| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09173505B2 |
Product management display system with trackless pusher mechanism
A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam. |
| US09173504B2 |
Product management display system
A merchandise display system can include a front rail, at least one divider configured to engage the front rail, the at least one divider including a barrier. The at least one divider may also include a divider wall, and a roller carriage extending along the divider wall. The roller carriage can be provided with a plurality of rollers, and the roller carriage can be configured to advance the product. Additionally a cam can be coupled to the divider. Additionally, the roller carriage can be tilted such that the product is configured to move toward the barrier. The roller carriage can be formed of a first portion and a second portion, and the roller carriage can provided with a plurality of axles that are configured to receive the plurality of rollers such that the plurality of rollers are configured to rotate on the roller carriage. A method for forming a merchandise display system is also contemplated. |
| US09173503B2 |
Infant swing apparatus
An infant swing apparatus includes a base frame, a rigid support column rising from the base frame and having a front and a rear, and a swing arm arranged at the front of the support column and having a first end portion and a second end portion. The support column has an upper portion that leans toward the rear of the support column. The first end portion of the swing arm is connected with a seat support, and the second end portion is pivotally connected with the upper portion of the support column about a pivot axis that is located above the seat support. |
| US09173501B1 |
Hand positional travel pillow
A hand positional travel pillow that includes a medial protuberance disposed upon a first side of a pillow member, said medial protuberance disposed to accommodate a user's thumb and thenar when each of a respective first soft surface and a second soft surface are contacted to either of a user's hands, whereby a strap member, disposed to secure the pillow member to the user's respective hand, is reversible by transition over the medial protuberance and thereby positional tensioned across each of the first and alternately the second soft surfaces, as desired, for use with the pillow member engaged against each side of a user's head as comfort dictates. |
| US09173499B2 |
Adjustable armrest apparatus
An adjustable armrest having a base and an armrest that are coupled together through an articulating joint assembly. The joint assembly includes a body with a first articulating ball joint and a second articulating ball joint. The first articulating ball joint is coupled to the armrest with the second articulating ball joint being coupled to the base. |
| US09173491B2 |
Chair assembly with upholstery covering
A chair component assembly includes a back support component adapted to support a portion of a seated user, a lumbar support assembly adapted to support the lumbar area of a seated user, wherein the lumbar support is vertically adjustable, and a cover having an aesthetic outer surface and including a first pocket that receives the back support component therein, and a second pocket that receives the lumbar support assembly such that the lumbar support is vertically adjustable with the second pocket. |
| US09173489B2 |
Storage rack divider kit and apparatus
A divider kit for constructing and installing a divider system on a storage rack system of the type having a pair of parallel header elements at a top of a storage volume with a front-to-back depth and a side-to-side length to be divided by the assembled kit comprises components for constructing a plurality of main beams dimensioned to extend between and be supported upon the header elements in a spaced apart relationship and a pair of rails for mounting in a spaced relationship along the side-to-side length upon the main beams. The kit further comprises at least one u-shaped divider with two legs mountable upon the rails and depending therefrom to divide the storage volume into at least two sub-volumes. A variety of differently-sized divider systems may be assembled from the components. |
| US09173487B2 |
Apron-front sink
A sink is provided. The sink includes a basin having a first side wall, an opposite second side wall and a front wall. The sink also includes a rim supported at and extending outwardly from an upper end of the first and second side walls in a substantially horizontal orientation. The sink further includes an apron extending vertically below the rim and laterally between a first end and an opposite second end to define a front portion of the sink. The first end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the first side wall and the second end of the apron extends outwardly past the rim associated with the second side wall. |
| US09173479B2 |
Device for cleaning the mouth or teeth
A device for cleaning the mouth or teeth has a rod-shaped support, on one axial end of which an interdental cleaner made of a flexible plastic is arranged. A brush-like cleaning part made of a flexible plastic, and having a plurality of protruding cleaning elements, is arranged at the opposite axial end of the rod-shaped support. In addition, the rod-shaped support has a grip portion made of a flexible plastic and arranged preferably in the central area of the axial length of the rod-shaped support. Provision is made that the grip portion is connected, via at least one connecting portion, to the interdental cleaner and/or to the brush-like cleaning part so as to form a one-piece structure. |
| US09173478B2 |
Oral care instrument
An oral care instrument, which can maintain a sufficient support strength of a long neck, leaves little residue of a medicant after using, has a low contamination risk from nozzle tip, allows smooth spouting of a medical solution from the beginning, prevents excessive supply of gelatinous or creamy oral-care composition in the case of flowing the composition in a supply channel inside the same, and contributes to the maintenance of the durability of a manufacturing mold. In the aforesaid oral care instrument, which comprises a handle (2), a head (3) and a neck (4), a channel (11) for supplying oral-care composition running within the neck (4) to a nozzle (10) of the head (3) via the handle (2), is formed; and the head (3) is connected in a detachable manner to the neck (4). |
| US09173477B2 |
Oral care system, kit and method
An oral care system comprising an oral care implement, such as a toothbrush, and dispenser containing a fluid detachably coupled to the tooth-brush. The invention is an oral care system comprising: a toothbrush having a cavity; a dispenser comprising a reservoir containing a fluid; a cap detachably coupled to the dispenser; wherein when the cap is coupled to the dispenser, the cap prohibits the dispenser from being inserted into the cavity; and wherein when the cap is detached from the dispenser, the dispenser can be inserted into the cavity and detachably coupled to the toothbrush. |
| US09173476B2 |
Chewing-based oral self-cleaning device
A chewing-based oral self-cleaning device includes a pair of tubes (2, 3) placed back to back either directly or separated by a base plate (13), optionally provided with an external handle (1) and a positioning flange (15). Each of the tubes includes a channel (14) into which the teeth are inserted and each channel is provided with side drag elements and descaling elements on the base thereof. |
| US09173475B2 |
Tool holder with guide plate for mounting tools having spring clips
Tool holder devices are provided, which are designed to hold tools having spring clip mechanisms. In one aspect, a tool holder device comprises a guiding portion and a mounting portion. The mounting portion is adapted to engage a spring clip of a tool for mounting the tool. The guiding portion is adapted to guide a spring clip towards the mounting portion as a person slides the tool from the guiding portion to the mounting portion while maintaining contact between the spring clip and the guiding portion. |
| US09173468B2 |
Hand held appliance
An appliance, such as a hairdryer, includes a body having a second annular wall extending about a first annular wall which at least partially defines a bore extending through the body. A fluid flow path extends through the bore from a first fluid inlet of the appliance to a first fluid outlet of the appliance. A primary fluid flow path extends at least partially through the body from a second fluid inlet of the appliance to a second fluid outlet, and comprises, within the body, a first section and a second section in which a heater is located. The first section is arranged to direct fluid over an internal surface of at least one of the annular walls. The first section is arranged upstream of, or in parallel with, the second section. |
| US09173467B2 |
Headband with 360-degree glitter pattern
A headband including an elastic glitter ribbon, a top portion of which forms the outside of the headband, where the elastic glitter ribbon has a 360-degree glitter pattern. The headband further includes a stretch velvet ribbon, a bottom portion of which forms the inside of the headband. The elastic glitter ribbon is attached to the stretch velvet ribbon using a stretch and stitch method. The ends of the elastic glitter ribbon and the stretch velvet ribbon are connected to form a 360-degree elastic headband, where the top of the elastic glitter ribbon includes material that sparkles, and where the bottom of the stretch velvet ribbon includes a velvet-like material that forms a gripping portion. The outside of the headband includes a 360-degree view of the sparkles with no break. The inside of the headband includes 360-degree gripping portion with no break. |
| US09173466B2 |
Multi-functional device for styling hair
The invention refers to a multi-functional device (101) for styling hair comprising a handgrip (102), a first and a second arm (104, 105), and means (124, 125) for heating the first and/or the second arm (104,105). The first arm (104) comprises a first fixed half-arm (114) integral with the handgrip (102) and extending substantially along the longitudinal axis (X) and a first mobile half-arm (116) elastically supported by the first fixed half-arm (114) and extending substantially along the longitudinal axis (X) between a first area of the arm (104) close to the handgrip (102) and a second area of the arm (104) remote from the handgrip (102). The device (101) further comprises locking/unlocking means (160) suitable for cooperating with the first mobile half-arm (116) to make the first mobile half-arm to selectively take up one from an unlocked condition, in which the elastic movement of the first mobile half-arm (116) with respect to the first fixed half-arm (114) is allowed, and a locked condition, in which the elastic movement of the first mobile half-arm (116) with respect to the first fixed half-arm (114) at least at the first area of the first atm (104) is prevented. |
| US09173457B2 |
Zipper assembly
A zipper assembly includes: a slider of a generally C-shaped cross section; a bottom stop fixed to an end of one side tape; and a locking unit fixed to a corresponding end of another side tape, the locking unit being separably coupled with the slider disposed above the locking unit to limit movement of the slider, wherein the locking unit selectively allows for and blocks the movement of the slider by coupling with or separation, in a vertical direction, from the bottom stop. |
| US09173454B2 |
Belt head with replaceable buckle portion
A belt head includes a seat, a buckle portion, an engaging portion and a button. The seat has a front side portion having two narrow side surfaces facing to each other and a rear side portion used to connect and fix an end of a strap. The buckle portion has a connecting base connected with the front side portion and a fastening base which has a passage enabling the other end of the strap to pass through and a fastener for fastening or releasing the strap. The engaging portion is disposed on the front side portion and is movable between a first and second positions to engage with and release from a blocking member of the connecting base. The button is located on one of the narrow side surfaces of the front side portion for controlling the engaging portion to move between the first and second positions. |
| US09173448B1 |
Wrestling shoe assembly that includes an auxiliary overshoe
A shoe assembly that enables a person to wear a wresting shoe or similar athletic shoe that has no cushioning material in its sole, and selectively attach an overshoe that has highly padded soles. In this way, an athlete can comfortably train on and off padded surfaces without having to change shoes. The athletic shoe has a first sole, a first toe section and a first heel section, wherein the first sole has surfaces with contoured shapes. An overshoe is provided that defines an interior sized to exactly receive a portion of the athletic shoe therein. The overshoe has surfaces that engage the contoured shapes of the wrestling shoe surfaces. This prevents the athletic shoe from moving within the overshoe. The sole of the overshoe is padded. In this manner, an athlete can add or remove padding from the shoe assembly by adding or removing the overshoe. |
| US09173443B2 |
Architecture for routing mutli-channel commands via a tree column
Apparatus and associated methods may relate to an artificial tree apparatus having a plurality of trunk segments that couple together to provide a plurality of information or command signals to load devices connected thereto. In an illustrative example, one or more branch segments having light emitting devices are connected to the trunk segments to independently receive the electrical power and command signals via a control system. In some implementations, each command signal generated by the control system may include data pertaining to light color and illumination pattern. In some embodiments, each branch segment and associated light emitting devices may be independently controlled via a multi-channel arrangement. In some implementations, each group of light emitting devices may be manually configured via one or more user-interfaces. In various implementations, each trunk segment may include an axial electrical connector which permits adjacent trunk segments from being connected in any radial orientation relative to each other. |
| US09173442B2 |
Clothing fastener accessory and extender system
A device, namely a detactable fastener accessory that can be used to cover a fastener, preferably a snap cover of an article of clothing, the accessory having or adapted to have a decorative cover piece connected thereto. In a further embodiment, the fastener accessory is part of an extender system that allows an article of clothing such as a vest or jacket to have a greater size by connecting an extension segment, such as a chain, piece of leather or other fabric, between fasteners on opposite sides of the article of clothing, which at least provides the advantages of allowing a user to achieve better ventilation or airflow while riding a motorcycle and also prevents the article of clothing from being blown out of a desired position. When used in the extender system, the fastener accessory allows for matching decorative pieces to be displayed on each side of the article of clothing. |
| US09173440B1 |
Decorative cover for straps
A decorative strap cover that is fastened to a strap on an article of clothing that may cover a portion of a bra, a dress, lingerie, shirt, tank top, halter top, pants, belt loops or belt and may provide a decorative compartment. The decorative strap cover may be worn as a single component or combined with others as desired. |
| US09173439B2 |
Convertible garment
The present invention is unique in its design and function, it can be worn by any adult and fashioned into several types of apparel ranging from a hat and scarf to a pair of gaucho pants. Because the garment does not have buttons or snaps, it can be easily utilized by persons with handicaps or disabilities. It can be worn as a head and shoulder shawl, a hat and neck scarf, a top wear, a light jacket, a shrug, and pants. The unique design is the one cut and two sewing seams creation of the bell sleeve type garment out of a light weight stretchable fabric. There are no hooks, Velcro, zippers or buttons. For creating a tapered sleeve type garment, an additional cut is made. Because of its simplicity, the garment of the present invention is cost efficient to manufacture. |
| US09173433B2 |
Tobacco shredder with double-mounted conveyor-worm shaft
The invention relates to a tobacco shredding device with a heatable pressure chamber (3), which has a tobacco material inlet (5) at the low-pressure end, an expansion gap outlet at the pressure end and a shaft-mounted conveyor screw (1) for conveying the tobacco material from the inlet to the outlet, and the conveyor screw shaft (19) is supported at the inlet end, and the shaft (19) extends on behind the outlet, where it is supported again by a counter bearing (17). It further relates to a method of shredding tobacco, whereby the tobacco material is introduced at the low-pressure end of a pressure chamber and is expanded and discharged at the pressure end of the chamber at a gap outlet, and the tobacco material is conveyed from the inlet to the outlet by means of a conveyor screw shaft-mounted at both end portions, and the conveyor screw is operated in a speed range of up to 600 min−1. |
| US09173432B2 |
System and method of processing produce
Systems and methods of processing produce are provided. A sizing unit can convey the produce in a first direction, and can release the produce into a produce receptacle of a receiving unit, which can convey the in a second direction. The produce receptacle can include a cavity to receive the produce subsequent to release from the sizing unit with a first portion of the produce at least partially disposed in the cavity and with a second portion of the produce at least partially protruding from the cavity. At least one conveyor unit can receive the produce from the produce receptacle, and can convey the produce in a third direction to separate a first portion of the produce from a second portion of the produce. |
| US09173430B1 |
Carbonating beverages and check valve useful therein
A mechanism for carbonating a liquid in a bottle that has a neck with outer threads includes a source of pressurized carbon dioxide, a dispenser to controllably release the carbon dioxide through an orifice in a pointed component. A bottle cap has a thickness and has a hole in it. A check valve installed in the hole includes an elastomeric plug having a high pressure side and a low pressure side joined by a stem. A passageway open at the low pressure side extends through the low pressure side, the stem and into the high pressure side, terminating within a shank in the high pressure side and defines a shank sidewall laterally of the passageway. At least one puncture is made through the shank sidewall to the passageway. |
| US09173427B2 |
Methods and compositions for the prevention and treatment of kidney disease
Compositions for preventing or treating kidney disease comprising one or more food ingredients containing relatively low amounts of protein, sodium, and potassium, typically protein in amounts of from about 5% to about 40%, sodium in amounts of from about 0.01% to about 1%, and potassium in amounts of from about 0.01% to about 1%, and methods comprising administering such compositions to patients susceptible to or suffering from kidney disease for the purpose of preventing or treating kidney disease. |
| US09173421B2 |
Thermostable phytase variants
The present invention relates to a method for producing phytase variants has at least 70% identity to a phytase derived from Buttiauxella and comprises at least one additional disulfide bond as compared to this phytase. These phytase variants have modified, preferably improved, properties, such as thermostability, temperature profile, pH profile, specific activity, performance in animal feed, reduced protease sensitiliby, and/or an modified glycosylation pattern. The invention also relates to the variants produced, DNA encoding these phytases, methods of their production, as well as the use thereof, e.g. in animal feed and animal feed additives. |
| US09173418B2 |
Method and device for producing confectionary products
A method for producing confectionary products having an outer shell made of a substance that is placed inside a mold into which a temperature-controlled male die is subsequently introduced. The substance is placed under pressure after the male die is introduced. |
| US09173414B2 |
Method and device for dehydrating co-extruded food products
A method for at least partially dehydrating the casing of co-extruded food products, wherein an aqueous salt solution is supplied to the exterior of the co-extruded food products. A device for at least partially dehydrating the casing of co-extruded food products. |
| US09173412B2 |
Venturi effect technology on a food product molding machine
An apparatus and method for creating a venturi effect in a food product molding machine. The venturi effect accelerates food product in order to cause the product to be stretched aligning the fibers of the product. |
| US09173410B2 |
Croissant shaping tool
An apparatus for manipulating a food item, the apparatus having a chassis, an actuator, a first jaw, and a second jaw. The actuator is connected to the chassis and rotatable about a pivot. The first jaw is connected to the chassis and mechanically linked to the actuator. The first jaw is further adapted to move along a first arc. The second jaw is also connected to the chassis and mechanically linked to the actuator. The second jaw is also further adapted to move along a second arc. Rotation of the actuator about the pivot in a first direction brings together the first jaw and the second jaw, the first and second jaws moving along the first and second arcs, respectively. Rotation of the actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction brings apart the first jaw and the second jaw, the first and second jaws moving along the first and second arcs, respectively. |
| US09173408B2 |
Heating cooker
A water level sensor (91) is provided in an auxiliary tank (39) whose bottom portion communicates to a bottom portion of a pot (41) for generating steam and which is opened to the atmosphere. When water in the pot (41) keeps boiling and the stop time of a pump (35) reaches a predetermined time (e.g., 60 sec.), the pump (35) is driven for a predetermined time (e.g., 6 sec.) to supply water to the pot (41). This temporarily suppresses the boiling of water in the pot (41), lowering a steam pressure in a space formed by an external circulation passage (60), a heating chamber, and the pot (41). The water level in the auxiliary tank (39) then returns to a normal one, making it possible to correctly detect the water level in the pot (41). |
| US09173405B2 |
Herbicide formulation
The invention relates to a herbicide formulation comprising a water soluble salt of n-phosphomethylglycine and at least one adjuvant, the said adjuvant consisting in an alkoxylated imidazoline with the following structure I wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated C4 to C24 fatty acid. The use of the alkoxylated imidazoline provides as a result a herbicide formulation that is not irritant to the skin or the eyes. Furthermore, the adjustment of the degree of ethoxylation or propoxylation of the imidazoline permits the compatibility thereof with the various glyphosate salts, allowing the obtainment of concentrated solutions that maintain stability at temperatures higher than 60° C., without requiring other adjuvants. |
| US09173400B2 |
Anthranilamide arthropodicide treatment
This invention pertains to methods for protecting a propagule or a plant grown therefrom from invertebrate pests comprising contacting the propagule or the locus of the propagule with a biologically effective amount of a compound of Formula I, its N-oxide or an agriculturally suitable salt thereof wherein A and B and R1 through R8 are as defined in the disclosure. This invention also relates to propagules treated with a compound of Formula I and compositions comprising a Formula I compound for coating propagules. |
| US09173398B2 |
Biocide compositions
Described is a biocide composition, comprising: a herbicide; a fatty acid amide; a fatty acid; and optionally an emulsifier and/or a polyol. The composition exhibits an improved stability, especially at lower temperatures, and is both environmentally friendly and non-toxic. |
| US09173396B2 |
Heterocyclic compounds as pesticides
The present application relates to novel heterocyclic compounds, to processes for preparation thereof and to the use thereof for controlling animal pests, which also include arthropods and especially insects. |
| US09173393B2 |
Water insoluble chitosan powder and method of limiting brettanomyces yeast in fermented liquids
The invention relates to a chitosan as a micronized powder, to its use for controlling certain yeasts, such as Brettanomyces, and to a method for treating a liquid food.The invention in particular relates to a water-insoluble chitosan as a micronized powder, for which the grain size is comprised between 5 and 50 microns, and to its use in the treatment of liquid foods and/or for controlling Brettanomyces. |
| US09173391B2 |
Crystalline complexes of 4-hydroxy benzoic acid and selected pesticides
The present invention relates to crystalline complexes of 4-hydroxy benzoic acid and selected pesticides. It also relates to agriculturally useful compositions of the complexes. |
| US09173387B2 |
Locking twist grip drive handle outrigger positioner
A twist grip drive handle outrigger device having a locking mechanism for use on a fishing vessel having a first tubular member for holding of an outrigger pole, which is rotatably journaled to a second tubular member that is mounted to a fixed structure. The second tubular member houses a twist grip drive handle assembly that allows manual rotation of the outrigger pole. The driver assembly constructed and arranged to provide an unlocked condition by the twisting of the handle thereby allowing adjustment of the outrigger pole upon rotation of the first tubular member. The rotation of the first tubular member allows for movement of the outrigger pole from a stowage position to a trolling position and vice versa. |
| US09173382B1 |
Water changing and cleaning system and device for bowl, aquarium or pond kept pet fish
A water changing and cleaning system and device for bowl, aquarium or pond kept pet fish is disclosed. You can pour the fish directly from a bowl into this invention, (capacity is unlimited due to flow through design). Device comprises a container within a container, the inner container features a gill port, running horizontally and flush with the bottom of the container, water flows through the inner container and rises in the space between the two containers, until it overflows from the provided outlet on the outer container, carrying unwanted matter with it. Using a source of clean water to flush through the device, once a satisfactory level of cleanliness is observed the inner container is removed and the fish is returned to its cleaned Bowl. The fish was never out of water during the process. Device can be used to capture fish, so no nets required. |
| US09173380B2 |
Animal indicator apparatus
An animal indicator apparatus that tracks the locations of an animal and alerts nearby persons when the animal approaches a boundary includes a location determining component operable to determine a current geographic location of the apparatus; memory for storing cartographic data representative of at least one boundary; an indicator and a processor. The processor triggers the indicator when the current geographic location of the apparatus is near the location of the boundary. |
| US09173379B1 |
Harnesses for dogs and other animals
A body collar is configured to fit around a body of an animal and comprises a collar strip, a first ring and a buckle. The first ring is attached to the collar strip. First and second portions of the buckle are attached to respective first and second ends of the collar strip. The first portion of the buckle and the second portion of the buckle are configured to be removably attached to each other in a configuration of the body collar being fitted around the body of the animal. The first portion of the buckle to be inserted through a second ring of a neck collar and fit around the body of the animal through a third ring of the neck collar to be removably attached to the second portion of the buckle. |
| US09173372B2 |
Lettuce variety 79-348 RZ
The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 79-348 RZ, which exhibits resistance against downy mildew races B1:1 to B1:28 and CA-I, CA-IIA, CA-IIB, CAIII, CA-IV, CA-V, CA-VI, CA-VII, CA-VIII (Bremia lactucae), resistance to Nasonovia ribisnigri, resistance to LMV, and an extraordinary high number of oakleaf-shaped leaves of substantially equal size with a semi-erect adult leaf attitude. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 79-348 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 79-348 RZ. |
| US09173362B1 |
Maize hybrid X13D112
A novel maize variety designated X13D112 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X13D112 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13D112 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13D112, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13D112. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13D112. |
| US09173359B1 |
Maize inbred PH1DG3
A novel maize variety designated PH1DG3 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1DG3 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1DG3 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1DG3 or a locus conversion of PH1DG3 with another maize variety. |
| US09173356B2 |
Watermelon with improved processing qualities
A watermelon plant that produces fruit having (i) ultra-firm flesh and/or liquid-retaining flesh and (ii) soluble solids of at least about 6 brix. |
| US09173351B1 |
Leaves and debris collecting device
A parallel-beams type collector comprises a flat porous platform which is enclosed by side walls. The flat porous platform is formed from a row of horizontally projected, parallel and elongated tines or thin rods. The debris is moved onto the porous platform as the collector is moved forward across the lawn with the elongated thin rods moving and penetrating through the grass. The collector is moved up along a curved path by a moving assembly. A flexible string is pulled via an array of rollers to move the collector up. The leaves and debris sitting in the collector can further be swept away by a sweeping assembly. Alternatively, a continuous endless chain is used to move the collector. A guide member is used to keep the collector in proper orientation during the collection of the debris. |
| US09173348B2 |
Bale processor for bales of all shapes
A bale processor (10) of a type that efficiently processes both round and square bales. A bale processor chamber (12) has at least one moveable wall (12b) adjustable between a mostly vertical position suitable to process round bales and at least one less vertical position suitable to process square bales. A floor conveyor (16) is provided at the bottom of the bale processor chamber (12) and is oriented at an angle of eight to sixteen degrees from horizontal to move a bale and bale parts toward a rotor (14) which tears the bale into smaller pieces and throws the smaller pieces out of the bale processor (10). |
| US09173346B2 |
Riding mower with blade motor control
The present invention provides a riding work vehicle that includes a vehicle body having a driver seat; a driving wheel unit supporting the vehicle body; a working electric motor that drives a work unit having a work device; an electric motor controller controlling an operation of the working electric motor in a steady mode or a power saving mode in which consumed power is smaller than the steady mode; and a work load evaluator that evaluates load of the working electric motor. In the riding work vehicle, the electric motor controller operates the working electric motor in the power saving mode in a case where the load of the working electric motor evaluated by the work load evaluator is low load lower than a threshold value. |
| US09173341B2 |
Positioning equipment
Equipment for the placement or positioning of one or more items in or on the ground is provided. In one form, an apparatus includes a toolbar, a container, a metering unit configured to selectively control release of one or more items from the container and an application member configured to deliver the one or more items released from the container to the ground. In one aspect of this form, the metering unit is configured to selectively control release of one or more spherical items having a diameter in the range of about 0.25 inches to about 1.0 inches, and more particularly, but not exclusively, in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 0.75 inches, from the container to the application member. In another more particular aspect, the spherical items are capsules that include a shell wall encapsulating a pesticide composition and including a gelatin material. |
| US09173337B2 |
GNSS optimized control system and method
A GNSS system in combination with a hydraulically-actuated, airborne dispenser for a dry material crop dusting system to optimize the distribution of dry materials over a particular tract of land. A GNSS subsystem is included using at least one GNSS antenna and one GNSS receiver located on the aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with an electronic/hydraulic crop dusting subsystem connected to a GNSS CPU. The GNSS ranging signals received by the antennas are processed by a receiver and processor system for determining the vehicle's position and dynamic attitude in three dimensions (3D). The system is adapted for operation in a differential GNSS (DGNSS) mode utilizing a base station at a fixed location. |
| US09179581B2 |
Power semiconductor device and power conversion device
A power semiconductor device includes a plurality of power semiconductor elements constituting upper and lower arms of an inverter circuit, a first sealing member sealing the plurality of power semiconductor elements, a positive electrode-side terminal and a negative electrode-side terminal each connected with any of the plurality of power semiconductor elements and protruding from the first sealing member, a second sealing member sealing at least a part of the positive electrode-side terminal and at least a part of the negative electrode-side terminal, and a case in which the power semiconductor elements sealed with the first sealing member are housed. |
| US09179578B2 |
Semiconductor module and heat radiation member
The characteristics of a heat radiation member used in a semiconductor module are improved.A heat radiation member (10A) including an aluminum type member (20) which contains aluminum and a copper type member (30) which contains copper, which is embedded in the aluminum type member (20), and sides of which are enclosed by the aluminum type member (20) is formed. A semiconductor element is thermally bonded to the heat radiation member (10A) to fabricate a semiconductor module. The heat radiation member (10A) includes the aluminum type member (20) and the copper type member (30). As a result, it is possible to realize light weight while ensuring certain heat radiation. In addition, the copper type member (30) is enclosed by the aluminum type member (20). Accordingly, the strength of the heat radiation member (10A) can be increased. |
| US09179573B1 |
Rack-mounted multiple server module
A multiple server module includes a server chassis having a bottom, and a plurality of independently-operating, single-board computer servers arranged across the bottom of the server chassis. Each server has a compact footprint on the bottom which is defined by a motherboard alone, and each server includes a solid-state storage device, a processor, a networking port, and a power port carried on the motherboard within the footprint. |
| US09179572B2 |
Server
A server includes a shell and at least one server assembly. The shell has a first accommodation space. The server assembly includes a motherboard tray, a motherboard module, a bearing frame and a storage device. The motherboard tray is detachably located in the first accommodation space. The motherboard module is located on the motherboard tray. The motherboard module includes a motherboard and at least one central processing unit which are located on the motherboard. The bearing frame having a loading plate is fastened to the motherboard tray and is located above the motherboard module. The storage device is detachably located on the loading plate. |
| US09179571B2 |
Cable backplane system having locking assemblies
A cable backplane system includes a backplane having a plurality of openings and mounting blocks proximate the openings. A cable rack is coupled to a rear of the backplane that includes a tray, spacers coupled to the tray and cable connector assemblies held by corresponding spacers. Each cable connector assembly has a plurality of cables extending between cable connectors. The cable connectors are received in corresponding openings and held in position relative to the backplane by the spacers. Locking assemblies are held by the tray and have a latch proximate to a front edge of the tray configured to interact with a corresponding one of the mounting blocks to lockably couple the tray to the backplane. The locking assemblies each have an actuator at a rear of the tray that is actuated by an installer to lock and unlock the latch with the mounting block. |
| US09179564B2 |
Cable rack assembly having a two-dimensional array of cable connectors
Cable rack assembly including first and second stacks of cable connectors. The cable connectors of the first and second stacks have respective front ends that face in a common mating direction and respective back ends that are coupled to corresponding cables. The first and second stacks are adjacent to each other and form a two-dimensional array of the cable connectors. The cable rack assembly also includes a shared support panel that is positioned between the first and second stacks of the cable connectors. The shared support panel coincides with a panel plane that extends transverse to the two-dimensional array. The cable connectors of the first and second stacks directly engage the shared support panel therebetween. |
| US09179563B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a case and a connector. The case includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall perpendicularly connected to the first sidewall, and a pair of latching protrusions. A through hole is defined in the first sidewall. The pair of latching protrusions is located on the two opposite sides of the through hole and perpendicular extended from the second sidewall. Each of the latching protrusions comprises a first side near to the through hole and a second side away from the through hole. The connector is inserted in the case. The connector includes a shaft portion and a flange radially extending from the shaft portion. The shaft portion is inserted into the through hole. Thus, securing the connector from falling. |
| US09179562B2 |
Housing for encasing an object
An apparatus and system for housing a device include a housing that is configured such that a device may be fitted within the housing and thereby be protected, such as from shocks and/or liquid. The housing may include top and bottom members that may be removably coupled together so as to form the housing. Each top and bottom member optionally includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter is defined by proximal and distal ends as well as opposing sides. The top and bottom members may include respective clasping mechanisms that extend along the perimeter of the top and bottom members. The clasping mechanisms are configured for coupling the top and bottom members with one another thereby sealing the housing, for instance, in a shock-proof and/or water tight seal. |
| US09179561B2 |
Flexible apparatus structure
An apparatus including a glass window, a front cover, a back cover, and an elastic frame. The elastic frame is configured to form at least a first neutral plane and a second neutral plane. |
| US09179560B2 |
Board block for vehicles
Disclosure relates to a board block for vehicles. A housing forms an outer appearance of the board block of the present invention. The housing includes a housing body and a housing cover. A interior space is formed in the housing body, and a first connection unit is formed at one side of an upper end of the housing body. The housing cover covers the upper end of the housing body and the first connection unit. |
| US09179557B2 |
Touch screen and method of producing the same
A touch screen comprises a glass substrate, a first conductive layer, an insulating adhesive layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is directly formed on the glass substrate and comprises first conductive pattern areas; the insulating adhesive layer is attached to the glass substrate, and one side of the insulating adhesive layer close to the glass substrate forms a first groove; the first conductive pattern area is received in the first groove and insulated from each other; one side of the insulating adhesive layer away from the glass substrate, is provided with a second groove; and the second conductive layer is received in the second groove, thus forming a plurality of second conductive pattern areas insulated with each other. The first conductive layer is directly formed on the glass substrate and made of a metal material, thus omitting an adhesive layer and saving the cost. |
| US09179552B2 |
Wiring board
To obtain a wiring board that allows improving flowability of an underfill to be filled up a clearance between an electronic component and the wiring board. The present invention is a wiring board with a laminated body where one or more layer of each of an insulating layer and a conductor layer are laminated. The wiring board includes a plurality of connecting terminals formed separately from one another on the laminated body, a filling member filled up between the plurality of connecting terminals, and a solder resist layer laminated on the laminated body. The filling member is in contact with at least a part of each side surface of the plurality of connecting terminals. The solder resist layer includes an opening that exposes the plurality of connecting terminals. The filling member has a surface roughness rougher than a surface roughness of a top surface of the solder resist layer. |
| US09179551B2 |
Method for producing printed-wiring board
The present invention provides a method for producing a printed-wiring board in a semi-additive process, comprising the steps of: providing a chemical copper plating 4 on an insulation layer 3 or forming a copper thin film on the insulation layer 3 using a sputtering method; subjecting the obtained copper surface 4 to a roughening treatment using an etching solution containing 0.1 to 3% by mass of hydrogen peroxide, 0.3 to 5% by mass of sulfuric acid, 0.1 to 3 ppm of halogen ion and 0.003 to 0.3% by mass of tetrazoles; attaching a dry film resist 5 to the copper surface 4 after the roughening treatment to perform exposure and development and providing an electrolytic copper plating 7 to an opening 6 after the exposure; and subjecting the remaining dry film resist to a stripping treatment using a resist stripping liquid containing 0.5 to 20% by mass of monoethanolamine, 0.2 to 10% by mass of quaternary ammonium hydroxide, 0.01 to 10% by mass of ethylene glycols and 0.01 to 0.5% by mass of azoles. |
| US09179543B2 |
Flexible LED device with wire bond free die
An article includes a flexible polymeric dielectric layer having first and second major surfaces. The first major surface has a conductive layer thereon and at least one cavity therein. The at least one cavity contains a conductive material including electrically separated first and second portions supporting and electrically connecting a light emitting semiconductor device to the conductive layer on the first major surface. |
| US09179542B2 |
Articles containing non-visible identifying marks formed from nanomaterials and methods utilizing the same
Identifying marks are often used for authentication and tracking purposes with various types of articles, but they can sometimes be subject to replication or removal by an outside entity, such as a person or group having malicious intent. Carbon nanotubes and other carbon nanomaterials can be used to form identifying marks that are not visible to the naked eye, thereby making the marks more difficult for an outside entity to tamper with. Various articles can include an identifying mark that is not visible to the naked eye, the identifying mark containing a nanomaterial that includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes with a registered distribution of chiralities. The registered distribution of chiralities can be further tailored to increase the level of security provided by the mark. |
| US09179541B1 |
Surface-mount connector structure for embedded optical and electrical traces
A system for use with optical and electrical signaling is disclosed. The system may include a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a plurality of layers vertically stacked between a first face and a second face and a first optical signal transmission path within a first internal layer of the plurality of layers. The PCB may also include an electrical signal transmission path and a via extending through the plurality of layers. The via may include a first reflective surface that is configured to reflect light between the first optical signal transmission path and an opening of the via on the first face and an electrically conductive material that is configured to electrically connect the electrical signal transmission path to a portion of the via on the first face. |
| US09179539B2 |
Wiring board and design method for wiring board
A wiring board includes a first wiring line and a second wiring line formed on a substrate, a first land and a second land respectively formed at a connection portion of the first wiring line and the second wiring line. A second wiring line has a longer wiring length than the first wiring line. The land is structured with a wiring pattern of a single wiring line. The wiring board also includes a first pad electrode and a second pad electrode respectively formed on the first land and a second land through an insulating film, a first interlayer connection via and a interlayer connection via embedded in the insulating film and electrically connecting the land to the pad electrode. And a wiring length of the wiring pattern of the first land is longer than the wiring length of the wiring pattern of the second land. |
| US09179538B2 |
Electromagnetic shielding structures for selectively shielding components on a substrate
Electronic components on a substrate may be shielded using electromagnetic shielding structures. Insulating materials may be used to provide structural support and to help prevent electrical shorting between conductive materials and the components. The shielding structures may include compartments formed using metal fences that surround selected components or by injection molding plastic. The shielding structures may be formed using metal foil wrapped over the components and the substrate. Electronic components may be tested using test posts or traces to identify components that are faulty. The test posts or traces may be deposited on the substrate and may be used to convey test signals between test equipment and the components. After successful testing, the test posts may be permanently shielded. Alternatively, temporary shielding structures may be used to allow testing of individual components before an electronic device is fully assembled. |
| US09179537B2 |
Methods for forming metallized dielectric structures
An electronic device may be provided with metal coated dielectric structures that serve as electromagnetic interference shielding, antenna structures, or other metal structures. The metal coated dielectric structures may be formed form a sheet of polymer. Metal may be deposited on the sheet of polymer using a deposition tool and patterned following deposition or may be patterned during deposition. A dielectric sheet having patterned metal may be shaped into a desired shape using molding equipment or other equipment that applies heat and pressure to the dielectric sheet and patterned metal. Metal on a dielectric sheet may also be patterned after the dielectric sheet is formed into a desired shape. Metal may be formed on opposing sides of the dielectric sheet. |
| US09179529B2 |
Optical pacing system and method
A system and method for optically setting a pace for an athlete is presented. The method sequentially places a first group of lights and a second group along a path travelled by the athlete. The first group of lights are sequentially lit one after another one at a time with a first predetermined delay between the lighting of each of the lights. After all the first group of lights have been lit, the second group of lights are similarly sequentially lit in sequence with a second predetermined delay between each of the lights. The first and second predetermined delays can be the same if the athlete desires to run several consistent laps of the same speed. However, the athlete may desire to run one part of the laps fast and the another part slower by setting one predetermined delay longer than the other predetermined delay. |
| US09179523B1 |
Start-up voltage for solid-state lighting controller
A controller, which may be a controller for solid-state lighting, includes a transformer, and a control circuit having a bias voltage input. The control circuit activates when voltage applied to the bias voltage input reaches a threshold. The transformer has a feedback output to the bias voltage input. The controller also has a bias voltage circuit including a resonant circuit providing a resonant current, and a bias capacitor charged by the resonant current, applying start-up bias voltage to the bias voltage input. The controller further has a cutoff to shut down the resonant current when the transformer feedback output is above the threshold. A method of operating the a controller includes providing a resonant current to charge a start-up bias capacitor. The method also includes automatically cutting off the resonant current when the transformer feedback output is above the threshold. This may be determined by monitoring the bias voltage input. |
| US09179520B2 |
Method for current limitation of a load current and circuit having current limitation of a load current for a flash means
The invention relates to a method for the current limitation of a load current, in particular the load current of a flash means. In one step, first a supply voltage (VBAT) is provided. Then a load current (I) is set depending on the supply voltage (VBAT) for supplying the flash means (LED) with power by incrementally reducing the load current (I) until the supply voltage (VBAT) is greater than a threshold value (Vlow). The load current intensity (Imin) of the set load current (I) can be stored in a register (RAM) for the subsequent triggering of the flash means (LED) in a main flash phase (2) with the load current intensity (Imin) stored in the register (RAM). In addition, the invention relates to a circuit having current limitation of a load current of a flash means. |
| US09179515B2 |
Driver circuit for LED backlight of liquid crystal display device
A driver circuit driving an LED backlight of a liquid crystal display device includes a determination unit and a drive current output unit that receives a luminance adjustment signal from the determination unit and supplies a drive current to the LED backlight. The determination unit determines whether or not a duty ratio of a PWM signal input from a control circuit satisfies a predetermined value set in advance and outputs a luminance adjustment signal set in advance in a case where the input of the PWM signal does not reach the predetermined value and outputs a luminance adjustment signal corresponding to the PWM signal input from the control circuit in a case where the input of the PWM signal is the predetermined value or more. |
| US09179514B2 |
Control circuit for reducing of total harmonic distortion (THD) in the power supply to an electric load
A control circuit for reducing Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in the power supply to an electric load, includes an input stage (10) for receiving a network voltage (V1) and providing a corresponding rectified sinusoidal output supply voltage (Vbus); an output stage (20) associated with the input stage (10) for providing power supply to an electric load (L); a control module (30) designed to control the power factor and the harmonic distortion (THD) of the energy obtained from the network voltage (V1), by regulating a pulse current (S1) that acts upon the power supply absorbed by the output stage (20); a regulating module (40) which is designed to: sense a main signal (SW) representative of the supply voltage (Vbus); compare the main signal (SW) with a preset reference (Vref); generate a regulating signal (S3) designed for the control module (30). The control module (30) is designed to modify the pulse current (S1) according to the regulating signal (S3). |
| US09179509B2 |
Light emitting diode assembly
A circuit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention can include a light emitting diode (LED) assembly comprising a plurality of LED channels that are controlled independently with a switch mode driver. The circuit also includes N+1 wires coupled to said LED assembly, where N is equal to the number of said plurality of LED channels of said LED assembly. |
| US09179507B2 |
Lighting apparatus
What is specified is: a lighting apparatus, with a piezoelectric transformer (1), which has a mounting face (10), on which at least two output-side connection points (11) are arranged, and at least one substrateless light-emitting diode (2), which is designed to generate electromagnetic radiation, wherein the at least one substrateless light-emitting diode (2) is fitted at least indirectly to the mounting face (10) and fastened mechanically to the mounting face (10), and the at least one substrateless light-emitting diode (2) is electrically conductively connected to at least two of the output-side connection points (11). |
| US09179505B2 |
Optimized motion and location of intense microwave fields within a heating system
A method and system for heating a plurality of articles is provided. The method includes discharging microwave energy into a microwave chamber and passing a plurality of articles through the heating zone. At least a portion of the microwave energy discharged into the heating zone may first be phase shifted using one or more phase shifting devices. One embodiment of a rotatable phase shifting device is also provided and includes an elongated fixed member disposed proximate a rotatable housing. The phase shifting device employed by the microwave heating system is configured such that the ratio of the article residence time in the heating zone to the phase shifting rate is at least about 4:1. Rotatable phase shifting devices, or variable phase short circuits, as described herein can also be used in other applications, such as, for example, as impedance or frequency tuning devices. |
| US09179498B2 |
System for wireless mesh network communication
A general wireless mesh network of communication devices with packet message transmission, especially for telemetry and automation, includes at least a single control communication device and a set of slave communication devices. The control communication device searches in the network and assigns a virtual routing number to each slave communication device. The virtual routing number reflects a distance of the slave communication device from the control communication device, expressed by the number of routings, and is stored in the slave communication device. The slave communication device, for further routing of packets in the mesh network, uses time slots assigned according to the difference between said virtual routing number and the virtual routing number of the sender of a received packet. Packet routing is based on successive flooding of the virtual routing structure and time division multiplexing. |
| US09179495B1 |
Implementing “all wireless” network over WiFi equipment using “scheduled TDMA”
A technique is disclosed to schedule frame transmissions in a wireless network utilizing scheduled TDMA by synchronizing clocks in repeater and backhaul access points. |
| US09179489B2 |
Inter base station handover method, radio communication system, DRX control method, base station, and communication terminal
The present invention provides a DRX control method and system in which power consumption of a mobile station can be reduced and an increase in the load of a network can be suppressed. A source base station forwards Dormancy Context, which is information for controlling the activity level of a mobile station that performs inter base station handover, to a target base station and, immediately after the mobile station completes handover, the target base station performs DRX control of the mobile station using the Dormancy Context. |
| US09179480B2 |
Apparatus and method for dynamically selecting a random access response window value for use with random access procedures in a network
A method is provided in a user equipment node for dynamically selecting a random access response window value for use with random access procedures in a network. The method comprises the step of determining if a random access response window value is being signalled from the network for a first serving cell currently associated with the user equipment node. If so, the random access response window value being signalled for the first serving cell is used when performing a random access procedure in the first serving cell. If not, an alternative random access response window value for the first serving cell is used when performing a random access procedure in the first serving cell. |
| US09179475B2 |
Distributed ad hoc mesh network protocol for underground mine and hazardous area communications
Methods and apparatus for forming and maintaining an ad hoc mesh network suitable for reliable voice and data communications in underground, industrial and other hazardous environments. This invention includes support for cooperative negotiation of dedicated transmission bandwidth for all fixed network nodes, determination of network time synchronization without a pre-determined time master, discovery and merging of adjacent ad hoc mesh networks, and routing techniques for voice, data and network status packets which react instantaneously to network topology changes. Furthermore this invention provides a reliable communication network for mobile nodes carried by personnel and sensor nodes that are fixed or mobile that supports voice, data and tracking/situation awareness. A current application for this technology is a coal mine communication system with an operations center to dispatch, monitor and control coal mine operation including communication and location of mine personnel, and environmental conditions in the mine. |
| US09179473B2 |
Receiving and processing protocol data units
A method for processing one or more bursts including receiving at least a portion of a first burst comprising one or more protocol data units. The method includes receiving a sequence number for the first burst. The method includes writing the sequence number and the first burst to a physical-layer queue, such that the first burst is concatenated to the sequence number in the physical-layer queue. The sequence number may identify the first burst from one or more second bursts written to the physical-layer queue preceding or following the first burst. |
| US09179472B2 |
Dynamic aggregation for coexistence between wireless transceivers of a host device
A circuit includes a first wireless interface circuit that communicates packetized data to a first external device in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol. A second wireless interface circuit communicates packetized data to a second external device in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol. A plurality of signal lines communicate at least four lines of cooperation data between the first wireless interface circuit and the second wireless interface circuit, wherein the cooperation data relates to cooperate transceiving in a common frequency spectrum. |
| US09179471B2 |
Coordinated scheduling for time division duplex network
The invention relates to Coordinated Scheduling for a Time Division Duplex (TDD) network. In a method for User Equipment (UE) scheduling by a base station in a TDD network, the base station receives scheduling decision from at least one neighboring cell of the base station, and schedules a UE among a plurality of UEs in the serving cell of the base station based on the scheduling decision from the at least one neighboring cell and based on smart antenna information. The inter-cell interference is suppressed and therefore the network performance is improved. |
| US09179469B2 |
Enabling resource partitioning for wireless communication systems
Enabling resource partitioning in a wireless communication is provided. A terminal can measure channel quality and other information in a wireless communication environment and prepare a VCQI report. The report can be transmitted to a serving base station and/or non-serving base stations. The report information can be utilized by the base stations to allocate resources and/or to facilitate handoff within the wireless communication environment. |
| US09179467B2 |
Network employing space recycling, and a method for managing the network
A method of operating a network coordinator for a spatial reuse scheme includes receiving a reservation request for a time period for a data communication of a target transmitter/receiver pair that uses a directional antenna, searching for a time period reserved in advance for another transmitter/receiver pair, from a Channel Time Allocation Period (CTAP) that is a contention-free access period for the data communication, and reserving a time period for the target transmitter/receiver pair in the CTAP, so that the time period reserved for the target transmitter/receiver pair overlaps the time period reserved in advance for the other transmitter/receiver pair. |
| US09179466B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile terminal apparatus and communication control method
To provide a base station apparatus, mobile terminal apparatus and communication control method for enabling control adapted to interference inside a Heterogeneous network to be performed to support the next-generation mobile communication system, a base station apparatus (20) shares at least a part of the frequency band with another base station apparatus (40) that covers a macro-cell, covers a pico-cell (C1), is capable of transmitting a downlink transmission frame at transmission timing different from the another base station apparatus (40), and is configured to set resources, in which the downlink transmission frame undergoes interference from another downlink transmission frame including a blank period transmitted from the another base station apparatus (40), as blank resources, and assign user data to the downlink transmission frame while avoiding the blank resources. |
| US09179459B2 |
Method for transmitting control information and base station, and method for receiving control information and user equipment
According to one aspect of the present invention, antennas or antenna nodes spaced away from each other by a predetermined distance or more are configured to be able to transmit control information of mutually different user equipment groups, thereby increasing the efficiency in the operation of control channels. In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, a resource region for transmitting control information for an improved user equipment, which is a target of a multi-node cooperative transmission, is set differently from a resource region for transmitting control information for a legacy user equipment, thereby increasing the efficiency in the transmission of the control information for the improved user equipment. |
| US09179458B2 |
Method for allocating resources for HARQ ACK/NACK signal transmission, and method and apparatus for HARQ ACK/NACK signal transmission using same
The present invention relates to a method for allocating PUCCH resources for an HARQ ACK/NACK signal, and to a method for HARQ ACK/NACK signal transmission using same. The method for allocating PUCCH resources for an HARQ ACK/NACK signal comprises the following steps: constructing an ACK/NACK resource indicator (ARI) mapping table based on the HARQ ACK/NACK signal transmission method of a terminal; transmitting the ARI mapping table to the terminal via upper layer signaling; constructing an ARI indicating PUCCH resources to be allocated to the terminal on the ARI mapping table; and transmitting the ARI to the terminal. The ARI mapping table may be transmitted to a plurality of terminals and shared among the plurality of terminals and a base station. |
| US09179456B2 |
Methods and apparatus for downlink control channels transmissions in wireless communications systems
An antenna port for an extended Physical Downlink Control CHannel (ePDCCH) transmission is determined based on at least an identifier for a leading extended Control Channel Element (eCCE) within the ePDCCH and an identifier for a user equipment (UE) to receive the ePDCCH transmission, and based on whether the ePDCCH transmission is localized or distributed. The determined antenna port is a DeModulation Reference Signal (DMRS) port to which the UE is assigned. Symbols are mapped in sequence to resource elements (REs) and transmitted via the determined antenna port to the UE. |
| US09179453B2 |
Apparatus and method for enhancing features of uplink reference signals
An apparatus and method are provided for transmitting a PUSCH and a DM RS associated with transmission of the PUSCH. The method includes receiving, by a UE, a DCI format including IEs over PDCCHs based on a UE ID, where the IEs include RA and RSC information indicating a combination of a CS and an OCC for the DM RS; identifying the CS and the OCC for the DM RS using the RSC information; acquiring a DM RS sequence based on the identified CS, the identified OCC, and a CAZAC-based sequence; mapping the DM RS sequence to sub-carriers, based on the RA; performing an IFT operation based on the DM RS sequence and the sub-carriers; generating a signal for transmitting on the PUSCH by adding a CP to a result of the IFT operation; and transmitting the signal on the PUSCH. |
| US09179450B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing sounding reference signal resource in wireless communication system
A method and an apparatus for managing Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resources in a wireless communication system are provided. A method of a base station for managing SRS resources includes receiving an allocation of SRS resources from a system controller, allocating SRS resources to connected terminals that are connected to the BS, determining a number of residual SRS resources varying according to the number of connected terminals, and transmitting one of an additional SRS resource allocation request and an allocated SRS resource return request to the system controller according to the number of residual SRS resources. |
| US09179449B2 |
Apparatus and methods for control frame and management frame compression
Systems, methods, and devices for communicating frames having a plurality of types are described herein. In some aspects, the frames include a compressed frame, such as a compressed management frame or a compressed control frame. In some aspects, a method of communicating in a wireless network includes generating a management frame including a local identifier or a global identifier for a transmitter of the management frame based on a link type over which the management frame is transmitted, a local identifier or a global identifier for a recipient of the management frame based on the link type, a frame check sequence, and information indicating the link type. The method further includes transmitting the management frame. |
| US09179439B2 |
Apparatus and method for scheduling cell broadcast messages
Methods, apparatus, and computer readable storage media are described. The apparatus may receive a next cell broadcast message or a schedule message according to schedule information in first-received cell broadcast message. The schedule information may indicate timing of the next cell broadcast message or the schedule message. The first cell broadcast message may be received before timing information associated with a cell broadcast channel is known, including after a reselection procedure or after termination of a voice call. The schedule information may relate to a discontinuous reception schedule defined in a missed schedule message. Presence of the schedule information in the first cell broadcast message may be indicated in a page parameter of a header of the first cell broadcast message or in a block identifier of the first cell broadcast message. A network entity is described that adds the schedule information to the first cell broadcast message. |
| US09179436B1 |
System and method for location reporting in an untrusted network environment
An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2). |
| US09179434B2 |
Systems and methods for locking and disabling a device in response to a request
A computing device may be locked and contact information associated with an owner of the computing device may be displayed. For example, a request to lock the computing device may be received. In response to such a request, at least some of the functionality of the computing device may be disabled. For example, control input or input keys of the computing device may be at least partially disabled. Furthermore, contact information may be shown on the display of the computing device. For example, the phone number, address, email address, or other information of the owner of the computing device may be displayed. |
| US09179431B2 |
Proxy mobile node capability for mobile IP
A method and system are provided for transmitting information in a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) environment, which includes a home network, a home agent (HA) provided at the home network, a base station (BS) broadcasting a pilot signal, a foreign agent (FA) provided at or associated with the BS, a mobile node (MN) providing the ability to detect and identify itself to a BS, a proxy mobile node (PMN) Identifying the MN wherein the PMN is provided at the BS. If the PMN identifies the MN, the PMN retrieves an IP address for each of the MN, FA and HA and sends a registration request to the FA. The FA relays the registration request to the HA, and the proxy MN is registered with the HA. The MN functionality is provided transparently to the MN by the PMN. The network may further include a further base station (BS) with a further foreign agent (FA) provided at or associated with the new BS. Another PMN is provided at the further BS. If the MN detects the other BS, the further PMN identifies the MN using normal link layer messages, retrieves an IP address for each of the MN, other FA, and HA, and sends a registration request to the further FA. The further FA relays the re-registration request to the HA, and the other PMN is registered with the HA. The initial and all subsequent registrations with the HA associated with the home network are transparent to the MN, i.e., so that the MN itself is not required to implement the registration with the home agent since it may be mobile, moving from one base station to the next. This significantly simplifies the configuration of the MN and the Mobile IP network. |
| US09179429B2 |
Synchronization method, device, and system
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a synchronization method, device, and system, and relate to the field of communications, so that a device deployment cost may be reduced and the stability of device synchronization may be improved. The method includes: acquiring, by a switching node, synchronization time from a main control node; and sending, by the switching node, the synchronization time to each controlled node that is connected to the switching node, so as to perform time synchronization between each controlled node and the main control node. |
| US09179427B2 |
Transmission power dependent imbalance compensation for multi-antenna systems
Methods and apparatuses for wireless communication are provided. In an aspect, Transmissions are received from multiple antennas of a user equipment and a differential power control message that is based on an imbalance of transmitted power from the multiple antennas is transmitted. In another aspect, a differential power control message that is based on an imbalance of transmitted power from multiple antennas of a user equipment is received and based on the message, the imbalance is compensated for by varying a transmit power from one or more of the multiple antennas. |
| US09179423B2 |
Power limited case signaling
The disclosure relates to a method for a user equipment to report a transmission power capability to an e Node B. The user equipment operates in carrier aggregation. The method comprises determining, by the user equipment, that the transmission power capability of at least one power amplifier of the user equipment reaches at least one defined threshold, and triggering a generation of a power headroom report based on the determining step. The disclosure also relates to the corresponding user equipment and e Node B. |
| US09179411B2 |
System and method for controlling envelope tracking in a transmitter with closed loop power control
A system and method for controlling envelope tracking in a transmitter with closed loop power control, including up-converting and pre-amplifying a baseband signal to a pre-amplified RF signal, amplifying the pre-amplified RF signal, converting the envelope of the baseband signal into a shaped envelope signal, adjusting the gain of the pre-amplified RF signal, and adjusting the shape of the envelope signal in response to changes in the gain of the pre-amplified RF signal. |
| US09179410B2 |
Owner selectable and context adjustable DRX timing
A method is provided for user customization and context-based adjustment of a discontinuous reception (DRx) schedule for a telematics-equipped vehicle. The method includes receiving, by a telematics unit of the vehicle, user input of DRx schedule information; determining, by the telematics unit, that ignition of the vehicle has been switched off; determining, by the telematics unit, an applicable DRx schedule from a plurality of DRx schedules, wherein the plurality of DRx schedules are based on the user input DRx schedule information; and executing, by the telematics unit, the applicable DRx schedule. The method further includes adjustment of the applicable DRx schedule based on a contextual parameter. |
| US09179408B2 |
Neighbor node probing method using adaptive and asynchronous rendezvous protocol in opportunistic network and portable communication device using the same
Provided is a node probing method using an adaptive and asynchronous rendezvous protocol in an opportunistic network. The node probing method includes: selecting, by each of nodes in the opportunistic network, a prime number larger than two; using, by the node, the selected prime number to generate a wake-up pattern according to the following equation: x n = { 1 , if n ≡ 0 ( mod p ) or n ≡ 1 ( mod p + 1 ) 0 , others where Xn=1 represents a wake-up slot, Xn=0 represents a sleeping slot, and ‘mod p’ represents a modulo operation for the prime number p); and searching, by the node, for a neighbor node according to the generated wake-up pattern. |
| US09179396B2 |
Almost-blank subframe configuration detection in heterogeneous networks
A method for detecting an Almost-Blank Subframe (ABS) configuration for an interfering macro cell of a heterogeneous network is implemented in a wireless terminal. For one or more resource blocks in a received signal, a first power metric is calculated as a function of channel response estimates determined for predicted cell-specific (or common) reference signal (CRS) resource element locations in a plurality of symbols. For the one or more resource blocks in the received signal, a second power metric is calculated as a function of channel response estimates determined for the predicted CRS resource element locations in a single one of the plurality of symbols. A difference between the first and second power metrics is compared to a threshold, and responsive to the comparison a determination is made as to whether the macro cell is operating in a Multicast and Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) mode or a non-MBSFN mode. |
| US09179389B2 |
Radio terminal, information processing device, information processing program, and information processing method
A radio terminal (10) includes: an MIH user (14) for managing mobility from a first network to a second network; and an MIH function unit (13) for controlling handover from the first network to the second network. The MIH function unit (13) notifies a link control unit (12) of a condition setting request including a first judgment local formula as a condition for starting setting of the second network and the radio link and a second judgment logical formula as a condition executing a handover from the first network to the second network. The first judgment logical formula and the second judgment logical formula indicates a combination of threshold values to be satisfied by a plurality of radio parameters in the first network and the established radio link. |
| US09179387B2 |
Handover for a portable communication device between wireless local and wide area networks
The present invention relates to a method, call handling server (18), local wireless network (10) and computer program product for performing vertical handover of a wireless voice connection, which is a part of a voice connection set up between a portable communication (22) device and another device. The network comprises a number of access points (20) and the call handling server (18) for controlling voice connections to the portable device. The server comprises a control unit (24) that determines a handover situation for the wireless connection to the portable device based on a set of handover factors that comprise the position and movement of the portable communication device in an area of the local network and structural layout information of the area together with knowledge of where in this area there is insufficient coverage. |
| US09179386B1 |
Optimization of interlayer handovers in multilayer wireless communication networks
Technologies are described herein for parameter optimization of at least one interlayer handover in a multilayer wireless cellular communication network. Performance information for the communication network is retrieved. The retrieved performance information for the communication network is then averaged over a predetermined period of time. A determination is made based on the performance information as to whether optimization of the communication network is required. If so, the interlayer handover is optimized by capturing a current set of configuration parameters for the interlayer handover, generating a new set of configuration parameters for the interlayer handover based on the retrieved performance information and the current set of configuration parameters, and applying the new set of configuration parameters to the communication network. |
| US09179384B2 |
Mobility robustness optimization based on reference signal strength maps
A map-based mobility robustness optimization (MRO) capability is provided for improving one or more aspects related to mobility in a wireless communication network. The map-based MRO capability may use one or more reference signal strength map associated with a wireless network to determine at least one management function for the wireless network. The at least one management function may include determining at least one configuration action adapted to satisfy a handover failure rate for the wireless network based on the one or more reference signal strength maps, preventing handover race conditions in a cluster of wireless cells covered by the one or more reference signal strength maps, or the like. The one or more management functions may be adapted to improve or optimize one or more of handover failure rate, prevention of handover race conditions, or the like. |
| US09179383B2 |
Method and terminal for determining handover for traffic offloaded onto WLAN
There is provided a method for determining a handover. The method may comprise: determining, by User Equipment (UE), whether a timer is running, wherein the UE has accessed multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs); if the timer is not running, performing, by the UE, a handover of a data traffic, which has been routed onto a Wireless LAN (WLAN), to an original RAT; and if the timer is running, not performing, by the UE, the handover of the data traffic, which has been routed onto the WLAN, to the original RAT. The data traffic may be been routed onto the WLAN as a result of Circuit Switched Fall-Back (CSFB) or 3GPP RAT mobility. |
| US09179382B2 |
Methods and apparatus for supporting WAN and D2D communication RLC layer handover
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for supporting RLC layer handover between WAN supported D2D communications and direct D2D communications. In one example, a first UE may be operable to transmit a WAN handover request including a peer identifier and a cell identifier associated with a second UE to an eNB, where the first UE and the second UE are engaged in direct D2D communications. The eNB may be equipped to communicate the WAN handover request to a second eNB associated with the second UE and receive a RLC parameter indicating a last successful reception by the second UE. The eNB may transmit the RLC parameter to the first UE. The first UE may be equipped to determine a subsequent content item based on the received RLC parameter and may transmit the subsequent content item to the second UE via the eNB. |
| US09179377B2 |
Handover in relation to cell identity ambiguity
The invention relates to handover of a mobile station (12) from a source cell to a target cell when the identity of the target cell in a wireless communication network (10, 11) is ambiguous, a source base station (14) defining the source cell receives an event from the mobile station comprising a cell identifier, investigates if there are more cells in the neighborhood sharing the same cell identifier and sends a handover instruction to the mobile station comprising an identity ambiguity indicator if there are more cells sharing the same cell identifier. The mobile station autonomously initiates establishment of a connection to a target base station defining the target cell based on the identity ambiguity indicator in order to effect handover. |
| US09179373B2 |
Method and apparatus that facilitates redirecting wireless terminals between wireless networks
Aspects are described for redirecting wireless terminals between wireless networks. In a first embodiment, a coverage quality of user equipment within a first wireless network is monitored. Multiple candidate frequencies are then ascertained in response to the coverage quality to facilitate a communication between the user equipment and a second wireless network. The candidate frequencies are then communicated to the user equipment. In another embodiment, an indication of a plurality of candidate frequencies is received, and a failure in performing a handover from a first wireless network to a second wireless network is detected. For this embodiment, the handover is attempted via a primary frequency. An alternative frequency is then selected from the plurality of candidate frequencies in response to the failure, and a communication with the second wireless network is established via the alternative frequency. |
| US09179372B2 |
Optimizing parameter setting for handover of mobile terminals on a transportation platform
A system and method for optimizing handover parameters for a plurality of mobile terminals on a common transportation platform in a cellular network includes at least a first terminal and a second terminal and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that each of the first and second terminal are on the common transportation platform, monitor a status of a handover attempt of the first terminal, and if the handover attempt is successful, adopt handover parameter settings of the first terminal for the second terminal, and if the handover attempt is not successful, change handover parameter settings for the second terminal. |
| US09179370B2 |
Internetworking techniques for transferring packets between source and target serving gateways
A target gateway operating in a target wireless network receives a request for transferring wireless service of a wireless device from a source access network to the target access network. The target gateway sends a handover initiate message comprising key information including an uplink key to a source gateway operating in the source access network. In response to the handover initiate message, the target gateway receives a handover acknowledgement message that includes user session information including session reference identifiers (SR-IDs) associated with multiple Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the wireless device. Subsequently, the target gateway forwards a packet of uplink communication by encrypting using the uplink key to a gateway server. |
| US09179369B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing a handover in a wireless communication system
A method of performing a handover in a wireless communication system employing a macro base station and a femto base station is provided. The method comprising: monitoring an uplink signal transmitted from a user equipment to the macro base station; transmitting a handover initiation message to the macro base station on the basis of a result of comparing the uplink signal's strength obtained by the monitoring with a reference value; and performing a handover of the user equipment from the macro base station to the femto base station. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of initiating a handover by a femto base station by fining user equipments located in a cell coverage of the femto base station. In addition, a signaling overhead is reduced by utilizing previously existing information such as uplink transmit power. |
| US09179365B1 |
Method and apparatus for providing quality of service (QoS) in a wireless local area network
A method includes, in at least one aspect, switching a mode of operation of a wireless communication device from a first transmission mode to a second transmission mode, wherein the first transmission mode supports transmission of packets comprising header information in accordance with a communication protocol specified for the first transmission mode, and the second transmission mode supports transmission of real-time data packets that do not contain the header information in accordance with the communication protocol specified for the first transmission mode; and configuring a transmission parameter associated with the wireless communication device for operation in the second transmission mode for transmission of a real-time data packet containing real-time data. |
| US09179362B2 |
Systems and methods for networking coding using Reed-Solomon codes
A method for network coding includes encoding a plurality of message packets to produce a plurality of encoded packets. Each message packet and each encoded packet includes a plurality of symbols having an index and each symbol of the encoded packets is generated by applying a Reed-Solomon code to the symbols of the message packets having the same index as the symbol of the encoded packets. A length of the encoded packets is the same as a length of the message packets. |
| US09179361B2 |
Wireless communication device, program, wireless communication method, and wireless communication system
There is provided a wireless communication device including a receiving unit that receives a radio signal transmitted from a base station providing a wireless communication service, a congestion calculation unit that calculates a degree of congestion of the wireless communication service based on a received result of the radio signal by the receiving unit, and an effective communication rate estimation unit that estimates an effective communication rate of the wireless communication service by use of the degree of congestion calculated by the congestion calculation unit. |
| US09179358B2 |
Techniques for reducing network congestion in a wireless communications system
Methods, systems, and devices are described for reducing congestion in a wireless communications system. A second connection failure is detected, and a difference between a timestamp of the second connection failure and a timestamp of a first connection failure is calculated. Upon determining that the difference satisfies a first time threshold, information relating to one or more previous connection failures is cleared. A time period is identified. A number of connection failures from a cell that occur during the time period is identified. A determination is made as to whether the number of connection failures satisfies a threshold. Upon determining that the number of connection failures satisfies the threshold, a future connection request may be withheld for a time period. |
| US09179357B2 |
Systems and methods for buffer status reporting in wireless communication systems
A method and system for efficient buffer status reporting at a base station is provided. The method may include identifying a transmission opportunity associated with a first protocol layer of the base station, where the transmission opportunity indicates a transmission capacity of the base station. The method may further include determining, via one or more hardware processors, a time interval for sending a buffer status report from a second protocol layer of the base station to the first protocol layer based on at least the transmission opportunity. The method may further include determining, via the one or more hardware processors, an expected buffer occupancy based on at least the time interval and a packet incoming rate associated with downlink packets, and sending the buffer status report from the second protocol layer to the first protocol layer based on at least the time interval. |
| US09179351B2 |
Method and apparatus for receiving signal in multi-node system
A method of receiving a signal of a user equipment in a multi-node system including a plurality of nodes and a base station for controlling the plurality of nodes is provided. The method includes: receiving a reference parameter from the base station; and receiving a node-specific signal from at least one node among the plurality of nodes, wherein a virtual cell parameter required for decoding of the node-specific signal is determined based on the reference parameter, and the node-specific signal is identified by each of the plurality of nodes. |
| US09179347B2 |
Device and method for extended PTCCH space
An MS, for a GSM/EDGE network, arranged to, as a first alternative, use every 13th TDMA frame with an odd number as an idle frame which is used for neighboring cell measurements and every 13th TDMA frame with an even number as a PTCCH, a Packet Timing Control Channel. The MS is arranged to, as a second alternative, use every 13th TDMA frame with an odd number as a PTCCH and every 13th TDMA frame with an even number for neighboring cell measurements. The MS is arranged to transmit information to the network that the MS supports the use of the second alternative, and to receive information from the network about which of these two alternatives that the MS should use. |
| US09179343B2 |
Techniques for cross-device radio signal strength calibration
An apparatus may include a memory to store a first radio signal strength indicator (RSSI) data set comprising first data entries for RSSI detected from a multiplicity of transmission sources by a first wireless device of a first device type, and to store a second RSSI data set comprising second data entries for RSSI detected from the multiplicity of transmission sources by a second wireless device of a second device type; and a cross-device radio calibration engine to receive the first RSSI data set and second RSSI data set and generate a cross-calibrated RSSI function comprising a function that reduces differences between the first RSSI data set and the second RSSI data set. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed. |
| US09179335B2 |
Out-of-band radio link protocol and network architecture for a wireless network composed of wireless terminals with millimetre wave frequency range radio units
The present invention relates to a wireless transmitter comprising a transmitter radio unit working a wireless transmitter comprising a transmitter radio unit working in the millimeter wave frequency band using a directional antenna and a bidirectional radio unit working in a frequency range different from said transmitter radio unit and using an omnidirectional antenna. The invention further relates to a wireless receiver and a wireless relay. |
| US09179333B1 |
Hybrid automatic repeat request block error rate control for wireless communications
Systems, methods, and software for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) block error rate (BLER) control in wireless communications are provided herein. A wireless access system receives a media packet. The wireless access system also determines a first time difference between an allowable end-to-end delay for the media packet and a first consumed end-to-end delay for the media packet. The wireless access system also processes the first time difference to select a first HARQ BLER and transfers the media packet from the wireless access system using the first HARQ BLER. |
| US09179332B2 |
Artificial interference injection for channel state information reporting
A system and method for improving the link adaptation in a wireless communication system is disclosed. User Equipment (UE) forms an interference hypothesis by amending a measured interference and noise by artificially injecting, to the measured interference and noise, interference corresponding to at least one emulated interfering isotropic signal that is virtually transmitted over an associated estimated effective channel. The UE further determines at least one channel state information (CSI) report based on the interference hypothesis, and transmits the CSI report to the network. |
| US09179331B2 |
Wireless localization method and wireless localization apparatus using fingerprinting technique
A wireless localization method using a fingerprinting technique that performs localization by using a plurality of access points and a plurality of sample points arranged at regular distances, the wireless localization method includes: detecting first through third sample points adjacent to a predetermined node from among the plurality of sample points via the fingerprinting technique; calculating corrected coordinates by using a received signal strength (RSS) between the predetermined node and the first sample point, an RSS value between the predetermined node and the second sample point, an RSS value between the first and second sample points, an RSS value between the first and third sample points, and a distance between the plurality of sample points; and estimating a location of the predetermined node by reflecting the corrected coordinates on coordinates of the first sample point. |
| US09179330B2 |
Virtual wireless networking
An access controller is coupled to a plurality of physical access points. The access controller is operable to create a plurality of virtual access controllers that are each coupled to the plurality of physical access points. The access controller then creates a different virtual access point for each of the plurality of virtual access controllers, and associates the virtual access point of each virtual access controller with each of the plurality of physical access points coupled to that virtual access controller. The access controller then provides a plurality of different wireless sub-networks through each of the plurality of physical access points, with each virtual access controller providing one of the different wireless sub-networks using the virtual access point associated with each of the plurality of physical access points coupled to that virtual access controller. |
| US09179321B2 |
Digital capacity centric distributed antenna system
Disclosed herein is an architecture for a Digital Capacity Centric Distributed Antenna System (DCC-DAS) that dynamically manages and distributes resources in different locations where there is demand for capacity. The DCC-DAS also allows for the routing of resources to other applications such as location finding devices, jamming devices, repeaters, etc. |
| US09179318B2 |
Delegation based mobility management
A method of handling mobility-related signalling in a communications system comprising a mobile node, a mobile router, and a peer node. The method comprises providing the mobile router with a delegation certificate that is cryptographically signed by or on behalf of the mobile node. At the mobile router, a mobility-related signalling exchange is initiated with the peer node on behalf of the mobile node, the mobile router providing to the peer node within this exchange, said delegation certificate or an identification of the certificate, and a sequence number associated with the certificate. At the peer node, the received sequence number is compared with a sequence number maintained by the peer node in respect of the delegation certificate, and the exchange authorized in dependence upon the result of the comparison. |
| US09179317B2 |
Method for preventing the malicious use of a SIM card inserted in an M2M device and M2M device
The invention relates to an M2M device comprising a communication unit and a SIM card, the said SIM card comprising a controller or microcontroller (A), characterized in that the SIM card comprises at least one sensor (B; C), the said at least one sensor being a sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a strain sensor, a movement sensor, a displacement sensor, an inertia or acceleration sensor, a sound sensor, a pressure sensor, an impact sensor and a vibration sensor, the said controller or microcontroller (A) comprising an element for deactivating at least some of its functions following the receipt from the said at least one sensor (B,C) of at least one signal indicating that an environment status value is outside a predetermined range, thus preventing the malicious use of the said SIM card. |
| US09179316B2 |
Mobile device with user controls and policy agent to control application access to device location data
A mobile device has a service monitor agent that monitors device location from GPS or other location data. A user interface contains privacy user controls to allow users to specify, for each of multiple applications, a location monitoring policy setting applicable specifically to that application. A policy control agent stores the settings and manages access by the respective applications to device location data from the service monitor agent on a per-application basis, based at least in part on the settings. An application interface agent can provide control over the access to the location data by the applications. The user controls and policy control agent may further manage access by specific applications to Internet data service over a WWAN modem. |
| US09179313B2 |
Mobile-device-based trust computing
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request to access a shared device. The request may include data uniquely identifying a first user of the social-networking system. The first user may be represented by a first user node in a social graph associated with the social-networking system, and wherein the social graph comprises a plurality of user nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the user nodes. The method may further include determining that a social-networking account for each of one or more second users of the social-networking system was compromised, wherein each of the second users previously accessed the shared device. Each of the second users may be respectively associated with second user nodes in the social graph. The method may further include sending, to the shared device, a message indicating that the social-networking accounts for the second users were compromised. |
| US09179311B2 |
Securing vehicle service tool data communications
A system and method of securely communicating information between a vehicle and a central facility includes receiving at a vehicle diagnostic tool a challenge query from the vehicle; establishing a wireless connection between the vehicle diagnostic tool and a central facility; transmitting the challenge query from the vehicle diagnostic tool to the central facility via the wireless connection; receiving at the vehicle diagnostic tool a response to the challenge query via the wireless connection; and accessing one or more vehicle modules on the vehicle using the received response to the challenge query. |
| US09179309B2 |
Security mode configuration procedures in wireless devices
A method of detecting an error in a security mode configuration procedure conducted at a radio access network is provided. A cell update message is transmitted which causes the radio access network to abort a security mode configuration procedure. After the transmission of an update message, a new security mode configuration is received and the original security mode configuration is replaced with a new security mode configuration. A security mode configuration check is performed on a received downlink message using the new security mode configuration. If the security mode configuration check fails, a further security mode configuration check is performed on the downlink message to detect an error in the security mode configuration procedure. If it is determined there has been an error in the security mode configuration procedure, security mode configuration checks are performed on further downlink messages received from the network using the original security mode configuration. |
| US09179308B2 |
Network tools for analysis, design, testing, and production of services
A method comprising receiving information identifying a first Internet data service of two or more Internet data services accessible to a user of an end-user communications device via a wireless network; generating instructions based on the information, the instructions for causing the end-user communications device to generate a first measure of the first Internet data service and for causing the end-user communications device to report the first measure to a network-attached server, the first measure expressing data usage only for the first Internet data service of the two or more Internet data services; providing the instructions to the end-user communications device; and determining whether the first measure is consistent with a second measure of the first Internet data service, the second measure generated independently from generation by the end-user communications device of the first measure. |
| US09179305B2 |
Bloom filter based device discovery
Aspects describe enabling two peers that have already paired together under some circumstances to re-identify themselves under different circumstances so that the peers can bypass performing another pairing only to discover that they are already paired. A Bloom filter is constructed from an available pool of locally selected identifiers and is sent to a peer node in a first message. Upon receiving the message with the Bloom filter, peer node checks all its known identifiers. If peer node finds that one of its identifiers is a member of the Bloom filter, peer node sends a reply in order to achieve a mutual identification. |
| US09179303B2 |
Methods and apparatus for transmitting and receiving secure and non-secure data
Devices, methods, and systems capable of an enabling transmission and receipt of secure and non-secure data are discussed in this document. According to some embodiments, a network apparatus can transmit ciphered and unciphered data. The network apparatus transmits a first signal indicating a cipher to be used and transmits a second signal indicating that non-secure data is to be transmitted and received unciphered. The network apparatus can cipher secure data and transmits ciphered-secure data and unciphered-non-secure data. A wireless terminal can receive the first and second signals, the ciphered secure data, and the unciphered non-secure data. The wireless terminal can deciphers the received secure data and does not decipher the received non-secure data. System embodiments can include both network-side and network terminal components. Embodiments of the present invention enable secure transmission of data in concert with efficient processing. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described. |
| US09179302B2 |
System and method for communication terminal surveillance based on speaker recognition
A Candidate Isolation System (CIS) detects subscribers of phone call services as candidates to be surveillance targets. A Voice Matching System (VMS) then decides whether or not a given candidate Communication Terminals (CTs) should be tracked by determining, using speaker recognition techniques, whether the subscriber operating the candidate CT is a known target subscriber. The CIS receives from the network call event data that relate to CTs in the network. The CIS detects candidate CTs using a unique candidate isolation process, which applies predefined selection criteria to the received call events data. |
| US09179298B2 |
Method, mobile communication terminal and computer-readable recording medium for performing specific function when mobile recording medium for performing specific function when mobile communication terminal is activated
Provided is a mobile communication terminal comprising: a display unit including a touch screen capable of receiving user's input through the touch screen for controlling the mobile communication terminal; a memory unit; a communication unit; and an activation sensing unit, wherein the activation sensing unit detects a change from an inactive state of the mobile communication terminal to an active state of the mobile communication terminal, wherein the inactive state is defined that the display unit being turned off while the mobile communication terminal being communicable and the active state is defined that the display unit being turned on while the mobile communication terminal being communicable, wherein the mobile communication terminal performs a predetermined operation by an application of the mobile communication terminal when the activation sensing unit detects the change from the inactive state to the active state. |
| US09179297B2 |
System for safe texting while driving
Systems and methods are described to disable texting while driving a moving vehicle. The position and speed of a user's cell phone are compared with that of a registered master phone. If the position and speed track that of the master phone, it is assumed that the user is a passenger and not a driver, and texting is enabled for that user. Texting at speed is disabled for a master phone user who may be an ordinary citizen or may be a professional driver of a mass transit vehicle. The user of a master phone may utilize a different service provider than a passenger. Information parameter measurements such as for example one or more of cell phone position, velocity, and direction of travel, are time stamped and then passed between service providers and a third party. |
| US09179296B2 |
System and method for device authentication in a dynamic network using wireless communication devices
A short-range wireless network is established by direct communication between wireless devices and wireless access points. A wireless communication device provides initial registration information to a network and becomes a registered device. An API is downloaded to the wireless device to permit automatic authentication of the device for future communications. When a registered device enters a venue, at least one access point will automatically detect the wireless device and extract the necessary identification data to permit authentication of the device. Customized messages may be provided to the wireless device. If the wireless device enters a different venue, even in another city or state, the registration data may be automatically extracted by an AP and provided to a cloud network for authentication. Authenticated devices receive a list of authenticated vendors and unauthenticated vendors near the present location of the authenticated device. |
| US09179292B2 |
Creation and management of RFID device versions
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that creates, manages, or maintains multiple device versions in a network of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices. The system can include components that detect whether a device has joined the network and based at least in part on such indication creates a device profile the first time that the device is detected, establishes a version trail containing configuration settings specific to the detected device, and thereafter builds and maintains the version trail when the device joins and/or leaves the network. |
| US09179290B2 |
Method and arrangement in a telecommunications network
Methods and apparatus for improving the reporting of mobility information are disclosed. An example method, suitable for implementation in a mobile terminal such as an LTE UE, begins with the detecting (410) of a transition from idle state to connected state. The mobile terminal subsequently transmits (420) mobility information to the network in response to or in connection with the transition. The mobility information sent to the network includes one or more of several information elements or information types, including a list of recently visited cells, including information specifying a time-of-stay in each cell, or timestamp information that can be used to derive the UE's time in each cell. GPS-based speed information or other generic speed information may be included. Complementary methods for implementation in a base station and corresponding apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US09179288B2 |
Server in charge of control plane within mobile communication network and method for controlling service in server
According to the present description, data of a user can be detoured (offloaded) to a wired network such as a public communication network even through a Home (e)NodeB. In addition, when the data of the user is detoured (offloaded) to the wired network such as the public communication network even through the Home (e)NodeB, a local IP access (LIPA) service can be selectively supported according to the user or a UE. |
| US09179285B1 |
Reflection-based location detection
There is provided a system including a mobile device configured to transmit a first advertisement to a listening device and a repeater device, receive a data advertisement from the listening device in response to transmitting the first advertisement to the listening device, the data advertisement including a time difference between the listening device receiving the first advertisement and the listening device receiving a second advertisement transmitted from the repeater device in response to transmitting the first advertisement from the mobile device to the repeater device, and determine a location of the mobile device using the data advertisement including the time difference. In the system, the listening device and the repeater device may each include Bluetooth low energy devices. |
| US09179284B2 |
Systems and methods for communicating beyond communication range of a wearable computing device
Computationally implemented methods and systems include determining presence of one or more external linking devices within communication range of a wearable computing device designed to be worn by a person, the determining being based, at least in part, on one or more signals transmitted by the one or more external linking devices and received by the wearable computing device, and the one or more external linking devices designed to communicate beyond the communication range of the wearable computing device, and directing the wearable computing device to communicate beyond the communication range via at least one of the one or more external linking devices that were determined to be within the communication range of the wearable computing device. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. |
| US09179283B2 |
Resource-based billing and monitoring for M2M
A device may obtain resource utilization data associated with a machine-to-machine device. The resource utilization data may include information identifying a quantity of data transmitted by the machine-to-machine device during a particular period of time, and an amount of network resources utilized by the machine-to-machine device during the particular period of time. The device may determine a billing metric based on the quantity of data and the amount of network resources utilized by the machine-to-machine device. The device may determine, based on the billing metric, a cost associated with the amount of network resources utilized by the machine-to-machine device. The device may charge the fee associated with the utilization of the network resources by the machine-to-machine device to an account of a subscriber associated with the machine-to-machine device. |
| US09179281B2 |
Method of managing reception of natural disaster warning notification messages for a wireless communication system and related communication device
A method of managing notification message reception corresponding to natural disaster warning for a user equipment of a wireless communication system includes activating the notification message reception when a reception indication message indicating permission of the notification message reception is received from the network, receiving a system information broadcasted by the network, and stopping the notification message reception when the system information includes no resource configuration about notification message delivery controlled by the network. |
| US09179276B2 |
Simulated Citizens' Band conferencing system
An internet-based conferencing system simulates the experience of Citizens' Band (CB) radio communications without the use of CB radio transceivers. Instead of direct RF links between participants, the CBI system employs a combination of user-resident application software, central server-based conferencing software, GPS location data, and Voice over IP (VoIP) or voice over cellular technology. In the set-up procedure of the application software, the participant selects an alias CB-style “handle” and a caricature picture, neither of which disclose the true identity or location of the participant. Since the participants are known only by their alias and caricature, their anonymity is preserved, thereby enabling greater freedom of expression and interpersonal tolerance. Participants do not select the other participants in their conference, but are assigned to a virtual “channel” based on a selected conference category and proximity criteria, thereby simulating the serendipity of CB radio communications. |
| US09179274B2 |
Looping protection for copy forward SMS subscribers
Short message service (SMS) copy forward and carbon copy methods and systems are provided. An SMS message is received at a first network device and is delivered to a first mobile device. A copy indication associated with the sender or the first mobile device instructs the first network device to send a copy of the received SMS message to a second mobile device. Responsive to the copy indication, the first network device replaces a teleservice type identifier in a teleservice space of the received SMS message with a message copy indicator based on a predetermined mapping between the teleservice type identifier and the message copy indicator, to form a modified SMS message. The modified SMS message is sent to a second network device associated with the second mobile device. The second network device detects the message copy indicator to determine whether the modified SMS message is enabled for further copying. |
| US09179272B2 |
Method of processing short messages (SMS) and wireless communication apparatus enabling such processing
The method of processing short messages within a wireless communication system comprises an assignment to said short messages of indicators transmitted with said short messages, an initialization (11), upon the transmission of a short message initiating a discussion, of the content of the indicator (IND) associated with this initiating short message, with an initial content comprising an identification of said discussion, and an update (15) of the content of the indicator of each short message sent in response to a received short message and relating to said discussion on the basis of the content of the indicator of said received short message. |
| US09179271B2 |
Terminal and method of having conversation using instant messaging service therein
A terminal and method of having conversation using instant messaging service therein. The terminals displays a message conversation list including at least one message conversation item. Each of the at least one message conversation item represents a corresponding previous message conversation with a corresponding external device. The terminal displays, in response to a first command of selecting a specific one of the at least message conversation item in the message conversation list, at least one received or transmitted message. The at least one received or transmitted message is displayed together with an incomplete file transceiving indicator when a file transceiving was incompletely terminated during a specific previous message conversation corresponding to the specific message conversation item. The terminal resumes, in response to a second command of selecting a file transceiving option displayed together with the at least one received or transmitted message on the display unit, the file transceiving. |
| US09179270B2 |
Intercommunication methods and devices based on digital networks
The present application discloses methods and devices for intercommunication between mobile terminals based on digital networks. A first mobile terminal may connect to a uniquely identified server based on a first terminal identifier corresponding to the first mobile terminal. In addition, the first mobile terminal may connect to the server through a default connection setup embedded in the first terminal identifier. By acquiring terminal identifiers corresponding to interacting mobile terminals, the first mobile terminal may establish communication channels with the interacting mobile terminals. After adding the terminal identifiers of the interacting mobile terminals to the contact lists of the first mobile terminal, different regions of the first mobile terminal may be designated to the interacting mobile terminals so that the regions may display the status of communication and serve as interfaces to control receiving, playing, recording, and transmitting digital contents encoding voice messages. |
| US09179267B2 |
Apparatus for controlling broadband access and distribution of content and communications through an access point
A method of and a system for broadband/infrastructure providers to set, control, operate a coercive/disruptive controller (CDC) to manage and provide broadband content to an end user device. A controller controls broadband content and communication from a broadband network access device to an end user device. The controller utilizes content-specific quality of service (QoS) parameters and operation logic to selectively process broadband content transmitted to the end user devices. The controller operates independently or is dynamically set and controlled by a remotely coupled controller or server. Broadband content is managed and administered according to the QoS parameters, where the QoS parameters are content specific. As such, the QoS parameters are set/reset, assigned/reassigned based on the broadband content, making the QoS related to the broadband content independent of the content provider. |
| US09179263B2 |
Energy efficient roaming of a mobile device
Energy efficient roaming of a mobile device is described. The mobile device can include a sensor for sensing a motion of the mobile device to generate a sensor signal. A radio is capable of communicating with a wireless network. A processor activates the radio in the mobile device. The processor generates an environmental profile of the mobile device based at least on the sensor signal. A memory is coupled to the processor for storing the environmental profile. The processor deactivates the radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold for a first period of time. The processor reactivates the deactivated radio when the environmental profile indicates that the rate of motion of the mobile device is below the predetermined threshold for a second period of time. |
| US09179262B2 |
Personal digital assistant with multiple active elements for guiding user to moving target
An information processing apparatus that detects a first location of the information processing apparatus; receives information representing a target location from a target information processing apparatus; detects a target direction from the first location toward the target location; detects an orientation of a casing of the information processing apparatus; calculates an angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing; determines a perceptual strength of each of a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing based on the angular difference; and controls each of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths. |
| US09179261B2 |
Place-specific buddy list services
An information service provides search and notifications to inform when certain people (e.g., friends, family, business contacts, etc.) are nearby so as to facilitate communications with those people. Users may define lists of people whose locations may be tracked by positioning equipment based on personal communications/computing devices carried by the people. The information service processes this people and place data to identify those of the listed people that are in the user's vicinity, and provide notifications and user-initiated search results informing the user such as via the user's personal communications/computing device. |
| US09179257B2 |
Method and system for determining high precision geo-fencing using business property boundaries
Systems and methods for determining a high-precision geo-fence boundary for a business utilizing the property boundaries of a business are provided. The property boundaries for a business are obtained, and the longest diagonal of the polygon of the property is determined. This diagonal is used as a diameter to create a circle for a primary geo-fence monitoring area for the business. When a user enters the primary geo-fence monitoring area, a location updating feature of the mobile device can be activated to get the real time coordinates of the mobile device. The real time coordinates of the mobile device can then be used to accurately determine if the user is actually in the polygon of the business property. |
| US09179256B1 |
Context-based alert delivery
A user can be notified of certain events or occurrences according to time and location information specified by the user. In some embodiments, a user can specify a location such as an office or warehouse, and can select an automatic range such that whenever the user is within the automatic range of that location, notifications are automatically delivered to the user. The user can also specify a management range, such that when the user is outside the automatic range but inside the management range the user will not receive the notification unless the notification has been pending for a specified delay period. Such an approach enables notifications to be delivered when the notifications are most relevant. If the maximum delay has passed or the user is outside the management range, the notification can be automatically delivered to the user or another user can be selected to receive the notification. |
| US09179255B2 |
Dynamic 911 location registration for mobile VoIP device
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for handling emergency calls from a mobile VoIP device. According to one embodiment, handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device can comprise registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device, periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device, dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device, and initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address. |
| US09179252B1 |
Selecting location-based content
Systems and methods include retrieving data indicative of a sequence of content that were previously selected for presentation by a mobile device based in part on physical locations of the mobile device. The sequence of selected content may be used with the current location of the mobile device to determine a likelihood score for a piece of content. Based on the likelihood score, the piece of content may be selected and provided to the mobile device for presentation. |
| US09179246B2 |
Direction coupling discrimination of networked exchanges
A computer implemented method, data processing system or computer program product for activating mobile device activity is disclosed. A mobile device may receive an action association to a stance, wherein the stance comprises a sector of the mobile device relative to a base, wherein a user specifies an action associated to the stance. The mobile device can receive a signal that the mobile device is present in the sector. Further, the mobile device, responsive to receiving the signal, may perform the action. |
| US09179245B1 |
Proximity-based audio sharing system
A proximity-based audio sharing system includes two identical units in wireless communication with each other. Each unit includes: a wireless transceiver module configured for communicating audio signals with the wireless transceiver module of the other unit; an audio output device connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for playing back audio signals transmitted from the wireless transceiver module; a mute control circuit connected with the wireless transceiver module and the audio output device, and configured for selectively muting the audio output of the audio output device; and a microcontroller unit connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for controlling the wireless transceiver module and the mute control circuit, and transmitting a control signal which includes a link signal and a mute control signal to the microcontroller unit of the other unit when the two units are in touch or in proximity of each other. |
| US09179244B2 |
Proximity and tap detection using a wireless system
A method for detecting the proximity of a signal source using wireless systems is contemplated in which a wireless mobile device wirelessly receives packets from a signal source and determines a received signal strength for each packet. The wireless mobile device may store information based upon the received signal strength for each packet, and calculate from the information stored for all the packets, a current path loss value corresponding to a current distance from the wireless mobile device to the signal source. The wireless mobile device may then determine whether the current distance is sufficient to be an enabling condition such as tap, for example, for a data transfer or a transaction between the wireless mobile device and the signal source. |
| US09179243B2 |
Device communication system with proximity synchronization mechanism and method of operation thereof
A device communication system includes: a communication interface configured to receive a wireless signal strength for locating a wireless enabled device; a control interface, coupled to the communication interface, configured to measure the wireless signal strength; a user interface, coupled to the control interface, configured to receive a left acoustic signal and a right acoustic signal for determining an acoustic direction; and a control unit, coupled to the user interface, configured to form a peer-to-peer network connection based on the wireless signal strength and the acoustic direction for displaying on the wireless enabled device. |
| US09179241B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic service provisioning for machine to machine (M2M) devices in a communications network
A method and non-transitory computer readable medium for provisioning services for machine to machine communication devices in a communications network. For example, the method receives a request from a third party service provider to provision a service to a user of the third party service provider, determines whether a communication network service provider of the communications network and the third party service provider have a pre-existing agreement to provision the service, and provisions the service of the third party service provider to the user via the communications network in accordance with the pre-existing agreement, wherein the user is a subscriber of the communication network service provider. |
| US09179237B2 |
Virtual audio system tuning
A method of virtually tuning an audio system that incorporates an acoustic compensation system, where the audio system is adapted to play audio signals in a listening environment over one or more sound transducers. The acoustic compensation system has an audio sensor located at a sensor location in the listening environment. The transfer functions from each sound transducer to the audio sensor location are inherent. The method contemplates recording noise at the sensor location, and creating virtual transfer functions from each sound transducer to the sensor location based on the inherent transfer functions from each sound transducer to the sensor location. Audio signals are processed through the virtual sound transducer to sensor location transfer functions. A virtual sensor signal is created by combining the audio signals processed through the virtual sound transducer to sensor location transfer functions with the noise recorded at the sensor location. |
| US09179235B2 |
Meta-parameter control for digital audio data
This specification describes technologies relating to modifying digital audio data using a meta-parameter. A method is provided that includes receiving digital audio data; receiving an input modifying a meta-parameter to a particular meta-parameter value associated with two or more parameters according to a particular mapping, each of the two or more parameters being associated with the digital audio data; modifying at least a first parameter of the two or more parameters based on the particular meta-parameter value and the particular mapping such that a first meta-parameter value causes a modification of the first parameter associated with a volume control of the digital audio data and a second meta-parameter value causes a modification of a second parameter of the two or more parameters associated with dynamic range control of the digital audio data; and generating modified digital audio data from the two or more modified parameters of the digital audio data. |
| US09179232B2 |
Method and apparatus for associating audio objects with content and geo-location
An approach is provided for efficiently capturing, processing, presenting, and/or associating audio objects with content items and geo-locations. A processing platform may determine a viewpoint of a viewer of at least one content item associated with a geo-location. Further, the processing platform and/or a content provider may determine at least one audio object associated with the at least one content item, the geo-location, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the processing platform may process the at least one audio object for rendering one or more elements of the at least one audio object based, at least in part, on the viewpoint. |
| US09179229B2 |
Speech processor cases
Apparatus and methods for converting one type of speech processor unit into another type of speech processor unit. |
| US09179223B2 |
Audio system with feedback cancellation
An audio system includes a signal processor for processing an audio signal, and a feedback suppressor circuit configured for modelling a feedback signal path of the audio system by provision of a feedback compensation signal based on sets of feedback model parameters for the feedback signal path that are stored in a repository. |
| US09179219B2 |
Widebeam acoustic transducer
An acoustic transducer for producing sonar waves features a piezoelectric structure with a radiating surface. A plurality of elements is attached to the radiating surface, and at least two of the plurality of elements have different acoustic properties. The acoustic transducer is designed for a wider beam angle for a thickness vibration mode while maintaining other desired vibration frequencies, maximum input power and low cost. |
| US09179218B2 |
Mobile device for multi-channel sound collection and output using common connector, and driving method thereof
A mobile device for providing multi-channel sound collection and output using a common connector, and a driving method thereof are provided. A mobile device having a sound compressor and a sound decompressor includes a connector slidably receiving a sound collector plug or a sound output plug, a plug identification unit for, if one of the sound collector plug and the sound output plug is coupled to the connector, identifying if the plug coupled to the connector is the sound collector plug or is the sound output plug, a switching unit for electrically coupling the plug coupled to the connector, to the sound compressor, or electrically coupling the plug coupled to the connector, to the sound decompressor, and a controller for controlling switching of the switching unit according to the identification outcome. |
| US09179217B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method
According to one embodiment, a first processing module adds, to a first queue, output sound data output from a first task, with a time stamp attached thereto. A second processing module adds, to a second queue, input sound data received from a microphone, with a time stamp attached thereto. A controller fetches first output sound data as reference data from the first queue, the first output sound data having a time stamp whose time difference from a time stamp of first input sound data in the second queue falls within a predetermined range. An echo canceller performs echo cancelling processing to cancel an echo component in the first input sound data based on the reference data. |
| US09179216B2 |
Audio interface adapter device and audio signal receiving apparatus
An audio interface adapter device and an audio signal receiving apparatus are provided. The audio interface adapter device comprises an audio interface having a pin 1, a pin 2, a pin 3 and a pin 4. The pin 1 and/or the pin 2 is used as an audio pin of the audio interface. One of the pin 3 and the pin 4 is used as a microphone pin, and the other one of the pin 3 and the pin 4 is used as a ground pin. The audio pin is connected with the pin 3 via a first unidirectional conductive element, and connected with the pin 4 via a second unidirectional conductive element. A conductive direction of the first unidirectional conductive element is from the audio pin to the pin 3, and a conductive direction of the second unidirectional conductive element is from the audio pin to the pin 4. |
| US09179214B2 |
Audio equipment and oscillation unit
A mobile phone (100) detects at least a direction of an utterance position of a user from the voice input to a plurality of microphones (121,122) and controls an output direction of a voice out of a speaker unit (110) to match the detected utterance position. Accordingly, it is possible to provide sound with sufficient volume only for a specific user without causing noise in the neighborhood. The microphones may form a matrix together with piezoelectric vibrators that form a speaker unit, or may be formed separately from the speaker unit. |
| US09179213B2 |
Speaker apparatus for producing sound
A speaker apparatus for producing sound comprising of a housing, a plurality of covers, a speaker driver, a radiator, a resonator and a resonator stand which in combination provide an enhanced low frequency sound output. |
| US09179211B2 |
Double seal moldable earpiece system
An earpiece including an external surface having a first fixed configuration disposable within the outer ear and having a passage adapted for retention of an in ear device a portion of which extends outwardly to releasably couple to an earplug adjacent the earpiece, the earpiece heatable to achieve a moldable condition which allows reconfiguration of the external surface by engagement with the outer ear to dispose the external surface in a second fixed configuration in greater conformity to the outer ear. |
| US09179210B2 |
Headphone cable arrangement, filter assembly, and method of filtering signals in headphone cable arrangements
A headphone cable (150) is connected to a headphone set (190) with one, two or more loudspeakers (191, 192). The headphone cable (150) includes at least a first signal wire (151) and at least one reference line (152, 154). An electronic filter unit (110) performs a filtering, e.g. a common mode filtering, which is effective on at least one of the signal wires and reference lines (151, 153). A differential audio signal between a signal wire and a reference line (152, 154) is passed. Common mode signals except signals within a VHF radio band may be attenuated. The electronic filter unit (110) may be arranged in a connector case (129) of a headphone connector (120) provided at a connector end of the headphone cable (150) or in a pluggable filter assembly (130) provided between the mobile electronic device (200) and the headphone cable (150). |
| US09179208B2 |
Microphone stand mounting brackets
A mounting bracket system for mounting a loudspeaker monitor onto a microphone stand pole without requiring disassembly of either the loudspeaker monitor or the microphone stand. First and second mounting brackets may be mounted to a loudspeaker monitor or other product to be mounted. An indent on each mounting bracket is configured to engage a microphone stand or another elongated, pole-like structure, supporting the weight of the loudspeaker monitor through frictional forces. |
| US09179207B2 |
Speaker box
A speaker box is disclosed. The speaker box includes a housing and a speaker unit. The housing includes a bottom, a side connected with the bottom, and a rear volume formed by the side and the bottom, the side including a first side and a second side connecting with the first side. The speaker unit includes a frame, a magnetic circuit unit accommodated in the frame, a vibration unit positioned above the magnetic circuit unit and fixed to the frame, and a front volume. The frame includes a first sidewall abutting against the first side, and a second sidewall connecting with the first sidewall. The first side includes a first mounting portion, the first sidewall includes a second mounting portion engaging with the first mounting portion. |
| US09179206B2 |
Sound box structure
A sound box structure includes a sound box, a speaker, and a gas absorption element. The sound box includes a sound box space. A first hole is formed on one plane of the sound box, and a second hole is formed on another plane of the sound box. The speaker is mounted on the first hole. The gas absorption element is mounted on the second hole. |
| US09179201B2 |
Systems and methods of detecting significant faces in video streams
Systems and methods of processing video streams are described. A face is detected in a video stream. The face is tracked to determine a video clip associated with one of a plurality of individuals. The video segment is assigned to a group of video clips based on the associated individual. A significant face is detected in the group of video clips when the detected face meets one or more significance criteria. The significance criteria describes a face-frame characteristic. A representation of the significant face is displayed in association with a representation of the group of video clips. The order of the significance criteria is adjusted through a user interface. |
| US09179198B2 |
Receiving apparatus, receiving method, and program
A receiving apparatus includes: a reception portion configured to receive audio-visual content being transmitted; a trigger extraction portion configured to extract trigger information for controlling an application program for execution either by the receiving apparatus proper or by an external device connected thereto in conjunction with the audio-visual content, the application program being transmitted along with the audio-visual content; an apparatus proper control portion configured such that if a command indicated by the extracted trigger information is destined for the receiving apparatus proper, the apparatus proper control portion controls performance of the application program in accordance with the command; and an external device processing portion configured such that if the command indicated by the extracted trigger information is destined for the external device, the external device processing portion transfers the command to the external device. |
| US09179197B2 |
Methods and apparatus for multicast optimization
Certain examples accommodate multicast and unicast frame forwarding via wired and/or wireless port connections. An example method includes identifying a message including a frame of data to be directed to a group of playback devices via a network protocol. The example method includes overriding the network protocol for the group of playback devices to transmit a unicast message via direct routing to each member of the group of playback devices that is a “neighbor” of the first playback device. |
| US09179188B2 |
Transmission apparatus and method, reception apparatus and method, and transmission and reception system
Disclosed herein is a transmission apparatus for distributing a content to a client, including a script generation section configured to generate a script for obtaining user side answer information representative of an answer of a user of the client to a question regarding liking of the user, a trigger generation section configured to generate trigger information regarding execution of the script by the client, and a transmission section configured to transmit the trigger information and the script to the client in response to distribution of a first content to the client and transmitting, in response to distribution of a second content different from the first content to the client, provider side answer information representative of an answer set by a provider which provides the first or second content to the question regarding the liking of the user to the client. |
| US09179186B2 |
Method and apparatus for image processing, program, and recording medium
An information processing apparatus includes a managing unit that manages a scale calculated based on descriptions of an operation performed on a predetermined item and a series to which the item belongs in association with each other, a first extracting unit that extracts items belonging to the same series as top N series, obtained by sorting the scales, from among a plurality of items, a taste managing unit that manages taste of a user, a second extracting unit that calculates the degree of similarity between the taste managed by the taste managing unit and each item to extract items with higher degrees of similarity, and a recommending unit that recommends a predetermined number of items among the items extracted by the first extracting unit and the items extracted by the second extracting unit to the user. |
| US09179183B2 |
Transcoding media streams using subchunking
A method including receiving an input media stream and splitting a video portion of a received portion of the input media stream into input video chunks. For each input video chunk of the video portion of the input media stream, the method includes assigning the input video chunk to one or more slave transcoders, splitting the input video chunk into video subchunks, and separately feeding each input video subchunk to each of the one or more slave transcoders. The method includes separately receiving output video subchunks from the one or more slave transcoders. Each output video subchunk respectively corresponds to one of the input video subchunks. The method also includes assembling the output video subchunks into an output video chunk corresponding to the input video chunk and assembling the output video chunks into an output media stream. |
| US09179180B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing customized information
A method for providing customized information to a plurality of portable communication devices. A customer premises equipment (CPE) synchronizes with at least one of the plurality of portable communication devices. The CPE extracts descriptive data of media content stored in the at least one portable communication device. The CPE searches for a descriptive data of content available at the CPE based on the descriptive data extracted from the at least one portable communication device. The CPE determines that the extracted descriptive data matches the descriptive data of content available at the CPE. The CPE makes the content available to the at least one portable communication device. |
| US09179176B2 |
Method for operating a data receiver and data receiver, in particular in a vehicle
A method for operating a data receiver for audio and/or video data, wherein a planned and variable program title sequence having program titles is recorded, audio and/or video data relating to at least one program title are received via a data link and are buffered, and audio and/or video data of at least one program title are reproduced. The transmission resources of the data link for audio and/or video data to be transmitted and to be buffered are distributed over at least two program titles that have not yet been reproduced by the data receiver. Also disclosed are a data receiver associated with the method and a media reproduction system connected thereto, in particular in a vehicle. |
| US09179175B2 |
Control device and method of controlling broadcast receiver
A control device is provided. The control device includes a user interface unit in which information of a broadcast receiver controlled through unidirectional wireless communication is entered, a searching unit which searches an infrared (IR) code set corresponding the broadcast receiver based on the entered information, a managing unit which registers the broadcast receiver as a controllable broadcast receiver within a home network based on the searched IR code set, and a first communication interface unit which, if a control signal for the registered broadcast receiver is received, transmits an IR code corresponding to the control signal from the IR code set corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver to the registered broadcasting receiver. |
| US09179174B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a storage medium including computer instructions to receive sensory information at a media device from a first mobile communication device where the first mobile communication device obtains at least a portion of the sensory information from at least one second mobile communication device in response to a broadcast by the first mobile communication device of a wireless signal representing a notice to obtain the sensory information, where the sensory information is associated with an environment of the first mobile communication device, and where the sensory information comprises images of the environment. The computer instructions can enable generating a plurality of personal content utilizing at least a portion of the sensory information, where each of the plurality of personal content includes some of the images captured at different perspectives. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09179169B2 |
Adaptive media delivery
A system includes a delivery manager to process a request for media content that is stored in memory, the delivery manager being programmed to determine a media delivery mechanism for the media content based on constraints of at least one delivery parameter. The system includes a formatter programmed to adapt the media content to a media delivery format that is compatible with the media delivery mechanism and the constraints of the delivery parameter. The delivery manager can be programmed to adaptively initiate delivery of the media content in the media delivery format and via the delivery mechanism according to the constraints of the delivery parameter. |
| US09179168B2 |
Live concert/event video system and method
One aspect of the invention is a method of providing video to attendees of a live concert. Video of different views of the live concert is captured. A plurality of video streams are provided to attendees of the live concert while the live concert is occurring. The plurality of digital video streams enable an attendee of the live concert to select which of the plurality of digital video streams to view using a portable digital device associated with that attendee such that the attendee may choose from among the different views of the live concert. |
| US09179167B2 |
Method and device for interpolating images by using a smoothing interpolation filter
Provided are a method of interpolating an image by determining interpolation filter coefficients, and an apparatus for performing the same. The method includes: differently selecting an interpolation filter, from among interpolation filters for generating at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value located between integer-pel-unit pixels, based on a sub-pel-unit interpolation location and a smoothness; and generating the at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value by interpolating, using the selected interpolation filter, pixel values of the integer-pel-unit pixels. |
| US09179164B2 |
Picture coding device, picture coding method, picture coding program, picture decoding device, picture decoding method, and picture decoding program
There is provided a picture coding device that performs intra prediction coding of a picture signal including a luma signal and a chroma signal in units of blocks and codes information relating to an intra prediction mode. When the intra prediction of a picture signal is made in units of coding blocks, in a case where a chroma format is 4:2:2, in a mode for setting a chroma intra prediction mode in accordance with the luma intra prediction mode, an intra prediction unit sets the chroma intra prediction mode based on the luma intra prediction mode and the chroma format and makes an intra prediction of the chroma signal. |
| US09179162B2 |
Image transform zero coefficient selection and zero-skip transmission for arbitrary shape transform coding
To encode an arbitrary shape, a processor is configured to generate a rectangular block of transform coefficients by applying a discrete separable unitary transform to a rectangular boundary block of a video object. The boundary block includes a masked pixel and an unmasked pixel, the transform coefficients include a number of zero-valued transform coefficients greater than or equal to a number of masked pixels, and the transform coefficients include at least one non-zero-valued transform coefficient. The processor is also configured to generate an encoded output by compressing only the non-zero-valued transform coefficients. |
| US09179159B2 |
Distributed encoding of a video stream
Systems and methods of configuring and performing distributed encoding of a video stream are disclosed. A method includes receiving a video stream at a computing device and receiving user input indicating a value of a local encoding parameter and a value of a remote encoding parameter. The method further includes encoding the video stream at the computing device based on the value of the local encoding parameter to generate a first encoded stream. The method includes sending the first encoded stream and the value of the remote encoding parameter to a media server. The media server is configured to generate a second encoded stream based on the value of the remote encoding parameter and the first encoded stream. |
| US09179157B2 |
Hypothetical reference decoder for scalable video coding
The present principles relate to a hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) for a Scalable Video Coding extension for a compression algorithm. One such implementation proposes to modify the H.264/AVC HRD for use with the SVC of AVC. That implementation defines HRD constraints for each interoperability point of SVC. One implementation in particular is described, but other implementations are possible and are contemplated by the present principles. The changes for spatial, temporal, and SNR scalability are shown. There are also changes to the related HRD parameters followed that are shown. The several mentioned implementations provide rules for an HRD for SVC. At least one implementation proposes the SVC-HRD rules as modifications to the AVC-HRD rules. A user may use the proposed SVC-HRD rules to build an SVC-HRD and test a bitstream for SVC compliance. |
| US09179155B1 |
Skipped macroblock video encoding enhancements
Systems and methods for encoding a video stream based upon identified regions of interest (ROI's) are disclosed herein. Standard video encoding schemes require a significant amount of unnecessary data in order to designate macroblocks to be skipped for a particular video frame of a video stream. Rather than encoding such skip or no skip information for each macroblock (or sequence of macroblocks) for each frame, embodiments disclosed herein can encode the video stream based upon an identified ROI that represents an area of macroblocks that change and/or do not remain static from one frame to the next. Designating active areas in terms of the ROI can yield more efficient encoding. |
| US09179154B2 |
Video encoding control method and apparatus
A video encoding control method for controlling encoding of an input video signal. The method includes the steps of detecting an underflow of a decoder buffer; if the underflow of the decoder buffer has been detected, suppressing an amount of generated code by skipping an encoding target picture or by encoding the encoding target picture so as to produce a minimum amount of generated code; after suppressing the amount of generated code, comparing a current rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer with a predetermined threshold for the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer; and performing a control for continuously suppressing the amount of code generated for each encoding target image by using the above step of suppressing the amount of generated code until the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer exceeds the threshold based on a result of the above comparison. |
| US09179148B2 |
Simplified bilateral intra smoothing filter
A method comprising receiving a plurality of reference pixels, computing a plurality of filter coefficients based on differences between a reference pixel and neighboring reference pixels in the plurality of reference pixels, and combining the filter coefficients with the reference pixel and the neighboring reference pixels to generate a filtered value, wherein the filtered value is used for intra prediction. |
| US09179142B2 |
Image processing apparatus and inspecting method thereof
An image processing apparatus including: at least one connector including at least one connection pin configured to be connected to an external device; an interface which interfaces transmission of signals to the connection pin through a first wiring formed between the interface and the connection pin; a switching unit which is switched on to transmit a signal through a second wiring which is formed differently from the first wiring to feedback the signal from the connection pin to the interface; a controller which controls the switching unit to allow the feedback of the signal through the second wiring to transmit a preset test signal from the interface to the first wiring at the time of inspecting a signal transmission state of the connection pin and the first wiring, and determines the signal transmission state based on a change of the test signal feedbacked to the interface through the second wiring. |
| US09179141B2 |
Three-dimensional image display apparatus and viewing position check method
According to one embodiment, a three-dimensional image display apparatus displays, when an event of requesting a check of a viewing position occurs, a three-dimensional image for testing, by displaying on the display a three-dimensional display image which is obtained by using a left-eye image and a right-eye image included in the three-dimensional still image data for testing in a storage device. The three-dimensional image for testing includes such a first image that when the three-dimensional image for testing is viewed from a predetermined viewing area, stereoscopic images of a plurality of vertical rods disposed at different depth positions are perceived. |
| US09179140B2 |
3dimension stereoscopic display device
Disclosed is a 3Dimension stereoscopic display device including a screen composition processing unit for generating a right-eye image or video image and a left-eye image or video image for planar display or for three-dimensional stereoscopic display of an image or video image, a video image playback device 5 for playing back the images or video images, and a stereoscopic display monitor unit 6 for displaying the images or video images played back by the playback device 5 in a three-dimensional stereoscopic manner, in which the screen composition processing unit 4 switches between outputting the right-eye image or video image and the left-eye image or video image for planar display to the playback device 5 and outputting the right-eye image or video image and the left-eye image or video image for three-dimensional stereoscopic display to the playback device 5 according to state of a moving object. |
| US09179135B2 |
Display apparatus and method for controlling thereof
A display apparatus and a method for controlling thereof are provided. A display apparatus having a multi-view mode to concurrently provide different contents to different viewers includes a plurality of receivers operable in the multi-view mode to receive a plurality of different contents selected by multiple viewers, a video processor operable in the multi-view mode to process video data of the plurality of different contents received by the plurality of receivers; a video output which receives the video data processed by the video processor to display the plurality of different contents, an audio processor operable in the multi-view mode to process audio data corresponding to the selected contents, received by the receivers, and an audio output which outputs the processed audio data to a plurality of eyeglasses apparatuses for viewing the plurality of different contents, wherein a number of channels associated with the processed audio data output to the eyeglasses apparatus is different from a number of channels associated with the audio data received by the receivers. |
| US09179133B2 |
3Dimension stereoscopic display device
Disclosed is a 3Dimension stereoscopic display device including a video image playback device 5 for playing back a right-eye image or video image and a left-eye image or video image for three-dimensional stereoscopic display which are based on an inputted image or video image, a stereoscopic display monitor 6 for producing a three-dimensional stereoscopic display of the right-eye image or video image and the left-eye image or video image and a screen composition processing unit 4 for generating the right-eye image or video image and the left-eye image or video image in which a virtual display surface for three-dimensional stereoscopic display of the image or video image differs from the screen of the stereoscopic display monitor 6, and for outputting the right-eye image or video image and the left-eye image or video image to the video image playback device 5. |
| US09179127B2 |
Three-dimensional imaging device, imaging element, light transmissive portion, and image processing device
This 3D image capture device includes: a light transmitting section 1 with first and second light transmitting areas 1L and 1R; an image sensor 2a with a plurality of unit blocks; an imaging section 3; and an image processing section which generates multi-viewpoint images based on photoelectrically converted signals supplied from the image sensor 2a. If functions representing the respective spectral transmittances of the first light transmitting area 1L, the second light transmitting area 1R, a first type of pixel, and a second type of pixel with respect to the wavelength λ of visible radiation are identified by TL(λ), TR(λ), T1(λ), and T2(λ), respectively, TL(λ)≠TR(λ) and T1(λ)≠T2(λ) are satisfied, and each of TL(λ), TR(λ), T1(λ) and T2(λ) has at least one local maximum value and at least one local minimum value within each of red, green and blue wavelength ranges. |
| US09179122B2 |
Image transmission system, image transmission apparatus and image transmission method
The image transmission system of the present invention is provided with: a time-division display apparatus sequentially displaying first to N-th (N: an integer of 2 or more) images with a frequency above M×N [Hz] (M: an integer of 1 or more) by time division; a multiplexing unit plane-sequentially multiplexing the first to N-th images in accordance with the order of displaying the first to N-th images on the time-division display apparatus; a transmitting unit sending out the multiplexed images which have been multiplexed by the multiplexing unit to a predetermined image transmission path with a frame frequency of M [Hz]; and a receiving unit receiving the multiplexed images from the transmitting unit via the predetermined image transmission path and sequentially transmitting image data of the multiplexed images to the time-division display apparatus. |
| US09179119B2 |
Three dimensional image processing device, method and computer program product, and three-dimensional image display apparatus
In an embodiment, an image processing device includes: a first acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of parallax images having parallax between one another; a second acquiring unit that acquires identification information of a parallax image to be observed from a predetermined observing point position in each of a plurality of regions into which a display area on which three-dimensional image is configured to be displayed is divided, each of the regions including at least one element image, and the element image including each pixel in the plurality of parallax images; a corrector that corrects pixels at positions corresponding to the regions in the parallax images into pixels of parallax images identified by the identification information; and a first generator that generates the three-dimensional image from the parallax images resulting from the correction. |
| US09179116B1 |
Previewing and playing media items based on scenes
A plurality of scenes in a digital video are identified. The length of each scene is compared with a first threshold length and a second threshold length. When the scene is longer than the first threshold length and does not exceed the second threshold length, a first preview is generated for the scene. When the scene is longer than the first threshold length and longer than the second threshold length, a plurality of previews for the scene is generated. |
| US09179114B2 |
Solid-state image sensor
This solid-state image sensor includes an array of photosensitive cells and an array of dispersive elements. The photosensitive cell array is comprised of a plurality of unit blocks 40, each including four photosensitive cells 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d. A condensing element 4c is further arranged to cover the photosensitive cells 2a and 2b and condenses incoming light onto the photosensitive cells 2a and 2b. |
| US09179111B2 |
Portable handheld video monitors adapted for use in theatrical performances
Disclosed is a system for generating and synchronizing video across multiple displays during a theatrical performance. In particular, the disclosure relates to individual handheld video monitors that can be arranged to create larger images or video. The system is adapted for use in theatrical performances during which performers manipulate and selectively arrange the monitors to produce differing visual effects. Each of the video monitors includes a computer and associated software for playing back still or video images. A control computer can wirelessly access each of the individual laptops to increase or decrease the rate at which the video or images appear. This allows all of the video monitors to be synchronized during the course of a performance. |
| US09179110B2 |
Imaging systems with modified clear image pixels
An image sensor may have an array of image sensor pixels arranged in unit pixel cells each having at least one modified clear image pixel. Each modified clear image pixel may include a modified clear color filter element formed from a transparent material such as an oxide material that is modified with a colored pigment or colored dye such as yellow pigment. Each unit pixel cell may include one or more color pixels of other colors such as red pixels, blue pixels, and green pixels. Image signals such as yellow image signals from the modified clear pixels may be processed along with other color image signals such as red image signals and blue image signals to generate standard red, green, and blue image data. Image processing operations may include chroma demosaicing or point filtering of the image signals from the modified clear image pixels. |
| US09179109B1 |
Doorbell communication systems and methods
A doorbell system can include a remote computing device and a doorbell that has a camera. The doorbell can enter a camera sleep mode wherein the camera is configured not to record. The remote computing device can be used to override a power setting of the doorbell to enable the doorbell to record a video. Then, the remote computing device can receive the video that was recorded by the doorbell. |
| US09179105B1 |
Control of video camera with privacy feedback
Techniques and systems for controlling a network video camera with physical privacy feedback are provided. For example, computing device, a method, and a computer-program product may be provided. The computing device may include one or more lenses and one or more blocking mechanisms, wherein the one or more blocking mechanisms are configured to selectively block the one or more lenses from capturing video images, and wherein the one or more blocking mechanisms include a physical body that provides visible feedback that the one or more lenses are blocked. The computing device, method, and computer-program product may include detecting an occurrence of an event, and activating the one or more blocking mechanisms to block the one or more lenses from capturing video images, wherein the one or more blocking mechanisms are activated to block the one or more lenses when the occurrence of the event is detected. |
| US09179100B2 |
Video conferencing method and device thereof
A method of video conferencing among two or more video conference endpoints is provided, wherein the method comprises steps of: processing media data of the video conference into unified coding formats while switching media data of the video conference between the two or among more video conference endpoints; and saving the processed media data into recording files of continuous presence mode and lecture mode, wherein the recording file of continuous presence mode saves media data generated by the two or more video conference endpoints, the recording file of lecture mode saves media data generated by a video conference endpoint who is the lecturer in the video conference. Accordingly, a device of video conferencing is provided. |
| US09179098B2 |
Video conferencing
A video conferencing system is provided, in which at least two cameras are used to capture images of people at a first location participating in a video conference. One or more active speakers are identified among the people at the location, and one of the at least two cameras is automatically selected based on a position or positions of the one or more active speakers. Images from the selected camera are provided to a person at a second location participating the video conference. |
| US09179094B2 |
Photographing apparatus and method of controlling the same
A method of controlling a photographing apparatus having a voice call function is described. A determination of whether the voice call function is being performed is made upon an input of a shutter release signal of the photographing apparatus. A distance between the photographing apparatus and an object is sensed when the voice call function is being performed upon the input of the shutter release signal. A barrel driving mode is disabled based on the shutter release signal when the sensed distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. |
| US09179089B2 |
Electronic device having button securing structure
An electronic device includes a body, a disc cover, a button, at least one guiding post, at least one first hook and a number of resisting elements, and a button securing structure. The button securing structure defines a button groove for receiving the button and includes at least one sleeve, a sliding bar, and an elastic element. The button groove includes a sidewall detachably clasped by the first hooks. The sleeve defines a pivot hole defining at least one groove containing lubricant on its inner wall. The sliding bar is slidably coupled to the body and detachably clasps the disc cover. One end of the sliding bar resists against the resisting elements. The elastic member includes one end clasped by a clasping member protruding from the sliding bar, and an opposite end being clasped by a second hook protruding from the body. |
| US09179088B2 |
Power supply for television and television including the same
A power supply for a television and a television including the same, the power supply including: a rectifier which rectifies input AC power; a converter which converts the rectified power into DC power through a switching control; a circuit board on which at least one of the rectifier and the converter is mounted; and an input connector which receives the AC power and is mounted on the circuit board such that a projecting height of the input connector projecting from the circuit board is substantially equal to or smaller than a projecting height of at least one of the rectifier and the converter. |
| US09179087B2 |
AV device
An AV device is provided that can automatically perform OSD display setting of other AV devices at a time based on local ODS display setting even when a plurality of AV devices are connected. The AV device (depicted as TV 1) includes a connection means (depicted as an HDMI connector 21 and an HDMI connector 22) for making connection with external AV devices 3 and 4 capable of performing OSD display, an OSD processing portion 23 for performing OSD display on a display 17, and a system controller 20 for controlling the entire system. The OSD processing portion 23 generates ODS display setting data 23a from the display setting such as a character color and size in OSD display received from a user using a TV remote controller 2 or the like and stores it. The system controller 20 transmits the OSD display setting data 23a for the TV 1 stored here to the external AV devices 3 and 4 via the HDMI connectors 21 and 22. |
| US09179086B2 |
System and method for providing dynamically updating applications in a television display environment
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing a framework for providing one or more applications to a user set top device. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises providing a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user device wherein the list of the installed applications comprises one or more indications of passively updated content associated with the installed applications. In response to the selection of a minimized widget command, a widget state is provided wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a minimized widget. In response to a remote control command, a full-screen state is provided wherein full-screen version of the minimized widget may be displayed. Finally, an installed application is displayed in a minimized, widget or full-screen state in response to a user action. |
| US09179079B2 |
Active adaptive thermal stealth system
The present invention relates to a thermal vision countermeasure system to enable concealment of objects from identification by thermal imaging night vision systems, including a screen made of thermoelectric modules, disposed between the target object and an IR detector. The screen, formed of at least one thermoelectric unit, is coupled to the target object, and the thermoelectric unit includes a Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC) module coupled to a plate formed of a material selected from aluminum, copper, or aluminum with copper, the plate being substantially larger than the TEC module. |
| US09179077B2 |
Array camera imaging system and method
Aspects of the disclosed technology relate to an imaging system and method in which an array camera is employed along with an image processor to make use of parallax convergence differences between different cameras or groups of cameras within an array camera to provide improved super resolution performance. |
| US09179074B2 |
Endoscope device
The endoscope device includes a light source control section that controls emission of a narrow band light from a first light source section and a wide band light from a second light source section and light emission amounts of the narrow and wide band light, an imaging section that captures an image of a subject using returned light from the subject, a light amount calculating section that calculates a capturing light amount, a light amount ratio calculating section that calculates a ratio between light emission amounts of the narrow and wide band light, and an image processing section that performs a predetermined image processing. The light source control section controls the light emission amounts in accordance with the capturing light amount and the image processing section changes an image processing condition for adjusting a color tint in accordance with the ratio. |
| US09179071B2 |
Electronic device and image selection method thereof
An electronic device and an image selection method thereof are provided. The electronic device is configured to obtain a series of images; determine camera states corresponding to the series of images; select first images from the series of images according to the camera states; determine object states corresponding to the first images; divide the first images into a number of groups according to the object states; and select a candidate image from each of the number of groups. The image selection method is applied to the electronic device to implement the aforesaid operations. |
| US09179066B1 |
Temperature compensation for sensors
In some embodiments, a plurality of expected values of a drive current corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of potential values of a Hall sensor output is determined. An actual value of the Hall sensor output is measured. An actual value of the drive current is measured. A potential value of the Hall sensor output corresponding to the actual value of the Hall sensor output is selected. The expected value of the drive current associated with the selected potential value of the Hall sensor output is compared to the actual value of the drive current. A value of the drive current is adjusted to reduce a difference between the expected value of the drive current associated with the selected potential value of the Hall sensor output to the actual value of the drive current. |
| US09179064B1 |
Diagonal collection of oblique imagery
A vehicle collects oblique imagery along an intercardinal nominal heading using rotated camera-groups with distortion correcting electronic image sensors that align projected pixel columns or rows with a pre-determined direction on the ground, thereby improving collection quality, efficiency, and/or cost. In a first aspect, the camera-groups are rotated diagonal to the nominal heading. In a second aspect, the distortion correcting electronic image sensors align projected pixel columns or rows with a pre-determined direction on the ground. In a third aspect, the distortion correcting electronic image sensors are rotated around the optical axis of the camera. In a fourth aspect, cameras collect images in strips and the strips from different cameras overlap, providing large-baseline, small-time difference stereopsis. |
| US09179063B1 |
Camera triggering system for panorama imaging
A camera triggering system for panorama imaging is provided. The system comprises a mounting member comprising holes, wherein a predetermined number of magnets are coupled within the holes. The system further comprises a base plate with the magnetic proximity sensor coupled to it. The system further comprises a camera mount coupled to the base plate. The system further comprises mounting connectors to connect the system to a camera support structure such as an unmanned aircraft or a tripod. The base plate and camera mount carrying the camera rotates with respect to the mounting member. As the sensor passes by the magnets, the trigger for the shutter is activated. |
| US09179061B1 |
Assisted text input for computing devices
Various approaches provide for detecting and recognizing text to enable a user to perform various functions or tasks. For example, a user could point a camera at an object with text, in order to capture an image of that object. The camera can be integrated with a portable computing device that is capable of taking the image and processing the image (or providing the image for processing) to recognize, identify, and/or isolate the text in order to send the image of the object as well as recognized text to an application, function, or system, such as an electronic marketplace. |
| US09179059B2 |
Image capture device and image display method
An image capture element includes phase difference pixel groups (first and second pixel groups) corresponding to first and second images with a phase difference according to a focus shift, includes a third pixel group corresponding to a normal third image, outputs a first image and a second image with Bayer arrays from the first and second pixel groups, and outputs a third image with the same color array as a RAW image from the third pixel group. A color split image is generated based on the first and second images acquired from the image capture element, a color image for display is generated based on the third image, and the color split image is synthesized with part of the generated color image for display to thereby display a live-view image in which the split image is synthesized. |
| US09179056B2 |
Image capturing systems with context control and related methods
Image capturing systems with context control and related methods are provided. In this regard, a representative image capturing system includes: an image capturing device having a user-adjustable setting for altering an image capture parameter; and a context control system operative to receive location information corresponding to a location of the image capturing device and to preset the user-adjustable setting based, at least in part, on the location information. |
| US09179051B1 |
Voice-activated hands-free camera holder systems
A voice-activated hands-free camera holder system is removably-installable to a patient operating station for adjustably-positioning a micro-camera via a plurality of verbal commands to assist a medical provider, such as a surgeon, during a surgical procedure. The voice-activated hands-free camera holder system includes a voice-activation assembly and a manual controller unit enabling the user to manipulate the micro-camera such that both hands of the user remain free for use during the procedure while providing the user with an ideal vantage angle for observation. |
| US09179049B2 |
Optical device and single lens reflex camera
An optical device for forming an image of an object, comprising: a semitransparent mirror surface disposed on an optical path of the image of the object; and a light projection unit configured to project light to the semitransparent mirror surface and thereby to combine, on the optical path, the projected light transmitting through the semitransparent mirror surface with the image of the object reflecting from the semitransparent mirror surface, wherein: a first wavelength region is defined in a visible light region to include a wavelength of the projected light; the semitransparent mirror surface has a substantially flat reflectance property within a second wavelength region which is defined in the visible light region not to include the first wavelength region; and transmissivity of the semitransparent mirror surface at the wavelength of the projected light is higher by 10% to 50% than transmissivity in the second wavelength region. |
| US09179047B2 |
Systems and methods for estimating the structure and motion of an object
In one embodiment, the structure and motion of a stationary object are determined using two images and a linear velocity and linear acceleration of a camera. In another embodiment, the structure and motion of a stationary or moving object are determined using an image and linear and angular velocities of a camera. |
| US09179045B2 |
Gamut mapping based on numerical and perceptual models
Methods and systems herein provide for color conversion. Such color conversion includes gamut mapping by determining a color gamut of an imaging device and receiving color data having color values external to the color gamut of the imaging device. The gamut mapping proceeds by determining a color region external to the color gamut and mapping the color values within the color region to the color gamut. Thereafter, the area of the color region is increased and the color values within the increased color region are mapped to the color gamut. |
| US09179038B2 |
Image processing device, and image processing method and program
Disclosed is an image processing device which is provided with a determination section which determines texture direction in a vicinity region based on the vicinity region which includes a target pixel in the image and a detection section which detects whether or not the target pixel is a defective pixel based on a plurality of pixels including the target pixel which are lined up in the texture direction in the image. |
| US09179037B2 |
Image forming apparatus, controlling device and non-transitory computer readable medium for providing an available storage space
An image forming apparatus includes: an image reading unit reading an image on a document at a predetermined image reading speed and generating image data; a memory including a first area temporarily storing the image data and a second area storing the image data read from the first area and subjected to processing; an image forming unit forming an image on a recording material based on the image data stored in the memory; a reducing unit that, in a case where an amount of the image data stored in the second area exceeds a predetermined amount, reduces an amount of the image data generated per unit time by the image reading unit; and an allocation unit that, in the case where the amount of the image data stored in the second area exceeds the predetermined amount, allocates a partial area contained in the first area to the second area. |
| US09179029B2 |
Scanner module and image scanning apparatus employing the same
A scanner module and an image scanning apparatus employing the same. The scanner module comprises an illuminator for illuminating light on an object to be scanned. The illuminator includes a light emitting diode, a light guide extending in a main scanning direction to change a direction of the light received from the light emitting diode, and at least one elastic member to elastically support at least one longitudinal end of the light guide. As the light guide is elastically supported by the elastic member, convex deformation or bowing of an emission face of the light guide due to thermal expansion can be reduced. |
| US09179028B2 |
Image forming apparatus to reduce power consumption, host apparatus, and method of performing image forming job thereof
An image forming apparatus includes a memory, an interface to receive image data to perform an image forming job, and a controller to, when the image data is input in a power save mode of the image forming apparatus, send the image data to an external image forming apparatus, and when the image forming apparatus switches to a normal mode, control the image forming apparatus to perform an image forming job using the image data sent to the external image forming apparatus. |
| US09179016B2 |
Communication architectures for direct printing and scanning
One example of a communication architecture for direct printing and scanning includes a computing device for generating an electronic image and a page description language for producing a deterministic print file of the electronic image, the deterministic print file being natively viewable in a Portable Document File (PDF) viewer. The architecture also includes a printer for receiving the deterministic print file and for beginning printing the electronic image before the complete deterministic print file is received by the printer. A method for printing a document is also provided. |
| US09179015B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has, as operation modes, a normal mode and a power-saving mode with power consumption smaller than the normal mode. The image forming apparatus includes an operation unit for receiving an instruction from a user, having an operation area to which a prescribed instruction from the user is input. The image forming apparatus further includes: a first detection unit detecting an input from the user to the operation area in the normal mode; a power control unit controlling power supply in the normal mode and the power-saving mode, and turning off power supply to the first detection unit in the power-saving mode; and a second detection unit detecting an input from the user to the operation area in the power-saving mode. |
| US09179011B1 |
Telephone Communication System and Method of Using
A telephone communication system has at least two telephones and each telephone may be placed in activated mode or in the alternative, stand-by mode such that in stand-by mode a phone is incapable of making or receiving a call until or unless switched to active mode. The system includes a switch configured to activate one of the telephone to be an active mode telephone such that all remaining telephones are on standby mode prior to making an outgoing call or taking an incoming call. The system is configured such that a standby telephone may be switched to active mode during a telephone call on-the-fly. |
| US09179010B2 |
Remote powered node
The present exemplary embodiment relates to a remote powered node for a hybrid fiber-copper network. The node may be powered using the dormant copper pair(s) linking the node to the telephone exchange to carry a ringer current. The ringer current can be controlled to power all the electrical load of the node. Alternatively, the ringer current may power all of the components common to all customers served by the node, with the customers feeding power to their customer specific components via a UTP cable. |
| US09179007B1 |
Analytics triggered subscriber policies
In general, techniques are described for providing a continuous feedback system that dynamically updates data collection criteria and subscriber policies based on aggregated subscriber-specific and network usage data. For example, a method includes applying one or more subscriber specific policy and charging control (PCC) rules to network traffic to collect network traffic data for a plurality of subscribers, aggregating the network traffic data, and determining, based on the aggregated traffic data, whether subscriber independent data collection criteria need to be updated. The method may also include, responsive to determining that the data collection criteria need to be updated: updating the data collection criteria, translating the updated data collection criteria from updated subscriber independent data collection criteria into updated subscriber specific PCC rules, and applying the updated subscriber specific policy and charging control rules to additional network traffic to collect additional network traffic data. |
| US09178999B1 |
Contact center monitoring
A method may include receiving, at a call center, a call from a customer, identifying an agent to handle the call and forwarding the call to the agent. The method may also include monitoring the call to identify whether one or more particular words or phrases was voiced by the customer or the agent, determining, based on the monitoring, that a first word or phrase of the one or more particular words or phrases was voiced and generating an alert or message to forward to a workstation associated with a supervisor in response to determining that the first word or phrase or was voiced. The method may further include forwarding the alert or message to the workstation associated with the supervisor. |
| US09178997B2 |
System and method for simulating virtual queuing of calls
The present method and system provides for call center simulation including receiving a plurality of input parameters relating to call center operations, wherein the call center operations include a main queue for processing on-hold calls and a virtual queue for processing a plurality of call back requests. The method and system further includes generating a call arrival dataset based at least on the plurality of input parameters and simulating call center operations for managing the call arrival dataset across the time sequence, including placing a portion of the call arrival dataset into the virtual queue. The method and system includes simulating a metering of the call arrival dataset in the virtual queue for a metered wait time based at least on a queuing factor and generating a simulation output indicating operations processed via the main queue and the virtual queue. |
| US09178996B2 |
Unique global identifier header for minimizing prank 911 calls
A prank call server that performs 911 prank call filtering over a 911 emergency call system, prior to routing a 911 call to a PSAP. The inventive prank call server identifies prank calling devices, regardless of current service subscription, by retrieving and analyzing emergency call data pertaining to detected prank 911 calls. The prank call server assigns a unique global identifier to each 911 call detected on the 911 emergency call system. Unique global identifiers enable a PSAP to uniquely identify prank 911 calls that are identified thereon. A PSAP transmits a prank call signal and a relevant unique global identifier to the prank call server, for each prank 911 call that is detected. A prank call signal/unique global identifier combination triggers the prank call server to store all available call data for a referenced prank 911 call in to a prank call database, for subsequent prank call filtering analysis. |
| US09178995B2 |
Systems and methods for event and incident reporting and management
Systems and methods for information and action management including managing and communicating critical and non-critical information relating to certain emergency services events or incidents as well as other applications. More specifically, systems and methods for information and action management including a plurality of mobile interface units that include one or more of a language translation sub-system, an action receipt sub-system, a voice-to-text conversion sub-system, a media management sub-system, a revision management sub-system that restricts the abilities of some users, and a report generation sub-system that creates reports operatively coupled to the language translation sub-system, the action receipt sub-system, the voice-to-text conversion sub-system, the media management sub-system, and the revision management sub-system to auto-populate report fields. |
| US09178992B2 |
User interface for selecting audio identifiers for digital communications
Audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient and determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication. Perception by the recipient of the audio identifier is conditioned on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier. The audio identifier is perceived prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient. |
| US09178991B2 |
Realtime, interactive and geographically defined computerized personal identification and payment matching systems and methods
In general, the invention relates to a system and method of operating a shopping system to facilitate payment using a mobile device. A network is configured to include a server programmed with a personal characteristic database, a database searching algorithm, and to be coupled to a wireless communication system that is capable of communicating with the user's personal data device. The user logs on through the wireless communication system to the secure network using her personal data device, and communicates to and stores in the database personal data defining her characteristics. Either the secure network automatically identifies the first users precise geographic location, or the user himself otherwise indicates and stores in the database of the network an identifying address that indicates his current specific geographic location. Personal data defining the user's characteristics are then sent to a business location at the user's location to facilitate a payment transaction. |
| US09178987B2 |
System and method for interrupting a transmitting device in a communication system
A system and method for interrupting a transmitting device during a call. In the system, calls are transmitted from a first device on a communication channel as a series of channel frames. At predetermined times during the transmission, the transmitting device is configured to drop channel frames, resulting in open channel frame periods where the transmitting device is not transmitting on the communication channel. During these open channel frame periods, the transmitting device is also configured to switch to a receiving mode. Other devices in the system are capable of switching into a transmitting mode during the open channel frame periods and, when applicable, sending an interrupt request on the communication channel to the transmitting device in order to request access to the channel. |
| US09178985B2 |
System for transporting ethernet frames over very high speed digital subscriber lines
An apparatus for and method of encapsulating Ethernet frames over a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) transport facility. The VDSL frames are transmitted over a point to point VDSL link where they are subsequently extracted and forwarded as standard Ethernet frames. The VDSL facility transport system comprises an Ethernet to VDSL Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) coupled to a DSL Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) over a VDSL transport facility. The Ethernet to VDSL CPE functions to receive a 10BaseT Ethernet signal and encapsulate the Ethernet frame into a VDSL frame for transmission over the VDSL facility. The DSLAM is adapted to receive VDSL frames, extract Ethernet frames therefrom and generate and output a standard Ethernet signal. Ethernet frames are encapsulated within VDSL frames and transmitted on the wire pair without regard to the state of the SOC signals. |
| US09178983B2 |
System and method for managing mobile communications
A device to automatically provide differing information levels according to a predetermined social hierarchy includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores social templates corresponding to unique social signatures and being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy and/or a social networking service. The processor receives sensor data from a sensor set which detects sensor data related to an environment of a communication device, creates a detected social signature from the received sensor data, determines which of the social signatures of the social templates has the greatest correspondence with the created social signature, retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, and provides only as much information as allowed in the retrieved social template. |
| US09178981B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of sharing information therein
A mobile terminal including a communication unit configured to communicate with at least one other terminal; a memory configured to store at least first and second operating systems including at least first and second modes, respectively; and a controller configured to execute the first and second operating systems, to simultaneously display first and second information screens on a display unit of the mobile terminal corresponding to the first and second modes, to receive a sharing signal requesting information from one of the first and second information screens be shared with the other of the first and second information screens, and to selectively share the requested information between the first and second information screens based on a predetermined criterion. |
| US09178977B2 |
Communication terminal
A communication terminal includes: a touch panel, which receives a contact operation and outputs position information representing the contact position, and which includes a first operation area configured to receive a position designating operation and a second operation area configured to receive a response operation to respond to an event occurring according to an execution of another function; a control unit, which determines whether the position information represents the first operation area or the second operation area, wherein, in a case where the position information represents the first operation area, the control unit outputs the received position information to the transmitting unit, and wherein, in a case where the position information represents the second operation area and the notification signal is received, the control unit controls to perform a process corresponding to a notification signal. |
| US09178974B2 |
Transaction security method and system
There is described method and apparatus for processing signals of a telephonic communication, where the signals represent sensitive and non-sensitive information. A described method comprises processing the signals to provide a first version of the signals that is to be recorded and a second version of the signals that is to be output as audio; monitoring at least the first version of the signals to detect, in said at least the first version of the signals, one or more instances of one or more predetermined characteristics that represent the sensitive information conveyed by the signals; and modifying said at least the first version of the signals by removing the identified predetermined characteristics from said at least the first version of the signals. |
| US09178973B2 |
Audio control system and method using near-field wireless communication
An audio control system using near-field wireless communication permits individualized audio data output to a plurality of devices with differing capabilities. The system preferably includes: a communication unit, which includes a near-field wireless communication transceiver and transmits and receives signal for acquiring address information and device information to and from at least one surrounding device; a car-kit capable of performing the near-field wireless communication, which is installed in a vehicle to which a tag storing vehicle information is attached; and a portable terminal for performing near-field wireless communication with the unit and the car-kit, recognizing the vehicle information by reading the tag installed in the vehicle equipped with the car-kit, and resetting an audio output corresponding to the vehicle information when audio data is output. |
| US09178972B2 |
Systems and methods for remote deletion of contact information
An exemplary system for providing remote deletion of contact information includes a first device associated with a first user. The first device is configured to generate and send a delete request message to a second device. In some embodiments, the delete request message includes a request to delete contact information for the first user from the second device. The second device can be configured to receive the delete request message and delete the first user's contact information. A method for providing remote deletion of contact information includes a delete request message being generated at a first device, associated with a first user. The delete request message can include a request to delete contact information for the first user. The first device can send the delete request message to a second device. The delete request message can instruct the second device to delete the first user's contact information. |
| US09178970B2 |
Electronic devices with convex displays
Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned. |
| US09178969B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatus for the servicing of fibre channel login frames
Methods, apparatus and systems are provided for processing Fiber Channel Fabric Login frames by a FCoE device interconnection apparatus (FIA) and a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). A Fabric Login (FLOGI) Fiber Channel frame is encapsulated into a Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) FIP FLOGI frame at a Fiber Channel device interconnection apparatus (FIA). The encapsulated frame is transmitted from the FIA to a FCoE device interconnection apparatus controller (FIAC). A FIP link service accept (LS_ACC) frame is transmitted by the FIAC to the FIA, and the FIP LS_ACC frame is received by the FIA. The FIP frame is decapsulated into a Fiber Channel LS_ACC frame at the FIA. The Fiber Channel LS_ACC frame is transmitted back to the said Fiber Channel device. |
| US09178968B2 |
Frame formatting for communications within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications
Frame formatting for communications within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. A signal is processed within a communication device using at least two respective downclocking ratios (e.g., a first downclocking ratio applied to a first portion of the signal such as a frame or packet extracted there from, a second downclocking ratio applied to a second portion of the signal). Alternatively, a signal is divided into more than two respective portions, and different respective downclocking ratios are applied to those different respective portions (e.g., a first downclocking ratio applied to a first portion of the signal, and so on up to an n-th downclocking ratio applied to an n-th portion of the signal). Some implementations apply a singular or common downclocking ratio to more than one portion of the signal (which may be contiguous/adjacent or non-contiguous/non-adjacent within the signal). |
| US09178967B2 |
HART analog input module with differential input stage
A HART analog input module with a differential input comprises a plurality of input stage processors respectively connected to a plurality of HART field devices to detect a DC signal and a HART communication signal from an input signal and output the DC signal and a HART communication signal, in a case a signal superimposed with the DC signal and the HART communication signal is inputted from a relevant HART field device, a multiplexer sequentially outputting a DC signal and a HART communication signal respectively outputted from each input stage processor in response to a provided control signal, an A/D conversion processor converting a DC signal of each channel sequentially outputted from the multiplexer to a digital signal, a HART modem demodulating a HART communication signal of each channel sequentially outputted from the multiplexer, and a controller providing a control signal to the multiplexer and processing the digital signal outputted from the A/D conversion processor and the HART modem. |
| US09178965B2 |
Systems and methods for synchronization of application communications
Systems, methods, and devices for managing application communications are described herein. In some aspects, a wireless device is configured to execute a plurality of applications and to communicate with a communication network. The wireless device includes a processor configured to receive information from an application, via an application programming interface. The information is indicative of a transmit delay tolerance. The processor is further configured to receive, via the application programming interface, a packet from the application. The wireless device further includes a network driver configured to determine when to transmit the packet based on the received transmit delay tolerance. |
| US09178960B2 |
Recovering resource connections
Illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for recovering resource connections using persistent subscriptions. In one illustrative embodiment, the method comprises subscribing to an event of a predefined resource to create a persistent subscription, wherein upon receiving notification of the event indicating the predefined resource is unavailable, and responsive to receiving the notification, reconnecting to the predefined resource. The method further comprises creating a new listener for receiving event notifications from the predefined resource, obtaining subscription information related to the predefined resource from the persistent subscription, and re-subscribing to the event of the predefined resource. |
| US09178956B2 |
Measuring web visitors
An apparatus and a method for tracking the number of hits to a web page is described. In one embodiment, a web browser of a client requests from a server a web page. The server redirects the web browser to a cookie counting web page, where the cookie counting web page provides a tracking cookie to the web browser. The server computes the number of unique hits to the web page without cookies based on the number of hits to the cookie counting web page without tracking cookies, the number of unique hits to the cookie counting web page with tracking cookies, the number of all hits to the cookie counting web page with tracking cookies. |
| US09178952B2 |
Systems and methods for service assurance using virtualized federated presence infrastructure
Systems, methods, apparatuses and program products configured to provide a topology-service tool are described. A presence-federation solution asset is leveraged to address topology-federation problems. A network topology tool takes as input network endpoints, for example caller and callee telephone numbers, determines a network service flow used to connect the network endpoints, and develops a network topology view of the service flow along with associated network device related information. |
| US09178949B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for managing push data transfers
A method, system, and apparatus for managing push data transfers is provided whereby in one implementation at least one push data server is situated on a network between a plurality of content servers and a plurality of computing devices. The push data server is configured to only perform a maximum number of concurrent data transfers of content between the content servers and the plurality of computing devices. The push data server is configured to deem that a particular push data transfer has been completed even if no express acknowledgment of such completion is ever received at the push data server, thereby reducing the likelihood of failure of push data transfers due to a misperception that the maximum number of concurrent data transfers being obtained. |
| US09178948B2 |
Methods and apparatus for subscribing to multimedia delivery services in a data network
Methods and apparatus for subscribing to multimedia delivery services in a data network. A method is provided for subscribing to receive a subscription package in a data network. The method includes receiving resource requirements associated with the subscription package, and determining whether or not selected resources are available to meet the resource requirements associated with the subscription package. The method also includes excluding a first portion of services associated with the subscription package, if it is determined that the selected resources fail to meet the resource requirements associated with the subscription package, and subscribing to receive a second portion of services associated with the subscription package, wherein resource requirements of the second portion of services are met by the selected resources. |
| US09178946B2 |
Device discovery for digital entertainment network
A method for playing music, the method includes providing a plurality of devices on a wireless local area network, bringing a new device into a range of the wireless local area network, and receiving a list of devices that are on the local area network at the new device from a server not on the local area network. |
| US09178945B2 |
System and method for remotely accessing cablecard module
A system for remotely accessing diagnostic information from an access control module includes a host device. The host device is configured to interface with the access control module over a direct connection to retrieve diagnostic information from the access control module in response to a host query from the host device, and to interface with a network server over an Internet protocol (IP) network to provide the diagnostic information relating to the access control module to the network server in response to a server query to an IP network address of the host device. The access control module is non-addressable in the IP network. |
| US09178942B1 |
Systems and methods for updating native contact information
Systems and methods for automatically updating contact information in a native contacts application of a device are provided. A contact synchronization engine executing on one or more processors can store a first plurality of contacts received from a first agent running on a first device, store a second plurality of contacts received from a second agent on a second device, receive a change to one or more contact fields of a contact of a user of the second device, determine that the contact of the user of the second device is in the first export, and transmit, responsive to the determination, the change to the first agent. |
| US09178941B2 |
Method and apparatus for requesting media replication in a collaborative communication session, and method and apparatus for assigning a communication medium for a collaborative communication session
In a method for requesting media replication in a collaborative communication session, a message is sent which specifies that a communication medium for a collaborative communication session, which is currently being transmitted to at least one terminal, should additionally be transmitted to at least one other terminal, with the at least one other terminal being indicated in the message as the recipient of the communication medium. In a method for assigning a communication medium for a collaborative communication session, a corresponding message is received, and the communication medium is assigned to the at least one other terminal as the recipient of the communication medium. The methods are carried out by appropriately designed apparatuses. |
| US09178940B2 |
System and method for detecting peer-to-peer network software
The present invention provides a method for detecting whether or not a computer system is, has, or can participate in a Peer-to-Peer network. Scanning software is executed on a target system to be scanned or a remote system which will scan a target system. If Peer-to-Peer client software is detected the scanning software can notify the enforcing user, disable the Peer-to-Peer client software, or both. |
| US09178936B2 |
Selected alert delivery in a distributed processing system
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for selected alert delivery in a distributed processing system are provided. Embodiments include receiving a plurality of events from one or more event producing components of the distributed processing system; creating, by an incident analyzer, in dependence upon the events a truth space representing events that make one or more conditional event processing rules true, the truth space including a set of truth points, each truth point including a set of events and a set of event locations; creating, by the incident analyzer, in dependence upon the truth space one or more alerts; and sending, by the incident analyzer, the alerts to at least one component of the distributed processing system. |
| US09178935B2 |
Distributed steam processing
A method and system for forming hybrid cluster to process log files are described. In example embodiments, a method configures a node to execute as a first slave node. The first slave node executes in a first operating environment. The method also adds the first slave node to a Hadoop cluster. The Hadoop cluster includes a second slave node that operates in a second and different operating environment. |
| US09178932B2 |
Content disposition system and method for processing message content in a distributed environment
In one embodiment, a wireless mobile User Equipment (UE) device comprises a message generator configured to send a SIP request message via a first IP network and a processor configured to process a SIP response message received from a network node via the first IP network, the processor further configured to process instructions to provide a treatment for at least one message body content of the SIP response message based on a value of a content type indicator independent of at least one of an absence of a content disposition indicator, a content disposition indicator without a value and a content disposition indicator having a value. The treatment, applied by the UE device, may comprise one of: (i) performing an Emergency Services (ES) call effectuated via a CS network and (ii) performing a registration and an ES call effectuated via an IP network. |
| US09178928B2 |
Scalable content streaming system with server-side archiving
Some embodiments provide a scalable content streaming system that performs server-side archiving. The content streaming system includes a set of streaming server clusters, a remote storage server, and a set of distributed servers. Each streaming server cluster includes at least one streaming server and a local storage server. Each streaming server of a particular cluster distributes a content stream that is uploaded to the streaming server while also recording the content stream to the local storage server of that particular cluster. The remote storage server stores files from the local storage servers that are transferred when recording to those files is complete. The set of distributed servers distribute a live stream of content from a particular streaming server when the content is being uploaded to the particular streaming server and distribute a recorded stream of the content from the remote storage server when the upload is complete. |
| US09178927B2 |
Transmitting and receiving media packet streams
This invention concerns the transmitting and receiving of digital media packets, such as audio and video channels and lighting instructions. The network (104) is comprised of at least a transmitter device (110) and a receiving device (112). The controllers (122) and (126) of these devices handle the exchanging of configuration messages between the devices (110) and (112). Using the invention, the user is not required to manually configure the processor to receive media packet streams. Instead, a controller (126) of a receiving device (112) operates to receive information on a user selection of media channels and automatically configure the processor of the transmitter device. Further, the receiving device (112) is able to receive media channels using both unicast and multicast protocols. Media channels can be given textual labels which are unique on the unique (104) and easily identify to the user the actual source of the media channel. Media channels of different formats to be sent on the same net work simultaneous. Further, redundant media channels are easily accommodated. |
| US09178924B1 |
IPv6 to web architecture
A system allows first users to connect through an IPv4 web interface to access content (e.g., information and services) of second users who provide the content using IPv6. The second users are effectively mobile web servers. In an implementation, the system is a streaming media network (e.g., life casting) where first users are video viewers and second users are streaming video providers. In the system, a second user runs a home agent client (e.g., plug in) that connects to a home agent server using IPv6. The home agent client and server encapsulate and deencapsulate the IPv6 information. Information is transmitted and routed using IPv6 in an IPv4 environment. Any number of second users connects to the first user's content via an IPv4 web interface. |
| US09178919B2 |
Disaster recovery with a central conferencing routing server
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for collaboration conferencing with multiple participants over a communications network, and more specifically for a conferencing routing service for managing and routing collaboration participants. In one embodiment, the conferencing routing server is configured to respond to a failure in a conference bridge to allow for repair to the network and/or account for split conferences that may occur due to the bridge failure. In one embodiment, the CCRS may account for moving a conference bridge into an offline state by removing the conference bridge from consideration for hosting a collaboration conference. |
| US09178916B2 |
Real-time messaging method and apparatus
A system and method for the late-biding of time-based media in real-time With late binding, the sender may create time-based media before or at the same time an active delivery route to the recipient is discovered. As soon as the route becomes available, the media is transmitted. The existing DNS and email infrastructure is possibly used for route discovery, while any real-time transmission protocol may be used for the actual delivery of the media. “Progressive” emails may also be used for the real-time delivery of time-based media. |
| US09178912B2 |
Virtual device context (VDC) integration for network services
Methods and apparatus are provided for virtual device context (VDC) integration for network services. VDC integration for network services generally includes mapping a virtual switch, physical ports on the network switch assigned to the virtual switch, a service node and a physical port on a service node to share a common VDC associated with a configuration of the virtual switch. In this manner, the VDC concept is extended to the service node and the network may be easily managed, with a network switch and associated service nodes configured through a single processing system on the network switch or service node. |
| US09178909B2 |
Graphical representation of a port security state
Information associated with a port security state of a network device is received. The received information is converted into an icon that corresponds to the port security state of the network device. The icon is displayed to a user. |
| US09178908B2 |
Protecting against the introduction of alien content
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method can identify abnormal computer behavior. The method can receive, at a computer server subsystem and from a web server system, computer code to be served in response to a request from a computing client over the internet. The method can also modify the computer code to obscure operational design of the web server system that could be determined from the computer code, and supplement the computer code with instrumentation code that is programmed to execute on the computing client. The method may serve the modified and supplemented computer code to the computing client. |
| US09178907B2 |
System, method and computer program product for detecting encoded shellcode in network traffic
A system, method and computer program product are provided for detecting encoded shellcode. In use, network traffic that is encoded is identified. Further, it is determined whether the network traffic that is encoded includes shellcode. |
| US09178906B1 |
Detecting and remediating malware dropped by files
A security module detects and remediates malware from suspicious hosts. A file arrives at an endpoint from a host. The security module detects the arrival of the file and determines the host from which the file arrived. The security module also determines whether the host is suspicious. If the host is suspicious, the security module observes the operation of the file and identifies a set of files dropped by the received file. The security module monitors the files in the set using heuristics to detect whether any of the files engage in malicious behavior. If a file engages in malicious behavior, the security module responds to the malware detection by remediating the malware, which may include removing system changes caused by the set. |
| US09178901B2 |
Malicious uniform resource locator detection
The techniques described herein use training data to train classification models to detect malicious Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that target authentic resources (e.g., Web page, Web site, or other network locations accessed via a URL). The techniques train the classification models using one or more machine learning algorithms. The training data may include known benign URLs and known malicious URLs (e.g., training URLs) that are associated with a target authentic resource. The techniques then use the trained classification models to determine whether an unknown URL is a malicious URL. The malicious URL determination may be based on one or more lexical features (e.g., brand name edit distances for a domain and path of the URL) and/or site/page features (e.g., a domain age and a domain confidence level) extracted. |
| US09178898B2 |
Distributed stateful intrusion detection for voice over IP
An apparatus and method for detecting intrusions in Voice over Internet Protocol systems with distributed stateful intrusion detection. When a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signal is received as an application-layer protocol signal, the received application-layer protocol signal is distributed to a first finite-state machine and to a second finite-state machine. A data processing system detects that the application-layer protocol enters a first application-layer protocol state S1 at a first node at a first time, determines whether the application-layer protocol fails to enter a second application-layer protocol state S2 at a second node within δ seconds, a positive real number, and generates a signal that indicates a potential intrusion in response to the determination. |
| US09178892B2 |
System and method for managing access to computer resources
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program are provided for managing access to computer resources. An example method includes receiving a request, from a client process, for performing an operation on a computer resource, including receiving the request by a kernel of an operating system for creating a separate process to perform the requested operation on the computer resource; obtaining, by a resource manager, metadata of the computer resource, security policies for the client process to perform the requested operation on the computer resource, and data relating to operations requested by other client processes on the computer resource; and performing the requested operation on the resource upon detecting that the requested operation does not: alter the metadata, violate an isolation condition of the computer resource, violate rights of the client process, and distort the operations requested by the other client processes. |
| US09178884B2 |
Enabling access to remote entities in access controlled networks
In network access control networks, it may be difficult to provide certain remote accesses such as remote boot or remote storage access. An available network connection established through chipset firmware (e.g. active management technology (AMT)) may be utilized to establish a connection and to enable the remote access. Then as soon the completion of the activity is detected, such as remote booting, then the connection may be immediately terminated to prevent access by improper agents. |
| US09178883B2 |
Leveraging online identities to grant access to private networks
An authentication service running on a processing device receives a request from a local area network (LAN) to authenticate a computing device (and/or a user of the computing device) that has attempted to access the LAN, the request comprising a first identifier (ID) that uniquely identifies the computing device. The authentication service determines whether to authenticate the computing device based on the first ID, information from a third party data set, and an authentication criterion of the LAN. Responsive to determining that the information from the third party data set satisfies the authentication criterion, the authentication service notifies the LAN that the computing device is authenticated. |
| US09178881B2 |
Proof of device genuineness
A cryptographic process is provided which allows a server to verify that a client device is genuine. The client device is provisioned with first and second data elements and a key which can be stored in fuses at the time of manufacture. When the client device requests digital content such as multimedia from the server, the server issues a genuineness challenge to the client device. The genuineness challenge is a message which includes a message authentication code (MAC) derived from a secret key of the server, in addition to an encrypted timestamp nonce. The client device prepares a response which includes a MAC derived from the client's key and the genuineness challenge. The response also includes the first and second data elements but not the client's key. The server processes the response to confirm that the client device is genuine. |
| US09178880B1 |
Gateway mediated mobile device authentication
A method is used in authenticating a mobile device user. An authentication invocation from a mobile device for access to computer resource is activated. Device unique identifiers and device forensic information are collected. The device unique identifiers and the device unique identifiers are forwarded to a gateway. An OTP is resolved into a unique device identifier using an authentication server. The device identifier is adaptively authenticated using multiple authentication factors. |
| US09178878B2 |
Method for dynamically authorizing a mobile communications device
Physically access-protected service access, such as a service flap having a mechanical lock, for example, are used to ensure the secure establishment of security check information. Logical access security to service functions is produced using the security check information via additional, decentralized service interfaces. For this purpose, it is not the mobile service device that is connected to the physically access-protected communications interface, but rather a second authentication module associated with the mobile service device. Security check information is provided by the authentication module for secure service access to the network via additional, decentralized communications interfaces of the network. |
| US09178876B1 |
Strength-based password expiration
This disclosure is directed to, in part, determining an expiration of a password or other security data based on a measured complexity of the password or the security data. A user may enter a password to be associated with an account or a resource (e.g., a login for a user account, etc.). The password may be analyzed to determine an entropy value of the password, which is a measure of complexity of the password. A password manager may then determine an expiration of the password based on the entropy value of the password. Thus, a more complex password may be assigned an expiration date that is longer than an expiration date assigned to a less complex password. In some aspects, the expiration date may be dynamically updated as a user continues to enter inputs for a new password. |
| US09178874B2 |
Method, device and system for logging in through a browser application at a client terminal
The current invention discloses methods, devices and systems for logging in a third party server through a browser application at a client terminal. After receiving a validation request from a third party server, the main server for the browser application may choose to grant or deny the request. The validation request, which may include a third party identifier, a user identifier, and a session key, can be triggered by a data access request from the browser application. If there is an active communication session between the client terminal and the server, the server may send an authorization request to the third party so that the third party server allows the client terminal to access non-sensitive data associated with the user identifier through the browser application without further validation of the data access request. The current invention provides additional convenience and security for third party login operations. |
| US09178873B2 |
Systems and methods for secure password entry
Systems and methods for secure password entry are provided. When a user wishes to log in or otherwise authenticate as an authorized user of a system using a password, the system can provide an apparently random sequence of characters to the user. The user can select all of the characters in the sequence of characters that also appear in the user's password. The system can determine whether all of the selected characters are in the password and that all of the characters in the sequence of characters that are also in the password were selected. The user can select the characters in any order and the selected characters can include less than all of the characters in the password. In this way, the system can authenticate the user without the user entering their entire password, thereby increasing both the efficiency and the security of the password entry operation. |
| US09178871B2 |
Authentication and authorization method and system
An authentication and authorization method and system are provided. The method includes: receiving an authentication request transmitted from a first device; transmitting the authentication request to an authentication and authorization server subsystem; authenticating the authentication request and generating authentication information; generating an authorization request used to request a second device for authorization according to the authentication information; and authenticating the authorization request, generating an authorization information and transmitting the authorization information to the first device through an authentication and authorization client subsystem so that the first device communicates with the second device directly according to the authorization information. |
| US09178870B2 |
User authentication method using self-signed certificate of web server, client device and electronic device including web server performing the same
A user authentication method using a self-signed certificate of a web server includes: receiving a log-in message generated by using a public key registered to the self-signed certificate of the web server from a client device; generating a response message by using the log-in message and a secret key corresponding to the public key; transmitting the generated response message to the client device; receiving a verification value from the client device via a secure socket layer (SSL) channel connected by using the self-signed certificate of the web server from the client device when a reliability of the response message is verified at the client device; verifying a reliability of the log-in message by using the received verification value; and confirming completion of user authentication if the reliability of the log-in message is verified. |
| US09178867B1 |
Interacting with restricted environments
A computer-implemented method includes recording one or more actions being performed by an agent using at least one resource of a resource provider environment, the at least one resource being associated with a non-restricted zone in the resource provider environment. The method includes creating a primitive that describes the one or more actions. The primitive is able to be executed on at least one different resource in a restricted zone in the resource provider environment to perform the one or more actions using the different resource. The restricted zone includes resources associated with a customer that are directly accessible only to at least one authorized entity. The method includes submitting the primitive to the restricted zone in the resource provider environment. The primitive is able to be executed by the at least one authorized entity on the at least one different resource in the restricted zone. |
| US09178863B2 |
Automatic reauthentication in a media device
A system and method is presented for verifying the ability to use stored authentication information when accessing a remote media service. A media device, such as a television, is described that stores authentication information for a remote media service. Such authentication information may include a user name and a password. Because media devices may be re-sold, returned for re-sale, or refurbished, it is necessary to automatically disable the authentication information to prevent a second owner from accessing the services and accounts belonging to a first owner. The ability to use authentication information is disabled upon a long delay in accessing the service, a complete power down cycle, a change in IP address, or a change in network interfaces used to access the network. |
| US09178858B1 |
Method and system for message delivery security validation
A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for message delivery security validation are provided. At least one authentication setting from an end user is received at a data collection system. A validation key is generated based on the at least one authentication setting. A message and the validation key are sent to a device of a recipient. The device of the recipient are automatically authenticated using the validation key. The message is delivered to the device of the recipient upon authentication. |
| US09178847B2 |
User interfaces for providing updated contact information
An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who's contact information or partial contact information is present in the user's address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user's address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them. |
| US09178844B2 |
Method and system for associating a social networking identifier with a network subscriber account
An approach for enabling delivery and presentment of service provider notification messages to a subscribed user via a social networking service of the user is described. An integration platform determines whether a network identifier for accessing a social networking service via a communication network is associated with subscriber account information maintained by the communication service provider. The integration platform also generates a request for linking a social networking identifier associated with the social networking service with the subscriber account information based on the determination. The integration platform further initiates a rendering of a notification message received from the communication service provider to a user interface of the social networking service based on acceptance of the request. |
| US09178839B2 |
Sharing buffer space in link aggregation configurations
In link aggregation configurations, a data packet may be copied into a buffer space of a first NIC. Load balancing techniques may determine that the packet should be transmitted by a second NIC. The packet exists in memory that the second NIC cannot access. The data packet is copied into memory accessible to the second NIC or the memory location of the packet is registered with the NIC. A copy penalty is incurred if a packet is copied from a first buffer space to a second buffer space. A registration penalty is incurred if the location within the first buffer space is registered with the second NIC. Functionality can be implemented within a link aggregation configuration to register buffer space shared among interconnected NICs. Sharing of buffer space between interconnected NICs allows any one of the NICs to access data within the shared buffer space without incurring a penalty. |
| US09178830B2 |
Network processor unit and a method for a network processor unit
A method of and a network processor unit for processing of packets in a network, the network processor comprising: communication interface configured to receive and transmit packets; at least one processing means for processing packets or parts thereof; an embedded switch configured to switch packets between the communication interface and the processing means; and wherein the embedded switch is configured to analyze a received packet and to determine whether the packet should be dropped or not; if the packet should not be dropped, the switch is configured to store the received packet, to send a first part of the packet to the processing means for processing thereof, to receive the processed first part of the packet from the processing means, and to transmit the processed first part of the packet. |
| US09178828B2 |
Architecture for agentless service insertion
An example method for service insertion in a network environment is provided in one example and includes configuring a service node by tagging one or more interface ports of a virtual switch function to which the service node is connected with one or more policy identifiers. When data traffic associated with a policy identifier is received on a virtual overlay path the virtual switch function may then terminate the virtual overlay path and direct raw data traffic to the interface port of the service node that is tagged to the policy identifier associated with the data traffic. |
| US09178823B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating simulated network traffic using different traffic flows and maintaining a configured distribution of traffic between the different traffic flows and a device under test
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating simulated network traffic from a plurality of different traffic flows and maintaining a configured distribution among the flows are disclosed. One exemplary method includes determining a number of operations per flow for each of a plurality of flows that generate simulated network traffic between the flows and a device under test. The method further includes determining a desired traffic distribution among the traffic generated by the traffic flows. The method further includes assigning a weight to each flow that determines the number of times to execute each flow during execution of a batch of flows. The method further includes executing the flows in batches according to the assigned weights to transmit the desired distribution of traffic between the different flows and the device under test. |
| US09178822B2 |
Congestion control in a telecommunications network
The invention relates to a method for congestion control in a telecommunications network. The telecommunications network supports one or more active data sessions between a server and at least a first and second communication terminal by providing at least a first and a second bearer for these terminals. The at least first and second communication terminal are assigned to a group for which a common group identifier is or has been stored. Further, a first individual congestion parameter for the first bearer and a second individual congestion parameter for the second bearer of the first and second communication terminal are or have been stored. A group load indicator is defined for the group of terminals corresponding to the common group identifier. The group load indicator is monitored and compared with a group load condition for the group of the at least first and second communication terminals corresponding to the common group identifier. Congestion is controlled by adjusting at least one of the first individual congestion parameter of the first bearer and the second individual congestion parameter of the second bearer when said group load indicator satisfies the group load condition. |
| US09178819B2 |
Method and system for loop avoidance in a communication network
The invention relates to a learning-based method for loop avoidance in a packet switched communication network. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by configuring each communication device to maintain a table of unique identifiers, where the unique identifiers include Media Access Control (MAC) address, MAC and Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) address, Internet Protocol (IP) address or any other unique device identifier, receiving one or more data packet on one or more port of the device, checking the table for unique source identifier of the received data packet, determining whether the received data packet is received from the same port of the device as in the table against the corresponding entry, and updating learned time entry with current system clock time of the device and forwarding the data packet to the next communication device if the packet is received from the same port. |
| US09178816B1 |
Control plane messaging in all-active multi-homed ethernet virtual private networks
In general, techniques are described for providing control plane messaging in an active-active (or all-active) configuration of a multi-homed EVPN environment. In some examples, the techniques include receiving a control plane message comprising at least one address that identifies that second PE network device. The techniques may include configuring, based at least in part on the control plane message, a forwarding plane of a first PE network device to identify network packets having respective destination addresses that match the at least one address. The techniques may include determining that at least one address of the network packet matches the at least one address that identifies the second PE network device. The techniques may include, responsive to the determination, skipping a decrement of the Time-To-Live (TTL) value of the network packet, and forwarding the network packet to the second PE network device. |
| US09178815B2 |
NIC flow switching
Methods, apparatus, and systems for implementing in Network Interface Controller (NIC) flow switching. Switching operations are effected via hardware-based forwarding mechanisms in apparatus such as NICs in a manner that does not employ use of computer system processor resources and is transparent to operating systems hosted by such computer systems. The forwarding mechanisms are configured to move or copy Media Access Control (MAC) frame data between receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) queues associated with different NIC ports that may be on the same NIC or separate NICs. The hardware-based switching operations effect forwarding of MAC frames between NIC ports using memory operations, thus reducing external network traffic, internal interconnect traffic, and processor workload associated with packet processing. |
| US09178813B2 |
Network system and frame communication method
A network system has: a node performing transmission/reception of a frame based on FCoE; a network; a controller performing management of the node and the network; and a gateway provided with respect to the node. The frame is classified into a control frame and a data frame. The gateway determines whether a frame received from the node is the control frame or the data frame, forwards the control frame to the controller, and forwards the data frame to the network. The controller performs the management based on the control frame received from the gateway. The network transfers the data frame received from the gateway to a destination node without through the controller. The node has a retransmission control and reordering unit configured to perform retransmission control and reordering processing with respect to the data frame. |
| US09178812B2 |
Stacking metadata contexts for service chains
Presented herein are techniques useful in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes each configured to apply one or more service functions to traffic that passes through the respective network nodes. A network node receives packets encapsulated in a service header that includes information defining a variable set of context headers stacked into an association of metadata that is relevant to one or more service functions within a service path comprised of one or more network nodes. The network node interprets a forwarding state and a next-hop network node for the service path from the service header, and determines a service action or associated metadata from the set of context headers. |
| US09178811B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for generating label forwarding table on ring topology
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for generating a label forwarding table for a non-destination router on a ring topology. Embodiments of the present invention further provide an apparatus for generating a label forwarding table for a non-destination router on a ring topology and a method and system for generating two label switching paths LSPs of different ring directions on a ring topology. Technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are based on a clockwise label forwarding table and a counterclockwise label forwarding table that are generated for each non-destination router on the ring topology. When it is found that traffic cannot be forwarded to a destination router by using one of the two label forwarding tables, the non-destination router performs traffic switching and uses the other label forwarding table to forward the traffic. |
| US09178800B1 |
Policy based configuration of interfaces in a virtual machine environment
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a port profile manager for receiving a port configuration policy and creating a port profile for the port configuration policy. The apparatus further includes a management interface for transmitting the port profile to a management station operable to receive input mapping the port profile to one or more interfaces associated with virtual machines. The port profile manager receives and stores the mapping input at the management station, for use in configuring the interfaces according to the port configuration policy. A method for policy based configuration of interfaces in a virtual machine environment is also disclosed. |
| US09178794B2 |
Communication quality monitoring system, communication quality monitoring method and recording medium
Conventional network quality monitoring systems require high monitoring cost, because: physical maintenance cost is high, since monitors are required to install on many portion of the network; the number of monitoring flows is apt to increase; the cost for information synchronization between monitors is required; and the network cost to collect information from apparatuses is required. In the present invention, based on a network whose route is definable by an external controller and changing the monitoring flow route appropriately, it is possible to perform monitoring of the communication quality under a small number of monitoring terminals and flows. Further, the role of the monitoring flow is divided into the monitoring flows to monitor the quality degradation occurrence and to specify the quality degradation point. The former is used for normal time, and the latter is for the quality degradation time. Consequently, the network monitoring system reducing the cost is proposed. |
| US09178793B1 |
Engine for processing content rules associated with locations in a page
A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a network application to process and respond to requests from client devices. A rules engine receives a page, evaluates a set of rules, and performs actions based on the rules. Actions may modify the page or perform other actions affecting the environment. A rules engine may also process rules prior to processing pages, in order to optimize subsequent evaluation of the rules. |
| US09178781B1 |
Filtering output from operational commands executed on a network device
In general, techniques are described to enable selective viewing of data output in response to a command. The techniques provide generic mechanisms to filter output solicited by commands supported by current and future implementations of an interface. An example device receives from a client device an input comprising an operational command a selection request that specifies a field identifier. A schema enumeration module of the device assigns a unique element number to each element of a class of elements defined by a schema, forming an enumerated schema. An interface of the device receives data conforming to a data description language, and a filtering module filters the textual output by mapping the field identifier specified in the selection request to a unique element number of the enumerated schema. A rendering module renders the filtered data into filtered textual output. The device transmits the filtered textual output to the client device. |
| US09178780B2 |
Dynamic remote packet capture
A device may be configured to receive information regarding one or more ports associated with a routing device; output, to the routing device, filter information associated with at least a particular port, of the one or more ports associated with the routing device, the filter information specifying one or more conditions associated with traffic of interest; receive, from the routing device, and based on the outputted filter information, information regarding traffic of interest received or sent by the routing device via the particular port, the traffic of interest being less than or equal to all traffic received or sent by the routing device via the particular port; and store or output a representation of at least a portion of the received information regarding the traffic of interest. |
| US09178775B2 |
System and method for performance monitoring of network services for virtual machines
An edge network element of a provider network, such as in a data center, determines one or more service level parameters and service probes defined for a local virtual machine connected to the edge network element. The edge network element generates at least one service probe to measure the one or more service level parameters over a network path to a remote edge network element that is associated with a remote virtual machine having a same service instance identifier ISID or virtual machine profile as the local virtual machine. The edge network element generates a notification to a network management system including the measured one or more service level parameters of the network path and media access control (MAC) addresses of the edge network element, the remote edge network element, the local virtual machine and the remote virtual machine. |
| US09178772B2 |
Cumulative node heartbeat relay agents in constrained computer networks
In one embodiment, a message instructing a particular node to act as a heartbeat relay agent is received at the particular node in a network. The particular node is selected to receive the message based on a centrality of the particular node. Heartbeat messages are then collected from child nodes of the particular node in the network. Based on the collected heartbeat messages, a heartbeat report is generated, and the report is transmitted to a collecting node in the network. |
| US09178769B2 |
Generation and management of network connectivity information
Aspects of the disclosure relate to generation of network topology information for a network of assets, and management of such information. The management can comprise analysis and/or diagnostics of topology condition of a plurality of assets. In addition or in the alternative, the management can comprise consolidation of at least a portion of the network topology information in a data layer of the network of assets, or a network functionally coupled thereto. Integration of at least some of the network topology information with higher network layers also is disclosed. |
| US09178766B2 |
Provisioning multiple network resources
A resource provisioning service allows users to provision multiple, different network resources in an atomic manner and with a single call to a resource provisioning service. In some instances, the multiple, different network resources comprise individual types of resources that form a portion of one or more cloud-computing platforms. For instance, one or more entities may host and operate a cloud-computing platform that includes different types of network resources, such a storage service, a load balancing service, a compute service, a security service, or any other similar or different type of network-accessible service. |
| US09178765B2 |
Method and system for a high capacity cable network
A cable modem termination system (CMTS) may communicate with a plurality of cable modems using a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) subcarriers. The CMTS may determine a performance metric of each of the cable modems. For each of the OFDM subcarriers and each of the cable modems, the CMTS may select physical layer parameters to be used for communication with that cable modem on that OFDM subcarrier based on a performance metric of that cable modem. The parameters may be selected for each individual modem and/or each individual subcarrier, or may be selected for groups of modems and/or groups of subcarriers. The parameters may include, for example, one or more of: transmit power, receive sensitivity, timeslot duration, modulation type, modulation order, forward error correction (FEC) type, and FEC code rate. |
| US09178763B2 |
Weight-based collocation management
According to an example, an application performance measurement for an application for a current time interval, a performance specification for the application, and a resource consumption metric for a resource of a plurality of resources that are to process the application for the current time interval may be accessed. In addition, the application performance measurement, the performance specification, and the resource consumption metric may be used to determine a resource specification for a next time interval for the resource of the plurality of resources. Moreover, the resource specification may be used to determine, by a processor, a resource weight for the resource of the plurality of resources for the next time interval. |
| US09178762B2 |
Configuring networks including spanning trees
A method may include receiving a reconfiguration to a first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)/spanning tree table, where the first VLAN/spanning tree table has a first identifier and is associated with a region of a network; updating the first VLAN/spanning tree table to generate a second VLAN/spanning tree table based on the reconfiguration; determining a second identifier of the second VLAN/spanning tree table; and generating a list of identifiers associated with the region of the network, the list including the first identifier and the second identifier. |
| US09178758B2 |
Methods for shortening CSFB performance time and communication apparatuses utilizing the same
A method for shortening a circuit switch fallback (CSFB) performing time includes determining a plurality of weighting values each associated with one of a plurality of frequencies to be measured during a CSFB procedure, determining a frequency measurement sequence for scheduling the frequencies to be measured in sequence according to the determined weighting values, and measuring a signal quality on the frequencies according to the frequency measurement sequence. |
| US09178756B2 |
Method and device for processing location information of fault point
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for processing location information of a fault point. The method includes: obtaining, by an ingress node of an LDP LSP, first location information of a fault point on a link traversed by the LDP LSP, where the first location information of the fault point includes an identifier of an upstream node of the fault point and an identifier of an interface that is connected to the fault point and located on the upstream node of the fault point; and providing the first location information of the fault point to a user so that the user determines a location of the fault point corresponding to an LDP LSP fault. Therefore, the location of the fault point corresponding to the LDP LSP fault can be determined, and efficiency of troubleshooting specific to the LDP LSP fault can be improved. |
| US09178750B2 |
Post-silicon repair of on-die networks
A method and apparatus for post-silicon repair of on-die networks is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a first network node of an on-chip network configured to couple each of a plurality of functional units to at least one other one of the plurality of functional units. The first network node includes a plurality of ports. Each of the plurality of ports includes a plurality of multiplexers configured to substitute a spare channel of the network node into the network responsive to a test determining that another one of a plurality of channels is defective. |
| US09178746B2 |
Browser-based fetch of external libraries
A browser-based fetch of an external library may include a browser receiving a request from a web application to load an external library and determining whether the web browser has a bundled version of the library. If the bundled version exists, the browser may load the bundled version. If the bundled version does not exist, the browser may fetch the external library. When the external library is configured to send data to the remote server the method may include the browser intercepting a request to send the data to the remote server, determining that the data may be sent at a later time, and storing the data until a connection with the remote server is established. Additionally, a web store may inspect a web application for use of an external library and prevent the web application from being added to the web store when the external library is not trusted. |
| US09178735B1 |
Phase-modulated on-off keying for millimeter wave spectrum control
A transmitting apparatus for generating a phase-modulated carrier signal with on-off keying (OOK) includes a coding circuitry for receiving binary digital data and generating an on-off keying (OOK) signal representing the binary digital data. The coding circuitry generates a phase modulation control signal for controlling a phase modulation of a millimeter wave carrier signal based on the on and off pattern of the OOK signal. The apparatus also includes a phase modulation circuitry for applying the phase modulation to the millimeter wave carrier signal based on the phase modulation control signal to generate a phase-modulated carrier signal, and a power amplifier for generating, based on the OOK signal and the phase-modulated carrier signal, an amplified phase-modulated carrier signal with OOK. The apparatus includes an interface to transmit the amplified phase-modulated carrier signal with OOK to a receiving apparatus via a millimeter wave communication link. |
| US09178732B2 |
Beacon coding in wireless communications systems
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate transmitting beacon symbols of a beacon message such that a sequence of symbols can satisfy a linear constraint over a field where the field elements can be identified with carriers. In this regard, a coding scheme can be applied to a beacon message; the coding scheme can produce a plurality of beacon symbols to transmit on given subcarriers. A receiving device of the beacon symbols can decode a beacon message by receiving less than the total number of symbols in a beacon message and determining the remaining symbol subcarriers based on the linear constraint. Thus, more efficient decoding of beacons is facilitated as well as resolving beacon ambiguity by figuring out which symbols satisfy linear constraints for the symbols, and resolving time and frequency shift by detecting an offset that would result in satisfaction of the linear constraint. |
| US09178725B2 |
Multi-band interconnect for inter-chip and intra-chip communications
Systems, apparatus, modules, and methods of communicating with memory devices utilizing multi-band communication containing a baseband and one or more amplitude shift keyed (ASK) RF channels over each differential pair of off-chip transmission lines. Configurations are described for interfacing between microprocessors, or controllers and memory devices or modules, and within a DIMM and its DRAM devices, and between multiple DIMM memory modules. |
| US09178721B2 |
Inferring causal paths in a distributed computing environment
According to one embodiment, a method comprises evaluating messages between nodes of a distributed computing environment. Based on timing relationships of the messages, probability of causal links between pairs of messages determined. Based on the determined probability, at least one causal path comprising a plurality of causal links is inferred. Further, an overall probability that the inferred causal path is accurate is determined. In certain embodiments, the overall probability is output for the corresponding causal path to provide an indication of the confidence of the accuracy of such inferred causal path. |
| US09178719B2 |
Television integrated chat and presence systems and methods
An enhanced television system which enables users to communicate using a television, both via messaging and telephone. Users or the system may create a buddy list. Users may send and receive program information to and from each other, and change programs based on received information. The system may maintain information regarding a user's presence on the system, availability for messaging, and television viewing. |
| US09178718B2 |
Method and mobile terminal for dealing with PS domain service and realizing PS domain service request
The present invention provides a method for dealing with a PS domain service and realizing a PS domain service request for a mobile terminal and the mobile terminal. The method comprises: identifying, by the mobile terminal, a type of a PS domain signaling process that is used for realizing a PS domain service; when the type of the PS domain signaling process belongs to a first type, acquiring a result of the PS domain signaling process corresponding to the PS domain signaling process; and when it is judged that the result is network refusal and the reason for refusal is Reason #7 (GPRS service not allowed), judging that a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) on which the mobile terminal currently resides is not a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) and adding the PLMN into a list of forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service. According to the above technical solution, it is able to provide a GPRS service on a HPLMN or other PLMNs, thereby to provide a user with a PS domain service with the biggest possibility. |
| US09178714B2 |
Selecting a communication medium for data transmission
A method for transmitting data from within a wired communication system is disclosed. A first network-enabled device can select one of a plurality of communication mediums for transmitting the data stream to the second device and transmit the data stream to the second device using the selected communication medium. The first device determines that the transmission of the data stream using the selected communication medium is being interfered with by transmission of other data from the first device to a third device on another of the plurality of communication mediums. In response to determining that the transmission of the data stream to the second device on the selected communication medium is being interfered with by the transmission of the other data to the third device using the other communication medium, the first device turns off the transmission of the other data to the third device on the other communication medium. |
| US09178711B2 |
Method and system for the dynamic management of the transmission of streams within a plurality of terminals
A method of transmitting data streams representing stimuli of at least one particular type, including a first step of setting up transmission of a particular stream Vstr1 from an interface device INFD to a terminal LT1 initially selected as the destination terminal. The method further includes a step of identifying terminals CTj compatible with said particular stream Vstr1; a step of selecting as the new destination terminal LT2 of said particular stream Vstr1 a terminal that has been identified as compatible, and a second step of transmitting said particular stream Vstr1 to the new destination terminal LT2. The method authorizes dynamic control of stream sharing or transfer between two or more terminals with no branch connection between said terminals. |
| US09178710B2 |
Selective multicast
A method, system and computer readable medium for selective multicast processing. The method can include obtaining, using one or more processors, an association between a multicast data stream and a service identifier. The method can also include programming, using the one or more processors, a classification engine with a match that classifies a VLAN. The method can further include receiving, at the one or more processors, a data stream, and classifying, using the one or more processors, the data stream based on a mapping to a source virtual port. The method can also include deriving, using the one or more processors, a service identifier from the source virtual port. |
| US09178708B2 |
Non-deterministic time systems and methods
A capture device such as a camera and/or sound recorder records an event, which includes a visual and/or audible presentation of a time value that is non-deterministic, yet a function of physical time. The non-deterministic time value (NDT) may be generated as a function of a calendar value created at time intervals as a root hash value of a distributed, hash-tree document authentication infrastructure. If the NDT value included in the recording of the event does not match the NDT value corresponding to the calendar value from which it was generated, the recording may be assumed to be altered. Digital time-stamping may be included for the recording of the event to reduce the opportunity for back-dating of the recording. NDT may also be generated simply for display by a clock, for example as an NDT time zone. |
| US09178703B2 |
Method of protecting a control vector in an optional block of a standard key block
A computer program product is provided and includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and on which instructions are stored for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes validating parameters passed to a parameter database, computing a length required for control vector CV data, preparing an optional block in accordance with a result of the computation, converting the CV to a format for a standardized key block while copying the converted CV into the optional block and updating optional block data in the standardized key block. |
| US09178702B2 |
Revocation list generation device, revocation list generation method, and content management system
Provided is a revocation list generation device that can suppress an increase in the amount of data of a revocation list. A revocation list generation device that generates a revocation list includes an acquisition unit that acquires, for a content, a revocation identifier identifying a revoked public key certificate allocated to an apparatus related to use of the content, a revocation list generation unit that generates a revocation list including the acquired revocation identifier associated with the content, and an output unit that outputs the revocation list. |
| US09178696B2 |
Key management for secure communication
A method and arrangement is disclosed for managing session keys for secure communication between a first and at least a second user device in a communications network. The method is characterized being independent of what type of credential each user device implements for security operations. A first user receives from a first key management server keying information and a voucher and generates a first session key. The voucher is forwarded to at least a responding user device that, with support from a second key management server communicating with the first key management server, resolves the voucher and determines a second session keys. First and second session keys are, thereafter, used for secure communication. In one embodiment the communication traverses an intermediary whereby first and second session keys protect communication with respective leg to intermediary. |
| US09178683B2 |
Method and apparatus for parallel demodulation of high symbol rate data streams in a communications system
A dynamic and flexible architecture and methods for demodulation of high data-rate streams with high symbol-rates, such as in satellite communications systems or computer network communications systems, is provided. A data stream of a data transmission is received, the data stream corresponding to a plurality of data symbols. A plurality of data samples corresponding to each of the data symbols is generated. Further, one or more representative data samples, corresponding each of the data symbols, are generated based at least in part on timing control signals and the generated data samples for the respective data symbol. The generated data samples corresponding to each of the data symbols other than the representative data samples are dropped. The timing control signals are then adjusted based at least in part on the generated representative data samples. |
| US09178682B2 |
Method for transmitting/receiving signal and device therefor
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting uplink control information and a device therefor, the method comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of serving cells each having different UL-DL configurations; receiving one or more signals requiring a HARQ-ACK response from M(M≧1) number of subframes; and executing the process for transmitting the HARQ-ACK response to the one or more signals in a specific subframe corresponding to the M number of subframes, wherein, only when the specific subframe is set as an uplink in all of the plurality of serving cells, the HARQ-ACK response to the one or more signals are transmitted through the specific subframe. |
| US09178681B2 |
Method of separating sources in a multisource system
A method is provided for sending at least a first data signal and a second data signal, the data being divided into data blocks of fixed size including a header field of predetermined size, the data signals being sent to at least one data processing device adapted to apply a cyclic autocorrelation function with parameter k enabling the first and second data signals to be identified. The value of the parameter k is a function of a ratio between the size of the data blocks and the predetermined size of the header field. The method includes modifying the size of the header field of the data blocks before sending the first data signal, the value of the parameter k and the size of the data blocks remaining unchanged. A method is also provided for processing signals sent in accordance with the sending method. |
| US09178678B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting HARQ
A method of supporting Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) includes receiving an initial uplink grant on a downlink channel, transmitting uplink data on an uplink channel using the initial uplink grant, receiving a request for retransmission of the uplink data, determining at least one transmission parameter of a channel quality indicator (CQI) from the initial uplink grant, multiplexing retransmission data of the uplink data with the CQI, and transmitting the multiplexed data on the uplink channel. Amount of resources for transmission of the CQI is determined based on the at least one transmission parameter. |
| US09178675B2 |
Channel estimation and tracking
A platform to facilitate updating an equalizer in addition to other receiver functionality is disclosed. A transmitting entity transmits one or more pilot tones in each protocol data unit (PDU) such as a packet. A receiving entity is able to derive a sufficiently accurate channel response estimate with the pilot tones under most channel conditions. The method and apparatus rotates the pilot tones through each of the subcarriers over the packet. The pilot tones would be separated by some number of data subcarriers so that estimation of slope and intercept for subcarrier tracking could be maintained. As the pilot tones are swept across the subcarriers, the taps for the equalizer for the subcarriers for which the pilot tones currently populate would be updated as well. This approach allows the system to track channel changes over time. |
| US09178673B1 |
Dynamic bandwidth allocation
A base station including a receiver, a processor, and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive, during a predetermined period, information from a plurality of stations. The processor is configured to estimate, based on the information received from the plurality of stations during the predetermined period, bandwidth requirement of each of the plurality of stations. The processor is configured to allocate, based on the estimated bandwidth requirement of each of the plurality of stations, a number of timeslots to each of the plurality of stations in which to communicate with the base station. Durations of the timeslots allocated to the plurality of stations are based on the estimated bandwidth requirement of each of the plurality of stations. The transmitter is configured to transmit a message including (i) identifiers identifying each of the plurality of stations and (ii) the number of timeslots allocated to each of the plurality of stations. |
| US09178672B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling inter-cell interference in wireless communication system
A method for controlling inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system includes receiving information about an interference control period from a central controller, performing carrier sensing based activation competition in the interference control period, and scheduling user equipments served by the BS if the BS wins the carrier sensing based activation competition. The carrier sensing based activation competition may be based on a BS-specific back-off value related to a BS-specific weight. The BS-specific weight may be determined as the sum of products of an instantaneous throughput and a differential value of an average throughput based utility function, for all UEs served by the BS. |
| US09178670B2 |
Downlink control information transmitting method and base station, and downlink control information receiving method and user device
In the transmission of user data for a user equipment and control information on the user data to the user equipment using a plurality of carrier waves by a base station in a wireless communication system, the control information can be transmitted over a portion of the plurality of carrier waves, and carrier waves over which only the user data is transmitted can be generated without the control information. Here, the base station transmits, at a certain number of subframes following the subframes at which the control information is transmitted, the user data over the carrier waves to which only the user data is allocated. Thus, the user equipment can minimize the buffering of the user data during the detection of the control information, and decode the user data. |
| US09178669B2 |
Non-adjacent carrier aggregation architecture
A wireless communication device configured for providing carrier aggregation is described. The wireless communication device includes at least one antenna configured to receive a plurality of wireless signals. The wireless communication device also includes a first transceiver. The first transceiver includes a first downconverting circuitry. The wireless communication device further includes a second transceiver. The second transceiver includes a second downconverting circuitry. The wireless communication device also includes an inter-transceiver connection that routes a first signal from a low noise amplifier on the first transceiver to the second downconverting circuitry of the second transceiver. |
| US09178656B2 |
Methods and apparatus for extracting symbols from an SC-FDMA digital communications signal using a maximum likelihood detector
A method and system are described for applying MLD detection to SC-FDMA data streams. Embodiments obtain initial estimates of at least some symbols encoded within an SC-FDMA data input using a non-MLD algorithm, and then use the initial estimates to reduce the search space and the MLD complexity. In addition, the reduced complexity MLD (“RC-MLD”) is applied only to a limited search window within the digital communication input, thereby modeling only a subset of the symbols included in the digital communication input. The MLD complexity is thereby reduced sufficiently for an RC-MLD decoder to simultaneously model and extract a plurality of the symbols included in the data input. Symbols initially decoded by the non-MLD algorithm can be subtracted from the data input in a serial interference cancelling module. This cancellation can be applied successively in a turbo-loop. |
| US09178652B2 |
Cognitive use of multiple regulatory domains
A wireless communication system that concurrently communicates information in multiple regulatory domains to facilitate audio/video media streaming and other high bandwidth operations. One domain may be licensed and the other may be unlicensed. Transmission in the licensed domain may occur in white space in the domain, and the amount of information transmitted in that domain may be limited by regulations. The amount of information conveyed in the licensed domain may also depend on channel conditions in either or both of the domains. As a result, the relative amount of information transmitted in each domain may vary dynamically. The system includes a transmitter that dynamically determines weighting coefficients applied to each of a plurality of channels to set power levels in both domains to achieve a desired metric for the overall communication. A corresponding receiver assembles the substreams into a stream that can then be displayed or otherwise processed. |
| US09178641B2 |
Suppression of non-linear effects in low dispersion optical fibers
Consistent with the present disclosure, chromatic dispersion is introduced into an optical communication path including multiple segments or spans of dispersion shifted fiber (DSF). The chromatic dispersion generates phase mismatching between optical signals propagating along the optical communication path, i.e., the optical signals are decorrelated, such that mixing products are reduced inmagnitude, and the noise attributable to four wave mixing is correspondingly reduced. |
| US09178637B2 |
Method and devices for synchronization using linear programming
This invention relates to methods and devices for synchronization using linear programming, especially over packet networks using, for example, the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP). Timing protocol messages are exposed to artifacts in the network such as packet delay variations (PDV) or packet losses. Embodiments of the invention provide a two-dimensional linear programming technique for estimating clock offset and skew, particularly from two-way exchange of timing messages between a master and a slave device. Some embodiments include a skew and offset adjustable free-running counter for regenerating the master time and frequency at the slave device. |
| US09178636B2 |
Universal remote radio head
A distributed base station radio system includes first channelized to broadband conversion unit that receives first downlink channelized data for first radio frequency band from first channelized radio frequency source; and first universal remote radio head communicatively coupled to first channelized to broadband conversion unit. First channelized to broadband conversion unit converts first downlink channelized data into a first downlink broadband signal. First channelized to broadband conversion unit communicates the first downlink broadband signal to first universal remote radio head. First universal remote radio head receives first downlink broadband signal. First universal remote radio head frequency converts the first downlink broadband signal into first downlink radio frequency signals in first radio frequency band. First universal remote radio head is further configured to transmit first downlink radio frequency signals in first radio frequency band to first subscriber unit. |
| US09178627B2 |
Rugged IQ receiver based RF gain measurements
A method and apparatus for measuring a complex gain of a transmit path are disclosed. During a test mode, an IQ to radio frequency modulator modulates a quadrature RF carrier signal using a quadrature test signal. An RF to IQ down-converter down-converts a down-converter RF input signal to provide a quadrature down-converter output signal using the quadrature RF carrier signal. The down-converter RF input signal is based on the quadrature test signal and the gain of the transmit path. A digital frequency converter frequency converts the quadrature down-converter output signal, providing an averaged frequency converter output signal, which is a quadrature direct current signal representative of an amplitude of the quadrature test signal and the gain of the transmit path. Therefore, a measured gain of the transmit path is based on the amplitude of the quadrature test signal and averaged frequency converter output signal. |
| US09178626B2 |
System and method of enhancing signal integrity
A signal processing method is disclosed. The method includes identifying a preferred loss profile for a plurality of signal transmission channels and generating a filter transfer function corresponding to each of the plurality of signal transmission channels, where each filter transfer function is configured to produce a filtered signal with a loss profile approximately equal to the preferred loss profile. The method further includes generating a plurality of filtered signals by filtering a plurality of signals using the filter transfer function corresponding to each of the plurality of signal transmission channels. and transmitting the plurality of filtered signals to a plurality of receivers via the plurality of signal transmission channels. |
| US09178623B2 |
Photon phase modulating system
The present invention utilizes a high-speed serial data transceiver to generate two high-speed electric pulse signals. After passing through a gain network, the signals are used for driving an electro-optic phase modulator (PM) so as to realize phase modulation of photon signals. The present invention may directly use a high-speed digital signal to realize a four-phase modulation function needed by the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol without using a digital to analog converter or an analog switch. This can prevent modulation rate from being restricted by links including digital-to-analog conversion, switching of the analog and the like. A dual-electrode electro-optic phase modulator scheme can also effectively reduce requirements for amplitude of a modulation driving signal, thus facilitating realization of high-speed phase modulation, which meets requirements of quantum key distribution. |
| US09178622B2 |
Cross-talk reduction in a bidirectional optoelectronic device
A multi-channel or bidirectional optoelectronic device comprises a two or more optoelectronic components, e.g., a photodetector and a light source. A protective encapsulant can be applied to the optoelectronic device that includes hollow dielectric microspheres to reduce electrical cross-talk, and that can further include an optical absorber to reduce optical cross-talk. |
| US09178620B2 |
Optical interface for bidirectional communications
An optical interface comprising a first portion having at least one optical conduit interface with a first axis for optically coupling with at least one optical conduit, a second portion having at least one transmitter interface with a second axis for optically coupling with a transmitting optical device, and at least one receiver interface with a third axis for optical coupling with a receiving optical device, the first, second and third axes being essentially parallel; and a wavelength filter element (WFE) disposed between the first and second portions, the WFE defining a first optical path between the transmitter interface and the optical conduit interface, and a second optical path between the optical conduit interface and the receiver interface. |
| US09178618B2 |
Preassembled optoelectronic interconnect structure
An interconnect component is provided fabricated as a preassembled optoelectronic interconnect structure. The interconnect structure has an optical waveguide link with first and second optoelectronic circuits attached to first and second ends of the waveguide link. The optoelectronic circuits include active optical componentry which facilitates optical signal communication across the optical waveguide link. Further, first and second pluralities of electrical contacts are associated with the first and second optoelectronic circuits, respectively, to facilitate electrically, operatively connecting the interconnect structure between first and second components of an electronic assembly as, for instance, a single, field-replaceable unit. The first and second components of the electronic assembly may be, for instance, stacked electronic components of the electronic assembly, or laterally offset components of a substantially planar electronic assembly. |
| US09178612B2 |
Method and equipment for operating a coherent optical packet receiver
The present invention refers to a method for operating a coherent optical packet receiver comprising at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter wherein the settings of at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter applied on a received optical packet having at least one given travelling parameter are determined in function of previous settings determination of said at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter achieved on at least one optical packet having a similar at least one travelling parameter as said received optical packet. |
| US09178610B1 |
Optical loopback in a wavelength division multiplexing system
An optical communication device includes a transmitter having a transmitter port and a receiver having loopback and receiver ports. The transmitter transmits a first multiplexed signal in a first optical spectrum from the transmitter port. The receiver receives the first multiplexed signal in the loopback port and a second multiplexed signal in the receiver port. The second multiplexed signal is in a second optical spectrum different from the first optical spectrum. The receiver includes a demultiplexer in optical communication with the loopback port and the receiver port. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the first and second multiplexed signals received by the loopback and receiver ports. |
| US09178609B2 |
Method of generating code sequence and method of transmitting signal using the same
A method of generating a code sequence and method of adding additional information using the same are disclosed, by which a code sequence usable for a channel for synchronization is generated and by which a synchronization channel is established using the generated sequence. The present invention, in which the additional information is added to a cell common sequence for time synchronization and frequency synchronization, includes the steps of generating the sequence repeated in time domain as many as a specific count, masking the sequence using a code corresponding to the additional information to be added, and transmitting a signal including the masked sequence to a receiving end. |
| US09178607B2 |
System and method for satellite link budget analysis (LBA) optimization
A method of optimizing a link budget analysis (LBA) for a link comprising performing a first LBA based on a target modulation and coding pair (MODCOD) based on one or more link parameters, the MODCOD having a predetermined symbol energy to noise density ratio (Es/No), calculating a ratio of allocated bandwidth to a power equivalent bandwidth (PEB) for the link and converting the ratio to Decibels, determining whether additional energy is present by summing the Es/No for the link at the target MODCOD and the calculated ratio of allocated bandwidth to PEB, accessing a look up table to determine an optimal MODCOD for the link wherein if the sum is a positive value, selecting a MODCOD having a higher Es/No and if the sum is a negative value, selecting a MODCOD having a lower Es/No and altering one or more transmission or receiving parameters to apply the selected optimal MODCOD. |
| US09178606B1 |
WiFi coordination of satellite channels between moving vessels
A process of forming a wireless communication channel among moveable vessels (MCPs) involves establishing a directed wireless communication chain between the MCP to a fixed antenna, and at least one MCP of the MCPs utilizing two antennas to form the chain. |
| US09178605B2 |
Method and system for controlling a communications carrier's power spectral density (PSD) using spread spectrum for matched spectral allocation
A method of reducing adjacent satellite interference, the method comprising monitoring, by a processor, a power spectral density (PSD) of a signal transmitted by a remote transmitter, determining, by the processor, that the PSD of the signal transmitted by the remote transmitter is above a predetermined level, and reducing the PSD of the signal transmitted by the remote transmitter by adjusting at least one of a spread spectrum spreading factor, a power level, a modulation factor, and a forward error correction (FEC) rate using a modulator while maintaining a constant spectral allocation and center frequency of the signal. |
| US09178603B2 |
Data transmission via a relay station with ACK/NACK feedback
Techniques for supporting communication by a relay station are described. In an aspect, the relay station may support NACK Type 1 when operating in an amplify-and-forward (AF) mode. The relay station may receive a first transmission of a packet from an upstream station, determine PAPR of the first transmission, and send NACK Type 1 to the upstream station if high PAPR is detected. In another aspect, the relay station may support NACK Type 1 and NACK Type 2 when operating in a decode-and-forward (DF) mode. The relay station may perform PAPR decoding for the first transmission, send NACK Type 1 if PAPR decoding fails, perform channel decoding if PAPR decoding passes, and send NACK Type 2 to the upstream station if channel decoding fails. In yet another aspect, the relay station may operate in the AF mode or the DF mode. |
| US09178599B2 |
Diversity receiving device and diversity receiving method
A diversity receiving device includes receiving circuits, a diversity combining unit, and an oscillation controller. The receiving circuit performs frequency conversion of an analog received signal obtained at a first receiving system, by using a plurality of lower-side oscillation-frequency signals supplied from a first local oscillator, to generate a plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals, adds up the plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals to generate a first addition signal. The receiving circuit performs frequency conversion of an analog received signal obtained at a second receiving system, by using a plurality of higher-side oscillation-frequency signals supplied from a second local oscillator, to generate a plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals, and adds up the plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals to generate a second addition signal. The oscillation controller controls lower-side oscillation-frequencies so that frequency bands of the plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals become adjacent to one another and controls higher-side oscillation-frequencies so that frequency bands of the plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals become adjacent to one another. |
| US09178598B2 |
Wireless transmission apparatus, wireless reception apparatus, wireless communication system and integrated circuit
In a codebook-based closed loop type MIMO, improvement for complexity in a mobile station apparatus, and reduction of amount of overhead needed for notification from the mobile station apparatus should be provided. A wireless transmission apparatus that includes a plurality of transmission antennas, performs precoding on a data signal for each of a plurality of reception apparatuses and spatially multiplexes and transmits the signal after the precoding. The wireless transmission apparatus performs sharing a codebook describing a plurality of linear filters associated with each other is shared with the each reception apparatus, and precoding on the data signal for each reception apparatus, based on a first linear filter that is extracted from the codebook in each reception apparatus based on the association and that is notified from each reception apparatus. |
| US09178597B2 |
Method of updating transmission channel information based on eaves-dropping of beamformed signals
A method and apparatus of providing a base station with updated transmission channel information is disclosed. The method includes the base station transmitting beamformed signals to a first terminal. A second terminal receives the transmitted beamformed signals, and measures a signal quality. The second terminal conveys back to the base station the measured signal quality, and a transmission identifier of the beamformed data signal. |
| US09178593B1 |
Directional channel measurement and interference avoidance
A method in a communication network including a communication channel includes generating a first message, where the first message includes a field indicative of a direction along which a quality of the communication channel is to be measured, causing the first message to be transmitted to a target device, and receiving a second message responsive to the first message, where the second message includes at least one channel quality metric. |
| US09178588B2 |
Method for determining a transmission direction for a communication, a method for determining a precoding matrix for a communication, and a device configured to do the same
A method for determining a transmission direction for a communication of a network component of a radio communications network may include: determining a reference transmission direction based on a plurality of predetermined transmission directions that a network component of a radio communications network is configured to transmit at; selecting a plurality of candidate transmission directions in a spatial vicinity of the reference transmission direction, the plurality of candidate transmission directions being a subset of the plurality of predetermined transmission directions; and selecting a transmission direction for a communication of the network component from the reference transmission direction and the plurality of candidate transmission directions based on a selection criterion. |
| US09178579B2 |
Wireless device and wireless communication method
A wireless device, including: an antenna configured to receive a reception signal, a processor configured to convert the reception signal into a first signal that includes a product of an upper triangular matrix and a transmission signal, to detect a first region, to which the first signal belongs, on an IQ plane, a memory configured to store a symbol ranking table that stores symbol candidates in an order of shorter distance from a region center, up to an order that is equal to a rank upper limit value that is set to be lower than a modulation multi-level number of the transmission signal, wherein the processor is further configured to select a first symbol candidate based on the first region and the symbol ranking table. |
| US09178576B2 |
Communication method using multiple transmission points, and apparatus for same
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting channel quality information by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving information on a plurality of transmission nodes capable of performing CoMP transmission; transmitting first channel state information on one or more preferred transmission nodes from among the plurality of transmission nodes; receiving pattern information consisting of a plurality of combinations of CoMP sets, each of which corresponds to a relevant time interval according to the pattern information; and performing an operation for transmitting second channel state information on the combination of CoMP sets corresponding to a subframe n. |
| US09178573B2 |
RF/digital signal-separating GNSS receiver and manufacturing method
An RF/digital signal-separating receiver is provided for GNSS and other RF signals. The receiver includes a first master antenna and a second slave antenna, which are positioned in spaced relation for directional, radio compass applications. First and second downconverters and first and second ADCs are located under the first and second antennas in analog signal areas, which configuration minimizes cross-coupling RF signals from the antennas and reduces noise. The first and second ADSs are connected to respective first and second correlators in a digital signal location, which is centrally located relative to the antennas. The correlators are connected to a microprocessor for computing distances for the received signals, from which the receiver's orientation or attitude is determined. A method of manufacturing receivers with this configuration is also disclosed. |
| US09178570B2 |
NFC system providing battery power level measurement features and related methods
A Near Field Communication (NFC) system may include a battery including a battery casing, at least one battery cell carried by the battery casing, at least one power measurement circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to measure a power level of the at least one battery cell, and a first NFC circuit carried by the battery casing and configured to communicate the power level measurement via NFC communication. The NFC system may further include a mobile wireless communications device including a portable housing, a second NFC circuit carried by the portable housing, and a controller carried by the portable housing and configured to cause the second NFC circuit to receive the power level measurement from the first NFC circuit based upon proximity therewith. |
| US09178569B2 |
System and method for simultaneous wireless charging, tracking and monitoring of equipments
A system and method for simultaneous charging, tracking and monitoring one or more equipments, comprising actuating a coordinator using a management server for transmitting UHF radio waves; receiving the transmitted UHF radio waves by a receiver; converting the UHF radio waves into DC power by employing an energy harvesting IC for charging a battery pack of said equipment, and simultaneously activating an RFID tag for receiving one or more operational parameters related to said equipment by employing said one or more sensors and transmitting said received one or more operational parameters by using short range data communication protocol via said coordinator. |
| US09178564B2 |
Communication cable breaker and method using same
An industrial field bus communication cable breaking apparatus includes a housing, a first electrical connector coupled to the housing and configured to be connected to a first field bus communication cable, a first plurality of contacts disposed in the first electrical connector, a second electrical connector coupled to the housing and configured to be connected to a second field bus communication cable, a second plurality of contacts disposed in the second electrical connector, a control input configured to receive a control signal, and a plurality of switches. Each of the plurality of switches has a first end coupled to a respective one of the first plurality of contacts and a second end coupled to a respective one of the second plurality of contacts. Each of the plurality of switches is configured to simultaneously open and close based on the control signal. |
| US09178563B2 |
Voltage regulator for a serializer/deserializer communication application
The voltage regulator device has a wide band amplifier having an input reference voltage, Vref and an input feedback voltage, Vfbk. The device has a source follower coupled to the wide band amplifier, the source follower coupled to an output of the wide band amplifier. The device has a VDD source, a regulator output, and a current source coupled to the source follower and the VDD source. The device has a low frequency path comprising a first transistor. The first transistor has a first gate, a first source, and a first drain. The first source is coupled to the VDD source. The first gate is coupled to a slow node, and the first drain is coupled to the regulator output. The low frequency path comprises a RC network, which has a capacitor, a resistor, and the slow node configured between the resistor and the capacitor. The device has a high frequency path comprising a second transistor. The second transistor has a second gate, a second source, and a second drain. The second source is coupled to the VDD source. The second gate is coupled to a fast node, and the second drain is coupled to the regulator output. |
| US09178562B2 |
Method and apparatus to dynamically select UE processing capabilities based on channel impulse response estimates
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with dynamic selection of a UE receiver. In one example, a communications device is equipped to obtain one or more channel impulse response (CIR) estimates, generate a delay spread metric value that characterizes a multipath delay spread of a channel based on the obtained one or more CIR estimates, and select a receiver option with a first power consumption value, for use by the UE, from a plurality receiver options with different optimal power consumption values, based on the generated delay spread metric value. In an aspect, a comparatively more complex receiver option may be selected when the channel is rich in multipath. In another aspect, a comparatively less complex receiver option may be selected when the channel exhibits flat fading. |
| US09178560B1 |
Time-frequency decoding unit
A decoding unit for decoding a signal modulating a plurality of symbols wherein each symbol carries a plurality of information which are code-division multiplexed in the time domain and in the frequency domain and wherein each information is associated with a known sequence of phase rotations, the phase in the known sequence varying deterministically between the plurality of symbols.The decoding unit first performs a phase rotation of the received plurality of symbols, then performs the time-domain despreading operation and finally performs the frequency-domain despreading operation.A processor, a receiver, a method and a computer program are also claimed. |
| US09178552B1 |
Channel adaptive receiver switchable from a digital-based receiver mode to an analog-based receiver mode
In a method for channel adaptation, an analog input signal is received with a bimodal receiver via a communications channel. The analog input signal is converted to a digital input signal with an analog-to-digital converter of a digital receiver of the bimodal receiver. Channel coefficients are detected for the digital input signal associated with the communications channel. The channel coefficients indicate a number of post-cursor taps of the bimodal receiver to be used to provide an equalized digital output signal from the digital input signal. It is determined whether the number of post-cursor taps or a value associated therewith is equal to or less than a threshold number. A switch from the receiving of the analog input signal by the digital receiver to an analog receiver of the bimodal receiver is made to provide the equalized digital output signal for the analog input signal. |
| US09178551B2 |
Circuits and methods for pulse radio receivers
Circuits and methods comprising: a radio frequency amplifier that powers off in response to an enable signal; a demodulator that outputs an RZ signal; an all-digital clock and data recovery circuit comprising: a phase detector that includes a tri-state phase frequency detector for use when in an acquisition mode and a Hogge phase detector for use when in a communication mode, that receives the RZ signal, and that outputs a phase detector output from the tri-state phase frequency detector when in the acquisition mode and from the Hogge phase detector when in the communication mode, a loop filter that receives the phase detector output from the phase detector and produces a loop filter output that is the sum of a proportional path of the loop filter and an integral path of the loop filter, and a numerical controlled oscillator that receives the loop filter output and produces the enable signal. |
| US09178548B1 |
First adjacent canceller (FAC) with improved blending using a parametric filter
A method for processing a radio signal includes: receiving an FM in-band on-channel radio signal including a plurality of digitally modulated subcarriers in upper and lower sidebands; sampling the FM in-band on-channel radio signal to produce an input signal including complex digital samples of a combination of a desired one the upper and lower sidebands and an FM interferer; removing FM interferer components from the first signal by notch filtering to produce a notch-filtered signal; weighting the notch-filtered signal to produce a weighted notch-filtered signal; using a parametric filter to filter the input signal to produce a parametric-filtered input signal; and combining the weighted notch-filtered signal and the parametric-filtered input signal to produce an output signal. A radio receiver that implements the method is also included. |
| US09178545B2 |
Digital IIR filter with adjustable filter weights based on measured changes in the processed data
A digital filter receives a sequence of input signal values. A filtering block performs a filtering operation on sequence of input signal values that is controlled by filter coefficients. A control block also receives the sequence of input signal values. The control block evaluates detected changes over time with respect to the sequence of input signal values and selects values for the filter coefficients based on the detected changes. The detected change over time provides an indication of the whether the sequence of input signal values is changing signal state. If so, the filter coefficients are selected to emphasize signal response time over signal noise filtering for the filtering operation. Otherwise, the filter coefficients are selected to emphasize signal noise filtering over signal response time for the filtering operation. |
| US09178543B2 |
Virtual reception diversity apparatus and method in wireless communication system
A receiving apparatus in a wireless communication system is provided. The receiving apparatus includes a first interference cancellation unit configured to cancel interference from a received signal that is received through an antenna according to a first scheme, a second interference cancellation unit configured to cancel interference from the received signal that is received through the antenna according to a second scheme, and a combination unit configured to combine the signal from which interference is cancelled according to the first scheme and the signal from which interference is cancelled according to the second scheme. |
| US09178541B2 |
Cartesian digital power amplifier using coordinate rotation
An apparatus includes first through fourth circuits. The first circuit determines a region of an input signal. The region is one of a plurality of regions. The second circuit generates a rotated input signal by rotating the input signal by a first angle according to the region. The third circuit phase shifts a carrier signal by a second angle according to the region. A fourth circuit amplifies the phase shifted carrier signal according to the rotated input signal. A method comprises determining a region according to a phase angle of an input signal, determining a rotation angle according to the region, generating a rotated carrier signal according to a carrier signal and the rotation angle, generating a rotated input signal according to the input signal and the negative of the rotation angle, and amplifying the rotated carrier signal according to the rotated input signal. |
| US09178540B2 |
Systems and methods for increasing the effectiveness of digital pre-distortion in electronic communications
Various embodiments of communication systems and methods in which the communication system is operative to find, record, and use sets of pre-distortion parameters in conjunction with a pre-distortion procedure, in which each said set of pre-distortion parameters is operative to specifically counter distortions produced in a power amplifier by a specific combination of level of input signal power and level of analog gain associated with a transmission path of the communication system. In some embodiments, there is a modulator, a transmission chain, a distortion analysis mechanism, and a pre-distortion mechanism, operative to analyze and modify signals so as to counter signal distortion. |
| US09178539B2 |
Wireless transceiver with reduced transmit emissions
Methods and apparatus for reducing transmit emissions are described herein. The transmit out of band emissions in an adjacent band can be reduced while complying with existing wireless communication standards through utilization of one or more of reduced transmit bandwidth, transmit operating band offset, and channel index remapping. The transceiver can support a receive operating band substantially adjacent to a band edge. The transmit operating band can be offset from an adjacent frequency band, and can use a narrower operating band than is supported by the receiver. The transmit baseband signal can have a reduced bandwidth to reduce the amount of noise. The frequency offset can introduce a larger transition band between the transmit operating band edges and the adjacent frequency band of interest. The transceiver can remap channel assignments to compensate for the frequency offset such that the frequency offset introduced in the transmitter is transparent to channel allocation. |
| US09178534B2 |
Methods for partial reverse concatenation for data storage devices using composite codes
In one embodiment, a method includes writing data to a storage medium of a data storage system using a partial reverse concatenated modulation code by encoding data sets using a C2 encoding scheme, adding a header to each subunit of the data sets, encoding the headers of the data sets with a first modulation encoding scheme, encoding data portions of the data sets with a second modulation encoding scheme, encoding portions of the one or more C2-encoded data sets using a C1 encoding scheme, combining the C1-encoded portions with the modulation-encoded headers of the C2-encoded data sets using a multiplexer, and writing the one or more combined C1- and C2-encoded data sets to data tracks of the storage medium. Other methods for writing data to a storage medium of a data storage system using a partial reverse concatenated modulation code are presented according to more embodiments. |
| US09178532B2 |
Decoding method and decoding device for polar code cascaded with cyclic redundancy check
The embodiments of the present invention provide a decoding method and a decoding device for a polar code cascaded with CRC. The decoding method includes: performing SC-List decoding on a Polar code according to the number of survival paths L to obtain L survival paths, where L is a positive integer; performing cyclic redundancy check on the L survival paths respectively; and increasing the number of survival paths when all the L survival paths fail to pass the cyclic redundancy check, and acquiring a decoding result of the Polar code according to the increased number of survival paths. In the embodiments of the present invention, the path number of survival paths is adjusted according to a result of the cyclic redundancy check, so as to output paths as much as possible, where the output paths can pass the cyclic redundancy check, thereby improving decoding performance. |
| US09178531B1 |
Servo gray code check bits
The disclosure is related to systems and methods for achieving improved servo Gray code error detection and correction. A device may include a circuit configured to read servo data that is encoded using a Gray code encoding scheme to produce servo Gray code, read one or more Check bits associated with the servo Gray code, determine whether a read or write head is positioned over a target data track based on the servo Gray code and the one or more Check bits, and execute a read or write operation when the read or write head is positioned over the target data track. |
| US09178530B2 |
Delta sigma modulator, as well as receiver device and wireless communication device provided with same
A delta sigma modulator includes a filter circuit including an integrator having an operational amplifier; a first addition circuit provided between an output section of the filter circuit and an input section of a quantizer, and including a first resistive element; and a second addition circuit including at least one of a first feedforward circuit including a second resistive element or a first feedback circuit configured to feed back, as an analog signal, a digital output signal having been quantized by the quantizer, to an input section of the quantizer, wherein at least one of the first addition circuit or the first feedback circuit includes a phase compensator. |
| US09178529B2 |
Multi-stage noise shaping analog-to-digital converter
The present disclosure describes an improved multi-stage noise shaping (MASH) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an analog input signal to a digital output signal. In particular, a full delta-sigma (ΔΣ) modulator is provided at the front-end of the MASH ADC, and another full ΔΣ modulator is provided at the back-end of the MASH ADC. The front-end ΔΣ modulator digitizes an analog input signal, and the back-end ΔΣ modulator digitizes an error between the output of the front-end ΔΣ modulator and the (original) analog input signal. In this configuration where the back-end modulator digitizes the error of the (full) front-end modulator, some design constraints of the front-end are relaxed. These design constraints include thermal noise, digital noise cancellation filter complexity (the quantization noise of the front-end is already shaped by the noise transfer function of the front-end), and/or non-linearity. |
| US09178528B1 |
Current impulse (CI) digital-to-analog converter (DAC)
A current impulse (CI) method is provided for converting digital data signals to analog values. First, digital data bits are converted into current impulses. Then, the current impulses are converted into analog currents representing the digital data bits. More typically, the method accepts a k-bit digital word, and converts the k-bit digital word into (k) corresponding current impulses. In one aspect, the method accepts (n) consecutive k-bit digital words. Then, for each bit position in the k-bit digital word, (n) consecutive bits are sampled using (n) consecutive phases of an n-phase clock, creating (n) interleaved current impulses. The (n) interleaved current impulses are converted into an analog current representing the (n) consecutive k-bit digital words. Alternatively, (n) consecutive bits are sampled using (n) consecutive phases of an n-phase clock for each bit position in the k-bit digital word, creating (n) summed current impulses. A CI digital-to-analog converter is also provided. |
| US09178525B2 |
Mismatch corrector
A mismatch corrector can include a correction path comprising a plurality of parallel branches that each includes a correction filter that applies a respective one of a plurality of time domain filter coefficients that corresponds to a function of a mismatch profile of an interleaved analog-to-digital (IADC) signal on the IADC signal. The mismatch corrector can also include a delay path that delays the IADC signal by a predetermined number of samples to provide a delayed version of the IADC signal. The mismatch corrector can further include a summer to subtract an output of each correction filter from the delayed version of the IADC signal to generate a corrected IADC signal. |
| US09178524B1 |
Hybrid R-2R structure for low glitch noise segmented DAC
The apparatus may be an N-bit DAC including (2M−1) parallel stages associated with M most significant bits, and (N-M) stages associated with (N-M) least significant bits. The (2M−1) parallel stages may deliver a first current to current-summing nodes of the DAC. The (N-M) stages may include a resistive network and a second pair of switches, and may deliver a second current to the resistive network of the stage. Each resistive network may scale the respectively delivered currents according to a binary weight of a stage corresponding to the resistive network, and may deliver the scaled currents to the pair of current-summing nodes. At least one of the (N-M) stages may be separated from the remaining stages. |
| US09178523B2 |
Circuitry and methods for use in mixed-signals circuitry
A switching circuit, comprising: a main switch having a control terminal; and a clock-path portion connected to the control terminal of the main switch to apply a driving clock signal thereto so as to drive the main switch, wherein the circuit is configured to controllably apply a biasing voltage to the clock-path portion so as to bias a voltage level of the driving clock signal as applied to the control terminal of the main switch. |
| US09178521B2 |
Fast settling mixed signal phase interpolator with integrated duty cycle correction
Described is an apparatus which comprises: a current steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to receive a digital bus to control current steering; a switch capacitor network to integrate currents from the DAC, the switch capacitor network having switches which are controllable by a plurality of digital clock signals; an output stage to compare the integrated currents against at least two threshold voltages and to generate an output signal; and a duty cycle corrector (DCC) operable to adjust the at least two threshold voltages to modify duty cycle of the output signal. |
| US09178519B2 |
Clock signal generator
A clock generator suitable for use with memory devices enables generation of memory clock signals having odd or even division ratios, an optional phase shift and a 50% duty cycle. First and second clock gate circuits receive a base clock signal and an inverted version thereof, respectively, and are both gated by the output of two comparators that are set when a value of a down counter receiving the base clock signal reaches a predetermined value. The clock gate circuits each include a multiplexer and D-type flip-flop. The output from either flip-flop, or both their outputs ‘ORed’ together, may be used as a memory clock depending on the desired division ratio and phase shift. The generator is particularly suitable for DDR memory applications that require both edges of the clock signal are evenly placed for launching data on both rising and falling edges. |
| US09178510B2 |
Methods and touch devices using multiple sampling frequencies
Techniques for using multiple sampling frequencies to detect the location of touch inputs of a user at a touch panel of a touch device. A determination is made as to which of and second sampling frequencies is provided to a receiver for use in sampling the touch inputs from the touch panel. The user touch inputs are first sampled from the touch panel during first and second successive time frames using first and second different sampling frequencies, respectively. |
| US09178508B2 |
High voltage switch with two or more outputs
Embodiments relate to a single multi-output high-voltage (HV) switch configured to pass multiple HV signals in semiconductor integrated circuits, such as a memory device. By utilizing a single HV switch that shares multiple components, area is reduced and fewer numbers of transistor devices are used to reduce cost. The shared components are selected such that the HV switch configuration provides functionality similar to traditional multiple HV switch configurations. Specifically, common logic shared across different branches of the single HV switch enables the single HV switch to provide multiple HV signals. |
| US09178505B2 |
Cross point switch
A cross point switch, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes a plurality of tri-state repeaters coupled to form a plurality of multiplexers. Each set of corresponding tri-state repeaters in the plurality of multiplexers share a front end module such that delay through the cross point switch due to input capacitance is reduced as compared to conventional cross point switches. |
| US09178504B2 |
Signal transmission device, electronic device, and signal transmission method
A signal transmission device includes: at least one of a first communication device that transmits a control signal as a wireless signal and a second communication device that receives the wireless signal transmitted from the first communication device to reproduce the control signal, wherein the wireless signal for the control signal is transmitted separately from a wireless signal for a transmission subject signal which is transmitted between a third communication device and a fourth communication device. |
| US09178503B2 |
Differential comparator circuit having a wide common mode input range
In one embodiment of the invention, a circuit arrangement is provided. The circuit arrangement includes a plurality of differential amplifiers, coupled in parallel, including at least a first differential amplifier and a second differential amplifier. Each differential amplifier includes an adjustable current control circuit coupled to limit a tail current passing through the differential amplifier. |
| US09178501B2 |
Method for improving signal quality of a digital signal being transmitted through a non-linear device and apparatus using the same
A digital signal processing method has steps of pre-emphasizing a digital signal, and then processing the pre-emphasized digital signal through a non-linear device. In the pre-emphasizing step, an undershoot is applied to a first level of the digital signal at a positive signal transition or an overshoot is applied to the digital signal at a negative first signal transition. |
| US09178500B2 |
System and method for a high speed, high voltage pulse power generator
A pulse generator system and method, including an inductive storage device configured to perform a charging process using a high current received from a first power supply; and a switch that is powered by a second power supply and configured to receive a step signal through a gate driver for controlling a repetition rate of the inductive storage device charging process and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of an output pulse. |
| US09178498B2 |
Reconfigurable multi-path injection locked oscillator
A ring oscillator comprising three or more delay cells, each of which comprises a plurality of differential input leads and a differential output lead, wherein each of the plurality of differential input leads comprises one or more inverters, wherein the three or more delay cells are inter-connected forming a plurality of loop paths, wherein each loop path connects the differential output lead of each delay cell to a corresponding differential input lead of another delay cell, wherein each loop path provides an inverter strength determined by a number of inverters in a corresponding differential input lead of each delay cell, wherein the plurality of loop paths are configured to generate an oscillating signal with an operating frequency, and wherein the operating frequency is tunable by digitally adjusting one or more inverter strengths in one or more of the plurality of loop paths. |
| US09178495B2 |
Establishing a thermal profile across a semiconductor chip
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a semiconductor structure and method for establishing a thermal profile across a semiconductor chip. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor structure comprises a through-silicon via formed in a first semiconductor chip having thermal control circuitry, wherein the through-silicon via is formed in a manner to be thermally coupled to the thermal control circuitry and a region of a second semiconductor chip, and wherein the through-silicon via conducts heat from the thermal control circuitry to the region. In other embodiments, the method comprises forming a through-silicon via in a first semiconductor chip having thermal control circuitry. The method also comprises forming the through-silicon via in a manner to be thermally coupled to the thermal control circuitry and a region of a second semiconductor chip, wherein the through-silicon via conducts heat from the thermal control circuitry to the region. |
| US09178485B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing conducted electromagnetic interference
An EMI filter is described. The filter includes an input, an output, first and second line-side X capacitors, and a line-side Y capacitor. The input includes first and second input terminals. The output includes first and second output terminals. A first conductive path is defined between the first input terminal and the first output terminal. A second conductive path is defined between the second input terminal and the second output terminal. The first line-side X capacitor is coupled between the first conductive path and the second conductive path, and the second line-side X capacitor is coupled between the first conductive path and the second conductive path in series with the first line-side X capacitor. The second line-side X capacitor is coupled to the first line-side X capacitor at a common point. A first end of the line-side Y capacitor is coupled to the common point. |
| US09178480B2 |
Systems and methods for audio difference detection
Systems and methods for audio difference detection include a memory component that stores logic that, when executed by a processor, causes a vehicle amplifier to receive a test input signal for a generic test sequence to determine a standard input signal for producing a desired output response signal, store the standard input signal with standard amplifier settings associated with the standard input signal, and receive an audio signal from a head unit of the vehicle, where the head unit is part of the vehicle audio system for the vehicle in which the vehicle amplifier is utilized. In some embodiments, the logic causes the vehicle amplifier to determine whether there is a difference between the audio signal and the standard input signal and in response to determining there is a difference, and adjust vehicle amplifier settings of the vehicle amplifier, such that vehicle speakers output the desired output response signal. |
| US09178479B2 |
Dynamic range control apparatus
Filters 106-1-106-N divide an input signal 100 into N band-limited signals 107-1-107-N, and multipliers 108-1-108-N carry out dynamic range control of the N band-limited signals 107-1-107-N, respectively. After that, filters 111-1-111-N eliminate odd harmonics caused by the dynamic range control, and a signal synthesis unit 113 combines the signals passing through the filters 111-1-111-N into a single output signal 114. |
| US09178478B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing privacy for telephone conversations
A method and apparatus for providing privacy for telephone conversations over communication networks is disclosed. For example, a telephony endpoint device comprises a microphone for receiving an audio signal and a gain boost circuit, coupled to the microphone, for applying a gain boost to the audio signal. The telephony endpoint device also comprises a switch, coupled to the gain boost circuit, wherein operating the switch will control whether the gain boost is to be applied to the audio signal. |
| US09178475B2 |
Method for operating an amplifier module of a satellite
A method for operating an amplifier module of a communication satellite involves saving at least one configuration parameter of the amplifier module in a non-volatile memory designed to store the configuration parameter when the amplifier module is not energized. The configuration parameter can be loaded from the non-volatile memory and used to configure the amplifier module. |
| US09178473B2 |
Distortion cancellation for low noise amplifier (LNA) non-linear second order products
A device includes a main low noise amplifier (LNA) stage configured to amplify a single-ended communication signal, an auxiliary LNA stage coupled to the main LNA stage, the auxiliary LNA stage configured to cancel non-linear second order products generated by the main LNA stage, and a load circuit configured to receive an output of the main LNA stage and an output of the auxiliary LNA stage, the load circuit configured to convert the single-ended communication signal to a differential signal. |
| US09178469B2 |
Resonation device, electronic apparatus, and moving object
A quartz crystal oscillator as a resonation device includes a substrate, a quartz crystal resonator as a resonator attached with a heating element, terminals adapted to fix the resonator and the substrate to each other, and intermediate members having an electrical insulation property and lower in thermal conductivity than the terminals. The intermediate members intervene between the resonator and the substrate via the terminals, and a gap is disposed between the quartz crystal resonator and the substrate. |
| US09178466B2 |
Transportable photovoltaic system
A transportable photovoltaic system includes a plurality of photovoltaic devices, a composite frame to which the plurality of photovoltaic devices are affixed, and a base structure to which the composite frame is movably attached through at least one variable-angle mount structure. The orientation of the frame and the light concentrating elements relative to the base structure can be altered employing the at least one variable-angle mount structure. The frame and the plurality of photovoltaic devices can be assembled prior to shipping, and the base structure can be manufactured on site. The transportable photovoltaic system is not affixed to ground or other fixture, but can be picked up at any time during the operational lifetime. The transportable photovoltaic system can be rapidly deployed with little or no site preparation requirement other than generally level ground, and can be retracted to a lower exposure position to avoid storm and/or hazardous conditions. |
| US09178465B2 |
Photovoltaic roofing elements including tie layer systems and roofs using them
The present invention relates generally to photovoltaic devices. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic roofing products in which a photovoltaic element is joined to a roofing substrate. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a photovoltaic roofing element comprising: an encapsulated photovoltaic element having a top surface and a bottom surface, a top layer material at its top surface and a bottom layer material at its bottom surface; a roofing substrate having a top surface; and a tie layer system disposed between the encapsulated photovoltaic element and the roofing substrate and joining the bottom surface of the encapsulated photovoltaic element to the top surface of the roofing substrate. |
| US09178464B2 |
Method and system for motor speed control
This invention relates to methods and devices for motor speed control. The invention has particular application in the control of motors over packet networks. In embodiments of the invention, phase-locked loop principles are used to remotely control the speed of an electric motor over a packet network. The setpoint for the motor is supplied by arriving timestamps from a speed-mapped variable frequency source. The shaft speed of the motor is measured with a tachometer with its output proportional to the motor speed. Any deviation of the actual speed from the setpoint is amplified by the power amplifier whose output drives the motor. Speed control over packet networks allow smoother operation of a process, acceleration control, different operating speeds for each process recipe, compensation for changing process variables, slow operation for setup purposes, adjustments to the rate of production, accurate positioning, and control torque or tension of a system. |
| US09178461B2 |
Back electromotive force monitoring circuit, motor drive device, magnetic disk storage device, and electronic appliance
A back electromotive force monitoring circuit has a speed detection voltage generator which biases a back electromotive force generated by a voice coil motor with a predetermined reference voltage to generate a speed detection voltage, and a calculator which generates a motor control signal in accordance with the speed detection voltage. The calculator includes a subtracter which subtracts the reference voltage from the speed detection voltage prior to generation of the motor control signal. |
| US09178459B2 |
Vector control apparatus of induction motor
The present disclosure provides a vector control apparatus that operates by a diameter computation-free winder velocity control algorithm with enhanced operational reliability. The vector control apparatus configured to control tension of a motor free from diameter computation includes a tension velocity generator configured to generate command velocity information for constantly maintaining a tension of the motor by adding a PID (Proportional Integral Differential) output value to a value computing a compensation gain value substituting a diameter computation value of a motor to be controlled and a command linear velocity provided from outside, and a vector controller configured to perform a tension control of the motor by receiving a command velocity information provided the tension velocity generator. |
| US09178458B2 |
Controller of AC motor
A controller of an AC motor includes a d-axis voltage command section to generate a d-axis voltage command on a d axis of a d-q coordinate system. A d-axis non-interactive control section removes, from the d-axis voltage command, an interference component resulting from a current on a q axis of the system. A first current deviation arithmetic section obtains a deviation between a current command on the q axis and the current on the q axis flowing through the AC motor. A q-axis integral control section outputs an integral value of the deviation. A q-axis voltage command section generates a q-axis voltage command based on the deviation. A constant output control section outputs a correction voltage command based on the integral value. A d-axis voltage command correction section subtracts the correction voltage command from the d-axis voltage command after non-interactive control to correct the d-axis voltage command. |
| US09178455B2 |
Control device and method for determining the rotor angle of a synchronous machine
A method for determining the rotor angle of a synchronous machine. In one implementation, the method includes generating a multiplicity of pulse-width-modulated drive signals for the phases of an inverter feeding the synchronous machine depending on a voltage to be fed into the synchronous machine, changing the pulse width modulation frequency of at least one drive signal of the multiplicity of pulse-width-modulated drive signals, with the result that the duration of the switching states of the inverter in which an active voltage phasor is output is extended in order to generate a switching pattern for the phases of the inverter, driving the inverter with the generated switching pattern, determining one or more of neutral point potentials at the neutral point of the synchronous machine during driving of the inverter with the switching pattern, and calculating the rotor angle of the synchronous machine depending on the determined neutral point potentials. |
| US09178454B2 |
Apparatus for controlling rotating machine based on output signal of resolver
A control apparatus controlling a rotating machine includes a signal output unit that outputs an excitation signal to a resolver used for detecting a rotational angle of the rotating machine; a demodulation unit that demodulate a signal related to the rotational angle based on a detection of a modulated signal and the excitation signal so as to output a demodulated signal; a filter that eliminates higher harmonics in the demodulated signal outputted by the demodulation unit so as to output a calculated angle of the rotational angle; and an operating unit that controls a switching element included in a DC-AC conversion circuit to be ON and OFF based on the calculated angle of the rotational angle outputted by the filter, so as to control the rotating machine with an output voltage of the DC-AC conversion circuit supplied to the rotating machine. |
| US09178453B2 |
Driving apparatus for sensorless fan motor
According to the voltage VU that occurs at one end of at least one of multiple coils of a fan motor, a back electromotive force detection circuit generates a detection signal BEMFU asserted in a cyclic manner when a fan motor is stably rotating. A lock protection circuit detects a lock state of the fan motor rotor. A period detection unit measures the detection signal BEMFU period. A synchronization pulse generating circuit generates a synchronization pulse having a period that is 1/N (N represents an integer of 2 or more) of that of the detection signal BEMFU measured in a previous cycle. A lock judgment unit counts the synchronization pulse in increments of cycles of the detection signal BEMFU. When the count value exceeds a predetermined threshold value M (M represents an integer of 2 or more) which is greater than N, the lock mode judgment signal is asserted. |
| US09178452B2 |
Controller for brushless DC motor with low torque ripple and method therefor
A controller for a BLDC motor includes a pulse width modulator and a control circuit. The pulse width modulator provides at least one phase control signal for a corresponding phase of the BLDC motor with a pulse width determined by a duty cycle signal. The duty cycle adjustment circuit has an input for receiving the at least one phase control signal, and an output for providing a corresponding modified phase control signal by adjusting widths of pulses of the at least one phase control signal when an average current in said corresponding phase exceeds a threshold. |
| US09178448B2 |
Power conversion device
A power conversion device for driving a load, including a power conversion device main body configured to receive an input of a power supply voltage and to drive the load, and a brake circuit configured to protect the power conversion device main body from overvoltage applied thereto. The brake circuit includes a Zener diode that becomes conductive when the voltage applied to the power conversion device main body exceeds a predetermined value, to thereby suppress the voltage. |
| US09178444B2 |
Multi-mode flyback control for a switching power converter
In at least one embodiment, an electronic system and method includes a controller to control a switching power converter in at least two different modes of operation depending on whether the controller detects a dimmer or not and/or whether a load requests more power than either of the two operational modes can provide. In at least one embodiment, the controller detects whether a dimmer is phase cutting an input voltage to a switching power converter. The controller operates the switching power converter in a first mode if the dimmer is detected, and the controller operates the switching power converter in a second mode if the dimmer is not detected. The controller also transitions between operating the switching power converter in the first mode and the second mode if a status of detection of the dimmer changes. |
| US09178440B2 |
Apparatus and method for resonant converters
A method for improving a power converter's efficiency comprises providing a resonant converter, wherein the resonant converter comprises an input coupled to a power source, a plurality of power switches coupled to the input, a resonant tank coupled to the plurality of power switches and a controller coupled to the power switches and generating a plurality of gate drive signals for the power switches, wherein the gate drive signals are arranged such that a switching frequency of the resonant converter is in a frequency band. |
| US09178433B2 |
Droop current sharing power converter with controlled transitions between regulation set points
A regulated switching power converter generates a converter output having first and second regulated output values under corresponding operating conditions. The converter output transitions between the first and second output values in response to transition of a trigger signal in a transition window between first and second trigger values. A transition step function is based on transition amplitude, transition interval and number of steps, the transition amplitude being a difference between the first and second regulated output values, and the transition interval being a difference between the first and second trigger values. The transition step function generates a step-like transition signal based on values of the trigger signal between the first and second trigger values. During operation in the transition window, the step-like transition signal is included in the regulation reference value to generate a step-like transition of the converter output between the first and second regulated output values. |
| US09178432B2 |
Phase angle measurement of a dimming circuit for a switching power supply
An example switched mode power supply includes a timer, a threshold adjust circuitry, a comparator, and a control circuitry. The timer times a duration between crossings of a phase-dimmed signal across a first threshold. The threshold adjust circuitry adjusts a second threshold representative of a desired output of the switched mode power supply, where the second threshold is adjusted responsive to the timed duration between crossings. The comparator compares a feedback signal with the second threshold and generates a comparison result. The control circuitry controls switching of a power switch responsive to the comparison result to regulate the output of the switched mode power supply. |
| US09178426B2 |
Three-phase alternating-current power supply switching circuit
An operation circuit is set to a conductive state in a case where a three-phase alternating-current power supply switching circuit receives an R phase and an N phase. An internal switch is set to a non-conductive state in a case where the state of the operation circuit is the conductive state. One contactor electrically connects an input terminal to output terminals in a case where the state of the operation circuit is the conductive state. Another contactor electrically disconnects input terminals from the output terminals in a case where the state of the internal switch is the non-conductive state. |
| US09178423B2 |
Ramp circuit and direct current (DC)-DC converter thereof
Provided are a ramp circuit and a DC-DC converter. The ramp circuit generates a current flowing in a resistor using voltages affected by an output voltage and an input voltage of a DC-DC converter, and generates a ramp signal through copying of the current and charging and discharging of a capacitor using a current mirror unit. The ramp signal is generated by considering the input voltage and the output voltage, and thus the ramp signal has an optimal slope to provide an adaptive response to state change in the input voltage and the output voltage. The DC-DC converter uses such a ramp circuit to facilitate its operation. |
| US09178422B2 |
Resonance-based single inductor output-driven DC-DC converter and method
A resonance-based DC-DC converter for converting a DC input voltage to a first DC output voltage (VOUT1) on a output conductor (9) includes an inductor (L) having a first terminal connected to a source (2) of a DC input voltage (VIN) and a second terminal coupled to a first conductor (4) and a capacitor (CRES) having a first terminal coupled to the first conductor. A first switch (SW1) is coupled between the resonance conductor and the output conductor to conduct inductor current (IL) into the output conductor during a first phase (Phase1). A second switch (SW2) is coupled between a second terminal of the capacitor and the output conductor to conduct inductor current through the capacitor into the output conductor (9) during a second phase (Phase2). A third switch (SW3) is coupled between the second terminal (31) of the capacitor and a first reference voltage (GND) to conduct inductor current from a source of the first reference voltage through the capacitor to the input voltage (VIN) during a third phase (Phase3). |
| US09178418B2 |
Pre-emphasis circuit
An embodiment of a pre-emphasis circuit, an embodiment of a method for pre-emphasizing complementary single-ended signals, an embodiment of a transmitter, and an embodiment of a communication system. |
| US09178410B2 |
Adaptive power conversion system
A power converter includes a plurality of switches electrically coupled to each other for converting input power to output power. Each of the switches is sufficiently isolated to protect adjacent switches upon failure of one or more switches. The power converter also includes a controller for reconfiguring operation of the switches to provide at least a partial operating mode upon a switch failure. |
| US09178408B2 |
Voltage regulators with load-dependent bias
This document describes systems and techniques related to voltage regulators. The subject matter of this document can be embodied in a method that includes measuring an output current of a switching regulator. The switching regulator includes a high-side transistor and a low side-transistor wherein the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are driven using a first gate voltage and a second, different gate voltage, respectively. The method also includes adjusting a direct-current (DC) voltage source of the switching regulator such that the first gate voltage is adjusted in accordance with the measured output current. |
| US09178407B2 |
Battery charger with segmented power path switch
A battery charger circuit having a regulator controller configured to control the switching transistors of a switching voltage regulator. A power path switch is disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a terminal of a battery to be charged, with the power path switch including at least two transistor segments having common respective drain electrodes, common respective source electrodes and separate respective gate electrodes. A power path switch controller operates to sequentially turn ON the at least two transistor segments of the power path switch, preferably in the order of a decreasing ON resistance. |
| US09178403B2 |
Laminated body manufacturing method
A laminated body manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an annular laminated body in which each layer is defined by a plurality of segments is provided with a feeding unit that sequentially feeds a plurality of parts to be processed on a band-like sheet material to a predetermined processing position; a processing unit that separates the segment from each part to be processed by a shearing processing in the processing position; and a laminating unit that receives the segment that is separated and lowered onto the plurality of segments that are lowered and defining one layer in advance and that rotates the received segment by a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction of the segment, each time when the shearing processing is performed, so as to place the sequentially lowered segment in a position to define the laminated body. |
| US09178401B2 |
Linear motor
An armature of a linear motor includes a plurality of cooling pipe storage holes formed along a longitudinal direction of a core, and a plurality of cooling pipes stored vertically in the cooling pipe storage holes and having a meander shape. The cooling pipes vertically adjacent to each other are arranged such that inlets and outlets of the cooling pipes are alternately connected in parallel to a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet in order to allow a refrigerant to flow in the reverse direction. |
| US09178393B2 |
Multiple pole spherical stepping motor and multiple pole spherical AC servo motor
Provided is a means for mitigating strict constraints between a virtual polyhedron inscribed in a rotor and a virtual polyhedron inscribed in a stator of a spherical stepping motor and a spherical AC servo motor and drastically increasing the degree of freedom in design. The above problem is solved by disposing permanent magnets at points of division of the sides of the virtual polyhedron inscribed in the rotor and electromagnets at points of division of the sides of the virtual polyhedron inscribed in the stator. A multiple pole spherical stepping motor and a multiple pole spherical AC servo motor include a rotor with permanent magnets disposed at the vertexes of a virtual polyhedron inscribed in a sphere and at points of division of arcs corresponding to the sides connecting the vertexes, and a stator with electromagnets disposed at the vertexes of a virtual polyhedron inscribed in a sphere containing the sphere of the rotor and at points of division of arcs corresponding to the sides connecting the vertexes. |
| US09178391B2 |
Permanent magnet modules and rotors
A permanent magnet rotor comprising a rotor rim and a plurality of permanent magnet modules arranged on the outer or inner circumference of the rotor rim. The permanent magnet modules comprise a base adapted to be fixed to the rotor rim, one or more permanent magnets, and a central magnet support structure. The base and the central magnet support structure comprise a plurality of radial holes. The permanent magnet modules are adapted so that, when bolts are inserted in the radial holes to fix the central magnet support structure to the base, at least a portion of a first and a second surface of each permanent magnet remain substantially in conforming contact with a surface of the base and a surface of the central magnet support structure, respectively. |
| US09178386B2 |
State-matrix-independent dynamic process estimation method in real-time for weakly observable measurement nodes without PMU
A state-matrix-independent dynamic process estimation method in real-time for weakly observable measurement nodes without Phasor Measurement Unit(PMU) is only dependent on real-time measurement dynamic data of measurement nodes with PMU and measurement data of Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in electric power system or state estimation data. According to the SCADA measurement data or state estimation data at some continuous moments, the method utilizes recursive least squares solution to find a linear combination relationship between variation of measurement parameter to be estimated of nodes without PMU and variation of corresponding measurement parameter of nodes with PMU. Using the linear combination of relationship, the dynamic process of measurement nodes without PMU is estimated in real-time. The method provides high estimation precision and meets error requirements of engineering application. |
| US09178383B2 |
Control and diagnostics of multiple electrical generating machines using an external voltage regulator
An electrical system for an automotive vehicle has a plurality of electrical generating machines having field windings energized by pulse width modulated drive signals generated by an external electronic voltage regulator. The pulse width modulated drive signals have a duty cycle determined by the electronic voltage regulator. A controller selects one of electrical generating machines to evaluate for failure and evaluates that electrical generating machine for failure by causing the PWM drive signal for the field windings of that electrical generating machine to be disabled. The controller then determines that this electrical generating machine has failed if the duty cycle for the PWM drive signals has then not been increased by the electronic voltage regulator by a pre-determined amount. The electrical generating machines are either generators or alternators. In an aspect, the PWM drive signals for the plurality of electrical generating machines are out of phase with each other. |
| US09178382B2 |
Reversible buck or boost converter that determines boost output current from sensed boost input current
A reversible buck or boost converter is operable in a buck mode and in a boost mode. In the buck mode, the converter receives a supply voltage via an input terminal and generates a charging current that is supplied to a battery, thereby charging the battery. The supply voltage is also supplied through the converter to an output terminal. In a boost mode, the converter receives power from the battery and generates a supply current and voltage that is output onto the output terminal. The same single current sense resistor is used both to control the charging current in the buck mode and to control a constant current supplied to the output terminal in the boost mode. The output current is controlled to be constant, regardless of changes in the in the battery voltage and changes in the output voltage. |
| US09178380B2 |
Charger apparatus capable of determining deterioration of second battery
A charger includes an output circuit unit to output a charging current to a secondary battery, a voltage detection unit to detect a voltage of the secondary battery, and a control unit to control the output circuit unit, whereby constant current charging and constant voltage charging are performed. The control unit decreases a constant current value of the charging current by stages during the constant current charging and determines that the secondary battery has deteriorated by using a first voltage drop value of the secondary battery occurring upon first conversion and a second voltage drop value of the secondary battery occurring upon second conversion. |
| US09178374B2 |
Power management in electronic device case
A method of performing power management in a protective case for a mobile computing device is provided. The method includes receiving electrical current from a power source connected to the protective case. The methods also includes commanding the mobile computing device to consume no more than a specified amount of the received electrical current by transmitting a data communication from the protective case to the mobile computing device indicating the specified amount of the received electrical current. The method further includes monitoring an amount of the received electrical current consumed by the mobile computing device and distributing at least a portion of the received electrical current not consumed by the mobile computing device to a rechargeable battery of the protective case. |
| US09178373B2 |
Alternator control system and method
An alternator control system for an alternator having an internal output voltage regulator that measures and regulates the charging voltage through an internal feedback line may include a switch on the internal feedback line; a variable voltage source connected to the internal output voltage regulator; an external feedback line configured to be connected to measure a condition of the battery receiving the charging voltage at the battery; and a controller connected to receive a signal corresponding to the condition of the battery over the external feedback line, and in response thereto, selectively open the switch, and selectively actuate the variable voltage source to selectively vary the voltage input to the internal output voltage regulator, thereby causing the internal output voltage regulator to signal the alternator to correspondingly vary the output voltage so that a voltage reaching the battery is at a pre-set value. |
| US09178368B2 |
System and method for information handling system battery charge protection and fault alarm
An information handling system battery has first and second protective circuits to detect and address faults for a first charge applied from an external power source to an integrated charger and a second charge applied from a charger of an information handling system to battery cells. If the first protective circuit detects a fault associated with the integrated charger, charging of the battery cells is still supported by inserting the battery in an information handling system. If the second protective circuit detects a fault, the battery becomes inoperative by disconnecting the battery cells. An indicator, such as LEDs on the battery casing, indicates whether a soft or hard fault has occurred. |
| US09178366B2 |
Battery monitor circuit, storage apparatus, electronic apparatus, electric-powered vehicle, and power system
A battery monitor circuit includes a first monitoring unit for detecting voltages of battery cells in a first group, a second monitoring unit for detecting voltages of battery cells in a second group, and a current cancellation unit for canceling a difference between first and second currents that flow through the first and second monitoring units, respectively. One terminal of a series connection of the battery cells in the first and second groups and one terminal of the first monitoring unit are connected, the other terminal of the first monitoring unit and one terminal of the second monitoring unit are connected, and the other terminal of the second monitoring unit and the other terminal of the series connection are connected. The current cancellation unit is disposed between a connection point between the first and second monitoring units and a middle connection point in the middle of the series connection. |
| US09178352B2 |
Performance and isolation improvements for digitally controlled AC attenuation and protection circuits
A protection and attenuation circuit for sensitive AC loads is described. The circuit provides AC power protection and attenuation utilizing high-efficiency switch-mode techniques to attenuate an AC power signal by incorporating a bidirectional, transistorized switch driven from a pulse width modulation signal, PWM. The circuit monitors characteristics of the AC power signal driving a known load and characteristics of the load or other elements and determines the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal, PWM, based upon the duration and amplitude of the over-voltage, over-current, over-limit or other event. |
| US09178348B2 |
DC voltage line circuit breaker
A direct current circuit breaker has a first to fifth node. A first breaker is arranged between the first node and the fourth node, and a second breaker is arranged between the fourth node and the third node. A parallel circuit of a commutator device is arranged parallel to an energy absorber between the fourth node and the fifth node, and a switch is arranged in series to the parallel circuit. A series circuit containing a semiconductor switch and a resistor is arranged between the second node and the third node. |
| US09178346B2 |
Electric junction box, molding and processing dies therefor
An electric junction box, comprises a plurality of bus-bars spaced apart from each other, and a case made of a resin, covering the plurality of bus-bars and including a window for exposing a portion of the plurality of bus-bars, wherein the window has a first edge located at respective exposed portions of the plurality of bus-bars and a second edge located between the respective exposed portions of the plurality of bus-bars; and the first edge is formed along a virtual line that is at an angle with respect to an extending direction of the bus-bars, and the second edge is formed with a depressed area having a shape of a rectangular triangle whose slope is the virtual line. |
| US09178345B2 |
Cable assembly having quick-locking connector and premise wiring systems utilizing same
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a cable assembly for adapting to a premise wiring system, whereby the cables utilized therewith comprise quick-locking connectors thereon. In one embodiment of the present invention, a cable assembly comprises a first cable having a cable portion and a connector on a first end of the first cable, the connector comprising an interface and a locking means for securely engaging a second cable; a housing comprising a body having an aperture therethrough for receiving the first cable, the housing having a panel locking means for engaging a panel, and the panel for securing to a substantially rigid structure, having at least one port therethrough; wherein when the housing engages the panel, the interface of the connector of the first cable is accessible from a side of the panel. |
| US09178342B2 |
Wire trough
A wire trough includes a body having back walls that engage the surfaces of a wall and a ceiling in a room. Side walls extend from the back walls to provide a horizontal and a vertical surface for stubbing in conduits. The trough also includes a cover that is used to permit access to an interior space in the wire trough. Multiple troughs may be assembled together to extend the length of the trough. Conduits may also be stubbed into the ends of the trough. |
| US09178341B2 |
Fishing adapter
The present invention concerns fishing adapters for pilling a cable or the like through a hole drilled in a wall or other structure and in one aspect comprises a drill bit connector to enable the adapter to be demountably attached to a drill bit and an item connector to enable a cable or other elongate/linear item to be attached to the adapter, wherein the adapter further has a rotary coupling between the drill bit connector and the item connector to permit the drill bit to rotate as the adapter with cable or other elongate/linear item attached is pulled through a drilled hole without significantly twisting said cable or other elongate/linear item. |
| US09178340B2 |
Conductor stringing apparatus and process
A line stringing apparatus includes in combination an electric motor, motor controller and a processor switchable between a pulling mode and a tensioning mode. An electric motor expends electrical energy when pulling the line and generates electrical energy when tensioning the line. The processor outputting commands to the motor controller for control thereof and for application of electrical energy from the batteries to the electric motor when in the pulling mode and for application of electrical energy generated by the electric motor to the plurality of batteries when in tensioning mode. The processor limits electric motor torque and speed based on operator commands for speed and torque in said pulling mode; and, the processor controlling electric motor torque in the tensioning mode. |
| US09178338B2 |
Angular adjustable rear stud for molded case circuit breaker
An adjustable rear stud connector is suitable for connecting a circuit breaker to a bus bar. Rear stud connectors are rotationally adjustable to contact a corresponding bus bar, while minimizing the stress applied to the rear stud connector when connected. The rear stud connector includes a rear stud, including a stud blade and a stud base, and a rear stud adapter including an adapter base and an adapter mount. The adapter base includes a plurality of connector holes for connecting the stud base to the adapter base with fasteners. The stud base includes a plurality of circumferentially extending slots, with reference to a center axis of the stud base, for connecting the stud base to the adapter base with fasteners and to allow for a degree of positional flexibility of the stud base relative to the adapter base in a circumferential direction with respect to the center axis. |
| US09178335B2 |
Spark gap arrangement comprising two preferably flat, opposing electrodes that are held apart in a housing body
The invention relates to a spark gap arrangement comprising two preferably flat, opposing electrodes (1) that are held apart in a housing body (13), said electrodes forming an arc combustion chamber, and comprising a gas-cooling and pressure-compensating chamber that is connected to the arc combustion chamber. According to the invention, the housing body (13) is formed from two half-shells (14, 16), each of which has first recesses that lie opposite each other in one plane for electrode connecting limbs (3), said limbs being connected to a connecting terminal (15) on the outside of the housing body. Each of the half-shells (14, 16) has a first space for receiving an insulating material support (11) for the electrodes (1) and a second space for receiving a cooling block (8), which has channels, with a high heat capacity. Furthermore, a U-shaped clamp (9) that is connected to the half-shells in a mechanical and pressure-resistant manner is provided at least in the receiving region of the cooling block (8) such that said clamp encompasses the half-shells (14, 16) on the outside. |
| US09178330B2 |
Apparatus and method for utilization of a high-speed optical wavelength tuning source
Exemplary embodiments of apparatus, source arrangement and method for, e.g., providing high-speed wavelength tuning can be provided. According to one exemplary embodiment, at least one arrangement can be provided which is configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation that (i) has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes at an absolute rate that is greater than about 6000 (or 2000) terahertz per millisecond, (ii) whose mean frequency changes over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz, and/or (iii) has an instantaneous line width that is less than about 15 gigahertz. According to another exemplary embodiment, at least one arrangement can be provided configured to, periodically and as a function of time, select at least one first electro-magnetic radiation based on a mean frequency of the at least one first electro-magnetic radiation, with the periodic selection being performed at a first characteristic period. The mean frequency can vary linearly over time, wherein the apparatus can emit at least one second electromagnetic radiation that has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes periodically as a function of time with a second characteristic period. Further, the first characteristic period can be greater than the second characteristic period. |
| US09178329B2 |
Laser design
A laser gain element including an undoped layer of a monoclinic double tungstate (MDT) crystal, and a method of forming a laser gain element are provided. The laser gain element includes a layer of doped MDT crystal adjacent to the undoped layer, the doped MDT layer including a pre-selected concentration of rare earth ions. The layer of doped MDT crystal has an absorption peak at a first wavelength and an emission peak at a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength; and the layer of doped MDT crystal has a fluorescence emission with a weighted average at a third wavelength shorter than the first wavelength. A laser resonator cavity formed with a plurality of composite gain elements as above is also provided. |
| US09178328B2 |
Shielded sockets for microprocessors and fabrication thereof by overmolding and plating
Shielded sockets for microprocessors and fabrication of shielded sockets by overmolding and plating techniques are described. In an example, a socket for a packaged semiconductor device includes a plastic housing having walls surrounding a cavity. A plurality of contact strips is disposed in the cavity and supported by one or more of the walls of the plastic housing. Each of the plurality of contact strips includes a plurality of contacts. Each of the plurality of contacts includes a vertical region overmolded with plastic, a contact portion, and a J-lead portion. The plastic is coated with a metal layer. |
| US09178326B2 |
Connector
The movable portion of the first terminal of the first connector is formed to be larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion of the second terminal of the second connector is formed to be larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction of the connector. Therefore, the movable portions can be formed with an increased cross-sectional area, thereby enabling the allowable current of the terminals to be increased, unlike a configuration in which the movable portion is elastically deformable to a sufficient extent both in the front-back direction and in the width direction of the connector. |
| US09178325B2 |
Low profile connector
An electrical connector comprises a housing having a front side and a rear side, a cage and a detection switch. The cage is engaged with the housing, the cage and the housing together define a slot, and an entrance of the slot is adjacent to the front side so as to allow an electronic card to enter into the slot along a card insertion direction. The detection switch is provided to the housing and comprises a first resilient terminal and a second resilient terminal. The second end portion is further adjacent to the front side relative and when the electronic card is received in the slot, the first resilient arm portion is separated from the second end portion. |
| US09178322B2 |
Electrical connector having improved shielding members
An electrical connector (100) comprises an insulating housing (1) with a plurality of signal contacts (31) and a plurality of grounding contacts (30) received therein, a shielding member (2) and a connecting member (4) set in the insulating housing (1), the shielding member (2) locates around the signal contacts (31), each of the grounding contacts (30) includes a body portion (300), a spring arm (301) extending upwardly from the body portion (300) and a tail portion (302) extending downwardly from the body portion (300), the spring arm (301) includes a contact portion (3010) at the end thereof, the connecting member (4) connects the contact portion (3010) and the tail portion (302) with the shielding member (2). |
| US09178320B2 |
High speed high density connector assembly
An electrical connector (50; 70; 80; 90; 91) includes a number of contact wafers (502; 61; 71; 822; 920) stacked with each other along a transverse direction. Each contact wafer includes a conductive body, one or more shielding members (53; 68; 720; 900) mounted to and electrically connecting with the conductive body, and a number of contact modules each including an insulator (550; 621) and a pair of contacts (551; 620; 921) fixed by the insulator, the pair of contacts of each contact module being shielded by the conductive body and the one or more shielding members. |
| US09178315B2 |
Cable connector assembly with an improved grounding contact
A cable connector assembly comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of first contacts and second contacts, a cable electrically connected with the contacts, a metallic shell enclosing the insulative housing. The first contacts are received in the first tongue, and the second contacts are held in the second tongue, the second contacts have a grounding contact in the middle thereof. The cable has an aluminum foil, and a front part of the aluminum foil is stripped away. The grounding contact has an extending configuration extending beyond back ends of other contacts along a front to back direction and a pair of soldering portions on both sides of the extending configuration, the extending configuration has a Z-shaped cross-section and extends rearwards to a front end of the aluminum foil. |
| US09178312B2 |
Charging port locking device
A charging port locking device is provided that basically includes a charging port and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism achieves both locked and unlocked states by rotational movement of the restricting member. The restricting member is configured in the lock state with respect a reference line connecting a center of rotation of the restricting member and the center of width of the engaging portion as seen in a top view such that a top view area of the restricting member from the reference line in the rotational direction toward a restricting state is smaller than a top view area of the restricting member from the reference line in the rotational direction toward a non-restricting state. |
| US09178311B1 |
USB connector with ejectable memory card
According to one general aspect, an apparatus includes a connector receptacle coupled to an electronic device. The connector receptacle is configured to receive a universal serial bus (USB) connector and a Micro SIM card. A connection member is disposed within the connector receptacle and configured to provide electrical communication between the Micro SIM card and the electronic device when the Micro SIM card is coupled to the connector receptacle. In some implementations, the electrical connector can also provide electrical communication between a USB connector and the electronic device when the USB connector is coupled thereto. |
| US09178309B2 |
Socket with a metal fitting with a lock portion movable in a width direction
A header-side holding metal fitting 40 is provided with lock piece portions 42, which are movable in a width direction X of a connector 1 (a header housing 21) relative to a connection piece (a base portion) 41 of the header-side holding metal fitting 40. A socket-side holding metal fitting 30 is provided with lock holes (lock portions) 37 which are lockable to the lock piece portions 42. |
| US09178305B2 |
Arrangement for establishing and breaking a connection between a plug and a mating plug by pivoting lever arranged on the plug
Arrangement for establishing and/or breaking a connection between a plug and a complementary mating plug, wherein a lever which can be pivoted about an axis is arranged on the plug. The connection between the plug and the mating plug can be broken when the lever is pivoted into a disconnection position and/or can be established when the lever is pivoted into a connection position. The plug is, in particular, a switch module, for example a tripping module for a mating plug which is in the form of a circuit breaker. |
| US09178301B2 |
Waterproof connector and wire seal
A wire seal for a waterproof connector having a seal body with a mating end surface and a terminal end surface, a plurality of wire insertion passageways extending through the seal body from the mating end surface to the terminal end surface, inner seal projections disposed on an inner peripheral wall of each of the wire insertion passageways, and relief grooves disposed on the mating end surface and the terminal end surface between adjacent wire insertion passageways. |
| US09178297B2 |
Flat cable connector
A flat cable connector is provides that includes a housing, a contact, and a cover member. The housing includes a top surface, a side surface adjacent the top surface, and a lock section disposed along the side surface. The contact is received in the housing and includes a portion protruding from the top surface. The cover member includes a planar surface and a lock extending from the planar surface and engageable with the lock section. |
| US09178295B1 |
Flexible printed circuit board having gold fingers
The present invention provides a flexible printed circuit board having gold fingers, comprising a base sheet, a metallic layer and a protective sheet. The base sheet has a plurality of voids thereon. The metallic layer is provided on the base sheet, and has at least one plated through hole. The protective sheet is provided on the base sheet and the metallic layer to expose a portion of the metallic layer and the plated through hole. The flexible printed circuit board may electrically be connected to a conductive terminal of a rigid printed circuit board with one gold finger and electrically be connected to a system with another gold finger. The plated through hole has a function of heat conduction and soldering, and the voids of the flexible printed circuit board can provide a space for overflowing solder and heat dissipation. |
| US09178289B2 |
Joint bodies and methods for covering electrical cables and connections
A joint body for protecting an electrical cable connection including an electrical cable includes an expandable, elastomeric bladder sleeve and an electrically insulating gel. The bladder sleeve defines a gel cavity and a cable passage to receive the electrical cable. The gel is disposed in the gel cavity and surrounds at least a portion of the cable passage. The joint body is configured to be installed on the connection such that the connection is disposed in the cable passage and is surrounded and electrically insulated by the gel. |
| US09178287B2 |
Multi-core cable assembly
A multi-core cable assembly is formed by arranging a plurality of cables side by side and connecting the cables to a substrate 30 which is a connection member. The plurality of cables configure flat cable units 10, 20 for each diameter of cables, and ground bars 16, 27 are fixed thereto so as to be electrically connected with a shield member included in the cable. Each of ground bars 16, 27 are electrically connected to a ground pad 31 of the substrate 30. The ground bars 16, 27 adjacent to each other are disposed to be shifted in a longitudinal direction of the cable. In addition, two ground bars 16, 27 interposing the other one ground bar and positioned at both sides thereof are disposed in a position overlapped in the longitudinal direction of the cables. |
| US09178278B2 |
Distributed loop antennas with extended tails
Electronic devices may be provided with antenna structures such as distributed loop antenna resonating element structures. A distributed loop antenna may be formed on an elongated dielectric carrier and may have a longitudinal axis. The distributed loop antenna may include a loop antenna resonating element formed from a sheet of conductive material that extends around the longitudinal axis. A gap may be formed in the sheet of conductive material. The gap may be located under an opaque masking layer on the underside of a display cover glass associated with a display. The loop antenna resonating element may have a main body portion that includes the gap and may have an extended tail portion that extends between the display and conductive housing structures. The main body portion and extended tail portion may be configured to ensure that undesired waveguide modes are cut off during operation of the loop antenna. |
| US09178277B1 |
Synthesized-beam RFID reader system with gain compensation and unactivated antenna element coupling suppression
A synthesized-beam transceiver system steers a beam of a two-dimensional antenna array by activating a first subset of antenna elements to orient the beam in a first direction and subsequently activating a second subset of the antenna elements to orient the beam in a different direction. The system also electrically connects antenna elements that are inactive, not in the first subset, or not in the second subset to a reference potential of the array. |
| US09178276B1 |
Widely varied reconfigurable aperture antenna system utilizing ultra-fast transitioned aperture material
A reconfigurable antenna system is provided. The reconfigurable antenna system includes a substrate and a vanadium dioxide film deposited on a surface of the substrate. The vanadium dioxide film is configured to transition from a first phase to a second phase in response to a stimulant, such as coherent laser light. The reconfigurable antenna system also includes a transition source such as an optical engine configured to stimulate the vanadium dioxide film from the first phase to the second phase. The reconfigurable antenna system also includes a microcontroller in communication with the transition source. The microcontroller is configured to change a configuration of the reconfigurable antenna system by providing the transition source to the film according to a predetermined antenna image, the configuration of the reconfigurable antenna system including at least one of the radiation polarization, an operating frequency, and radiation pattern of the reconfigurable antenna system. |
| US09178272B2 |
Highly integrated multiband shark fin antenna for a vehicle
A multiband shark fin antenna for a vehicle may include at least one transmitting and one receiving antenna element from the group consisting of AM/FM antennas, telephone and RKE antennas, GPS antenna, SDARS antenna, stacked patch antenna, DAP antenna, WLAN antenna, WIMAX antenna or DRM antenna. The antenna elements are disposed beneath a joint shark fin-shaped outer cover on the exterior of the vehicle. On the inside, the shark fin-shaped outer cover includes an antenna circuit board having the antenna elements disposed thereon. Electronic adjustment or amplifier circuits including a transceiver, tuner or receiver are disposed on both the upper and lower faces of the antenna circuit board. Shielding plates, which shield the adjustment or amplifier circuits with respect to the antenna elements, are disposed on the upper side of the antenna circuit board. |
| US09178271B2 |
Electronic devices
Disclosed are electronic devices. The electronic device includes a metal component configured as an antenna arm, wherein a current delivery path for delivering high-frequency current is formed on the metal component so that the high-frequency current is delivered in accordance with a predetermined path along the current delivery path on the metal component. In this way, the delivery path of the high-frequency current on the antenna can be adjusted to satisfy requirement on antenna performance. |
| US09178261B2 |
Vertical microcoaxial interconnects
In one embodiment, a vertical microcoaxial interconnect includes a dielectric substrate having a top side and a bottom side, an inner conductor extending through the substrate from its top side to its bottom side, an outer conductor that extends through the substrate from its top side to its bottom side, the outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, a signal line extending to the inner conductor without contacting the outer conductor, and a ground line extending to the outer conductor without contacting the inner conductor or the signal line. |
| US09178257B2 |
First and second microstrip networks stacked in an inverted arrangement to each other using an integrated support and shielding structure
An assembly includes at least one first microstrip network having at least one first transmission line disposed on a first surface of a first dielectric layer including a first ground plane disposed on a second surface of the dielectric layer. At least one second microstrip network includes at least one second transmission line disposed on a first surface of a second dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer including a second ground plane disposed on a second surface of the second dielectric layer. The at least one second microstrip network is inverted relative to the at least one first microstrip network. At least one integrated support and shielding (ISS) structure is disposed between the second and the first microstrip network. The ISS structure includes a first cavity accommodating the first microstrip network and a second cavity accommodating the second microstrip network. The cavities are configured in accordance with RF performance criterions. |
| US09178254B2 |
Lithium air battery
A lithium air battery including: a negative electrode including lithium; a positive electrode using oxygen as a positive active material; and an organic electrolyte, wherein the organic electrolyte includes a metal-ligand complex. |
| US09178248B2 |
Solid-state electrolytes for rechargeable lithium batteries
A lithium ion battery cell. The lithium ion battery cell includes a lithium-based anode, a cathode, and a solid-state electrolyte positioned between the lithium-based anode and the cathode. The cathode comprises an alkylammonium cation lithium phthalocyanine anion complex. The solid-state electrolyte comprises an alkoxyalkylammonium cation lithium phthalocyanine anion complex. |
| US09178243B2 |
Porous support for electrochemical reaction cell high-density integration, and electrochemical reaction cell stack and electrochemical reaction system comprising the porous support for electrochemical reaction cell high-density integration
The invention provides a porous support for integrating electrochemical reaction cells with high-density, having a plurality of through-holes, an electrochemical reaction cell stack and an electrochemical reaction system comprising the porous support for integrating electrochemical reaction cells with high-density, and the invention relates to a support for integrating electrochemical reaction cells with high-density, in which a plurality of through-holes provided in a porous support act as structural supports for electrochemical reaction cells, to an electrochemical reaction cell stack in which electrochemical reaction unit cells are integrated at a high density using the porous support, to an electrochemical reaction system comprising the electrochemical reaction cell stack, and to a manufacturing method thereof, and the present invention enables to provide a porous support for integrating electrochemical reaction cells with high-density, an electrochemical reaction cell stack and an electrochemical reaction system that can simultaneously realize a size reduction and higher-density integration of the electrochemical reaction cell stack as a unit cell integration product. |
| US09178240B2 |
System and process for aluminization of metal-containing substrates
A system and method are detailed for aluminizing surfaces of metallic substrates, parts, and components with a protective alumina layer in-situ. Aluminum (Al) foil sandwiched between the metallic components and a refractory material when heated in an oxidizing gas under a compression load at a selected temperature forms the protective alumina coating on the surface of the metallic components. The alumina coating minimizes evaporation of volatile metals from the metallic substrates, parts, and components in assembled devices during operation at high temperature that can degrade performance. |
| US09178237B2 |
Conductive composition and method of preparation, polymer thereof, and electrode, electrolyte membrane and fuel cell including the composition or polymer
A conductive composition, a polymer obtained from the conductive composition, a method of preparing the composition, an electrode and electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell, each including at least one of the composition and the polymer, and a fuel cell including at least one of the composition and the polymer. The conductive composition includes at least one benzoxazine-based compound with a conductive functional group and a cross-linkable compound. A composition including a conductive functional group and a polymer that is a polymerization product of the composition demonstrates good resistance to chemicals, heat, and acid. An electrode for fuel cells that includes the same demonstrates improved electrical conductivity. |
| US09178221B2 |
Electrochemical device having a solid alkaline ion-conducting electrolyte and an aqueous electrolyte
The present invention relates to an alkaline cation-conducting ceramic membrane covered, over at least a portion of the surface thereof, with a cation-conducting organic polyelectrolyte layer that is insoluble and chemically stable in pH-basic water. The invention also relates to an electrochemical device including such a membrane as a solid electrolyte in contact with a liquid electrolyte formed of an alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution. |
| US09178216B2 |
Lithium ion battery cathode and lithium ion battery using the same
The present disclosure relates to a lithium ion battery cathode. The lithium ion battery cathode includes a plurality of cathode active material particles and a conductive carrier. The conductive carrier includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The plurality of carbon nanotubes are entangled with each other to form a net structure. The present disclosure also relates to a lithium ion battery. |