field or vibration included within the SEM image is measured by a frequency analysis of the data. |
| US09129351B2 |
Fidelity measurement of digital images
There is provided a method of measuring the similarity of parts of digital image files (IF1, IF2,IF2-z)), which comprising the steps of calculating a first change value in a similarity between pixel values in a first segment (BIF1a) of a first digital image file (IF1) and in a second segment (BIF1b) of this first file (IF1), said first and second segments of said first file being spatially separated by a first translation vector (td1), calculating a second change value (v) in the similarity between pixel values in a first segment (BIF2a) of the second digital image file (IF2, IF2-z) and in a second segment (BIF2b) of the second file (IF2, IF2-z), said first and second segment of said second file being spatially separated a second translation vector (td2), wherein the first segment of the first file corresponds to substantially same part of the image as the first segment of the second file and wherein the second segment of the first file corresponds to substantially the same parts of the image as the second segment of the second file, and calculating a structure evolution value indicative of the similarity between the first and second changes. |
| US09129349B2 |
Method of inserting an image into a container file
A method of inserting an image into a container file includes reading source data including the image and opening the container file where the image will be stored. The container file comprises one or more records. Each record includes an image file section reserved for storing the image, an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the image, and a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty. The method further includes determining whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records, and if the source of data is valid, preparing the record and the image metadata, and writing the record into the container file and marking the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the container file. |
| US09129347B2 |
Display screen having regions of differing pixel density
A display device including: a display screen having first region and second region, the first region having a first pixel density and the second region having a second pixel density, the second pixel density being higher than the first pixel density, an input for receiving image data, a power source; and wherein the display screen is operable in a full screen mode in which an image is displayed in both the first region and the second region and a reduced screen mode in which power to the first region is turned off and the image is displayed in the second region. |
| US09129346B2 |
Image fragmentation for distortion correction of color space encoded image
Embodiments of the present disclosure can include devices for storing and exchanging color space encoded images. The encoded images can store input data into high capacity multi-colored composite two-dimensional pictures having different symbols organized in specific order using sets in a color space. The encoding can include performing two-level error correction and generating frames based on the color space for formatting and calibrating the encoded images during decoding. The decoding can use the frames to perform color restoration and distortion correction. The decoding can be based on a pseudo-Euclidean distance between a distorted color and a color in a color calibration cells. In some embodiments, an encoded image can be further divided into sub-images during encoding for simplified distortion correction. |
| US09129339B2 |
Digital currency purchasing flows
A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information. |
| US09129331B2 |
Method and system for processing requisitions
A method and system for making a requisition for one or more items including providing a requisition module written as a service, using the requisition module to place one or more orders for one or more items, and monitoring the status of the one or more orders or the one or more items. When one or more orders is placed by a user of the module, an instant message or an email is provided to the user, wherein the instant message or email specifies the status of the one or more orders to the user. |
| US09129330B2 |
Wireless tracking and inventory monitoring for welding-type devices
A welding-type device has a wireless communication unit to transmit wireless signals comprising at least identification information or location information. The information may be transmitted either automatically or in response to request signals. Such a welding-type device may be configured to communicate with other welding-type devices, a monitoring device, or both. A wireless communication system has at least one welding-type device, at least one wireless communication assembly, and at least one monitoring device and is capable of assisting a user in locating particular welding-type devices, monitoring inventory, preventing theft of welding-type devices, and scheduling preventive maintenance. |
| US09129328B2 |
Process for ordering a selection in advance, digital system and jukebox for embodiment of the process
This invention relates to a process for ordering a selection in advance, characterized in that it includes a step in which a menu is displayed followed by a selection in this menu, to make specific requests and particularly: a step displaying the event for which the advance order of a selection is made, and then selection of the event; a step displaying the identity of destination equipment on which the selection is to be played, and then selection of this equipment; a step displaying the date and time at which the selection is to be made on the destination equipment; a step in which particular requests are recorded and downloaded onto a file only after payment has been verified. |
| US09129326B2 |
System and method for service provider search
A system and method are disclosed for the creation of future time based search. Service providers identify their availability. This information is then searchable by potential clients to determine if relevant, local service providers are available to perform needed service. |
| US09129315B2 |
Bill folder with visual device and dynamic information content updating system
A bill folder for providing a user with relevant information when paying for a service such as in a restaurant, hotel, etc., in which said bill folder comprises a first portion that has a coating and one or more holding elements, and a second portion that has a coating and one or more holding elements, in which both portions are joined by an intermediate hinged portion that forms a spine. The first portion contains a first enclosure and includes at least one visual device, and the first enclosure contains a motherboard, the second portion contains a second enclosure, in which the at least one visual device is able to display dynamic information obtained from a content updating system. The present invention overcomes the technical problem of integrating an information content updating system dynamically and in a manner suitable to all locations, orders, levels and types of service. |
| US09129314B1 |
System and method for communicating between a mobile communication device and a gaming device
A system and method for communicating between a mobile communication device and a venue apparatus is disclosed herein. The system comprises a mobile communication device, a venue apparatus, and a wireless local area network (WLAN) for a venue. The venue apparatus comprises a beacon for transmitting low energy BLUETOOTH transmissions. The mobile application is configured to verify a transmission from the venue apparatus in a registry when the mobile communication device is within three feet of the venue apparatus. |
| US09129306B1 |
Tie breaking rules for content item matching
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting controlling keywords. In one aspect, a method includes determining that two or more targeting keywords for a same content item source are matched by one or more terms in a content item request, where a first targeting keyword matches the one or more terms with a more specific type of match than the second targeting keyword. If the bid associated with the second targeting keyword does not exceed the bid associated with the first targeting keyword, the first targeting keyword and the second targeting keyword are ranked based on selection scores. The targeting keywords are ranked based at least in part on the quality scores when the bid associated with the second targeting keyword does exceed the bid associated with the first targeting keyword. |
| US09129301B2 |
Display of user selected advertising content in a digital environment
A system and method for placing an advertisement in a digital environment based upon a user's choice, subject to certain predetermined parameters, is disclosed. Through the method, a user is assigned a rating based upon, for example, his performance in a game. A list of advertisements which correspond to that rating is displayed to the user, who may then select a desired advertisement from the list. The selected advertisement is then displayed in the digital environment. Reports may be generated based upon the advertisements selected and the number of selections and/or impressions (e.g., uses or viewings) by the user, which may be sent to advertisers. |
| US09129296B2 |
Augmenting recommendation algorithms based on similarity between electronic content
Systems and methods for augmenting recommendation algorithms based on similarity between electronic content items are provided. In one embodiment, a content management application executed by a processor identifies at least one first electronic content item associated with a first client. The content management application determines that the first electronic content item is similar to at least one second electronic content item associated with a second client. The content management application generates an association between the first electronic content item and the second electronic content item. The association is based on the first electronic content item and the second electronic content item being similar to each another. The content management application generates a recommendation output based at least partially on the association between the first electronic content item and the second electronic content item. |
| US09129295B2 |
See-through near-eye display glasses with a fast response photochromic film system for quick transition from dark to clear
This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content wherein the optical assembly comprises a photochromic layer and a heater layer disposed on a see-through lens of the optical assembly, wherein the photochromic layer is heated by the heater layer to accelerate its transition from dark to clear. |
| US09129289B2 |
Systems and methods for providing remote ordering capabilities
The invention relates to methods and systems for receiving, processing and fulfilling remotely placed orders. In one aspect, requests to place an order are received from a remote location, and based on a customer identifier included in the request, customer preference data is retrieved. An electronic selection menu based on customer preference data is transmitted to the customer, the order is received and prepared. The customer's arrival is automatically detected, and the completed order is provided to the customer. |
| US09129287B2 |
System and method for gathering data for detecting fraudulent transactions
A system and method for gathering data for detecting fraudulent transactions includes, in one embodiment, a web page that contains a fraud data gathering script and causes a client device to download a fraud detection applet. The fraud data gathering script causes the client device to collect information from the client device that is usable to identify the client device. The fraud detection applet causes the client device to connect to an identification echo service server to obtain the actual IP address of the client device. The fraud detection data, including the identifying information and the actual IP address, are then sent to a web server and/or a fraud data gathering server for further processing and to determine whether a transaction with the client device is likely to be fraudulent. |
| US09129286B2 |
Methods for providing cross-vendor support services
According to one aspect, in response to a request from a mobile application running at a mobile device of a customer, a personalized page is transmitted to the mobile application, the personalized page including a list of products retrieved from a customer profile of the customer. Each of the products is associated with one or more communications channels preferred by an associated client, which are retrieved from the client database. A live support request is received from the mobile application initiated from a selected product of the personalized page, the live support request including a selection selecting one of the preferred communications channels listed on the personalized page. A live communication session is established between the customer and a support agent using a selected communications channel for live support services to the customer concerning the selected product. |
| US09129284B2 |
Systems, methods and apparatuses for secure digital transactions
A method for authorizing recurring transaction according to one embodiment includes receiving a defined payment amount associated with a user or entity. Additionally, the method includes receiving a first code associated with a first predetermined currency value, where the first code is also associated with the user or entity. Furthermore, the method includes verifying an availability of funds to pay the defined payment amount and authorizing payment of the defined payment amount if funds are available to pay the defined payment amount. Further still, the method includes generating a new code associated with a new predetermined currency value, and sending the new code to a sender of the defined payment amount. |
| US09129281B2 |
Automated contactless access device location system and method
A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving transaction data in an authorization request message from an access device, where the transaction data is associated with a merchant and a transaction location. The method also includes analyzing the transaction data to determine if a location database comprises location data corresponding to the merchant associated with the transaction data, and adding the transaction location and information regarding the access device to the location database. |
| US09129279B1 |
Delivering financial services to remote devices
A financial institution can provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices, such as personal computers, personal data assistants, screen phones, automatic teller machines, external service providers, and internally to staff terminals and individual branches. By separating the components of the system into independent components, the system and method can be developed and tested on a component level rather than the entire system level, thereby reducing the development and maintenance cycle time. The system and method operate in sessions and can employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer. |
| US09129278B2 |
Pre-allocating merchant ID in a credit card processor entity system by a master merchant
A method to process credit card transactions, including obtaining available merchant account IDs allocated to a master merchant account at a credit card processor entity of a credit card transaction network, where the master merchant is authorized to set up merchant accounts based on the master merchant account and assumes merchant-side financial risks of the merchant accounts, receiving, after obtaining the available merchant account IDs, a request from a merchant to set up a merchant account, and assigning, in response to credit approval of the merchant, a merchant account ID selected from the available merchant account IDs to the merchant for setting up the merchant account, where a credit card transaction of the merchant is submitted, subsequent to assigning the merchant account ID, to the credit card processor entity for authorization based on the master merchant account, where the credit card transaction is tagged with the merchant account ID. |
| US09129276B1 |
Inventory management
A method for inventory management. The method includes: obtaining a first invoice sent from a supplier to a first merchant; capturing, by a computer processor, a first set of inventory data from fields on the first invoice; updating a template for the supplier based on capturing the first set of inventory data, where the template includes locations of the fields on the first invoice; obtaining a second invoice sent from the supplier to a second merchant, where the second invoice includes the fields; and capturing, after updating the template and by the computer processor, a second set of inventory data from the fields on the second invoice using the template, where the second set of inventory data includes a quantity of a product purchased from the supplier, and where an inventory database of the second merchant is updated with the quantity of the product. |
| US09129274B1 |
Controlling access based on display orientation
In some examples, a merchant device may control access to features based on an orientation of a display. For instance, the merchant device may present a first user interface (UI) for enabling a merchant to enter transaction information. Subsequently, the merchant device may present a second UI to enable the buyer to interact toward completion of the transaction, and the merchant may change the orientation of the display to face the buyer. While the display is oriented in the buyer direction, access to the merchant UI is prevented, thereby preventing initiation of a new transaction, cancellation of transaction, etc. When the display is returned to the first orientation, i.e., facing the merchant, the merchant device may enable certain UI features such as for initiating a new transaction, canceling a transaction, or perform other functions that a buyer may have been restricted from performing. |
| US09129271B2 |
System and method for processing casino tickets
A method of processing documents includes receiving a stack of documents including currency bills and substitute currency media. Each substitute currency medium has at least one barcode. The method further includes transporting the stack of documents via a transport mechanism, one document at a time, along a transport path and denominating with a currency detector each of the currency bills in the stack of documents. The currency detector is positioned adjacent to the transport path. The method further includes scanning with a barcode scanner a barcode on each substitute currency medium in the stack of documents. The barcode scanner is positioned adjacent to the transport path. The method further includes imaging with an image scanner each substitute currency medium in the stack of documents to generate a raw image file of the substitute currency medium. The image scanner is positioned adjacent to the transport path. |
| US09129268B2 |
Directing payments to satisfy periodic financial obligations
Methods, computer program products, and systems, related to financial payments are provided. Data corresponding to payments made by a first financial institution is analyzed to identify periodic financial obligations and a specific biller associated with each obligation. A visual user interface including a mechanism through which a user can submit a make-payments notification is generated and provided to a client computer. A first make-payments notification identifying an obligation and a specific biller is received. A determination is made as to whether the specific biller is automatically requesting payments to satisfy the obligation identified in the make-payments notification, and if so, a cease-billing instruction is caused to be sent to the specific biller. A billing instruction, instructing the first specific biller to automatically request payments from a second financial institution to satisfy the obligation, is caused to be sent to the first specific biller. |
| US09129256B2 |
Enabling collaboration on a project plan
Systems, methods, and software applications for enabling the collaboration on a project plan are described in the present disclosure. A computer readable medium is configured to store instructions that are executable by a processing device. According to one embodiment, among many, the computer readable medium includes logic adapted to enable a member of a project team to submit a proposal for modifying a current project plan to a project manager. The computer readable medium also includes logic adapted to enable the project manager to accept or reject the proposal for modifying the current project plan. Various team members make changes to a single shared copy of the project plan. The changes can be to a respective team member's section of the plan |
| US09129250B1 |
Automated inventory management
Some examples include using an inventory tracking device to track the addition of inventory items to an inventory holder of an inventory system or removal of inventory items from the inventory holder. The inventory holder may include one or more trays to store one or more inventory items, with each tray including one or more bins that may be defined by dividers on the tray. The inventory tracking device may use inventory holder configuration data that identifies locations of the bins to determine that the inventory item was added to or removed from a particular bin of the inventory holder. |
| US09129248B2 |
Kinematic asset management
A system for managing kinematic assets is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises an electronic identification device associated with an asset. The system further comprises a container comprising a reader disposed within the container for receiving a unique identification of the identification device. The container further comprises a reader node for maintaining an inventory record comprising the asset and for generating a report when the asset is not detected by said reader. The report further comprises a location of the container when said report is generated. The system further comprises a kinematic asset management platform comprising an asset registry for storing data conveyed by the report and a reports engine for generating a second report conveying the location of said container when the report is generated. |
| US09129247B2 |
Managing throughput for multiple processes in a materials handling facility
Various embodiments of a system and method for process management in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a process control component configured to generate a model of multiple unit handling processes of a materials handling facility. For each process, the model may indicate a measured throughput rate. The process control component may be configured to, based on at least one target output rate that is a goal for the output rate of a given unit handling process, evaluate the model to generate a particular target throughput rate that is a goal for the respective throughput rate of a particular unit handling process that is performed prior to the given unit handling process. The process control component may be configured to, based on the particular target throughput rate, generate one or more instructions to control the respective throughput rate of units processed by the particular unit handling process. |
| US09129245B2 |
Adaptive pharmaceutical product management methods and system
Methods and systems for adaptive storage and management of pharmaceutical product containers at a pharmacy are described. Pharmaceutical product containers are managed so that the containers for more-frequently-used pharmaceutical products are stored among plural storage locations more-efficiently accessible to a pharmacy workstation. Containers for less-frequently-used pharmaceutical products are managed so that the containers for such products are stored among the storage locations which are less-accessible to the pharmacy workstation. As the frequency of pharmaceutical product usage changes, the inventory of pharmaceutical product containers is managed adaptively so that the containers used most frequently are stored at locations more-easily accessible to the pharmacy workstation, thereby facilitating fulfillment of prescriptions by pharmacy personnel. Further efficiencies may be achieved through use of an optical positioning system providing directed placing and picking of pharmaceutical product containers. Management of pharmaceutical product containers repeatedly taken from and returned to inventory may be provided. |
| US09129244B2 |
Linked decision nodes in a business process model
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to decision node processing in a business process model and provide a method, system and computer program product for linked decision nodes in business process models. In an embodiment of the invention, a business process model simulation method can be provided. The method can include loading a business process model for simulation, designating a decision node in the business process model as a master decision node and linking another decision node in the business process model as a slave decision node to the master decision node. The method further can include simulating the master decision node to select an output pin and storing the selected output pin in association with the master decision node, and applying the selected output pin in the slave decision node when arriving at the slave decision node during the simulation without simulating the slave decision node. |
| US09129243B2 |
Apparatus and methods for strategic planning by utilizing roadmapping
A system for performing strategic planning. At least one processor and memory are configured to, based on user input, provide a plurality of roadmaps, and link a data point of a first roadmap to a data point of a second roadmap to integrate at least portions of the first and second roadmaps. “Intelligent” roadmapping can be provided wherein the system scans relationships in data from different sources and loads related categories and data points onto a combined roadmap. |
| US09129241B2 |
Component for a network system
Provided is a component for a network system, which includes a communication device for receiving at least energy information, a component driver part driven by supplied energy, and a control part that recognizes high price-related information or low price-related information, based on the energy information received by the communication device and that controls the component driver part. A method of controlling the component driver part when the high price-related information is recognized is different from a method of controlling the component driver part when the low price-related information is recognized. |
| US09129236B2 |
Drill hole planning
Forming a sequence plan for a machine to travel to a series of specified locations is described. An initial cost table (414) and a pattern of locations (412) is inputted to a Sequential Ordering Problem (SOP) solver (402). The resulting sequence (410) is processed by a motion planner (404) to derive by a motion planning procedure a plan of machine motions through the sequence. A cost table update (408) is performed based on the motion plan, which is then used for another iteration of the SOP solver (402). |
| US09129234B2 |
Representation of people in a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet includes a native spreadsheet object that represents a person. The person object may be used within a spreadsheet just as any other spreadsheet objects are utilized. For example, the person object may be integrated with spreadsheet formulas and other spreadsheet objects such as charts, tables, pivot tables, sheets, and the like. Spreadsheet formulas may perform operations specific to a person object (e.g. send message, get contact information, get status, get other person specific information, sort, and the like). Common actions may be associated with the person object, such as initiating communication with the person represented by the person object (e.g. phone call, email, text message, collaboration invite, and the like). Social networking information may also be associated with a person object. For example, social networking posts may be included within a spreadsheet, a user may post to a social network from the spreadsheet, and the like. |
| US09129233B2 |
System and method for training a machine operator
An operator training system for a machine is disclosed. The operator training system comprises an interface in communication with a machine and a processor communicatively coupled to the interface. The processor is configured to receive, via the interface, operation data associated with operation of the machine. The processor is further configured to determine an operator performance value for an operator of the machine based on the received operation data. The processor is also configured to compare the operator performance value with a benchmark value. The processor is further configured to provide one or more training tools to the operator if the operator performance value is less than the benchmark value. |
| US09129229B2 |
System, apparatus, and method for utilizing a reading of a machine readable element associated with a consumable product
A method for utilizing a reading of a machine readable element associated with a consumable product, may include storing, by a computer, in a memory in communication with the computer, a record of apparatus identification information associated with an apparatus having a reader for reading the machine readable element. The method may also include obtaining usage information based on a reading of the machine readable element by the reader, wherein the usage information comprises identity information indicative of an identity of a supplier of the consumable product and applying, by the computer, a debit to the supplier of the consumable product based on the usage information and the apparatus identification information. |
| US09129228B1 |
Robust and fast model fitting by adaptive sampling
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to model fitting. A target model having a large number of inputs is fit using a performance model having relatively few inputs. The performance model is learned during the fitting process. Optimal optimization parameters including a sample size, a damping factor, and an iteration count are selected for an optimization round. A random subset of data is sampled based on the selected sample size. The optimization round is conducted using the iteration count and the sampled data to produce optimized parameters. The performance model is updated based on the performance of the optimization round. The parameters of the target model are then updated based on the damping factor and the parameters computed by the optimization round. The aforementioned steps are performed in a loop in order to obtain optimized parameters and fit of the data to the target model. |
| US09129225B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing rule-based recommendations
An approach is provided for providing rule-based recommendations. The approach involves a processing of one or more user profile tags, context tags, content tags, channel tags and/or other context information. The approach further involves a determination of one or more weighting factors of one or more of the user profile tags, context tags, content tags, channel tags and other context information. The approach also involves an application of one or more rule sets that bases a determination of a recommendation on the weighting factor. The approach, then, generates one or more recommendations. |
| US09129220B2 |
Methods and systems for digital neural processing with discrete-level synapes and probabilistic STDP
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure support implementation of a digital neural processor with discrete-level synapses and probabilistic synapse weight training. |
| US09129217B2 |
Movable storage
A mobile storage system is disclosed that in one aspect identifies a geographical location change of a user, such as movement from a first geographical location to a second geographical location. In response, the mobile storage system may move the user's information to a storage device associated with the second geographical location so that the user's information may be accessed by the user more efficiently. |
| US09129216B1 |
System, method and apparatus for computer aided association of relevant images with text
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products are disclosed for the association of relevant images with text and presentation of image recommendations to users. In an aspect, text, image and user/usage information is processed in order to extract features therefrom and create three-component feature vectors called triplets. One or more reference databases store the triplets and a modeling component builds a model to learn and recommend images based on the triplets stored. A reference database may be initially populated with information from publically available image/text for use by the modeling component. Using the model, an Illustration Index is calculated for each image in a collection for a given text. Images are ranked by their Illustration Index and provided as recommendations for use with the text. User interactions with images provides the system with personalized feedback, adding new associations/triplets to the reference database to further refine the model. |
| US09129209B2 |
Printer having print data generation technique for facilitating printing using short distance wireless communication
A printer includes: a generation unit sequentially converting each of partial original data of a plurality of pages included in original data designated as a print target by a specific user into each of partial print data in a memory; a supply unit sequentially supplying each of the partial print data to a print execution unit; and a confirmation unit, whenever the partial print data of one page is generated, confirming whether the specific user is present around the printer. When it is not confirmed that the specific user is present around the printer when first partial print data of one page is generated, the supply unit does not supply the first partial print data to the print execution unit, and the generation unit starts to generate second partial print data of another page in the memory. |
| US09129208B2 |
Method and system for determining an object type from raster data in an image forming apparatus
A method for determining a color profile from received raster data and printing the raster data is provided. Color profiles provide a mapping from a color space of the raster data to a color space of the printer, which typically uses CMYK toner or ink. A text color profile may be employed to print crisper text, or a photo color profile may be employed to produce better images. The raster data includes a plurality of raster scan lines containing digital pixel values. The method includes determining a number of sequentially repeated digital pixel values and a number of sequentially non-repeated digital pixel values for the plurality of raster scan lines. A color profile is selected based on a determination between the repeated and non-repeated digital pixel values. An example image forming apparatus that may carry out the method is also provided. |
| US09129206B2 |
Printing device and printing system
A printer can be connected to a computer or other host device without being limited by the type of data processed by the printer. A POS system 1 has a POS terminal 10 connected to a first printer 60 that has a print unit 71. The print data acquisition unit 66 of the first printer 60 acquires data output by the POS terminal 10. A conversion unit 67 applies at least one of a process of converting graphic data to text data, and a process of converting text data to graphic data, to the data acquired by the data acquisition unit 66, and the conversion unit 67 outputs the resulting converted data. |
| US09129204B2 |
Card reader
A card reader may include a card conveying mechanism structured to convey the card; a conveying passage; a magnetic head to abut a magnetic stripe formed on a card and read or record data on the card; a head moving mechanism to move the magnetic head; and an abutting part abutting with one end of the card. The card conveying mechanism may include a drive source, and a first conveying roller and a second conveying roller. The first conveying roller is disposed on one end side of the conveying passage. The second conveying roller is disposed on the other end of the conveying passage. The card conveying mechanism may include a first torque limiter disposed in a power transmission path from the drive source to the first conveying roller, and a second torque limiter disposed in a power transmission path from the drive source to the second conveying roller. |
| US09129200B2 |
Protection system for radio frequency communications
A system for protecting radio frequency (RF) communications and related techniques includes generating masking signals at an RF device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) card. |
| US09129197B1 |
Highlight-based bill processing
Document processing utilizing extraneous highlight added to the document. Sections or fields of a document including data utilized for document processing are marked or highlighted for processing. For example, a paper or printed document may be manually highlighted by a highlighter pen, or the highlight may be computer generated. An image of the highlighted bill is acquired. Highlighted sections within the image are identified, and bill data within the highlighted fields is extracted and utilized for bill processing. |
| US09129191B2 |
Semantic object selection
Techniques are disclosed herein that enable digital images to be segmented based on a user's semantic input. In other words, given an input image of a person walking a dog adjacent to a tree, a user can simply provide the semantic input “dog” and the system will segment the dog from the other elements in the image. If the user provides other semantic input, such as “person” or “tree”, the system will segment the person or the tree, respectively, from the same image. Using semantic input advantageously eliminates any need for a user to directly interact with the input image through a tedious process of painting brush strokes, tracing boundaries, clicking target points, and/or drawing bounding boxes. Thus semantic input represents an easier and more intuitive way for users to interact with an image segmentation interface, thereby enabling novice users to take advantage of advanced image segmentation techniques. |
| US09129190B1 |
Identifying objects in images
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying objects in images. One of the methods includes obtaining a first training image; down-sampling the first training image to generate a low-resolution first training image; processing the low-resolution first training image using a first neural network to generate a plurality of features of the low-resolution first training image and first scores for the low-resolution first training image; processing the first scores and the features of the low-resolution first training image using an initial patch locator neural network to generate an initial location of an initial patch of the first training image; locally perturbing the initial location to select an adjusted location for the initial patch of the first training image; and updating the current values of the parameters of the initial patch locator neural network to generate updated values using the adjusted location. |
| US09129188B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method thereof
An image processing apparatus, which correctly extracts specular reflected light components of reflected light from an object, and accurately estimates a light source color, is provided. The image processing apparatus calculates a pixel value difference distribution by repeating, for respective pixels, to calculate pixel value differences between a pixel of interest and adjacent pixels in an input image and to calculate similarities between pixel value differences. A light source estimation unit estimates a color of a light source which illuminates an object in the input image based on the calculated distribution. |
| US09129187B2 |
Image reconstruction method and device
An objective is to enable calculation of a distribution of a physical property such as a density inside a measurement object, even when the distribution of the physical property value is non-uniform, within a feasible period of time without causing image deterioration due to phenomena such as refraction and multiple-reflections caused by the non-uniformity. To this end, the physical property value that makes an evaluation quantity be an extremum is outputted, where the evaluation quantity is a liner sum or a product of exponential function of: an equation residual quantity that is a residual being a difference between an operator term and an external force term of an equation of motion; a non-uniformity detection equation residual quantity that is a residual of an equation of detecting the non-uniformity of the physical property value from a matching degree of solutions of the equation of motion under two types of boundary conditions; and a conditional equation residual quantity that is a residual of a constraint condition. |
| US09129186B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing ultrasound image
A method and apparatus for processing an ultrasound image are provided. The method includes determining similarities between a first two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image, among 2D ultrasound images of a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound image, and the 2D ultrasound images. The method further includes generating a predetermined number of similar ultrasound images with respect to the first 2D ultrasound image based on the similarities. The method further includes generating 3D volume data based on the predetermined number of the similar ultrasound images. The method further includes removing noise from the 3D volume data. The method further includes generating another 3D ultrasound image based on the noise-removed 3D volume data. |
| US09129184B2 |
Image synthesis processor and image synthesis method
An image processor includes an image degradation measuring unit configured to compute a degradation level of block data with respect to each of blocks within an image, a degradation determining unit configured to select, with respect to each of the blocks within the image, the block data of a target block of one of a plurality of the images based on degradation levels of respective block data of the target blocks of the plurality of the images, and an image synthesis unit configured to generate a sheet of an image by synthesizing the block data selected with respect to the blocks within the image. |
| US09129183B2 |
Systems and methods for encoding light field image files
Systems and methods configured to store images synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the images in electronic files and render images using the stored image and the metadata in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor and memory containing an encoding application and light field image data, where the light field image data comprises a plurality of low resolution images of a scene captured from different viewpoints. In addition, the encoding application configures the processor to: synthesize a higher resolution image of the scene from a reference viewpoint using the low resolution images, where synthesizing the higher resolution image involves creating a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the higher resolution image; encode the higher resolution image; and create a light field image file including the encoded image and metadata including the depth map. |
| US09129178B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing data using optical character reader
A method for processing data by using an optical character reader (OCR) is provided. The method includes obtaining OCR data from each image file of a plurality of image files and storing the obtained OCR data, receiving a search command with respect to an object, extracting the object from the stored OCR data, selecting OCR data which includes the object from among the OCR data, and displaying a list of image files which correspond to the selected OCR data. |
| US09129176B2 |
Method and apparatus for assembling an image of a document
An optical code scanner is presented for assembling an image of a document from multiple images captured by the optical code scanner. A document is presented to the optical code scanner which captures multiple images where each image includes only a portion of the document. Once every part of the document has been captured in at least one image, the optical code scanner processes the images to generate a single image of the entire document. |
| US09129169B1 |
RFID tags backscattering based on challenge
RFID reader systems, readers, components, software and methods cause RFID tags to backscatter a combination made from at least portions of a first code and a second code, without transmitting any commands in the interim. The first and/or second codes may include a tag response to a reader challenge. In a number of embodiments, a separate command does not have to be sent for reading the second code along with the first code, thereby saving time in inventorying the tags. Plus, the combination can enable reading tag codes during tag manufacturing that are not otherwise readily available to read in the field. In some embodiments, the combination may further include one or more error-checking codes. |
| US09129168B1 |
RFID readers causing tags to backscatter based on challenge
RFID reader systems, readers, components, software and methods cause RFID tags to backscatter a combination made from at least portions of a first code and a second code, without transmitting any commands in the interim. The first and/or second codes may include a tag response to a reader challenge. In a number of embodiments, a separate command does not have to be sent for reading the second code along with the first code, thereby saving time in inventorying the tags. Plus, the combination can enable reading tag codes during tag manufacturing that are not otherwise readily available to read in the field. In some embodiments, the combination may further include one or more error-checking codes. |
| US09129162B2 |
Vehicular parking control system and vehicular parking control method using the same
Provided are a vehicular parking control system capable of removing temporary obstacles from an image of objects within a parking space so that an available parking space can be searched for, and a vehicular parking control method using the same. The vehicular parking control system includes: a camera configured to acquire an image of a parking space with reference to a position of a personal car; a sensing unit configured to sense an object in the parking space; and an electronic control unit configured to search for an available parking space by comparing an image pattern of an object within the image of the parking space acquired from the camera with a preset reference image pattern, identifying the type of the object, and removing a contour of the object, the type of which has been identified as a temporary obstacle, from contours of objects in the parking space corresponding to a sensing signal sensed by the sensing unit. |
| US09129159B2 |
Vehicle headlight state monitoring methods, systems and processor-readable media
A video-based vehicle headlight state monitoring method and system. A vehicle image can be captured by an image-capturing unit and converted to a grayscale image. The grayscale image can be processed to locate a front license plate and identify a position of a headlight region in front of the vehicle utilizing an algorithm. An average digital count with respect to brightness of the headlight region can be compared with average digital count with respect to brightness of several parts of the vehicle and a background region to determine the vehicle headlights ON/OFF status. The headlights can be considered ON if the digital count level of the headlight region is higher than the digital count of the several parts of the vehicle and the background region. A warning signal can be initiated to turn the headlights on during a special situation utilizing a signal generator. |
| US09129152B2 |
Exemplar-based feature weighting
In an example embodiment, for each of the image exemplars, a first location offset between an actual landmark location for a first landmark in the image exemplar and a predicted landmark location for the first landmark in the image exemplar is determined. Then, a probability that the image recognition process applied using the first feature produces an accurate identification of the first landmark in the image exemplars is determined based on the first location offsets for each of the image exemplars. A weight may then be assigned to the first feature based on the derived probability. An image recognition process may then be performed on an image, the image recognition process utilizing a voting process, for each of one or more features, for one or more landmarks in the plurality of image exemplars, the voting process for the first feature weighted according to the weight assigned to the first feature. |
| US09129149B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and program
Disclosed is a method for accurately and efficiently detecting a modality of input data, including the steps of projecting the input data into a plurality of projection data using each of a plurality of transformation matrix groups U1·(Σ12U2T), generating a plurality of inverse projection data by performing inverse projection of the transformation matrix groups on the plurality of generated projection data, calculating a correlation between the input data and the generated inverse projection data with respect to each transformation matrix group U1·(Σ12U2T), and identifying a modality represented by a transformation matrix group having a highest calculated correlation as the modality of the input data. |
| US09129144B2 |
RFID middleware system and method of supporting real-time balancing of loads of reader connections
Disclosed is radio frequency identification (RFID) middleware system and method of detecting the load of reader connections occurs during the middleware is running and balancing the load in real-time so as to minimize a decrease of the performance of the RFID middleware system. The RFID middleware system comprises: a client; a RFID middleware; RFID readers; and RFID tags, wherein the RFID middleware comprises: a middleware engine which filters tag events collected according to queries registered in the client; and a reader framework which detects the load of the connections of the RFID readers occurs while the RFID middleware is running and balances the load in real-time. |
| US09129141B2 |
Method for modeling a repair in an electric grid
This disclosure describes methods for use with energy management systems that electric utilities use to manage power distribution networks. The methods can account for changes in phase value that dynamic cross-phasing causes in the power distribution network. In one embodiment, the methods facilitate computer-based modeling of the power distribution network to include such changes in phase value into a connectivity model, which provides a schematic representation of the power distribution network. |
| US09129140B2 |
Squaring circuit, integrated circuit, wireless communication unit and method therefor
A squaring circuit has current mode triplet metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices, including a first MOS device, a second MOS device and a third MOS device each having a source operably coupled to a first current source; and a fourth MOS device, a fifth MOS device and a sixth MOS device each having a source operably coupled to a second current source. The drain of first and fourth MOS device is operably coupled to a first supply, the drain of second and fifth MOS device is operably coupled to a first differential output port and the drain of third and sixth MOS device is operably coupled to a second differential output port. The gate of first, second and sixth MOS device is connected to a first differential input port, and the gate of third, fourth and fifth MOS device is connected to a second differential input port. |
| US09129139B2 |
Solid state memory and method for protecting digital contents by interrupting copying or accessing and proceeding only upon user verification or authentication
A solid state memory including a processor and a method for protecting the digital contents of the solid state memory. The microprocessor inserts at least an interruption during a copying or a reading of the digital contents and proceeds with the copying or reading only subsequent to a verification of a PIN or other user action. In particular, the verification provides control to ensure that the PIN is inserted manually. Access may be prevented if a time elapsed between the interruption and inputting of a PIN is shorter than a threshold time representing a speed of manual input, or if the PIN does not correspond to a sequence of requests for access to selectable files, which may be virtual files. The interruption may comprise substituting altered or cryptographic data if verification fails, or reproduction of an audio or visual message to be understood by the user. |
| US09129137B2 |
Method, computer program and device for providing security for intermediate programming code for its execution by a virtual machine
The invention in particular relates to provide security for intermediate programming code for its execution by a virtual machine. After having received (200) a plurality of pseudo-instructions of the intermediate programming code, the plurality of bytecode instructions is converted (230, 235), the conversion including a step of inserting at least one bytecode instruction relative to a function for execution checking of at least one bytecode instruction of the plurality of bytecode instructions. A following step is directed to generating bytecode, the generated bytecode including the plurality of converted bytecode instructions. |
| US09129135B2 |
Play time dispenser for electronic applications
Systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are described for controlling access to electronic applications by a user. A request may be received (e.g., from a user) to access an electronic application. The availability of points, credits, or time for the particular user may be determined, and access to the electronic application granted or denied based on the determination. User identity may be verified through biometric data, with such verification repeated at periodic or random intervals. Access may be restricted based on a permission level of a particular authority that has responsibility for all or a portion of the user's activities during a particular time period. Access may also be restricted based on the location of the user at the time of the access request. |
| US09129132B2 |
Reporting and management of computer systems and data sources
A system and method are provided for managing data, such as for example security or other business data. For the example of security data, security data is received from a plurality of assets that may or may not be remotely located. A plurality of security metrics are computed and normalized according to thresholds. Security metrics are aggregated to generate an aggregate score, this may include weighting the metrics according to metric priorities. A change effort corresponding to each metric is also received and a corresponding change effort for the aggregate score is calculated. Aggregate scores and aggregate change efforts are analyzed to generate risk reduction recommendations. Upon instruction, metrics corresponding to an aggregate score may be displayed including recommendations of metrics for risk reduction. The recommended metrics may be selected according to analysis of change-to-effort ratios for the metrics. |
| US09129127B2 |
Secure mobile interface access system
A method performed by one or more server devices connected to a mobile device via a network, the mobile device being connected to an electronic device is provided that can include sending, by the one or more server devices and to the mobile device, data initiating a session between the one or more server devices and the mobile device; sending a request for information about the electronic device; receiving the requested information about the electronic device; identifying device credentials for the electronic device and communication protocols for communicating with the electronic device; providing the device credentials for the electronic device and the communication protocols for communicating with the electronic device; automatically gathering information about the electronic device from data stored on the electronic device using the communication protocols and the mobile device; and providing support to the electronic device via the mobile device. |
| US09129122B2 |
Signature verification apparatus, signature verification method, program, and recording medium
A signature verification apparatus including a signature acquisition unit configured to acquire a digital signature including first information generated based on a pair of multi-order multivariate polynomials F=(f1, . . . , fm) defined in a ring K, a signature key s which is an element of a set Kn, and a document M and a plurality of pieces of second information for verifying that the first information is generated using the signature key s based on the data M, the pair of multi-order multivariate polynomials F, and vectors y=(f1(s), . . . , fm(s)), and a signature verification unit configured to verify legitimacy of the document M by confirming whether or not the first information is restorable using the plurality of pieces of second information included in the digital signature. The pair of multivariate polynomials F and the vectors y are public keys. |
| US09129121B2 |
Locating cryptographic keys stored in a cache
Example embodiments provide various techniques for locating cryptographic keys stored in a cache. The cryptographic keys are temporarily stored in the cache until retrieved for use in a cryptographic operation. The cryptographic key may be located or found through reference to its cryptographic key identifier. In an example, a particular cryptographic key may be needed for a cryptographic operation. The cache is first searched to locate this cryptographic key. To locate the cryptographic key, the cryptographic key identifier that is associated with this cryptographic key is provided. In turn, the cryptographic key identifier may be used as an address into the cache. The address identifies a location of the cryptographic key within the cache. The cryptographic key may then be retrieved from the cache at the identified address and then used in the cryptographic operation. |
| US09129119B2 |
Enforcement of data privacy to maintain obfuscation of certain data
A computer-readable medium is disclosed that tangibly embodies a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations including determining whether data to be released from a database is associated with one or more confidential mappings between sets of data in the database. The operations also include, in response to the data being associated with the one or more confidential mappings, determining whether release of the data meets one or more predetermined anonymity requirements of an anonymity policy. Methods and apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US09129118B1 |
Mapping identifying information
A technology is described for making a decision based on identifying without disclosing the identifying information. The method may include receiving a mapping value that represents identifying information that has been converted into a mapping value. A request for data associated with the identifying information may be made by providing the mapping value as a proxy for the identifying information whereby the data associated with the identifying information may be located using the mapping value and returned to a requesting client or service. |
| US09129117B2 |
Generation method and device for generating anonymous dataset, and method and device for risk evaluation
An anonymous dataset generation method comprises following steps. A critical attribute set and a quasi-identifier (QID) set are acquired, and one of the critical attribute and the quasi-identifier is set as an anchor attribute. An attribute sequence and an equivalence table are generated according to the quasi-identifier set and the critical attribute set. A data cluster and a cluster table are generated according to the equivalence table. The content of the cluster table is generalized to generate and output an anonymous dataset corresponding to an original dataset. A risk evaluation method for an anonymous dataset calculates data weight to extract distinctive data and to attacking defects of the anonymous dataset according to the distinctive data, thereby enhancing a risk evaluation efficiency of the anonymous dataset. |
| US09129116B1 |
System and method for indicating security
A universal indicator may be provided to users accessing content over a network to help the users identify which content is safe and which content is not. The indicator may be a positive indicator for safe sites, or a negative indicator for unsafe sites, and may be conspicuously positioned on a portion of the browser to alert users which Internet sites are safe. The positive icon may be displayed only if all of a predetermined set of criteria are met, wherein the predetermined criteria consider network vulnerabilities, server vulnerabilities, and unscrupulous business practice vulnerabilities. |
| US09129113B2 |
Partition-based apparatus and method for securing bios in a trusted computing system during execution
An apparatus including a ROM, a selector, and a detector. The ROM has partitions and encrypted digests. Each of the partitions is stored as plaintext, and each of the encrypted digests includes an encrypted version of a first digest associated with a corresponding one of the partitions. The selector selects one or more of the partitions responsive to an interrupt. The detector accesses the one or more of the partitions and corresponding one or more of the encrypted digests upon assertion of the interrupt, and directs a microprocessor to generate one or more of second digests corresponding to the one or more of the partitions and one or more of decrypted digests corresponding to the one or more of encrypted digests using the same algorithms and key that were employed to generate the first digest and the encrypted digests, and compares the one or more of the second digests with the one or more of the decrypted digests, and precludes operation of the microprocessor if the one or more of the second digests and the one or more of the decrypted digests are not pair wise equal. |
| US09129104B2 |
System and method of security management for a virtual environment
A system and method can support security management in a computing environment that includes one or more virtualized machines to which one or more applications can be deployed. The system can include a plurality of agents, wherein each agent resides on one of a plurality of machines in the computing environment and operates to manage software processes and resources running in the computing environment. The system also includes a controller that collects data from the plurality of agents about current operating performance of the computing environment, and uses the data gathered to enforce policies and to deploy services in a way that honors one or more service level agreements of the deployed services. Furthermore, the communication between each of the plurality of agents and the controller can be secured with a mutual authentication method, and the communication between an agent and an application is secured with a one-way authentication method. |
| US09129102B2 |
Hardening security images
Methods and systems are provided for authenticating a human user. A memory can store a plurality of images and can store account information for a plurality of users. The account information can include personal image information for at least some of the users. A processor can receive a communication including an indication of a desire of a user to be authenticated, access an account of the user, modify the plurality of images to form a plurality of modified images, provide the plurality of modified images to the user, receive trial personal image information from the user, and compare the personal image information stored in the memory to the trial personal image information received from the user. The processor can authenticate the user if the personal image information stored in the memory is the same as the trial personal image information. |
| US09129098B2 |
Methods of protecting software programs from unauthorized use
A method for controlling or protecting the use of a software licensed product is provided. The method comprises, for example, encrypting protected data associated with the software licensed product with a key derived from code of a licensing module, distributing the encrypted protected data associated with the software licensed product to user devices, tracking usage of a software licensed product, and for all but one instance of the usage of the software licensed product terminating the usage of the software license product by allowing execution of the software licensed product upon successful decryption of the encrypted protected data. |
| US09129097B2 |
Systems and methods for auditing software usage using a covert key
System and method for auditing for usage of licensed software in which a client executing the software generates and transmits a license key and a covert key to a server via network connection. The license key is transmitted to the server upon activation of the licensed software at the client. The covert key is generated based on at least a portion of the software code activated at the client and is transmitted to the server at random or at predetermined time intervals after transmission of the licensed key so as to avoid detection by a user. The license and covert keys are each associated with a device fingerprint that uniquely identifies the device transmitting each one of the respective keys. Unauthorized software usage at a client is determined at least when a covert key does not correspond to a device fingerprint having an associated license key. |
| US09129090B2 |
Distributed service point transaction system
A device for processing electronic transactions is disclosed. The device includes a processor configured to receive, from a client processing device, a request for information to complete an electronic transaction by a user at an access device affiliated with an educational institution. The processor is further configured to transmit, to the client processing device, a response to the request, the response configured to be transmitted by the client processing device to the access device. The request for information is triggered at the access device by an identification carrier. The response to the request includes at least one of a permission or denial whether to provide, to the user, access to an educational space or item, access to electronic educational information, or determining at least one of the price and availability of an educational item to the user. A client-side device is also disclosed. Methods and machine-readable mediums are also disclosed. |
| US09129089B2 |
Digital rights management with persistently-unencrypted content
A digital rights management license provides access to a decryption key that can be used to decrypt an encrypted digital content item. The digital rights management license also includes a policy that defines circumstances in which the decryption key is allowed to decrypt encrypted content data for the purpose of creating a persistently-unencrypted version of the content data. |
| US09129086B2 |
Providing security services within a cloud computing environment
Embodiments of the present invention allow for the provisioning of security services within a Cloud computing environment by third parties. Specifically, under the present invention, a Cloud provider will publish a set of potential security attributes (e.g., a list), which can be monitored, to the Cloud customer. The Cloud customer will designate/select one or more of those attributes that the Cloud customer wishes to have monitored for one or more Cloud resources that it is using. The Cloud provider will then provide to the Cloud customer a set of third party security service providers capable of monitoring the attributes the Cloud customer designated. The Cloud customer will then select one or more third party providers from the provided set, and the Cloud provider will associate the given Cloud resources with the respective third party providers. Once third party providers have been associated with Cloud resources, a secure relationship between the third party provider(s) and the Cloud providers will be established. |
| US09129082B2 |
Variation factor assignment
One or more embodiments of techniques or systems for variation factor assignment for a device are provided herein. In some embodiments, a peripheral environment is determined for a device. A peripheral environment is a layout structure or an instance. When the peripheral environment is the layout structure, a variation factor is assigned to the device based on an architecture associated with the layout structure. When the peripheral environment is the instance, the variation factor is assigned to the device based on a bounding window created for the instance. In this manner, variation factor assignment is provided, such that a first device within a first block of a die has a different variation factor than a second device within a second block of the die, thus giving finer granularity to variation factor assignments. |
| US09129081B2 |
Synchronized three-dimensional display of connected documents
A system and method for synchronizing the display and edit of a plurality of connected layouts or documents within a single display. A first document or plurality of elements may be displayed as active and a second document or plurality of elements may be displayed as non-active background in a first window. The second document or plurality of elements may be displayed as active and the first document or plurality of elements may be displayed as non-active background in a second window. Any action detected in either window may be displayed in the other window. Upon selection of any active element or predefined net list, the elements physically or logically connected to the selected element or net list may be highlighted in the active documents, listed, or otherwise identified. An inter-document net list may identify connections between existing net lists in multiple documents. |
| US09129080B2 |
Low-loss tunable radio frequency filter
A method of constructing an RF filter comprises designing an RF filter that includes a plurality of resonant elements disposed, a plurality of non-resonant elements coupling the resonant elements together to form a stop band having a plurality of transmission zeroes corresponding to respective frequencies of the resonant elements, and a sub-band between the transmission zeroes. The non-resonant elements comprise a variable non-resonant element for selectively introducing a reflection zero within the stop band to create a pass band in the sub-band. The method further comprises changing the order in which the resonant elements are disposed along the signal transmission path to create a plurality of filter solutions, computing a performance parameter for each of the filter solutions, comparing the performance parameters to each other, selecting one of the filter solutions based on the comparison of the computed performance parameters, and constructing the RF filter using the selected filter solution. |
| US09129077B2 |
System and method for predicting human posture using a rules-based sequential approach
According to one embodiment of the invention, a computerized method for predicting posture of a living object includes storing a plurality of posturing rules for a respective activity in a storage location, receiving a start posture of a first living object for the activity, receiving a location of a target for the activity, dividing the activity into a plurality of movements based on the start posture and the location of the target, and determining an end posture of the first living object for the activity. Determining the end posture includes applying at least one of the posturing rules for each of the movements and checking at least one of a plurality of constraints associated with each of the movements. |
| US09129076B2 |
Hierarchical wafer yield prediction method and hierarchical lifetime prediction method
For improving wafer fabrication, yield and lifetime of wafers are predicted by determining coefficients of a yield domain for wafer yield prediction and a lifetime domain for a wafer lifetime prediction, an integral domain, an electric/layout domain, a metrology/defect domain, and a machine sensor domain in a hierarchical manner. With the aid of the hierarchically-determined coefficients, noises in prediction can be reduced so that precision of prediction results of the yields or the lifetimes of wafers can be raised. |
| US09129074B2 |
Method for making mechanical links
A method of making a mechanical multishear link includes sizing the multishear link by breaking down a system comprised by the link into as many subassemblies as there are simple shear interfaces, defining the subassemblies around each shear interface, describing each shear by its stiffness, and applying the mechanical relationships to achieve a system of equations for a computer-assisted resolution by applying the Huth method to each shear interface. |
| US09129073B2 |
Shape optimization method
A shape optimization method of a plate-like member which has a concavo-convex shape and includes: identifying a bend stress point where a bend stress is higher in a mode where a specific load is applied to the plate-like member; identifying a bend axis from a distribution of stress vectors around the bend stress point; identifying, in an orthogonal surface to the bend axis, a pair of membrane stress points where a ratio of a membrane stress to a sum of the bend stress and the membrane stress is higher; calculating an offset variable which is a distance between a line segment connecting the pair of the membrane stress points and the bend stress point; and identifying a shape of the plate-like member so as to minimize the offset variable. |
| US09129072B2 |
Virtual GPIO
A finite state machine is provided that both serializes virtual GPIO signals and deserializes virtual GPIO signals responsive to cycles of an external clock. The finite state machine frames the serialized virtual GPIO signals into frames each demarcated by a start bit and an end bit. |
| US09129070B2 |
Portable memory storage device
A portable memory storage device includes a housing and plural memory modules insertable into the housing. Each memory module includes a module shell, which has a module body and a positioning mechanism, and a memory member connected to the module shell. The positioning mechanism is disposed on the module body and is exposed from the housing. The positioning mechanism of a first memory module abuts against a front opening-defining edge, and the positioning mechanism of a last memory module abuts against a rear opening-defining edge, such that the plural memory modules are positioned in the housing. The memory module may be removed from the housing when the positioning mechanism is depressed. |
| US09129067B2 |
Position detector
In a position detector for detecting a position of a detection body, a signal processing circuit processes a signal outputted from a magnetic field detection element. A first storage circuit stores the signal outputted from the magnetic field detection element and outputs a signal to an external device through an output circuit in a normal operation mode. A second storage circuit stores an output value of the first storage circuit. When a malfunction determination circuit determines an instantaneous power interruption mode, a signal route changing circuit prevents a signal transmission between the first storage circuit and the second storage circuit and a signal transmission between the first storage circuit and the output circuit, prevents the second storage circuit from updating data for a certain period of time, and permits the second storage circuit in which updating is prevented to output a signal to the output circuit. |
| US09129066B2 |
Device disconnect detection
Systems and methods for operating a universal serial bus are described herein. The method includes sending packet data from a USB2 device to a USB2 host on a pair of signal lines, and after sending the packet data, sending an End-Of-Packet (EOP) signal from the USB2 device to the USB2 host. The method also includes, entering the USB2 device into idle state after sending the EOP signal. The method also includes sending a digital ping from the USB2 device to the USB2 host to indicate device presence during idle state. |
| US09129064B2 |
USB 3.0 link layer timer adjustment to extend distance
Methods and devices for transmitting SuperSpeed information between a host device and a USB device via an extension medium are provided. Link partner relationships are established between the host device and an upstream facing port device, between the USB device and a downstream facing port device, and between the upstream facing port device and the downstream facing port device. While the link partner relationship between the upstream facing port device and the downstream facing port device is substantially compliant to the USB 3.0 Specification, the link partner relationship may use a configurable link layer acknowledgement timer to compensate for delays in transmission over the extension medium. |
| US09129056B2 |
Tracing values of method parameters
Implementations of the present disclosure provide methods including receiving one or more specifications at a virtual machine that is executed using one or more processors, each specification indicating one or more methods and one or more parameters to be traced, the one or more parameters corresponding to the one or more methods, executing an application, the application calling a method of the one or more methods using the virtual machine, determining a subset of the one or more received specifications, the subset corresponding to specifications that are applicable to the method, generating an entry event corresponding to the method based on the subset, the entry event comprising event data including values of the one or more parameters, and reporting the entry event. |
| US09129053B2 |
Method and system for advanced measurements computation and therapy planning from medical data and images using a multi-physics fluid-solid heart model
Method and system for computation of advanced heart measurements from medical images and data; and therapy planning using a patient-specific multi-physics fluid-solid heart model is disclosed. A patient-specific anatomical model of the left and right ventricles is generated from medical image patient data. A patient-specific computational heart model is generated based on the patient-specific anatomical model of the left and right ventricles and patient-specific clinical data. The computational model includes biomechanics, electrophysiology and hemodynamics. To generate the patient-specific computational heart model, initial patient-specific parameters of an electrophysiology model, initial patient-specific parameters of a biomechanics model, and initial patient-specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) boundary conditions are marginally estimated. A coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation is performed using the initial patient-specific parameters, and the initial patient-specific parameters are refined based on the coupled FSI simulation. The estimated model parameters then constitute new advanced measurements that can be used for decision making. |
| US09129052B2 |
Metering resource usage in a cloud computing environment
An approach that provides assigning and tracking inter-Cloud operational transactions within a Cloud computing environment in order to meter Cloud resource usage when processing a Cloud service request. In one embodiment, there is a Cloud usage and accounting tool, including a route management component configured to define and manage the physical implementation of delineation points between Clouds. The Cloud usage and accounting tool further includes a workflow control component configured to track inter-Cloud operational transactions as they pass through the delineation points. |
| US09129051B2 |
Automatic traffic generation for a faring system
A faring system includes a production facility including at least one fare shopping server, a staging facility including at least one fare shopping server, and an entry point for conducting bi-directional communications with customers. The staging facility further includes a database storing transformation rules and a traffic generation subsystem configured to receive a transaction via the entry point from a customer, to determine if the received request is one suitable for use in generating simulation data for the fare shopping server of the staging system and, if so, to modify the received transaction in accordance with at least one rule retrieved from the database to create at least one modified transaction, and to send the at least one modified transaction to the fare shopping server of the staging facility for processing. The fare shopping server of the staging facility processes the modified transaction for evaluating a potential new or modified functionality of the faring system. |
| US09129050B2 |
Debug in a multicore architecture
A method of monitoring thread execution within a multicore processor architecture which comprises a plurality of interconnected processor elements for processing the threads, the method comprising receiving a plurality of thread parameter indicators of one or more parameters relating to the function and/or identity and/or execution location of a thread or threads, comparing at least one of the thread parameter indicators with a first plurality of predefined criteria each representative of an indicator of interest, and generating an output consequential upon thread parameter indicators which have been identified to be of interest as a result of the said comparison. |
| US09129049B2 |
Medical imaging apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable storage medium
A medical imaging apparatus includes a transmission suspension time determination unit that determines a transmission suspension time from when an inspection is ended to when inspection end information generated by an inspection end information generation unit is transmitted to a hospital information system based on inspection information; an inspection end information transmission unit transmits the generated inspection end information to the hospital information system after the transmission suspension time has passed after the inspection is ended; and an additional imaging-operation instruction determination unit determines whether an additional imaging-operation instruction is issued from an operator before the transmission suspension time passes. If it is determined that the additional imaging-operation instruction is issued, inspection end information including a content of the imaging operation additionally executed according to the additional imaging operation instruction is executed, and the inspection end information including the content of the additional imaging-operation is transmitted. |
| US09129048B2 |
Systems and methods for an ultrasound workflow
An ultrasound imaging system including a user interface configured to receive user inputs from an operator during an imaging session. The user interface includes a display device having a display area and an image-processing module that is configured to receive ultrasound signals from a diagnostic probe and process the signals to generate ultrasound images. The system also includes a workflow module that is configured to display, concurrently, an acquired image of the ultrasound images and a user-selectable element in the display area. The acquired image includes an anatomical feature of a subject. The workflow module is configured to display an activated frame over the acquired image in the display area when the user-selectable element is selected by the operator. The activated frame appears partially transparent such that the anatomical feature is visible through the activated frame. |
| US09129045B2 |
Interactive magnification tool
A method and apparatus for an alternative representation of information that is displayable onto a user interface display screen. The information can be displayed as at least one portion of a data range, such as data representing characteristics of one or more signals over time, while the alternative representation can be displayed in accordance with a set of one or more user selectable magnification attributes associated with the portions of the data range and associated with one or more axis directions relative to a plane of the display screen. |
| US09129044B2 |
System and method for radiation dose reporting
Systems and method can be employed to automatically extract radiation dose information from medical images, particularly a plurality of heterogeneous CT images including those from legacy CT scanners. A report including the extracted radiation dose information can be generated, and alerts can be sent to reduce the possibility of overexposures. |
| US09129042B2 |
Nearest neighbor serial content addressable memory
A digital design and technique may be used to implement a Manhattan Nearest Neighbor content addressable memory function by augmenting a serial content addressable memory design with additional memory and counters for bit serially accumulating in parallel and subsequently comparing in parallel all the Manhattan distances between a serially inputted vector and all corresponding vectors resident in the CAM. Other distance measures, besides a Manhattan distance, may optionally be used in conjunction with similar techniques and designs. |
| US09129038B2 |
Discovering and exploiting relationships in software repositories
Software development items can be represented in a graph data structure. Relationships between the represented items can be detected and reflected in the graph data structure. Queries can be run against the data structure to determine which software development items are related to each other. Implicit query can be implemented in a software development context. A graph browser can present panes showing related items.In some embodiments, a set of regular expressions can be used to identify paths in a graph. Probability scores for the identified paths can be computed. Path data for the identified paths, including the probability scores, can be stored in a searchable location accessible by one or more applications. A query of the path data can be processed to return query results associated with at least one of the identified paths. |
| US09129037B2 |
Disappearing index for more efficient processing of a database query
A disappearing index allows faster processing of a database query without the startup time of a prior art sparse index. The disappearing index starts as a full index but is trimmed of index values that point to a row in the table that is not selected by the query. Thus the traditional index disappears as it becomes a sparse index tailored to the query. The query is able to execute faster using the now sparse index since the target database table is not accessed for duplicate values in the base table of the query. The query optimizer may determine to use a disappearing index based on estimates of the number of duplicate values in the base table. When the query is complete, the created disappearing table may be discarded or used for other queries that match the selection of the query that created the disappearing index. |
| US09129035B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for accessing object representations of data sets
In one embodiment, markup representation of a data set is requested at a relational data store. The data set has a first portion stored at a first table structure of the relational data store and a second portion stored at a second tale structure of the relational data store. The markup representation of the data set is received from the relational data store and an object representation of the data set is generated based on the markup representation of the data set. The object representation of the data set includes a first element having a value of the first portion and a second element having a value of the second portion. |
| US09129032B2 |
System and method for processing a clickstream in a parallel processing architecture
An aspect of the present invention relates to tracking a computer user's web browsing behavior by collecting web browser click events as a clickstream and and processing the clickstream in a parallel processing architecture. |
| US09129029B1 |
Ranking content using location-based query log analysis
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for ranking content using location-based query log analysis. The method comprises: identifying a region defining an area of interest including identifying a plurality of content items that are associated with the region; evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region to determine a ranking associated with the plurality of content items; receiving a request for content associated with the region; and providing one or more of the content items based at least in part on the ranking. |
| US09129028B2 |
Event field distributed search display
A method, system, and processor-readable storage medium are directed towards generating a report derived from data, such as event data, stored on a plurality of distributed nodes. In one embodiment the analysis is generated using a “divide and conquer” algorithm, such that each distributed node analyzes locally stored event data while an aggregating node combines these analysis results to generate the report. In one embodiment, each distributed node also transmits a list of event data references associated with the analysis result to the aggregating node. The aggregating node may then generate a global ordered list of data references based on the list of event data references received from each distributed node. Subsequently, in response to a user selection of a range of global event data, the report may dynamically retrieve event data from one or more distributed nodes for display according to the global order. |
| US09129019B2 |
Associative search engine
This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user. |
| US09129016B1 |
Methods and apparatus for providing query parameters to a search engine
Methods and apparatus for providing query parameters to a search engine are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving selection information, wherein the selection information indicates search data selected from a graphical user interface. The method also includes creating a query parameter based on the search data and presenting the query parameter to a search engine. |
| US09129012B2 |
Information search system with real-time feedback
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing live search suggestions. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a suggested query term by a client device, initiating a live query to obtain live content relating to the suggested query term responsive to obtaining the suggested query term, obtaining the live content, and displaying the live content on a user interface of the client device. |
| US09129004B2 |
Multi-interval quicksort algorithm for complex objects
Systems and methods (“utility”) for sorting a plurality of complex objects are provided herein. The utility may include a sorting algorithm that sorts references to the complex objects, rather than the complex objects themselves, such that the need to copy and swap complex objects in their locations in memory is reduced. Further, the sorting algorithm may utilize a recursive divide and conquer process, using multiple pivot elements at each sorting level. For example, the sorting algorithm is based on a modified Quicksort algorithm that uses multiple pivot elements at each level to sort an array of references that point to complex objects. |
| US09129001B2 |
Character data compression for reducing storage requirements in a database system
A system, method, and computer program product for character data compression for reducing data storage requirements in a database system are described. Embodiments include identifying data of a particular character type in a full data page, and identifying usage frequency of each character of the particular character type. Each character is encoded based on the identified usage frequency and stored, with storage requirements for most frequently used characters are reduced. |
| US09128999B2 |
Managing software product-line customizations
A method of managing application service provider product line variations is disclosed. The method includes receiving a client customization request, creating a configuration managed file tailored to the client customization request, binding the configuration managed file to at least one customizable resource, and deploying the customizable resource to a data store. The customizable resource is instantiated after disposition at the data store. |
| US09128996B2 |
Uniform data model and API for representation and processing of semantic data
In some implementations, a method includes receiving a first data set that is stored using a first format, generating an info item based on the first data set, the info item representing an entity extracted from the first data set, generating a delta item based on the first data set, the delta item including a reference to the info item and defining a context-based modification of the info item, generating a second data set in a second format comprising the info item and the delta item, and storing the second data set to the computer-readable storage medium. |
| US09128995B1 |
Defining a graphical visualization along a time-based graph lane using key performance indicators derived from machine data
A service monitoring system receives a selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) that each indicate a different aspect of how a service provided by one or more entities is performing. Each entity of the one or more entities produces machine data or wherein each entity has its operation reflected in machine data not produced by the entity. Each KPI is defined by a different search query that derives one or more values from the machine data pertaining to the one or more entities providing the service, where each of the one or more values is associated with a point in time and representing the aspect of how the service is performing at the associated point in time. For each of the selected KPIs, the service monitoring system derives the one or more values and causes display of a graphical visualization of the derived one or more values for the KPI along a time-based graph lane. The graph lanes for the selected KPIs are parallel to each other and the graphical visualizations in the graph lanes are all calibrated to a same time scale. |
| US09128994B2 |
Visually representing queries of multi-source data
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for visually representing queries of multi-source data. Embodiments of the invention can be used to visually represent queries of multi-source data. Visual cues can be used to help surface insights into data sets. For example, keywords can be assigned colors. Within a data set, the keywords can be presented as colored highlights (i.e., individual keywords can be displayed using different colors). Presentation of multiple colored highlighted keywords can be optimized for quick visual consumption. As such, a user can more easily determine the volume of keywords within a data set and can identify trends in keyword volume over time. A “mountaintop view” of an entire data set can be presented to show highlighted words within the data set as color blocks without having to scroll. |
| US09128991B2 |
Techniques to perform in-database computational programming
Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus and method for generating a general request having structures and information to perform an analytical calculation on data stored in a distributed database system and converting the structures and information of the general request to a compute request having a request format conforming to a query language used by the distributed database system. Various embodiments may also include sending the compute request to a node of the distributed database system and receiving a compute response from the node of the distributed database system, the compute response including a result set of the analytical calculation performed on data local to the node from an analytic container implemented by the node, the analytic container including an embedded process to replicate an execution environment hosted within the distributed database system used by a client application. |
| US09128989B2 |
Methods and apparatus for targeting communications using social network metrics
A method for a computer system includes receiving a first user communication, determining a first group of users, determining a target number of users, determining whether the first group of users includes the target number of users, and if not, providing the communication to the first group of users, determining a hierarchal mapping of groups of users in response to user memberships, determining a second group of users from the hierarchal mapping, determining a plurality of social network relationship factors for the second group of users with respect to the first user, and providing the communication to at least a subset of users in the second group of users in response to the first plurality of social network relationship factors. |
| US09128986B2 |
Method and system for managing a database having a plurality of tables
The present disclosure describes methods and systems for managing a database having a plurality of tables. The tables represent master data of a business application. In one example, a method includes receiving an input command from a user for maintaining a table of the plurality of tables. After receiving the command, an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file corresponding to the table is identified. Thereafter, a screen suitable for enabling the user to perform one or more functionalities corresponding to the input command is prepared. The screen is prepared by using a screen object corresponding to the XML file. Various examples of the functionalities can include, but are not limited to, View, Add, Update, and Delete. Subsequently, a query corresponding to the input command is executed for maintaining the table based on the functionalities. |
| US09128979B2 |
Enriching database query responses using data from external data sources
The subject disclosure is directed towards enriching database query responses using data from external data sources. When processing a database query seeking enriched data from an external data source, a request is communicated to the external data source based on the database query. An enriched database query response is generated based on data provided by the external data source. The enriched database query response may be combined with data returned via an internal database query operation, and/or inserted into a local database table. |
| US09128974B2 |
Methods for tracking database changes and devices thereof
Methods, devices, and computer-readable storage media for tracking changes in a database including at least one database table include adding a first column to a schema of each database table. The first column includes a row update identifier for each row of the database table. A global update identifier is incremented in response to a row change and recorded as the row update identifier for the changed row. In response to a latest database synchronization event, a reference table including a synchronization update identifier is generated, and the global update identifier is incremented and recorded as the synchronization update identifier. An update to a row in a database table is tracked based at least upon determining that a row update identifier of the updated row in the database table is greater than the synchronization update identifier in the reference table. |
| US09128973B1 |
Method and system for tracking re-sizing and re-creation of volumes using modification time
This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up data. In some embodiments, this includes a backup server locating one or more instances of data associated with a list of identifiers, wherein each instance of data comprises one or more target volumes and associated journal volume; the enablement of replication; and replication. |
| US09128972B2 |
Multi-version concurrency control on in-memory snapshot store of oracle in-memory database
Techniques are provided for maintaining data persistently in one format, but making that data available to a database server in more than one format. For example, one of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is based on the on-disk format, while another of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is independent of the on-disk format. Data that is in the format that is independent of the disk format may be maintained exclusively in volatile memory to reduce the overhead associated with keeping the data in sync with the on-disk format copies of the data. |
| US09128965B1 |
Configurable-capacity time-series tables
Methods and apparatus for configurable-capacity time-series tables are disclosed. A schedule of database table management operations, including at least an operation to change a throughput constraint associated with a table in response to a triggering event, is generated. The table is instantiated with an initial throughput constraint in accordance with the schedule. Work requests directed to the table are accepted based on the initial throughput constraint. The throughput constraint is modified in response to the triggering event. Subsequent work requests are accepted based on the modified throughput constraint. |
| US09128963B2 |
Decomposing XML schema documents into subsets
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system decomposes a set of schema files. The system receives a set of schema files and automatically identifies a plurality of root schema files in the set, where a root schema file is determined based on remaining schema files in the set lacking a reference to that schema file. For each root schema file, the system creates a subset of the original set of schema files. The subset contains the root schema file, and at least one subset further includes one or more schema files that provide information for that root schema file. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for decomposing a set of schema files in substantially the same manners described above. |
| US09128960B2 |
Assisted image selection
Assisted face selection is disclosed. According to some implementations, a method can include obtaining contact information associated with a contact and displaying on an interface of a computing device an image (e.g., a thumbnail image) representative of the contact. The method can include receiving an indication to change the contact-representative image, determining that one or more other images from a plurality of other images correspond to the contact based on the contact information, and displaying the one or more other images. The method can include receiving a selection of one of the one or more other images and displaying on the interface the selected image as the contact-representative image. Receiving the indication can include receiving a selection of the displayed contact-representative image. Automatic selection of images is also disclosed. |
| US09128949B2 |
Memory allocation buffer for reduction of heap fragmentation
Systems and methods of a memory allocation buffer to reduce heap fragmentation. In one embodiment, the memory allocation buffer structures a memory arena dedicated to a target region that is one of a plurality of regions in a server in a database cluster such as an HBase cluster. The memory area has a chunk size (e.g., 2 MB) and an offset pointer. Data objects in write requests targeted to the region are received and inserted to the memory arena at a location specified by the offset pointer. When the memory arena is filled, a new one is allocated. When a MemStore of the target region is flushed, the entire memory arenas for the target region are freed up. This reduces heap fragmentation that is responsible for long and/or frequent garbage collection pauses. |
| US09128948B1 |
Integration of deduplicating backup server with cloud storage
Various systems and methods can integrate a deduplicating backup server with cloud storage. For example, one method involves detecting a trigger condition associated with a storage device that stores backup images for a backup server. The method then selects to move a unit of data from the storage device to a cloud storage system, in response to detecting the trigger condition. The method selects the unit of data based on a most recent time at which the unit of data was accessed during a restore operation. The selection of the unit of data can also be based on a number of references to the unit of data, in systems in which the storage device is a deduplicated storage device. |
| US09128934B2 |
User interface for presenting and searching relationships between document objects located on a network
A user interface for presenting and searching relationships between document objects located on a network is described. The user interface may include a first portion of a screen display for displaying one or more link relationship attributes and a second portion of the screen display for displaying one or more entries from a group consisting of: (a) link references that represent the document objects, (b) link relationship attributes describing the link relationships, (c) link reference attributes describing the link references, and (d) document objects. The displayed entries in the second portion of the user interface are related to the displayed one or more link relationship attributes in the first portion. |
| US09128933B2 |
Measuring entity extraction complexity
A named entity input is received and a target sense for which the named entity input is to be extracted from a set of documents is identified. An extraction complexity feature is generated based on the named entity input, the target sense, and the set of documents. The extraction complexity feature indicates how difficult or complex it is deemed to be to identify the named entity input for the target sense in the set of documents. |
| US09128925B2 |
System and method for direct memory access buffer utilization by setting DMA controller with plurality of arbitration weights associated with different DMA engines
A DMA controller allocates space at a buffer to different DMA engines based on the length of time data segments have been stored at a buffer. This allocation ensures that DMA engines associated with a destination that is experiencing higher congestion will be assigned less buffer space than a destination that is experiencing lower congestion. Further, the DMA controller is able to adapt to changing congestion conditions at the transfer destinations. |
| US09128918B2 |
Dynamic language translation of web site content
Methods, systems, and computer readable medium for providing translated web content. A request is received from a user for content in a second language translated from content in a first language from a first Internet source. The content in the first language is obtained and divided into one or more translatable components. Whether the one or more translatable components have been previously translated, via at least one of machine translation, human translation, and a combination thereof, into the second language and stored as translated components in a storage is determined. If there are one or more translatable components previously translated and stored, the content is generated in the second language by modifying the content in the first language so that at least some translatable components are replaced with corresponding translated components and sent in the second language to the user as a response to the request. |
| US09128917B2 |
Automatic content expansion indicators
A method, system, and computer program product for providing automatic expanding and collapsing of a portion of visual content on a screen including expanding the portion of visual content, and providing a visual cue alerting a user that the portion is automatically expanded from a collapsed state. |
| US09128914B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
Disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit capable of efficiently performing debugging. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a distributing part distributing received packets according to destinations of the packets, a plurality of accumulating parts sequentially accumulating the packets distributed thereto, respectively, a plurality of relaying parts supplying the packets accumulated in one of the accumulating parts to corresponding one of the processing parts, respectively, and an output controlling part assigning the relay permission command to one relaying part designated by a relay permission packet from among the relaying parts when a packet distributed thereto from the distributing part is determined as the relay permission packet. |
| US09128912B2 |
Efficient XML interchange schema document encoding
A method of reducing the size of a simpleType element in an Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) schema document may include modifying each simpleType element in an XSD document by eliminating one or more facets from each simpleType element. The method may also include encoding the XSD document into an EXI schema document by transforming each modified simpleType element in the XSD document from an XSD simpleType element with start and end tags to an encoded EXI simpleType element expressed as a sequence of bits. |
| US09128907B2 |
Language model generating device, method thereof, and recording medium storing program thereof
A text in a corpus including a set of world wide web (web) pages is analyzed. At least one word appropriate for a document type set according to a voice recognition target is extracted based on an analysis result. A word set is generated from the extracted at least one word. A retrieval engine is caused to perform a retrieval process using the generated word set as a retrieval query of the retrieval engine on the Internet, and a link to a web page from the retrieval result is acquired. A language model for voice recognition is generated from the acquired web page. |
| US09128900B2 |
Method and server for managing redundant arrays of independent disks cards
In a method for managing redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID) cards and a server for executing the method, the server calculates a theoretical percentage of a load of each RAID card according to a number of the RAID cards, and loads an actual percentage of the load of each RAID card through a multi input output (MIO) interface, and detects peripheral component interconnect-express (PCI-E) bandwidth of each RAID card. When the load of each RAID card is unbalanced or the PCI-E bandwidth of the RAID card is saturated, the server transfers the load from a RAID card having a greater actual percentage of the load into a RAID card having a less actual percentage of the load, and transfers the load from a RAID card whose PCI-E bandwidth is saturated into a RAID card whose PCI-E bandwidth is unsaturated according to differential signals through the MIO interface. |
| US09128898B2 |
Server and method for managing redundant array of independent disk cards
In a method for managing redundant array of independent disk (RAID) cards, physical layer (PHY) chips of the RAID card is detected by a serial port. Information of a malfunctioning PHY chip and a standby PHY chip is read and stored in a firmware of a flash erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) of the RAID card. An address of the malfunctioning PHY chip is set as an address of the standby PHY chip, and a hard disk electronically connected to the malfunctioning PHY chip is connected to the standby PHY chip. A new serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) address is obtained by amending an original SAS address according to the number and address of the standby PHY chip, and a new firmware is created in the flash EPROM according to the new SAS address. |
| US09128896B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying phrases in digital content that are trending
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods to identify trending or temporally popular phrases based on aggregating multiple users' interactions with an aggregate of content. A server may receive identification of a plurality of clicks of encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links. The server may identify, for each of the plurality of clicks, in content identified from decoding the encoded URL links, a plurality of phrases that correspond to a predetermined set of keywords. The server may determine a velocity of clicks on content corresponding to each phrase of the plurality of phrases and identify a trend in one or more phrases of the plurality of phrases based on the velocity of clicks. |
| US09128895B2 |
Intelligent flood control management
Described herein are techniques for dynamically monitoring and managing resource usages of processes running on a node in a multi-node database system. High resource usages of processes can be proactively detected and alleviated, thereby making such a node to perform significantly better than otherwise. |
| US09128891B2 |
Method, mobile terminal and computer program product for sharing storage device
The invention discloses a method of sharing a storage device and a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal comprises a first processor, a second processor and a readable and writable nonvolatile storage device. A processing capacity of the first processor is different from that of the second processor. A state in which the first processor is operating and using the storage device is a second state. A state in which the second processor is operating and using the storage device is a third state. The method comprising: the first processor receiving a switch instruction; the first processor controlling the storage device to enter the second state or the third state according to the switch instruction. As compared with the prior art, by controlling the sharing of the storage device by the first processor, the invention reduces the elements in the mobile terminal and saves the hardware cost of the mobile terminal; moreover, the physical connection between the components in the mobile terminal is simple and easily controlled. |
| US09128890B2 |
Semiconductor memory system and method for controlling order of access operation on a plurality of memory devices of multi-plane array
A semiconductor memory system may include a plurality of memory devices each configured to have multiple planes, and an access controller configured to access each of the multiple planes corresponding to each of the plurality of memory devices as a unit memory. |
| US09128888B2 |
Method and apparatus for turbo decoder memory collision resolution
A device such as a turbo decoding device is proposed in which an intermediate buffering device including an address buffering device and an element buffering device is communicatively coupled to a plurality of processing devices and a memory device. During a cycle of a parallel decoding process, the intermediate buffering device receives, from two different processing devices, first and second address information respectively corresponding to first and second elements of a code sequence stored in the memory device. During the cycle, the intermediate buffering device transmits a request for the first element to the memory device based on the first address information and stores the second address information in the address buffering device. Subsequently, during the cycle, the intermediate buffering device receives first element information corresponding to the first element from the memory device and stores the received first element information in the element buffering device. |
| US09128885B2 |
Computationally efficient finite impulse response comb filtering
A method and system that remove an unwanted signal and its harmonics from an input signal in a computationally efficient manner are disclosed. Embodiments include processing the FFT matrix to selectively zero-out rows of the matrix before multiplying the matrix with the Inverse FFT (IFFT) matrix. The resulting product (which is a sparse matrix) is then used to generate coefficients for a linear Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter to process the input. The filtered output signal has the unwanted signal and its harmonics removed with minimal effect on a desired signal. The method produces a stable, physically realizable filter, requiring fewer computations than current methods. |
| US09128884B2 |
Virtual machine fault tolerance
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for hosting a virtual machine from a snapshot. In particular, a snapshot of a virtual machine hosted on a primary computing device may be created. The virtual machine may be hosted on a secondary computing device using the snapshot, for example, when a failure of the virtual machine on the primary computing device occurs. If a virtual machine type (format) of the snapshot is not supported by the secondary computing device, then the virtual machine within the snapshot may be converted to a virtual machine type supported by the secondary computing device. In this way, the virtual machine may be operable and/or accessible on the secondary computing device despite the failure. Hosting the virtual machine on the secondary computing device provides, among other things, fault tolerance for the virtual machine and/or applications comprised therein. |
| US09128880B2 |
Synchronizing and controlling software downloads, such as for utility meter-reading data collection and processing
Method and apparatus to manage software updates of networked data collection devices are disclosed. Example disclosed methods involve in response to receiving a software update, determining if the data collection device is to receive the software update and, if the data collection device is to receive the software update, setting, in memory, a state indicator for the data collection device to an update state. Disclosed methods also include in response to receiving a configuration request from the data collection device when the corresponding state indicator is set to the update state, sending an update command to the data collection device, the update command to include a bill of materials corresponding to the software update and a time for the software update to take effect. |
| US09128878B2 |
System and method for auto-failover and version matching of bootloader in an access controller
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and an access controller communicatively coupled to the processor. The access controller may include a memory having a bootloader portion including a first memory address and a second memory address a second processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The second processor may be configured to: (i) attempt to execute the a first copy of a bootloader stored at the first memory address; (ii) in the event of a failure to execute the first copy of the bootloader, copy a second copy of the bootloader stored at the second memory address to the first memory address; and (iii) subsequent to copying the second copy to the first memory address, attempt to execute the second copy of the bootloader stored at the first memory address. |
| US09128877B1 |
Systems, methods and computer program products including features of transforming data involving a secure format from which the data is recoverable
Systems and methods for transforming data involving a secure format from which the data is recoverable. In one implementation, there is provided a method of generating H output data from W data input streams produced from input data. Moreover, the method may include generating the H discrete output data components via application of the W data inputs to one or more transforming components or processes having specified mathematic operations and/or a generator matrix functionality, wherein the W data inputs are recoverable via a recovery process capable of reproducing the W data inputs from a subset (any W members) of the H output data streams. |
| US09128876B2 |
Memory location specific data encryption key
Contents of a memory are encrypted using an encryption key that is generated based on a random number and a memory location at which the contents are stored. Each of a plurality of locations of a memory can be associated with a respective unique pointer value, and an encryption key may be generated based on the unique pointer value and the random number. In some examples, the random number is unique to a power-up cycle of a system comprising the memory or is generated based on a time at which the data to be stored by the memory at the selected memory location is written to the memory. |
| US09128875B2 |
Signal transformation apparatus applied hybrid architecture, signal transformation method, and recording medium
A signal transformation apparatus, a signal transformation method, and a recording medium are provided. The signal transformation apparatus selects any one of DCT-II, DST-II, DFT, and HWT, and transforms and outputs the input signal according to the selected transform. Therefore, the hybrid architecture of low complexity can be attained. |
| US09128874B2 |
Method of using microphones to measure particle velocity
A method of using microphones to measure a particle velocity comprises steps: arranging a sound source, a first microphone and a second microphone in a space, wherein the first microphone is arranged between the sound source and second microphone, and wherein the first microphone is located at a first position and the second microphone is located at a second position more far away from the sound source than the first position; using the first and second microphones to measure the sound source and obtain first and second acoustic pressures respectively; using the first and second positions and an equivalent source method to establish a free-space Green's function, and using the first and second acoustic pressures and the equivalent source method to establish an acoustic pressure function; and using the free-space Green's function and acoustic pressure function to predict state space of sound amplitude and then obtain a particle velocity. |
| US09128873B2 |
Memory bus attached input/output (‘I/O’) subsystem management in a computing system
Memory bus attached Input/Output (‘I/O’) subsystem management in a computing system, the computing system including an I/O subsystem communicatively coupled to a memory bus, including: detecting, by an I/O subsystem device driver, a hibernation request; setting, by the I/O subsystem device driver, a predetermined memory address to a value indicating that the I/O subsystem is not to service system requests; detecting, by the I/O subsystem device driver, that the I/O subsystem device driver has been restarted; and setting, by the I/O subsystem device driver, the predetermined memory address to a value indicating that the I/O subsystem can resume servicing system requests. |
| US09128871B2 |
Memory system with variable length page stripes including data protection information
Methods and apparatuses for enhanced protection of data stored in a non-volatile memory system involve a controller capable of adapting to the failure of one or more non-volatile memory devices in the memory system. The controller stores data in the form of page stripes, each page stripe composed of data pages, and each data page stored in a different non-volatile memory device. The controller also detects failure of a non-volatile memory device in which a data page of a particular page stripe is stored, reconstructs the data page, and stores the reconstructed data page in a new page stripe, where the number of data pages in the new page stripe is less than the number of data pages in the particular page stripe, and where no page of the new page stripe is stored in a memory location within the failed non-volatile memory device. |
| US09128868B2 |
System for error decoding with retries and associated methods
A system to improve error code decoding with retries may include a processing unit that requests data packets, and a queue to hold the data packets for the processing unit. The system may also include a decoder to determine a processing time for each data packet in the queue based upon any errors in each data packet, and if the processing time for a particular data packet is greater than a threshold, then to renew any requests for the data packets that are in the queue. |
| US09128858B1 |
Apparatus and method for adjusting a correctable raw bit error rate limit in a memory system using strong log-likelihood (LLR) values
Apparatuses and methods for correcting errors in data read from memory cells of an integrated circuit device includes an encoder. The encoder is configured from a single parity check matrix and the encoder is configured to be virtually adjustable by setting a number of bits in the encoder to zero. A decoder is configured from the single parity check matrix and the decoder is configured to be virtually adjustable by setting a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for a number of bits in the decoder to a strong value. A code-rate that the encoder and decoder uses can be changed by adjusting the number of bits in the encoder that are set to zero and the number of bits in the decoder that are set to the strong LLR value. |
| US09128857B2 |
Flush engine
Techniques are disclosed related to flushing one or more data caches. In one embodiment an apparatus includes a processing element, a first cache associated with the processing element, and a circuit configured to copy modified data from the first cache to a second cache in response to determining an activity level of the processing element. In this embodiment, the apparatus is configured to alter a power state of the first cache after the circuit copies the modified data. The first cache may be at a lower level in a memory hierarchy relative to the second cache. In one embodiment, the circuit is also configured to copy data from the second cache to a third cache or a memory after a particular time interval. In some embodiments, the circuit is configured to copy data while one or more pipeline elements of the apparatus are in a low-power state. |
| US09128853B1 |
Lookup structure for large block cache
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a lookup structure for a large block cache are described. According to one embodiment, at least two blocks of data are stored in a cache. A lookup entry is constructed that describes the at least two blocks of data. The lookup entry includes block specific information that describes individual blocks of the at least two blocks of data. The lookup entry is stored in the lookup structure. |
| US09128851B2 |
Prefetching for multiple parent cores in a multi-core chip
Embodiments relate to a method and computer program product for prefetching data on a chip. The chip has at least one scout core, multiple parent cores that cooperate together to execute various tasks, and a shared cache that is common between the scout core and the multiple parent cores. An aspect of the embodiments includes monitoring the multiple parent cores by the at least one scout core through the shared cache for a shared cache access occurring in a base parent core. The method includes saving a fetch address by the at least one scout core based on the shared cache access occurring. The fetch address indicates a location of a specific line of cache requested by the base parent core. |
| US09128850B2 |
Multi-ported memory with multiple access support
A multi-ported memory that supports multiple read and write accesses is described. The multi-ported memory may include a number of read/write ports that is greater than the number of read/write ports of each memory bank of the multi-ported memory. The multi-ported memory allows for read operation(s) and write operation(s) to be received during the same clock cycle. In the event that an incoming write operation is blocked by read operation(s), data for that write operation may be stored in one of a plurality of cache banks included in the multi-port memory. The cache banks are accessible to both write and read operations. In the event than the write operation is not blocked by read operation(s), a determination is made as to whether data for that incoming write operation is stored in the memory bank targeted by that incoming write operation or in one of the cache banks. |
| US09128848B2 |
General storage cache functionality extension
A system comprises a storage device, a cache coupled to the storage device and a metadata structure, coupled to the storage device and the cache, having metadata corresponding to each data location in the cache to control data promoted to the cache from the storage device. |
| US09128844B2 |
Enhancing analytics performance using distributed multi-tiering
Embodiments relate to cluster-centric tiered storage with a flexible tier definition to support performance of transactions. Object data is distributed in a multi-tiered shared-nothing cluster. Hierarchical tiers of data storage are assigned different roles within the hierarchy. The tiers are arranged according to a number of cycles required to access a tier. The tiers are managed globally across the cluster and objects are placed in tiers according to a flexible tier definition and the tier arrangement. The probability of object access is computed for objects, and objects are placed on different tiers responsive to the computation and the number of cycles required to access the tier. Objects are moved between tiers responsive to a probability frequency of object access. |
| US09128843B2 |
Method and computer system for memory management on virtual machine system
A method and a computer system for memory management on a virtual machine system are provided. The memory management method includes the following steps. First, a working set size of each of a plurality of virtual machines on the virtual machine system is obtained by at least one processor, wherein the working set size is an amount of memory required to run applications on each of the virtual machines. Then, an amount of storage memory is allocated to each of the virtual machines by the at least one processor according to the working set size of each of the virtual machines and at least one swapin or refault event, wherein the storage memory is a part of memory available from the computer system. |
| US09128841B2 |
Remote shutdown via fiber
A system and method provide vital shutdown of a remote slave unit linked by a fiber optic connection to a local, checked redundant master unit with two paired computers. Each computer sends a life signal to an associated local vital supervision card (VSC) and copper to fiber converter (C/F converter) for transmission via fiber to a corresponding fiber to copper converter (F/C converter) on the slave unit, then to a corresponding remote VSC. Each local VSC controls power to a corresponding second local VSC-associated C/F converter, and each remote VSC controls power to a corresponding second remote VSC F/C converter. A VSC detecting an incorrect life signal signature removes power to the corresponding controlled converter and, optionally, to a respective local or remote I/O rack, thereby shutting down the slave unit. |
| US09128835B2 |
Background memory validation for gaming devices
Various embodiments are directed to a gaming device including a background memory validation system. The background memory validation system includes a background kernel thread that validates read-only pages on the gaming device. Additionally, the background kernel thread also minimizes potential timing problems because this process only validates page content in memory that is fully-loaded and functional. |
| US09128834B2 |
Implementing memory module communications with a host processor in multiported memory configurations
A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing ECC (Error Correction Codes) memory module communications with a host processor in multi-ported memory configurations in a computer system. Each of multiple memory modules operating in unison is enabled to identify which memory module is the one required to communicate module specific information back to the host processor. All of the multiple memory modules operating in unison are enabled to generate back to the host processor a valid ECC word, while other multiple memory modules individually being unaware of data contents of the one memory module required to communicate back to the processor. |
| US09128829B2 |
Mobile communication device and method for swapping MIFARE applications
A mobile communication device (1) comprises a MIFARE memory (MM) being configured as a MIFARE Classic card or an emulated MIFARE Classic memory, a swap memory (SM) and a MIFARE applications manager (MAM) being adapted to swap MIFARE 5 applications between the MIFARE memory (MM) and the swap memory (SM). |
| US09128826B2 |
Data storage architecuture and system for high performance computing hash on metadata in reference to storage request in nonvolatile memory (NVM) location
Data storage systems and methods for storing data are described herein. The storage system may be integrated with or coupled with a compute cluster or super computer having multiple computing nodes. A plurality of nonvolatile memory units may be included with computing nodes, coupled with computing nodes or coupled with input/output nodes. The input/output nodes may be included with the compute cluster or super computer, or coupled thereto. The nonvolatile memory units store data items provided by the computing nodes, and the input/output nodes maintain where the data items are stored in the nonvolatile memory units via a hash table distributed among the input/output nodes. The use of a distributed hash table allows for quick access to data items stored in the nonvolatile memory units even as the computing nodes are writing large amounts of data to the storage system quickly in bursts. |
| US09128825B1 |
Optimizing allocation of flash memory to file groups
Systems and methods are discussed relating to allocation of memory from a fixed pool of fast memory within a data center having a data storage area equipped with that memory. Techniques include: receiving a request to write data in the storage area; identifying a file group associated with the write request; analyzing previous data activity traces associated with the file group; determining an available fast memory amount based on the total amount of fast memory in the fixed pool and a currently allocated amount of fast memory; determining a fast memory allocation for the file group based on the previous data activity traces, the available fast memory, and a fast memory constraint, the memory allocation including an allocation amount and a write probability; and providing information about the memory allocation to a file system of the data center, which writes the data based on the allocation amount and write probability. |
| US09128824B2 |
In-place change between transient and persistent state for data structures on non-volatile memory
Methods and apparatus related to in-place change between transient and persistent state for data structures on non-volatile memory are described. In one embodiment, controller logic causes a change in a state of a first portion of one or more non-volatile memory devices between a persistent state and a transient state and without moving data stored in the first portion of the one or more non-volatile memory devices. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed. |
| US09128816B2 |
Vehicle operation method presentation device and method, and vehicle control device
A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver. |
| US09128814B2 |
Evaluation method for a shift feeling of a vehicle
An evaluation method for a shift feeling of a vehicle, through which the shift feeling during a kick down operation of a driver is deduced as objectively quantitative value, it may be applied to a proper shift control corresponding to an expectancy of a driver based on the quantitative value. |
| US09128812B2 |
Semiconductor storage device, system, and method
A semiconductor storage system includes: a difference determining circuit configured to determine a difference between the number of first state values of sample data written to a memory and the number of first state values of read data read from the memory; and a compensation value determining circuit configured to determine a read voltage level compensation value corresponding to a difference between the number of the first state values of the sample data written to the memory and the number of the first state values of the read data read from the memory. |
| US09128808B2 |
Computer readable storage medium for registration of site information and a computer to register site information
A computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions is provided. The computer readable instructions control a computer to register site representing information with a communication device which is connectable to a network. The site representing information enables the communication device to obtain content summary information and includes information concerning an information providing site which delivers the content summary information. The content summary information includes location information to indicate a location of an information content provided through the network and a title of the information content. The computer readable instructions control the computer to execute steps of obtaining the site representing information registered with the computer, and registering the obtained site representing information with the communication device. |
| US09128807B2 |
Module structural analysis supporting device and program
A device supporting the structural analysis of a module comprises: a storage means storing at least one module; and a conversion means that converts a prescribed target module among the modules stored by the storage means to a secondary module and stores same in the storage means. The conversion means reads the target module from the storage means and sequentially outputs to the secondary module each sentence written from a prescribed processing start location in the target module to a prescribed processing end location. The conversion means also recursively develops a sentence written in processing units etc., for execution, and outputs same to the secondary module, when the sentence is a module internal processing unit or a sentence that executes another module. |
| US09128806B2 |
Squaring binary finite field elements
Methods and systems for squaring a binary finite field element are described. In some aspects, a data processing apparatus includes registers and processor logic. A first register stores a sequence of binary values that define a binary finite field element input. The processor logic accesses input components from the first register according to intervals in the sequence. Each input component includes a binary value from each interval in the sequence. In some cases, the intervals are periodic and the binary finite field element corresponds to a sum of phase-shifted input components. The processor logic generates output components based on the input components. The processor logic generates a square of the binary finite field element in the second register based on the output components. The number of input components can be selected, for example, to balance costs of additional processing time against benefits associated with reduced processing hardware. |
| US09128805B2 |
Automated modification integration and conflict resolution for software development
Proposed changes to a source code generated by client computing devices are integrated with a master version of the code resident on a server computing system remote from the client devices. The client devices connect to the server system over a network and transmit proposed changes to the server system, where resident integration/conflict resolution software automatically integrates the proposed changes into the master version. Any unresolved conflicts remaining after the automatic integration are identified and the server system automatically sends an email notifying the one or more client devices that there are unresolved conflicts. The email includes a link that enables a client device to launch a window on a monitor, and the client device user employs the window to transmit commands directly to and receive further communications directly from the integration/conflict resolution software in an interactive operation to attempt to manually resolve the conflicts. |
| US09128803B2 |
Application model for implementing composite applications
Embodiments are directed to providing an application model for implementing composite applications and to providing a declarative programming model and distributed runtime for creating and executing composite applications. In an embodiment, a computer system instantiates an application model. The application model allows users to compose composite applications. The composite applications are configured to run on both distributed computing systems and local computing systems. The computer system receives user input at the instantiated application model. The user input indicates which composite application components are to be used in conjunction with each other to form the composite application. The computer system also provides the composite application on a distributed computing system and/or a local computing system. |
| US09128794B2 |
Method for updating a web package within a manufacturing execution system and manufacturing execution system
In order to update an installed web package within a manufacturing execution system (MES) the below described steps are performed. A web package update is stored in a packages repository of a file system for the manufacturing execution system. The web package is updated by installing the web package update. At least one user customizable setting is preserved that is applied to the web package prior to the updating and applying the preserved at least one user customizable setting to the web package after the updating of the web package. |
| US09128793B2 |
Method, system and server for downloading installation package
A system, a method and a server for downloading installation package are provided. The method for downloading installation package comprises the steps of receiving request information for downloading installation package from a hardware client, acquiring the installation package and a dynamic link library related to the installation package upon the receipt of the request information for downloading the installation package, compiling the dynamic link library that has been acquired to reduce a size of the dynamic link library, packing the dynamic link library and the installation package, wherein the size of the dynamic link library has been reduced, and transmitting the dynamic link library and the installation package to the hardware client. |
| US09128792B2 |
Systems and methods for installing, managing, and provisioning applications
Systems and methods are disclosed for provisioning resources for an application according to an application manifest. The resources may include database, network, and processing resources. The application manifest may be organized as a manifest tree with provisioned resources having their own application manifests for provisioning sub-resources. The application manifest may also define provisioning and de-provisioning of the application in response to loading of the application. Root cause analysis may be performed in accordance with the manifest tree. Also disclosed are systems and methods for rolling out an upgrade across a node cluster. Systems and methods are disclosed for routing traffic to different workflow paths in order to implement an overloaded path and evaluate performance of the overloaded path. |
| US09128788B1 |
Managing quiesce requests in a multi-processor environment
Embodiments relate to managing quiesce requests in a multi-processor system. Aspects of the embodiments include receiving a quiesce request at a quiesce controller from a requesting processor, the requesting processor being one of a plurality of processors in a multi-processor system, and determining that the quiesce request is not accepted by the quiesce controller. Aspects also include, based on the quiesce request being not accepted by the quiesce controller, generating a reject message configured to indicate that the quiesce request has been rejected, holding the reject message until a quiesce command is broadcast to the multi-processor system, the quiesce command based on a different quiesce request, and sending the reject message to the requesting processor based on the broadcast of the quiesce command being detected by the quiesce controller. |
| US09128786B2 |
System and method for implementing shared locks between kernel and user space for synchronize access without using a system call to the kernel
An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to implement a plurality of operations for an operating system (OS) platform including a kernel and a user application, one or more shared resource blocks by the kernel and the user application, and one or more shared locks by the kernel and the user application corresponding to the shared resource blocks, wherein the user application is configured to synchronize accesses to the shared resource blocks between a user thread and a kernel thread by directly accessing the locks without using a system call to the kernel. |
| US09128782B2 |
Consolidated data services apparatus and method
An apparatus for consolidated data services comprising a plurality of devices, a plurality of data services and a content application programming interface (API). A user API provides user identification for each of the plurality of devices using one or more of a plurality of user API methods. A feedback API configured to receive data from each of the plurality of devices that identifies media content that was delivered to the plurality of devices using one or more of a plurality of feedback API methods. A device API configured to provide a client system to one or more of the plurality of devices using one or more of a plurality of device API methods. A web service consolidator coupled to the content API, the user API, the feedback API, the device API, the update API, a plurality of data services and the plurality of devices through the communications media. |
| US09128778B2 |
System and method for assignment of virtual machines based on physical information
A system balances computational loads, for example in a virtual machine environment, taking into account the physical characteristics of the physical machines that the virtual machines are running on. A framework is provided for developing and implementing policies whereby computational loads are distributed in a beneficial manner. Examples of policies include policies that improve loads based on environmental and security concerns. |
| US09128776B2 |
Server device, computer-readable storage medium, and method of assuring data order
A stop unit stops transmitting data to a plurality of nodes for every predetermined period. An acquisition unit acquires versions of routing tables, which are updated in accordance with movement of a query, from the plurality of nodes when the transmission of the data is stopped. A comparison unit compares the versions of the routing tables of the plurality of nodes that are acquired. When there is a node in which the routing table of an old version is stored as a result of the comparison, an update unit updates the routing table of the node. |
| US09128774B2 |
Information processing system for data transfer
A disclosed method includes: determining whether a value of a load caused by a transfer processing to transmit data received from first processing apparatuses to second processing apparatuses in response to a request from the second processing apparatuses exceeds a threshold; upon determining that the value of the load exceeds the threshold, counting, for each first processing apparatus, the number of second processing apparatuses that request data transmitted by the first processing apparatus; identifying a first processing apparatus that is a transmission source of data transferred in the transfer processing to be allocated to another transfer apparatus of plural transfer apparatuses, based on the counted number; and transmitting a change request requesting that the transfer processing of data transmitted by the identified first processing apparatus is to be allocated to the another transfer apparatus, to a management apparatus managing allocation of the transfer processing for the plural transfer apparatuses. |
| US09128773B2 |
Data processing environment event correlation
A system and method for correlating events in data processing resources processing a workload. An event correlation service comprising an event correlation service software framework is provided on a processor unit. The event correlation service is configured, using the event correlation service software framework, for correlating the events from monitored data for the workload, wherein the workload is processed using the data processing resources provided by a provider of the data processing resources. The event correlation service receives monitored data for the workload as the workload is being processed. The monitored data is processed by the event correlation service to identify an occurrence of an event of interest for the workload as the workload is being processed. An output is provided in response to identifying the occurrence of the event of interest. |
| US09128768B2 |
Cloud based master data management
A cloud based service provides Master Data Management (MDM) services to clients. A client may create/modify MDM workflows that are hosted by the cloud based service to assist in meeting their needs. An interface is provided at points within the workflow that is hosted by the cloud based service. The cloud based service utilizes a flexible pipeline that executes predefined configurable blocks. A user can create or customize an existing workflow based on the predefined set of blocks (e.g. execution blocks, conditional blocks, loop blocks). The blocks are configured to receive, process and send information relating to the master data according to a predefined schema. Clients may publish master data changes and/or subscribe to master data changes made by other clients. |
| US09128767B2 |
Canceling and locking personal reservation if the workload associated with personal reservation exceeds window of time allocated within a resource reservation
A system and method are disclosed for dynamically reserving resources within a cluster environment. The method embodiment of the invention comprises receiving a request for resources in the cluster environment, monitoring events after receiving the request for resources and based on the monitored events, dynamically modifying at least one of the request for resources and the cluster environment. |
| US09128763B2 |
System and method for job scheduling optimization
A system and computer-implemented method for generating an optimized allocation of a plurality of tasks across a plurality of processors or slots for processing or execution in a distributed computing environment. In a cloud computing environment implementing a MapReduce framework, the system and computer-implemented method may be used to schedule map or reduce tasks to processors or slots on the network such that the tasks are matched to processors or slots in a data locality aware fashion wherein the suitability of node and the characteristics of the task are accounted for using a minimum cost flow function. |
| US09128762B2 |
Persistent content in nonvolatile memory
Applications may request persistent storage in nonvolatile memory. The persistent storage is maintained across power events and application instantiations. Persistent storage may be maintained by systems with or without memory management units. |
| US09128761B1 |
Management of computing devices processing workflow stages of resource dependent workflow
Systems and method for the management of resource dependent workflows are provided. One or more resource control devices monitor usage of a computing resource by server computing devices. Each resource control device may direct a server computing device to proceed with a workflow or to pause processing a workflow. A resource control device may further direct a server computing device to take resource conserving actions. When a computing resource is determined to be available, a resource control device may direct a paused server computing device to resume a workflow. |
| US09128760B2 |
Dynamically adjusting priority by providing a longer duration of use of a shared resource
A method to dynamically adjust priority may include providing a boost, by a processing device, to an element relative to at least one other element in response to a boost feature associated with the element being activated. Providing the boost to the element may include providing a predetermined longer duration of use of a shared use resource to the element relative to the at least one other element based on a boost setting associated with the element. The boost results in adjusting a priority of the element by allowing the element to complete a task in a shorter time period. |
| US09128759B2 |
Decimal multi-precision overflow and tininess detection
An approach is provided in which a processor includes an adder that concurrently generates one or more intermediate results and a boundary indicator based upon instructions retrieved from a memory area. The boundary indicator indicates whether a collective result generated from the intermediate results is within a boundary precision value. |
| US09128756B1 |
Method and system for estimating required resources to support a specific number of users in a virtually provisioned environment
Estimating required resources to support a specific number of users in a virtually provisioned environment is described. Servers are identified that support application operations associated with executing an application, based on a configuration file. A count of each type of application operation currently executing and a resource utilization associated with each of the servers are recorded. A set of linear equations is created and solved to estimate resource costs of each individual type of application operation and ultimately to calculate required resource costs to support the projected number of concurrent users. |
| US09128755B2 |
Method and apparatus for scheduling resources in system architecture
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for scheduling resources in system architecture. In one embodiment, this can be accomplished by storing temporarily jobs form a plurality of queues, where each queue a weight is set up, forming a set of elements, wherein the set size is based on the weights assigned to each queue, selecting one element from the formed set in an order, wherein the order can be predefined or random order and serving at least one job from the plurality of queues, wherein selection of the job is from the queue that corresponds to element of the formed set. |
| US09128749B1 |
Method and system for lock free statistics collection
Lock free collection of performance data from an application program executing in a computer system having a multi-core central processing unit is described. A data collection mechanism creates a water mark queue that includes a data structure to store an array and plurality of pointers, including head, tail, high water mark and low water mark pointers. A plurality of worker threads is spawned, each configured to collect and store data from the application program. The data collection includes incrementing the head pointer, reading an index from a head element of the array and incrementing the high water mark pointer in a single transaction. A context is retrieved corresponding to the retrieved index. An operation is performed based on information contained in the retrieved context. Subsequently, the tail pointer is incremented, the index is written to a tail element of the array and the low water mark pointer is incremented. |
| US09128743B1 |
Graphic visualization of a suspended virtual machine
Representing a non-executing virtual machine with a graphical representation. Resource consumption on a hardware device is monitored. A policy that considers at least a present level of resource consumption and an amount of available resources of the hardware device is consulted. An operational state of a particular virtual machine that resides on the hardware device is changed to a non-executing state. An image that represents the virtual machine is displayed. The image is based upon the state of the virtual machine immediately prior to the virtual machine entering the non-executing state. |
| US09128741B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for conditionally preventing use of hardware virtualization
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for conditionally preventing use of hardware virtualization. In use, an attempt to use hardware virtualization is identified. Further, the use of the hardware virtualization is conditionally prevented. |
| US09128740B2 |
Operating system virtualization for host channel adapters
A host information handling system (IHS) provides virtualization of host channel adapters (HCAs). A hypervisor partitions a system memory of the host IHS into multiple logical partitions (LPARs). A particular LPAR includes a single instance of an operating system. The single instance of the operating system includes a common layer that provides virtualization of physical HCAs and sharing of the physical HCAs by multiple virtual HCAs. |
| US09128735B2 |
Method for updating media database in portable terminal
A method for updating a media database in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes, when a change in a locale of the portable terminal is detected, decoding metadata of one or more media files according to a coding scheme corresponding to the changed locale, and updating the media database based on the decoded metadata. |
| US09128734B2 |
Menu screen for an operation monitoring apparatus
An operation monitoring apparatus capable of displaying right click menus varying in configuration from each other according to a select object on an operation-monitoring screen is realized. The operation monitoring apparatus comprises an object file holding means for holding a plurality of individual menu definition files registered under object names, respectively, having menu items defined on an object-by-object basis, in an object displayed on an operation-monitoring screen, the object being a target for display on a right click menu screen, a retrieval means for acquiring information on the object name of the object subjected to right click on the operation-monitoring screen, and retrieving the object file holding means 300, thereby extracting the individual menu definition file registered under the object name, and a screen display means for acquiring information on the individual menu definition file as extracted, and displaying the right click menu screen on the operation-monitoring screen. |
| US09128727B2 |
Generation of managed assemblies for networks
A network toolset enables developers to automatically generate a C header file and underlying signal software, as well as automatically generate a managed code assembly from a network description. The managed code assembly can be generated in a binary format and may include sufficient metadata to support extended functionalities for a network. The managed code assembly can be relatively easily integrated with an existing image (e.g., machine code for a network device) without any compilation required. A software development kit can also be generated to help programmers manage the generated assemblies. |
| US09128722B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for fertilizing machine-executable code
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for obfuscating code, such as instructions and data structures. Also disclosed are non-transitory computer-readable media containing obfuscated code. In one aspect, a preprocessing tool (i.e. before compilation) identifies in a source program code a routine for replacement. The tool can be a software program running on a computer or an embedded device. The tool then selects a function equivalent to the identified routine from a pool of functions to replace the identified routine. A compiler can then compile computer instructions based on the source program code utilizing the selected function in place of the identified routine. In another aspect, the tool replaces data structures with fertilized data structures. These approaches can be applied to various portions of source program code based on various factors. A software developer can flexibly configure how and where to fertilize the source code. |
| US09128720B2 |
Methods and apparatus for voltage scaling
Methods and apparatus for voltage scaling are provided. In an example, an operational limit of a processor is determined by varying a supply voltage to force a processor interrupt fault and/or a processor reset. A clock frequency and the supply voltage can be maintained substantially constant for a time duration. If these operational parameters do not force the processor interrupt fault and/or the processor reset, the supply voltage is varied again, and the clock frequency and the supply voltage are maintained substantially constant for a second time duration. The variation continues until initiation of the processor interrupt fault and/or the processor reset, at which time least one of a clock frequency, the supply voltage, and a temperature are recorded as an operational limit. After determining the operational limit, the supply voltage is adjusted to within the operational limit. |
| US09128714B2 |
Method and system for detecting an object or body based on changes in signal phases
Embodiments of the invention are directed to control devices configured for use with computing devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and devices for performing presence detection of an object body near a device. The methods and devices described herein may include comparing a reference signal against an over the air signal to determine whether a phase difference exists between the reference signal and the over the air signal. The existence of a phase difference may be indicative of a object or body in proximity to the device. |
| US09128711B2 |
Method, computer system and control device for reducing power consumption
A computer system is provided. In one embodiment, the computer system includes a memory, a peripheral device, a central processing unit (CPU), and a peripheral device controller. The CPU stores information about the data transmission in a descriptor in the memory when data transmission between the CPU and the peripheral device is required. The peripheral device controller reads the descriptor from the memory at an access frequency, records whether the descriptor read from the memory requests for data transmission as a recording result, and adjusts the access frequency according to the recording result. |