最新美国发明专利第2015-11-24期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

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US09196895B2	Sealed secondary battery Provided is a sealed secondary battery having a current interrupt mechanism with a high heat resistance that prevents fusion of the current collecting plate by the Joule heat generated during high-rate charge and discharged. A current interrupt mechanism 80 of a sealed secondary battery 10 provided in accordance with the present invention is configured such that when the internal pressure inside a battery case 12 rises above the predetermined level, a current interrupt valve 30 is deformed by the internal pressure in a direction of separating from a rectangular plate-shaped current collecting plate 72 and the current collecting plate breaks in the portion of an annular groove 79 of a central thin section 74 of the current collecting plate.
US09196894B2	Rechargeable battery pack A rechargeable battery including a bare cell having an end portion including a first surface portion and a second surface portion projecting from the first surface portion; an insulating member having a first insulating portion attached to the first surface portion and a second insulating portion attached to the second surface portion, the second insulating portion being partially separated from the second surface portion, the first insulating portion forming an angle with the second insulating portion; and a protection circuit module electrically connected to the bare cell, the protection circuit module being disposed on the second insulating member.
US09196890B2	Battery module with welded portion between terminals A battery module including a plurality of rechargeable batteries, and a connector for connecting a first terminal of one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries and including a first material to a second terminal of another one of the plurality of rechargeable batteries and including a second material, wherein the connector includes: a first portion connected to the first terminal and including the first material; and a second portion connected to the second terminal and including the second material, and a welded portion connecting the first portion and the second portion.
US09196887B2	Assembled battery wiring member and assembled battery module An assembled battery wiring member for an assembled battery that plural single cells each having a positive terminal and a negative terminal are arranged in a predetermined array direction and the positive terminal of one of a pair of single cells adjacent in the array direction is connected to the negative terminal of another single cell one after another by a conductive coupling member. It includes a flat cable including plural linear conductors arranged parallel to each other and an insulating film covering the plural linear conductors, and a connecting member to connect the plural linear conductors to the coupling member. The connecting member includes a plate-shaped conductor and an insulation covering the conductor, one end of the conductor is connected to the coupling member and another end of the conductor is connected to the linear conductor through an opening formed in the insulation film of the flat cable.
US09196886B2	Secondary battery having insulation bag A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, an insulation bag, a case, and a cap plate. The electrode assembly includes first and second electrodes, and a separator between the electrodes. The insulation bag has an open top and houses the electrode assembly. The case houses the electrode assembly and the insulation bag. The cap plate seals the case. The insulation bag includes first and second side surface portions, and first and second extending portions. The first and second side surface portions face one another and extend from one side to an opposite side. The first extending portion extends from an upper end of the first side surface portion at the one side. The second extending portion extends from an upper end of the second side surface portion at the opposite side.
US09196885B2	Lamination type secondary batteries The present invention provides a lamination type secondary battery in which separators are prevented from becoming wrinkled and are free from laminating dislocation. An aspect of the present invention is a lamination type secondary battery in which a plurality of planar positive electrodes (2) and negative electrodes (3) are alternately laminated. The lamination type secondary battery includes a plurality of pairs of separators (4′), an intermittent joining section (6), and an outer periphery joining section (7). Each pair of separators (4′) sandwiches and coats at least one among from the positive electrodes (2) and the negative electrodes (3). The intermittent joining section (6) is arranged at predetermined intervals along an outer periphery of each of the positive electrodes (2) or each of the negative electrodes (3). The intermittent joining section (6) is a section that joins the pair of separators (4′). The outer periphery joining section (7) partly joins the outer peripheries of the pair of separators (4′) such that the outer periphery joining section (7) is harder than the other sections.
US09196877B2	Battery cell isolation system A method and apparatus comprising a number of battery cells, a housing having a plurality of channels, an assembly, and a number of grooves. The housing is configured to hold the number of battery cells. The assembly is configured to separate the number of battery cells from the housing in which the housing has the plurality of channels. The number of grooves is formed by the assembly and surfaces of the number of battery cells.
US09196873B1	Display panel pixel unit and display panel using the same A display panel pixel unit and display panel using the same is provided. The display panel pixel unit includes a first electrode layer, a light-emitting element, and a light-filtering layer. The light-emitting element is disposed on the first electrode layer. The light-emitting element has a light-emitting surface on the side opposite to the first electrode layer. The light-filtering layer is above the first electrode layer and forms a space with the first electrode layer to contain at least a portion of the light-emitting element. The light-filtering layer has a light-filtering area corresponding to the area of the first electrode layer that is exposed by the light-emitting element and light-transmissible area corresponding to the light-emitting surface.
US09196872B2	Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same Provided is an organic light-emitting display apparatus that includes a display substrate; a plurality of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) that are disposed on the display substrate and are separated by a pixel defining layer; an encapsulation substrate that is disposed facing the display substrate and covers the OLEDs; and a filling material that is disposed between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate and disposed corresponding to the pixel defining layer, wherein the filling material includes a material that absorbs visible light and a method manufacturing the organic light-emitting display apparatus.
US09196870B2	Organic light-emitting diode In at least one embodiment of the organic light-emitting diode (1), this comprises a mirror (3) and an organic layer sequence (4). The organic layer sequence (4) contains a first active layer (41) for producing first radiation and at least two second active layers (42, 43) for producing second radiation. The active layers (41, 42, 43) are arranged one above the other in a main direction (x) away from the mirror (3). A charge generation layer (45) is located in each case between two adjacent active layers (41, 42, 43). The second active layers (42, 43) each have the same at least two radiation active organic materials. The first active layer (41) has a radiation active organic material which is different therefrom.
US09196865B2	Organic light-emitting display apparatus An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a first substrate; an insulating layer on the first substrate; a signal wiring on the insulating layer; an organic light-emitting device on the first substrate, the organic light-emitting device defining an active area and including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer between the first and second electrodes; a passivation layer on the insulating layer; and a metal layer on the passivation layer at an outer region adjacent to the active area, separated from the first electrode, and contacting the second electrode and the signal wiring, wherein a first opening is in the passivation layer at the outer region, and the metal layer contacts the insulating layer at the first opening.
US09196863B2	Organic light emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same In order to provide a robust encapsulating structure, an organic light emitting display device, includes an organic light emitting display device, comprising a substrate, an organic light emitter on the substrate comprising a laminated structure of a first electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a second electrode, a first inorganic film configured to cover the organic light emitter and being formed from a first inorganic mixture comprising tin oxide, phosphorus oxide and tin fluoride, and a second inorganic film configured to cover the first inorganic film and comprising tin oxide and phosphorus oxide.
US09196859B2	Organic light-emitting device An organic light-emitting device and a flat panel device, the organic light-emitting device including a first electrode; a second electrode; and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the organic layer includes an emission layer, the emission layer including at least one N-doping layer.
US09196855B2	Zone backlighting for LCD displays LCD displays through use of field-induced polymer electro luminescence panels A display system, having an emissive body, emitting light over a complete surface as part of a display system. The emissive body can be a FIPEL type device with a first transparent conductive coating over a light emitting substrate. A transparent substrate, has first and second surfaces, with the first surface coupled to the first transparent conductive coating, and the second surface of said transparent substrate including a surface formed with plural light channeling structures thereon.
US09196850B2	Organic devices, organic electroluminescent devices, organic solar cells, organic FET structures and production method of organic devices An organic device has a hole current-electron current conversion layer which comprises a laminate of an electron transportation section and a hole transportation section. The electron transportation section includes a charge transfer complex formed upon an oxidation-reduction reaction between a reduced low work function metal and an electron-accepting organic compound, the reduced metal being produced upon an in-situ thermal reduction reaction caused upon contact, through lamination or mixing by co-deposition, of an organic metal complex compound or an inorganic compound containing at least one metal ion selected from ions of low work function metals having a work function of not more than 4.0 eV, and a thermally reducible metal capable of reducing a metal ion contained in the organic metal complex compound or the inorganic compound in vacuum to the corresponding metal state, and the electron transportation section having the electron-accepting organic compound in the state of radical anions. The hole transportation section includes an organic compound having an ionization potential of less than 5.7 eV and an electron-donating property and an inorganic or organic substance capable of forming a charge transfer complex upon its oxidation-reduction reaction with the organic compound, the organic compound and the inorganic or organic substance being contacted through lamination or mixing, and the electron-donating organic compound is in the state of radical cations.
US09196846B2	Bay-annulated indigo (BAI) as an excellent electron accepting building block for high performance organic semiconductors A novel electron acceptor based on bay-annulated indigo (BAI) was synthesized and used for the preparation of a series of high performance donor-acceptor small molecules and polymers. The resulting materials possess low-lying LUMO energy level and small HOMO-LUMO gaps, while their films exhibited high crystallinity upon thermal treatment, commensurate with high field effect mobilities and ambipolar transfer characteristics.
US09196839B2	Compound having triphenylamine structure, and organic electroluminescent device There is provided an organic compound of excellent characteristics that exhibits excellent hole-injecting/transporting performance and has an electron blocking ability and a highly stable thin-film state with excellent heat resistance. The compound of the present invention is an arylamine compound having a triphenylamine structure. The arylamine compound is used as a constituent material of at least one organic layer in an organic electroluminescent device that includes a pair of electrodes, and one or more organic layers sandwiched between the pair of electrodes.
US09196837B2	Compound having indenocarbazole ring structure, and organic electroluminescent device An organic compound with excellent characteristics excelling in hole-injecting/transporting performance and having electron blocking ability, high stability in a thin-film state and high luminous efficiency is provided as material for an organic electroluminescent device.The compound of a general formula (1) having an indenocarbazole ring structure is used as a constituent material of at least one organic layer in the organic electroluminescent device that includes a pair of electrodes and one or more organic layers sandwiched between the pair of electrodes.
US09196835B2	Polymer, method of manufacture thereof, and organic light-emitting device including the polymer A polymer including a first repeating unit represented by Formula 1: and an organic light-emitting device including the polymer.
US09196829B2	Post-fabrication self-aligned initialization of integrated devices Defining an active region of a phase change memory (PCM) cell including depositing a first layer of material having a first chemical composition. A second layer of material having a second chemical composition is deposited on top of the first layer of material. An electrical current pulse is applied to locally heat a region of the first layer of material and the second layer of material to cause at least one of an inter-diffusion and a liquid mixing of the first layer of material and the second layer of material. This results in in the PCM cell containing a self-aligned region that includes a phase change material that is a mixture of the first chemical composition and the second chemical composition.
US09196825B2	Reversed stack MTJ An integrated circuit device includes a substrate and a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ). The MTJ includes at least a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer. The MTJ is formed over a surface of the substrate. Of the pinned layer, the barrier layer, and the free layer, the free layer is formed first and is closest to the surface. This enables a spacer to be formed over a perimeter region of the free layer prior to etching the free layer. Any damage to the free layer that results from etching or other free layer edge-defining process is kept at a distance from the tunneling junction by the spacer.
US09196824B2	Magnetic storage element and magnetic memory A magnetic storage element including a recording layer and a heat generator. The recording layer has a magnetization direction that is configured to change via spin injection so that information can be recorded. The heat generator is positioned to heat the recording layer. The recording layer comprises (i) cobalt and iron and (ii) a non-magnetic element or a non-magnetic element and an oxide.
US09196823B2	Magnetoresistive effect element A magnetoresistive effect element includes the following structure. A first ferromagnetic layer has a variable magnetization direction. A second ferromagnetic layer has an invariable magnetization direction. A tunnel barrier layer is formed between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. An energy barrier between the first ferromagnetic layer and the tunnel barrier layer is higher than an energy barrier between the second ferromagnetic layer and the tunnel barrier layer. The second ferromagnetic layer contains a main component and an additive element. The main component contains at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni. The additive element contains at least one of Mg, Al, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Zn, As, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Cd, In, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, and W.
US09196821B2	Electromechanical transducer, droplet ejection head, and method for manufacturing electromechanical transducer An electromechanical transducer includes a first electrode mounted on one of a substrate and a base film, an electromechanical transducer film mounted on the first electrode and made of a piezoelectric substance having a perovskite crystal structure, and a second electrode mounted on the electromechanical transducer film. The electromechanical transducer film includes a {100} plane preferentially oriented to be orthogonal to a thickness direction of the electromechanical transducer film and has a full width at half maximum corresponding to a {200} plane in an X-ray diffraction measurement curve in 2θ-ω scan that is measured by emitting an X-ray beam onto a surface of the electromechanical transducer film at an incident angle θ. The full width at half maximum is not greater than 10 degrees.
US09196818B2	Boundary acoustic wave device A boundary acoustic wave device includes an LiTaO3 piezoelectric substrate, a first dielectric medium layer disposed on the piezoelectric substrate, a second dielectric medium layer disposed on the first medium layer and having a sound velocity different from the first medium layer, and an interdigital electrode disposed at the boundary between the piezoelectric substrate and the first medium layer. The sound velocity of the first medium layer is less than the sound velocity of LiTaO3. The sound velocity of the second medium layer is greater than the sound velocity of LiTaO3. The inequality (h/λ)×a≦0.05 is satisfied, where H is the thickness of the first medium layer, h is the thickness of the interdigital electrode, λ is the period of electrode fingers of the interdigital electrode, and a is the ratio of the density of a metal of the interdigital electrode to the density of Au.
US09196815B2	Force module with sub-modules and a controlling and protection module for generating forces in a highly dynamic manner The invention relates to a force module (20) for generating forces in a highly dynamic manner by assembling a plurality of piezo actuators (1) for connecting to a voltage source. To enable the force module (20) to generate forces in the range of a few 100 kN in a highly dynamic and spatially resolved manner, according to the invention it is proposed that the force module (20) consists of at least two sub-modules (21), each having at least two piezo actuators (1) and their electrical contacting elements, and a controlling and protection module (16) for the piezo actuators (1) in the sub-modules (21), wherein all electric contacting elements of the sub-modules (21) are fed into the controlling and protection module (16).
US09196813B2	Light-emitting device and method for manufacturing the same A highly reliable light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A light-emitting element and a terminal electrode are formed over an element formation substrate; a first substrate having an opening is formed over the light-emitting element and the terminal electrode with a bonding layer provided therebetween; an embedded layer is formed in the opening; a transfer substrate is formed over the first substrate and the embedded layer; the element formation substrate is separated; a second substrate is formed under the light-emitting element and the terminal electrode; and the transfer substrate and the embedded layer are removed. In addition, an anisotropic conductive connection layer is formed in the opening, and an electrode is formed over the anisotropic conductive connection layer. The terminal electrode and the electrode are electrically connected to each other through the anisotropic conductive connection layer.
US09196811B2	Optical device package having a groove in the metal layer Provided are an optical device package and a method of manufacturing the same. The method of manufacturing the optical device package according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: forming a metal layer on an insulating layer on which via holes are formed; forming a circuit pattern layer by etching the metal layer; forming a boundary part in a predetermined part of the metal layer; mounting an optical device on the circuit pattern layer; and forming a molding part by applying a transparent material to the optical device, wherein the predetermined part is a part corresponding to a boundary of the molding part.
US09196808B2	Semiconductor light emitting device A high luminance semiconductor light emitting device including a metallic reflecting layer formed using a non-transparent semiconductor substrate is provided. The device includes a GaAs substrate; a metal layer disposed on the GaAs substrate; and a light emitting diode structure. The light emitting diode structure includes a patterned metal contact layer and a patterned insulating layer disposed on the metal layer, a p type cladding layer disposed on the patterned metal contact layer and the patterned insulating layer, a multi-quantum well layer disposed on the p type cladding layer, an n type cladding layer disposed on the multi-quantum well layer, and a window layer disposed on the n type cladding layer. The GaAs substrate and the light emitting diode structure are bonded by using the metal layer.
US09196802B2	Light-emitting device A light-emitting device includes a face-up type LED chip formed rectangular in a top view, and a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped sealing portion to seal the LED chip. An angle formed between a side surface of the LED chip and a side surface of the sealing portion in the top view is 45±13°, and a portion of light emitted from the LED chip is emitted from the side surface of the sealing portion.
US09196800B2	Light-radiating semiconductor component with a luminescence conversion element The light-radiating semiconductor component has a radiation-emitting semiconductor body and a luminescence conversion element. The semiconductor body emits radiation in the ultraviolet, blue and/or green spectral region and the luminescence conversion element converts a portion of the radiation into radiation of a longer wavelength. This makes it possible to produce light-emitting diodes which radiate polychromatic light, in particular white light, with only a single light-emitting semiconductor body. A particularly preferred luminescence conversion dye is YAG:Ce.
US09196798B2	Semiconductor light-emitting device and fabricating method thereof A semiconductor light-emitting device including an epitaxial structure, a first electrode structure, a second electrode structure, a light reflective metal layer, a resistivity-enhancing structure and a protection ring is provided. The light-emitting epitaxial structure has a first surface and a second surface. The light-emitting epitaxial structure has a first zone and a second zone. The first electrode structure is disposed within the first zone. The second electrode structure is disposed within the second zone. The light reflective metal layer is disposed adjacent to the second surface. The resistivity-enhancing structure is disposed in contact with a surface of the light reflective metal layer and corresponding to a position of the first electrode structure. The protection ring has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion surrounds a sidewall of the light reflective metal layer. The second portion corresponds to the second electrode structure.
US09196794B2	Semiconductor light-emitting device, method for forming recesses of the same, and light source apparatus using the same A semiconductor light-emitting device made of a nitride-based semiconductor includes a semiconductor stacked structure having a nonpolar plane or a semipolar plane as a principal plane, and including an active layer for emitting polarized light. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a striped structure which is provided in a position intersecting an exit path of the polarized light and includes a plurality of recesses. An angle formed between the extension direction of the recesses and the polarization direction of the polarized light is from 0° to 45°. The recesses have a minute uneven structure (texture) at at least part of a surface of each recess, the minute uneven structure being shallower than the depth of each recess.
US09196786B2	Semiconductor light emitting element and method for manufacturing the same According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting element includes an n-type semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor, a p-type semiconductor layer and a light emitting layer. The p-type semiconductor layer includes a first p-side layer of Alx1Ga1−x1N (0≦x1<1) including Mg, a second p-side layer of Alx2Ga1−x2N (0
US09196785B2	Light emitting device having surface-modified quantum dot luminophores Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a light emitting device including a light emitting diode and a surface-modified luminophore. The surface-modified luminophore includes a quantum dot luminophore and a fluorinated coating arranged on the quantum dot luminophore.
US09196782B2	Dye-sensitized solar cell with hybrid nanostructures and method for fabricating working electrodes thereof A dye-sensitized solar cell with hybrid nanostructures comprises a negative-polarity conductive substrate, a metal oxide layer, a positive-polarity conductive substrate and an electrolyte. The metal oxide layer has a plurality of nanoparticles and a plurality of nanotubes. The metal oxide layer and the electrolyte are arranged between the negative-polarity conductive substrate and the positive-polarity conductive substrate. The nanoparticles increase contact area with dye and thus enhance power generation efficiency. The nanotubes increase carrier mobility and thus effectively transfer electricity to electrodes. The solar cell integrates the advantages of nanoparticles and nanotubes and offsets the disadvantages thereof to effectively enhance the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.
US09196776B2	Solar cell module A first surface of a first section of a connection member includes a first conductive region, and a second surface of a second section of the connection member includes a second conductive region. The first conductive region is formed along an n-side electrode included in one solar cell, and is electrically connected to the n-side electrode. The second conductive region is formed along a p-side electrode included in a different solar cell, and is electrically connected to the p-side electrode. The first conductive region and the second conductive region are electrically connected to each other.
US09196774B2	Solar module and method for manufacturing the same In a solar module of the present invention, the ratio (T2/T1) of a thickness (T2) of a rear surface-side filling material layer at the end surface to a thickness (T1) of a rear surface-side filling material layer in a region where a solar cell (22) is provided is set smaller than the ratio (T4/T3) of a thickness (T4) of a light receiving surface-side filling material layer at the end surface to a thickness (T3) of the light receiving surface-side filling material layer in a region where the solar cell is provided. Consequently, entry of water into a filling material layer from the end surface of the filling material layer is effectively suppressed, and improved humidity resistance is achieved.
US09196770B2	Pole-mounted power generation systems, structures and processes Solar power systems and structures are mountable to a power distribution structure, e.g. a power pole or tower, which supports alternating current (AC) power transmission lines. An exemplary power generation structure is fixedly attached to and extends from the power distribution structure, and comprises a mounting rack. A solar array, comprising at least one solar panel, is affixed to the mounting rack. A DC to AC invertor is connected between the DC outputs of the solar array and the AC power transmission lines. The length of the solar array is generally in alignment with the power distribution structure, and the width of the solar array is greater than half the circumference of the power distribution structure. The mounting rack and solar array may preferably be rotatable, such as based on any of location, time of day, or available light.
US09196769B2	Superlattice structures and infrared detector devices incorporating the same Embodiments of strain-balanced superlattice infrared detector devices and their fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, an infrared detector device includes a first contact layer, and absorber superlattice region, a wider gap unipolar barrier region, and a second contact layer. The absorber superlattice region has a period defined by a first InAs layer, strain-balancing structure, a second InAs layer, and an InAsSb layer. The strain-balancing structure comprises an arbitrary alloy layer sequence containing at least one constituent element of aluminum or phosphor, e.g., InGaAs, AlInAs InAsP. In another embodiment, the absorber superlattice region has a period defined by a first InAs layer, first strain-balancing structure, a second InAs layer, a first GaSb layer, a second strain-balancing structure, and a second GaSb layer. The first strain-balancing structure includes at least one constituent element of aluminum or phosphor, e.g., InGaAs, AlInAs InAsP. The second strain-balancing structure includes GaInSb and GaSb.
US09196768B2	Method and apparatus for depositing copper—indium—gallium selenide (CuInGaSe2-CIGS) thin films and other materials on a substrate An apparatus for deposition of a plurality of elements onto a solar cell substrate that comprises: a housing; a transporting apparatus to transport the substrate in and out of the housing; a first tubing apparatus to deliver powders of a first elements to the housing; a first source material tube located outside of the housing and joined to a feeder tube of the tubing apparatus; a valve located inside of the first source material tube sufficient to block access between the first source material tube and the first feeder tube; a first heating tube located inside of the housing and connected to the first feeder tube; a similar second tubing apparatus to deliver powders of a second elements to the housing; a loading station for loading the substrate onto the transporting apparatus; one or more thermal sources to heat the housing and the first and second heating tube.
US09196766B1	Thermal detectors using graphene and oxides of graphene and methods of making the same Radiation detecting and sensing systems using graphene and methods of making the same are provided; including a substrate, a single or multiple layers of graphene nanoribbons, first and second conducting interconnects each in electrical communication with the graphene layers. Graphene layers are tuned to increase the temperature coefficient of resistance, increasing sensitivity to IR radiation. Absorption over a wide wavelength range (200 nm to 1 mm) is possible based on the three alternative devices structures described within. Devices can variously include (a) a microbolometer based graphene film where the TCR of the layer is enhanced with selected functionalization molecules, (b) graphene layers with a source and drain metal interconnect and a deposited metal of SiO2 gate which modulates the current flow across the phototransistor detector, and/or (c) tuned graphene layers layered on top of each other where a p-type layer and a n-type layer is created using a combination of oxidation and doping.
US09196763B2	Efficient light extraction from weakly-coupled dielectric buttes A light emitting diode (LED) with weakly-coupled dielectric buttes deposited along the surface is disclosed. The buttes improve light extraction from a distributed volume of incoherent sources in a high-index substrate, as well as from light backscattered by a rear metallic contact. A lattice arrangement for the buttes maximizes area coverage, subject to the constraint of weak evanescent wave coupling between them. The butte distribution may be fabricated by epitaxial deposition above a current spreading layer, followed by photolithographic patterning and etching.
US09196758B2	Solar cell emitter region fabrication with differentiated p-type and n-type region architectures Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a second, different, conductivity type is disposed on a second thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A third thin dielectric layer is disposed laterally directly between the first and second polycrystalline silicon emitter regions. A first conductive contact structure is disposed on the first polycrystalline silicon emitter region. A second conductive contact structure is disposed on the second polycrystalline silicon emitter region.
US09196756B2	Photovoltaic device and method The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic device (“PVD”) and method of use, more particularly to an improved photovoltaic device with an integral locator and electrical terminal mechanism for transferring current to or from the improved photovoltaic device and the use as a system.
US09196752B2	Backside bulk silicon MEMS An integrated circuit device that comprises a single semiconductor substrate, a device layer formed on a frontside of the single semiconductor substrate, a redistribution layer formed on a backside of the single semiconductor substrate, a through silicon via (TSV) formed within the single semiconductor substrate that is electrically coupled to the device layer and to the redistribution layer, a logic-memory interface (LMI) formed on a backside of the single semiconductor substrate that is electrically coupled to the redistribution layer, and a MEMS device formed on the backside of the single semiconductor substrate that is electrically coupled to the redistribution layer.
US09196749B1	Programmable device with a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor A programmable device with a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) surrounded by a programmable substrate region is described. The MOSFET has a source and drain region separated by a channel region with an insulating region and gate disposed above the channel region. A junction disposed within the substrate region controls the programmable substrate region. Biasing the junction depletes the substrate region, which isolates the body of the MOSFET from a secondary well. When the junction is left unbiased, the body of the MOSFET is electrically coupled to the secondary well.
US09196748B2	Semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof The performances of a semiconductor device are improved. The semiconductor device has a first control gate electrode and a second control gate electrode spaced along the gate length direction, a first cap insulation film formed over the first control gate electrode, and a second cap insulation film formed over the second control gate electrode. Further, the semiconductor device has a first memory gate electrode arranged on the side of the first control gate electrode opposite to the second control gate electrode, and a second memory gate electrode arranged on the side of the second control gate electrode opposite to the first control gate electrode. The end at the top surface of the first cap insulation film on the second control gate electrode side is situated closer to the first memory gate electrode side than the side surface of the first control gate electrode on the second control gate electrode side.
US09196747B2	Light emitting display and thin film transistor (TFT) A light emitting display for improving image quality and a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) includes at least one data line for transmitting a data signal, at least one scanning line for transmitting a selected signal, and at least one pixel electrically connected to the data line and the scanning line. The pixel includes a first TFT for responding to the selected signal and transmitting the data signal to an organic light emitting device, a capacitor electrically connected to the first TFT and storing a voltage corresponding to the transmitted data signal, a second TFT connected to the capacitor and supplying an organic light emitting device with a current corresponding to the data signal selected by the selected signal. The widths of respective channel regions of the first TFT are different from each other to reduce the kickoff voltage and improve the driving ability of the TFT, thereby improving the image quality of the light emitting display.
US09196743B2	Field effect device with oxide semiconductor layer Provided is a semiconductor device in which generation of a parasitic channel in an end region of an oxide semiconductor film is suppressed. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film, a source electrode and a drain electrode, and a channel region formed in the oxide semiconductor film. The channel region is formed between a first side surface of the source electrode and a second side surface of the drain electrode opposite to the first side surface. The oxide semiconductor film has an end region which does not overlap with the gate electrode. The end region which does not overlap with the gate electrode is positioned between a first region that is the nearest to one end of the first side surface and a second region that is the nearest to one end of the second side surface.
US09196737B2	Thin film semiconductor device, organic light-emitting display device, and method of manufacturing the thin film semiconductor device Provided is a thin film semiconductor device such as an organic light-emitting display which includes a thin film transistor (TFT) having a lightly doped region. The thin film semiconductor includes a substrate, a first active pattern, a first lower conductive pattern, and a first upper conductive pattern. The first active pattern is disposed on the substrate and includes a channel region, a lightly doped region, and a heavily doped region. The first lower conductive pattern is disposed on the first active pattern and covers the channel region. The first upper conductive pattern is disposed on the first lower conductive pattern and covers the channel region and the lightly doped region.
US09196736B2	Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof and display device Embodiments of the present invention provide an array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The array substrate comprises a plurality of pixel regions arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, gate lines extending along a row direction of the two-dimensional matrix and data lines extending along a column direction of the two-dimensional matrix, each pixel region including a pixel electrode. The array substrate further comprises at least one common electrode line, and the common electrode line is disposed to be parallel to the data lines.
US09196734B2	Thin-film transistor substrate and method for fabricating the same, display The invention provides a thin-film transistor substrate, including: a substrate; a metal lead structure formed on the substrate, wherein the metal lead structure includes: a main conductor layer formed on the substrate, wherein the main conductor has a sidewall; a top conductor layer having a first portion, second portion and third portion, wherein the first portion is formed on the main conductor layer, the second portion is formed on the sidewall of the main conductor layer, and the third portion is formed on the substrate, and a continuous structure is formed by the first portion, the second portion and the third portion.
US09196730B1	Variable channel strain of nanowire transistors to improve drive current A semiconductor device with variable channel strain is provided. The semiconductor device comprises a nanowire structure formed as a channel between a source region and a drain region. The nanowire structure has a first channel section subjected to a first strain level and joined with a second channel section subjected to a second strain level different from the first strain level. The first channel section is coupled adjacent to the drain region and the second channel section is coupled adjacent to the source region. The semiconductor device further comprises a gate region that has a first strain section and a second strain section. The first strain section is configured to cause the first channel section to be subjected to the first strain level and the second strain section is configured to cause the second channel section to be subjected to the second strain level.
US09196726B2	Semiconductor device A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a gate structure on the substrate; forming a lightly doped drain in the substrate; and performing a first implantation process for implanting fluorine ions at a tiled angle into the substrate and part of the gate structure.
US09196723B1	High voltage semiconductor devices with Schottky diodes The present invention provides a semiconductor device structure which integrates a lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) with a Schottky diode, including: a substrate, having a first conductivity type, a gate positioned on the substrate, a drain region formed in the substrate, the drain region having a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type, a source region formed in the substrate, the source region having the second conductivity type, a high-voltage well region formed in the substrate, the high-voltage well region having a first conductivity type; a Schottky diode disposed on the substrate and disposed beside the LDMOS, wherein the semiconductor device structure is an asymmetric structure, and a deep well region disposed in the substrate and having the second conductivity type, wherein the LDMOS and the Schottky diode are all formed within the deep well region.
US09196718B2	In-situ nitridation of gate dielectric for semiconductor devices A semiconductor substructure with improved performance and a method of forming the same is described. The semiconductor substructure includes a dielectric film over a substrate, the dielectric film including at least one metal dielectric layer, at least one oxygen-donor layer, and at least one nitride-incorporation layer.
US09196715B2	Field effect transistor with channel core modified to reduce leakage current and method of fabrication A semiconductor device includes a channel structure formed on a substrate, the channel structure being formed of a semiconductor material. A gate structure covers at least a portion of the surface of the channel structure and is formed of a film of insulation material and a gate electrode. A source structure is connected to one end of the channel structure, and a drain structure is connected to the other end of the channel structure. The channel structure has a non-uniform composition, in a cross-sectional view, that provides a reduction of a leakage current of the semiconductor device relative to a leakage current that would result from a uniform composition.
US09196710B2	Integrated circuits with relaxed silicon / germanium fins Integrated circuits with relaxed silicon and germanium fins and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. The method includes a forming a crystalline silicon and germanium composite layer overlying a crystalline silicon substrate, where a composite layer crystal lattice is relaxed. A fin is formed in the composite layer, and a gate is formed overlying the fin. A portion of the fin is removed on opposite sides of the gate to form a drain cavity and a source cavity, and a source and a drain are formed in the source cavity and drain cavity, respectively.
US09196709B2	Methods for forming semiconductor regions in trenches A method includes recessing a portion of a semiconductor substrate between opposite isolation regions to form a recess. After the step of recessing, the portion of the semiconductor substrate includes a top surface. The top surface includes a flat surface, and a slant surface having a (111) surface plane. The slant surface has a bottom edge connected to the flat surface, and a top edge connected to one of the isolation regions. The method further includes performing an epitaxy to grow a semiconductor material in the recess, wherein the semiconductor material is grown from the flat surface and the slant surface, and performing an annealing on the semiconductor material.
US09196708B2	Method for forming a semiconductor device structure Embodiments of a method for forming a semiconductor device structure are provided. The method includes forming a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate and forming a sealing structure over a sidewall of the gate stack. The method also includes forming a dummy shielding layer over the semiconductor substrate, the sealing structure, and the gate stack. The method further includes performing an ion implantation process on the dummy shielding layer to form source and drain regions in the semiconductor substrate. In addition, the method includes removing the dummy shielding layer after the source and drain regions are formed.
US09196702B2	Power semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same Disclosed herein is a power semiconductor device including: a base substrate having one surface and the other surface and formed of a first conductive type drift layer; a first conductive type diffusion layer formed on one surface of the base substrate and having a concentration higher than that of the first conductive type drift layer; and a trench formed so as to penetrate through the second conductive type well layer and the first conductive type diffusion layer from one surface of the base substrate including the second conductive type well layer in a thickness direction.
US09196701B2	High density MOSFET array with self-aligned contacts enhancement plug and method A semiconductor substrate comprises epitaxial region, body region and source region; an array of interdigitated active nitride-capped trench gate stacks (ANCTGS) and self-guided contact enhancement plugs (SGCEP) disposed above the semiconductor substrate and partially embedded into the source region, the body region and the epitaxial region forming the trench-gated MOSFET array. Each ANCTGS comprises a stack of a polysilicon trench gate embedded in a gate oxide shell and a silicon nitride spacer cap covering the top of the polysilicon trench gate; each SGCEP comprises a lower intimate contact enhancement section (ICES) in accurate registration to its neighboring ANCTGS; an upper distal contact enhancement section (DCES) having a lateral mis-registration (LTMSRG) to the neighboring ANCTGS; and an intervening tapered transitional section (TTS) bridging the ICES and the DCES; a patterned metal layer atop the patterned dielectric region atop the MOSFET array forms self-guided source and body contacts through the SGCEP.
US09196696B2	Integrated circuits with improved gate uniformity and methods for fabricating same Integrated circuits with improved gate uniformity and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate and a replacement metal gate structure overlying the semiconductor substrate. The replacement metal gate structure includes a first metal and a second metal and has a recess surface formed by the first metal and the second metal. The first metal and the second metal include a first species of diffused foreign ions. The integrated circuit further includes a metal fill material overlying the recess surface formed by the first metal and the second metal.
US09196692B2	Method to form stepped dielectric for field plate formation A semiconductor device is formed with a stepped field plate over at least three sequential regions in which a total dielectric thickness under the stepped field plate is at least 10 percent thicker in each region compared to the preceding region. The total dielectric thickness in each region is uniform. The stepped field plate is formed over at least two dielectric layers, of which at least all but one dielectric layer is patterned so that at least a portion of a patterned dielectric layer is removed in one or more regions of the stepped field plate.
US09196691B2	Metal gate electrode of a field effect transistor A method of fabricating a metal gate electrode of a field effect transistor includes forming a dielectric layer over an active region, and forming an opening in the dielectric layer. The method further includes partially filling the opening with a high-dielectric-constant material, partially filling the opening with a conformal first metal material over the high-dielectric-constant material, and filling the opening with a capping layer over the first metal material. The method further includes partially removing the first metal material and capping layer in the opening using a wet etching process. The method further includes fully removing the remaining capping layer in the opening using a wet etching process. The method further includes depositing a second metal material in the opening over the remaining first metal material, and planarizing the second metal material.
US09196689B2	P-type oxide alloys based on copper oxides, tin oxides, tin—copper alloy oxides and metal alloy thereof, and nickel oxide, with embedded metals thereof, fabrication process and use thereof The present invention relates to thin films comprising non-stoichiometric monoxides of: copper (OCu2)x with embedded cubic metal copper (Cucy) [(OCu2)x+(Cu1-2)y, wherein 0.05≦x<1 and 0.01≦y≦0.9]; of tin (OSn)αx with embedded metal tin (Snβx) [(OSn)z+(Sn1-2)w wherein 0.05≦z<1 and 0.01≦w≦0.9]; Cucx—Snβx alloys with embedded metal Sn and Cu [(O—Cu—Sn)a+(Cuα—Snβ)b with 0<α<2 and 0<β<2, wherein 0.05≦a<1 and 0.01≦b≦0.9]; and of nickel (ONi)x with embedded Ni and Sn species [(O—Ni)a+(Niα—Snβ)b with 0<α<2 and 0<β<2, wherein 0.05≦a<1 and 0.01≦b≦0.9]; or combinations thereof, with amorphous, or nanocrystalline, or polycrystalline structure, either doped or not, with impurities such as zirconium, nitrogen or fluorine, for the fabrication of CMOS or TFT devices, with active matrices for LCD or OLED, fabrication of logic circuits, among others, using rigid or flexible substrates, wherein a protection layer, such as SU8 or the like, or silicon oxide or silicon nitride films are used for encapsulation.
US09196687B2	Method for producing group III nitride semiconductor and template substrate A semiconductor substrate includes a sapphire substrate including an a-plane main surface and a groove in a surface thereof, the groove includes side surfaces and a bottom surface, and a Group III nitride semiconductor layer formed on the sapphire substrate. Both side surfaces of the groove assume a c-plane of sapphire. An axis perpendicular to one of the side surfaces of the groove of the Group III nitride semiconductor layer assumes a c-axis of Group III nitride semiconductor. A plane parallel to the main surface of the sapphire substrate of the Group III nitride semiconductor layer assumes an m-plane of Group III nitride semiconductor.
US09196684B2	Tensile nitride profile shaper etch to provide void free gapfill A method of reducing the impact of FEoL topography on dual stress liner depositions and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming a first nitride layer between and over a pFET and an nFET; thinning the first nitride layer; forming a second nitride layer over the first nitride layer; and removing the first and the second nitride layers from over the pFET.
US09196681B1	Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor with reduced surface field folding A laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOSFET) includes a p-type body region formed in an n-type epitaxial layer, the p-type body region directly contacting a source contact region and extending past an end of the source contact region toward a drain contact region. The LDMOSFET also includes a p-type reduced surface field (PRSF) region formed in the n-type epitaxial layer, the PRSF region disposed between the p-type body region and the n-type buried layer. The LDMOSFET also includes an n-type drain drift region formed in the n-type epitaxial layer, the n-type drain drift region directly contacting the drain contact region. The LDMOSFET also includes an n-type drift region formed in the n-type epitaxial layer, the n-type drift region directly contacting the n-type drain drift region. The LDMOSFET also includes an n-type diffusion region in the n-type epitaxial layer, the n-type diffusion region electrically connecting the n-type buried layer with the n-type drift region and the n-type drain drift region.
US09196675B2	Capacitor and method of forming a capacitor A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method comprises forming a trench in a substrate, partially filling the trench with a first semiconductive material, forming an interface along a surface of the first semiconductive material, and filling the trench with a second semiconductive material. The semiconductor device includes a first electrode arranged along sidewalls of a trench and a dielectric arranged over the first electrode. The semiconductor device further includes a second electrode at least partially filling the trench, wherein the second electrode comprises an interface within the second electrode.
US09196670B2	Through substrate features in semiconductor substrates Through substrate features in semiconductor substrates are described. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a through substrate via disposed in a first region of a semiconductor substrate. A through substrate conductor coil is disposed in a second region of the semiconductor substrate.
US09196663B2	Display device The present invention is intended to suppress power consumption of an EL display. In accordance with the brightness of an image to be displayed in a pixel portion, the contrast of the image is determined whether to be inverted or not, and the number of bits of the digital video signal to be input into the pixel portion is reduced, and the magnitude of a current to flow through the EL element is allowed to be maintained at a constant level even when a temperature of an EL layer changes by providing the EL display with another EL element to be used for monitoring a temperature.
US09196661B2	Photodetector and up-conversion device with gain Embodiments of the invention are directed to IR photodetectors with gain resulting from the positioning of a charge multiplication layer (CML) between the cathode and the IR sensitizing layer of the photodetector, where accumulating charge at the CML reduces the energy difference between the cathode and the CML to promote injection of electrons that result in gain for an electron only device. Other embodiments of the invention are directed to inclusion of the IR photodetectors with gain into an IR-to-visible up-conversion device that can be used in night vision and other applications.
US09196659B2	Method for fabricating an electronic device with anti-oxidation layers An electronic device includes a semiconductor memory circuit. The semiconductor memory circuit includes a plurality of first conductive lines which includes an anti-oxidation layer on both sides of each first conductive line, an inter-layer dielectric layer suitable for gap-filling a space between the first conductive lines, a material layer formed over the first conductive lines and the inter-layer dielectric layer and including oxygen vacancies, and a plurality of second conductive lines formed over the material layer to intersect with the first conductive lines. A first portion of the material layer where the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines overlap each other has a lower oxygen content than a second portion of the material layer where the inter-layer dielectric layer and the second conductive lines overlap each other.
US09196658B2	Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same, and microprocessor, processor, system, data storage system and memory system including the semiconductor device A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first conductive pattern and a first pad over a substrate; forming a first and a second resistance variable elements over the first conductive pattern and the first pad, respectively; performing impurity doping into the second resistance variable element to produce a conductive contact; and forming a second conductive pattern over the first resistance variable element.
US09196657B2	Electronic device An electronic device comprising a semiconductor memory unit that includes a first vertical electrode; a first variable resistance layer surrounding the first vertical electrode; a second vertical electrode surrounding the first variable resistance; a second variable resistance layer surrounding the second vertical electrode; and a plurality of horizontal electrodes contacted with an outer side of the second variable resistance layer, wherein the plurality of horizontal electrodes are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction.
US09196652B2	Driving method of a semiconductor device A horizontal scanning period is divided into n parts (n is a natural number), so that horizontal scanning can be performed (n×y) times in one frame period. That is, n signals can be outputted from each pixel, and storage times of the n signals are different from one another. Then, since a signal suited to the intensity of light irradiated to each pixel can be selected, information of an object can be accurately read.
US09196651B2	CMOS image sensor white pixel performance A method includes forming a photodiode in a substrate and forming source and drain regions in the substrate. A first rapid thermal anneal (RTA) process is performed to anneal the source and drain regions in the substrate. After forming the source and drain regions, a thermal oxide layer is grown over the photodiode by performing a second RTA process. A thickness of the thermal oxide layer is limited to a thickness required to enclose a damaged portion of a surface of the photodiode.
US09196650B2	Method of forming a low profile image sensor package An image sensor package, and method of making same, that includes a printed circuit board having a first substrate with an aperture extending therethrough, one or more circuit layers, and a plurality of first contact pads electrically coupled to the one or more circuit layers. A sensor chip mounted to the printed circuit board and disposed at least partially in the aperture. The sensor chip includes a second substrate, a plurality of photo detectors formed on or in the second substrate, and a plurality of second contact pads formed at the surface of the second substrate which are electrically coupled to the photo detectors. Electrical connectors each electrically connect one of the first contact pads and one of the second contact pads. A lens module is mounted to the printed circuit board and has one or more lenses disposed for focusing light onto the photo detectors.
US09196649B2	Solid-state imaging device A MOS solid-state imaging device is provided in which withstand voltage and 1/f noise of a MOS transistor are improved.In the MOS solid-state imaging device whose unit pixel has at least a photoelectric converting portion and a plurality of field effect transistors, the thickness of gate insulating film in a part of the field effect transistors is different from the thickness of gate insulating film in the other field effect transistors among the plurality of the field effect transistors.
US09196641B2	Printed dopant layers A method for making an electronic device, such as a MOS transistor, including the steps of forming a plurality of semiconductor islands on an electrically functional substrate, printing a first dielectric layer on or over a first subset of the semiconductor islands and optionally a second dielectric layer on or over a second subset of the semiconductor islands, and annealing. The first dielectric layer contains a first dopant, and the (optional) second dielectric layer contains a second dopant different from the first dopant. The dielectric layer(s), semiconductor islands and substrate are annealed sufficiently to diffuse the first dopant into the first subset of semiconductor islands and, when present, the second dopant into the second subset of semiconductor islands.
US09196635B2	Circuit board and display device A circuit board includes: a plurality of first wires and a plurality of second wires intersecting with the first wires; a thin-film transistor element; a plurality of pixel electrodes electrically connected to the drain electrodes of the thin-film transistor element; and a patterned film. In a planar view of the principal surface of the circuit board, two of the plurality of first wires extend parallel to each other between pixels, and the patterned film has a linear portion extending along the first wires between the mutually extending two first wires, wherein the pattern film is provided in the same layer as the second wiring lines.
US09196630B2	Semiconductor devices having carbon-contained porous insulation over gate stack structures Semiconductor devices, and methods of fabricating the same, include forming a trench between a plurality of patterns on a substrate to be adjacent to each other, forming a first sacrificial layer in the trench, forming a first porous insulation layer having a plurality of pores on the plurality of patterns and on the first sacrificial layer, and removing the first sacrificial layer through the plurality of pores of the first porous insulation layer to form a first air gap between the plurality of patterns and under the first porous insulation layer.
US09196628B1	3D stacked IC device with stepped substack interlayer connectors A stepped substack interlayer connector structure on a multilayer integrated circuit includes N steps on the substrate from a surface of the substrate at a first level to a surface of the substrate at a second level. A stack of active layers alternating with insulating layers on the substrate, including a plurality of substacks disposed in relation to the N step(s) to form respective contact regions in which the substacks are disposed at a common level. Interlayer connectors are formed by conductors in the respective regions connected to landing areas on active layers in each of the plurality of substacks. The maximum depth of the interlayer connectors is equal to, or less than, the thickness of one of the substacks.
US09196617B2	Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same are provided to prevent a floating body effect and reduce coupling capacitance between buried bit lines. The semiconductor device comprises a first pillar disposed over a semiconductor substrate and including a vertical channel region, a bit line located in the lower portion of the vertical channel region inside the first pillar and a semiconductor layer extended from the semiconductor substrate to one sidewall of the first pillar.
US09196616B2	Memory device It is an object to provide a memory device where an area occupied by a memory cell is small, and moreover, a memory device where an area occupied by a memory cell is small and a data holding period is long. A memory device includes a bit line, a capacitor, a first insulating layer provided over the bit line and including a groove portion, a semiconductor layer, a second insulating layer in contact with the semiconductor layer, and a word line in contact with the second insulating layer. Part of the semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the bit line in a bottom portion of the groove portion, and another part of the semiconductor layer is electrically connected to one electrode of the capacitor in a top surface of the first insulating layer.
US09196609B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a first contact plug, a diametric dimension of an upper end portion thereof greater than the lower end portion thereof; a first insulating film above a substrate and covering the first plug; a second contact plug, a diametric dimension of an upper end portion thereof less than lower end portion thereof, the lower end portion contacting the upper end portion of the first plug; a second insulating film above the first insulating film and the first plug and covering the second plug; a wiring layer including a lower end portion contacting the upper end portion of the second plug; and a third insulating film above the second insulating film and the second plug and covering the wiring layer; wherein the upper end portion of the first plug displaced from the lower end portion of the second plug has a step.
US09196605B2	Light-emitting structure An embodiment of the present application discloses a light-emitting structure, comprising a substrate, a first unit and a second unit separately form on the substrate; a trench formed between the first unit and the second unit, and having a bottom portion exposing the substrate, a less steep sidewall and a steeper sidewall steeper than the less steep sidewall; and an electrical connection connecting the first unit and the second unit and covering the first unit, the second unit and the less steep sidewall; wherein the sidewalls directly connect to the bottom portion, and the steeper sidewall is devoid of the electrical connection covering.
US09196603B2	Method for fluid guided self-assembly of microcomponents A method and apparatus is provided for self-assembly of micro-components such as microchips onto a carrier substrate, provided with assembly locations for the components. The components are supplied to the carrier by a liquid flow, while a template substrate is arranged facing the carrier. The template is a substrate provided with openings aligned to the assembly locations. The carrier and template are submerged into a tank filled with the liquid, while the liquid flow is supplied to the template side together with the components, so that the components are guided towards the openings by the flow of liquid. Once a component is trapped into an opening of the template, substantially no further liquid flow through the opening is possible, so that following components are guided towards the remaining openings, thereby establishing a fast and reliable self-assembly process.
US09196602B2	High power dielectric carrier with accurate die attach layer A system for bonding a die to a high power dielectric carrier such as a ceramic dielectric core with double-sided conductive layers is described. In the system, the upper conductive layer has a first area whose surface has a first wettability. A second area that at least partially surrounds the first area has a surface with a second wettability that is greater than the first wettability. During bonding, an adhesive material bonding a chip to the substrate spreads among the first area by a downward force placed on the chip. Due to the difference in wettability, the adhesive material then spreads among the second area by a wetting force generated by the greater second wettability of the second area surface causing the chip to be drawn down until reaching a predetermined position. The predetermined position can be determined by substrate protrusions or substrate cavities.
US09196601B2	Semiconductor device Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing thereof, which can facilitate stacking of semiconductor die while saving manufacturing cost. In an example embodiment, the semiconductor device may comprise a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die bonded to a top surface of the first semiconductor die, and a redistribution layer electrically connecting the first semiconductor die to the second semiconductor die, wherein the redistribution layer is formed to extend along surrounding side portions of the second semiconductor die.
US09196600B2	Device and method for chip pressing Disclosed are embodiments related to chip pressing devices. One such chip pressing device includes a bottom portion and a top portion, which is configured to be attached to or separated from the bottom portion, and has a compartment portion, an upper chamber, and a lower chamber, wherein the upper chamber is spaced apart from the lower chamber by the compartment portion. The upper chamber has one or more gas passages, the lower chamber has one or more gas inlets and one or more gas outlets, and the compartment portion has one or more through-holes. One or more pressing heads movably fit into the through-holes; one or more gas pressure sources connected to at least one of the gas passages of the upper chamber, wherein the upper chamber is pressurized, and one or more heated gas sources are connected to the one or more gas inlets of the lower chamber.
US09196596B2	Interposer and method of manufacturing the same A method of manufacturing an interposer is provided, including forming a plurality of first openings on one surface side of a substrate, forming a first metal layer in the first openings, forming on the other surface side of the substrate a plurality of second openings that are in communication with the first openings, forming a second metal layer in the second openings, and electrically connecting the first metal layer to the second metal layer, so as to form conductive through holes. The conductive through holes are formed stage by stage, such that the fabrication time in forming the metal layers is reduced, and a metal material will not be accumulated too thick on a surface of the substrate. Therefore, the metal material has a smoother surface, and no overburden will be formed around end surfaces of the through holes. An interposer is also provided.
US09196595B2	Semiconductor bonding structure The disclosure relates to a semiconductor bonding structure and process and a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor bonding structure includes a first pillar, a first interface, an intermediate area, a second interface and a second pillar in sequence. The first pillar, the second pillar and the intermediate area include a first metal. The first interface and the second interface include the first metal and an oxide of a second metal. The content percentage of the first metal in the first interface and the second interface is less than that of the first metal in the intermediate area.
US09196594B2	Chip package and method for forming the same An embodiment of the invention provides a chip package which includes: a carrier substrate; a semiconductor substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, disposed overlying the carrier substrate; a device region or sensing region located on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate; a conducting pad located on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate; a conducting layer electrically connected to the conducting pad and extending from the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate to a sidewall of the semiconductor substrate; and an insulating layer located between the conducting layer and the semiconductor substrate.
US09196588B2	EMI shield An EMI shield can be formed directly on a component, e.g., an unpackaged or packaged semiconductor die, by depositing and curing a curable composition which includes electrically conductive particles and a carrier. In examples, the shield can be configured as a grid or net of electrically conductive traces or lines. The curable electrically conductive material may be applied to the component surface in a flowable form and cured or allowed to cure to form the electrically conductive shield. The shield can be electrically coupled to contacts on an underlying circuit panel or support. The coupling material may be a conductive adhesive, and may be or may include a material the same as, or similar to, the shield material.
US09196587B2	Semiconductor device having a die and through substrate-via Semiconductor devices are described that have a through-substrate via formed therein. In one or more implementations, the semiconductor devices include a semiconductor wafer and an integrated circuit die bonded together with an adhesive material. The semiconductor wafer and the integrated circuit die include one or more integrated circuits formed therein. The integrated circuits are connected to one or more conductive layers deployed over the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer and an integrated circuit die. A via is formed through the semiconductor wafer and the patterned adhesive material so that an electrical interconnection can be formed between the integrated circuits formed in the semiconductor wafer and the integrated circuits formed in the integrated circuit die. The via includes a conductive material that furnishes the electrical interconnection between the semiconductor wafer and the integrated circuit die.
US09196583B1	Via material selection and processing Semiconductor interconnects and methods for making semiconductor interconnects. An interconnect may include a first via of a first conductive material between a first conductive interconnect layer and a first middle of line (MOL) interconnect layer. The first MOL interconnect layer is on a first level. The first via is fabricated with a single damascene process. Such a semiconductor interconnect also includes a second via of a second conductive material between the first conductive interconnect layer and a second MOL interconnect layer. The second MOL interconnect layer is on a second level. The second via is fabricated with a dual damascene process. The first conductive material is different than the second conductive material.
US09196581B2	Flow underfill for microelectronic packages A microelectronic assembly includes a first component with first conductive elements; a second component with second conductive elements; a bond metal; and an underfill layer. The posts have a height above the respective surface from which the posts project. A bond metal can be disposed between respective pairs of conductive elements, each pair including at least one of the posts and at least one of the first or second conductive elements confronting the at least one post. The bond metal can contact edges of the posts along at least one half the height of the posts. An underfill layer contacts and bonds the first and second surfaces of the first and second components. A residue of the underfill layer may be present at at least one interfacial surfaces between at least some of the posts and the bond metal or may be present within the bond metal.
US09196578B1	Common pin for multi-die semiconductor package A semiconductor package has multiple dies and an interior power bar that extends within an interior space formed within the die flag between the dies. The bond pads located on the interior side of each die are wire-bonded to the interior power bar. Some embodiments may have more than two dies and/or more than one interior power bar between each pair of adjacent dies.
US09196574B2	Snubber circuit and method of using bipolar junction transistor in snubber circuit A snubber circuit includes: a capacitor including a first terminal and a second terminal, where the first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the snubber circuit; and a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), where one of the emitter and the collector of the BJT is electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor, and the other one of the emitter and the collector of the BJT is electrically connected to a second terminal of the snubber circuit. The snubber circuit can be electrically connected in parallel to an active component or a load to protect the circuitry connected to the load, and more particularly to absorb spike or noise generated during high-frequency switching of the active component to recycle energy, in order to achieve the goal of reducing spike voltages and enhancing efficiency.
US09196573B2	Bump on pad (BOP) bonding structure The embodiments described above provide enlarged overlapping surface areas of bonding structures between a package and a bonding substrate. By using elongated bonding structures on either the package and/or the bonding substrate and by orienting such bonding structures, the bonding structures are designed to withstand bonding stress caused by thermal cycling to reduce cold joints.
US09196569B2	Bonding pad of array substrate, method for producing the same, array substrate, and liquid crystal display apparatus A bonding pad of an array substrate, comprising: a gate electrode formed on the array substrate; a first insulation layer formed on the gate electrode; a first conductive layer formed on the first insulation layer; a Source/Drain electrode (S/D) layer formed on the first conductive layer; a second insulation layer formed on the S/D layer; and a second conductive layer formed on the second insulation layer, wherein the second insulation layer is formed with a bonding pad via through which the second conductive layer is electrically connected to the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer is separated from the S/D layer by the second insulation layer and does not contact the S/D layer. The present invention also discloses a method for producing the bonding pad, an array substrate comprising the bonding pad, and a liquid crystal display apparatus comprising the array substrate.
US09196568B2	Arrangement and method for manufacturing the same An arrangement is provided. The arrangement may include: a die including at least one electronic component and a first terminal on a first side of the die and a second terminal on a second side of the die opposite the first side, wherein the first side being the main processing side of the die, and the die further including at least a third terminal on the second side; a first electrically conductive structure providing current flow from the third terminal on second side of the die to the first side through the die; a second electrically conductive structure on the first side of the die laterally coupling the second terminal with the first electrically conductive structure; and an encapsulation material disposed at least over the first side of the die covering the first terminal and the second electrically conductive structure.
US09196560B2	Semiconductor device having a locally reinforced metallization structure and method for manufacturing thereof A method for forming a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a first area and a second area. A first metal layer structure is formed which includes at least a first metal portion in the first area and a second metal portion in the second area. A plating mask is formed on the first metal layer structure to cover the second metal portion, and a second metal layer structure is plated on and in ohmic contact with the first metal portion of the first metal layer structure.
US09196559B2	Directly sawing wafers covered with liquid molding compound A method includes forming a passivation layer over a metal pad, wherein the metal pad is further overlying a semiconductor substrate of a wafer. A Post-Passivation Interconnect (PPI) is formed to electrically couple to the metal pad, wherein a portion of the PPI is overlying the passivation layer. A metal bump is formed over and electrically coupled to the PPI. The method further includes applying a molding compound over the metal bump and the PPI, applying a release film over the molding compound, pressing the release film against the molding compound, and curing the molding compound when the release film is pressed against the molding compound. The release film is then removed from the molding compound. The wafer is sawed into dies using a blade, with the blade cutting through the molding compound.
US09196556B2	Getter structure and method for forming such structure A getter structure and method wherein a layer of seed material is deposited on a predetermined region of a surface of a structure under conditions to form a plurality of nucleation sites on a surface of the structure. The nucleation sites have an average height over the surface area of the predetermined region of less than one molecule thick. Subsequently a getter material is deposited over the surface to form a plurality of getter material members projecting outwardly from the nucleation sites.
US09196549B2	Method for generating die identification by measuring whether circuit is established in a package structure A package structure is disclosed. The package structure includes a die; a substrate disposed corresponding to the die, wherein the substrate comprises a first dummy pad and a second dummy pad on a first surface of the substrate; and a first solder ball and a second solder ball on a second surface of the substrate and electrically connect the first dummy pad and the second dummy pad respectively.
US09196547B2	Dual shallow trench isolation and related applications Embodiments of the invention relate to dual shallow trench isolations (STI). In various embodiments related to CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) technologies, the dual STI refers to one STI structure in the pixel region and another STI structure in the periphery or logic region. The depth of each STI structure depends on the need and/or isolation tolerance of devices in each region. In an embodiment, the pixel region uses NMOS devices and the STI in this region is shallower than that of in the periphery region that includes both NMOS and PMOS device having different P- and N-wells and that desire more protective isolation (i.e., deeper STI). Depending on implementations, different numbers of masks (e.g., two, three) are used to generate the dual STI, and are disclosed in various method embodiments.
US09196546B2	Metal gate transistor A metal gate transistor is disclosed. The metal gate transistor includes a substrate, a metal gate on the substrate, and a source/drain region in the substrate. The metal gate further includes a high-k dielectric layer, a bottom barrier metal (BBM) layer on the high-k dielectric layer, a first work function layer on the BBM layer, a second work function layer between the BBM layer and the first work function layer, and a low resistance metal layer on the first work function layer. Preferably, the first work function layer includes a p-type work function layer and the second work function layer includes a n-type work function layer.
US09196544B2	Integrated circuits with stressed semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) body contacts and methods for fabricating the same Integrated circuits with selectively stressed semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) body contacts and methods for fabricating integrated circuits with selectively stressed SOI body contacts are provided. An exemplary method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a channel region and a body contact overlying and/or in an SOI substrate. Further, the method includes selectively applying a first stress to the source/drain region in a longitudinal direction. Also, the method includes selectively applying a second stress to the body contact in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
US09196539B2	Method for separating and transferring IC chips A method for separating a multiple number of semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits from a wafer on which the multiple number of semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits are formed is provided. The method includes forming a mask pattern on a surface of the wafer, and separating each of the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits along the mask pattern formed on the surface of the wafer. The mask pattern is a repeated pattern without having a lattice line shape, and the step of separating each of the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits is performed by plasma etching.
US09196537B2	Protection of a wafer-level chip scale package (WLCSP) Consistent with an example embodiment, there is a method for assembling a wafer level chip scale processed (WLCSP) wafer; The wafer has a topside surface and an back-side surface, and a plurality of device die having electrical contacts on the topside surface. The method comprises back-grinding, to a thickness, the back-side surface the wafer. A protective layer of a thickness is molded onto the backside of the wafer. The wafer is mounted onto a sawing foil; along saw lanes of the plurality of device die, the wafer is sawed, the sawing occurring with a blade of a first kerf and to a depth of the thickness of the back-ground wafer. Again, the wafer is sawed along the saw lanes of the plurality of device die, the sawing occurring with a blade of a second kerf, the second kerf narrower than the first kerf, and sawing to a depth of the thickness of the protective layer. The plurality of device die are separated into individual device die. Each individual device die has a protective layer on the back-side, the protective layer having a stand-off distance from a vertical edge of the individual device die.
US09196536B1	Hybrid wafer dicing approach using a phase modulated laser beam profile laser scribing process and plasma etch process Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with a phase modulated laser beam profile laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.
US09196534B2	Method for preparing semiconductor devices applied in flip chip technology A method for preparing semiconductor devices in a flip chip process comprises forming deep grooves surrounding each of the semiconductor chips; depositing a first plastic package material to form a first plastic package layer covering front surface of the semiconductor wafer and filling the deep grooves; depositing a metal layer at back surface of the semiconductor wafer after grinding; grinding an outermost portion of the metal layer thus forming a ring area located at back surface around edge of the semiconductor wafer not covered by the metal layer; cutting the first plastic package layer, the semiconductor wafer, the metal layer and the first plastic package material filled in the deep grooves along a straight line formed by two ends of each of the deep grooves filled with the first plastic package material; and picking up the semiconductor devices and mounting on a substrate without flipping the semiconductor devices.
US09196533B2	Film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor, dicing-tape-integrated film for back surface of semiconductor, process for producing semiconductor device, and flip-chip semiconductor device The present invention relates to a film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor, which is to be formed on a back surface of a semiconductor element flip-chip connected onto an adherend, wherein an amount of shrinkage of the film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor due to thermal curing is 2% by volume or more and not more than 30% by volume relative to a total volume of the film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor before the thermal curing. According to the film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor according to the present invention, since it is formed on the back surface of a semiconductor element having been flip-chip connected onto an adherend, it fulfills a function to protect the semiconductor element. In addition, in the film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor according to the present invention, since an amount of shrinkage due to thermal curing is 2% by volume or more relative to a total volume of the film for back surface of flip-chip semiconductor before the thermal curing, a warp of a semiconductor element to be generated at the time of flip-chip connecting the semiconductor element onto an adherend can be effectively suppressed or prevented.
US09196526B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method having copper interconnects with metal film, barrier metal, and metal caps A semiconductor device includes a copper interconnect provided in a trench in an insulation film, a metal film provided on the insulation film along a boundary between the insulation film and the copper interconnect, a barrier metal provided between an inner wall of the trench and the copper interconnect and extending over the metal layer, a first metal cap to cover the copper interconnect and the barrier metal located over the metal film, and a second metal cap to continuously cover the first metal cap, the barrier metal and the metal film.
US09196525B2	Three-dimensional semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same Provided are a three-dimensional semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor device may include a mold structure for providing gap regions and an interconnection structure including a plurality of interconnection patterns disposed in the gap regions. The mold structure may include interlayer molds defining upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the interconnection patterns and sidewall molds defining sidewalls of the interconnection patterns below the interlayer molds.
US09196524B2	Manufacturing method of semiconductor device A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is disclosed in the present invention. First, at least one gate structure and plurality of source/drain regions on a substrate are formed, a dielectric layer is then formed on the substrate, a first contact hole and a second contact hole are formed in the dielectric layer, respectively on the gate structure and the source/drain region, and a third contact hole is formed in the dielectric layer, wherein the third contact hole overlaps the first contact hole and the second contact hole.
US09196523B2	Self-aligned permanent on-chip interconnect structures Interconnect structures are provided including at least one patterned dielectric layer located on a substrate, wherein said at least one patterned dielectric layer includes differently sized conductive features embedded therein. The differently sized conductive features are laterally adjacent to each other and are located at a same interconnect level.
US09196521B2	Adjustable pick-up head and method for manufacturing a device An adjustable pick-up head, a collet head, a method to adjust a pick-up head and a method of manufacturing a device are disclosed. In one embodiment a pick-up head includes a shank having a holder and an intermediate body connected to the holder by a first joint. The pick-up head further includes a collet head connected to the intermediate body by a second joint.
US09196520B1	Tape release systems and methods for semiconductor dies Systems and methods for releasing semiconductor dies from an adhesive tape or film. In some embodiments, a semiconductor manufacturing device may include: a chuck plate configured to support an array of semiconductor dies, where each die in the array has a top surface and a bottom surface, where each die's bottom surface is bonded to an adhesive tape, and where the chuck plate comprises one or more channels configured to apply a negative pressure to the adhesive tape; and a tape release element having an irregular surface, the tape release element disposed between the chuck plate and the adhesive tape.
US09196519B2	Achieving uniform capacitance between an electrostatic chuck and a semiconductor wafer Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for achieving uniform capacitance between a semiconductor wafer and an electrostatic chuck. In certain embodiments, the method comprises the step of forming a layer on a first side of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the layer has a specified resistivity. The method further comprises placing the semiconductor wafer on the electrostatic chuck, wherein the layer contacts the electrostatic chuck. The method further comprises applying a radio frequency signal to the electrostatic chuck, and processing a second side of the semiconductor wafer.
US09196518B1	Adaptive placement system and method A method of determining a robot place location for a robot, the robot adapted to transport a substrate. The method comprises moving a calibration fixture past one or more edge sensors along a calibration path offset from and substantially parallel to a nominal transport path; determining robot locations when an edge of the calibration fixture changes a state of the one or more edge sensors; determining one or more sensor locations of the one or more edge sensors based on the robot locations; transporting the substrate along the nominal transport path past the one or more edge sensors to a target location; determining the robot place location based on the sensor locations; and placing the substrate at the target location with the robot located at the robot place location.
US09196514B2	Electrostatic chuck with variable pixilated heating Electrostatic chucks with variable pixelated heating are described. For example, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) includes a ceramic plate having a front surface and a back surface, the front surface for supporting a wafer or substrate. A base is coupled to the back surface of the ceramic plate. A light carrying medium is disposed in the base, the light carrying medium configured to provide pixelated light-based heating capability for the ESC.
US09196513B2	System and method for controlling a thermal array A system and method is provided. In one aspect, the system and method may calculate a time period for each mode of a plurality of modes. The system and method may index through each mode for the corresponding time period to provide power to the plurality of thermal elements according to the mode. In another aspect the system and method may index sequentially through each mode of a plurality of modes and apply power to an indexed mode while measuring an electrical characteristic of the thermal elements for the indexed mode.
US09196509B2	Semiconductor device and method of adaptive patterning for panelized packaging An adaptive patterning method and system for fabricating panel based package structures is described. A plurality of semiconductor die comprising a copper column disposed over the active surface of each semiconductor die is provided. An embedded die panel is formed by disposing an encapsulant around each of the plurality of semiconductor die. A true position and rotation of each semiconductor die within the embedded die panel is measured. A unit-specific pattern is formed to align with the true position of each semiconductor die in the embedded die panel. The unit-specific pattern as a fan-out structure disposed over the semiconductor die, over the encapsulant, and coupled to the copper columns. A fan-in redistribution layer (RDL) can extend over the active surface of each semiconductor die such that the copper columns formed over the fan-in RDLs. The unit-specific pattern can be directly coupled to the copper columns.
US09196508B2	Method for producing three-dimensional integrated circuit structure A three-dimensional integrateds circuit structure includes a first metal circuit substrate, an interposer substrate disposed on the first metal circuit substrate and electrically connected therewith, and at least one semiconductor component disposed on the interposer substrate. The interposer substrate is used to dissipate the heat generated by the operation of the semiconductor components, so as to achieve the objective of increasing the lifespan of the semiconductor components.
US09196506B2	Method for manufacturing interposer A method for manufacturing an interposer includes forming a via hole in an insulation plate including a resin or a ceramic; simultaneously forming resists for a first upper redistribution layer on the top surface of the insulation plate, and a resistor for a lower redistribution layer on the bottom surface of the insulation plate; plating copper to fill the via hole and simultaneously forming the first upper redistribution layer and the lower redistribution layer along a designed circuit pattern; and forming a first upper protection layer and a lower protection layer to expose a portion of the first upper redistribution layer and a portion of the lower redistribution layer.
US09196505B2	Semiconductor device and method of forming the same In a semiconductor device, an organic insulation pattern is disposed between first and second rerouting patterns. The organic insulation pattern may absorb the physical stress that occurs when the first and second rerouting patterns expand under heat. Since the organic insulation pattern is disposed between the first and second rerouting patterns, insulating properties can be increased relative to a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor pattern is disposed between rerouting patterns. Also, since a seed layer pattern is disposed between the first and second rerouting patterns and the organic insulation pattern and between the substrate and the organic insulation pattern, the adhesive strength of the first and second rerouting patterns is enhanced. This also reduces any issues with delamination. Also, the seed layer pattern prevents the metal that forms the rerouting pattern from being diffused to the organic insulation pattern. Therefore, a semiconductor device with enhanced reliability may be implemented.
US09196500B2	Method for manufacturing semiconductor structures A method for manufacturing semiconductor structures includes providing a substrate having a plurality of mandrel patterns and a plurality of dummy patterns, simultaneously forming a plurality of first spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel patterns and a plurality of second spacers on sidewalls of the dummy patterns, and removing the second spacers and the mandrel patterns to form a plurality of spacer patterns on the substrate.
US09196499B2	Method of forming semiconductor fins Embodiments of the present invention provide methods of removing fin portions from a finFET. At a starting point, a high-K dielectric layer is disposed on a substrate. A fin hardmask and lithography stack is deposited on the high-k dielectric. A fin hardmask is exposed, and a first portion of the fin hardmark is removed. The lithography stack is removed. A second portion of the fin hardmask is removed. Fins are formed. A gap fill dielectric is deposited and recessed.
US09196497B2	Photolytic processing of materials with hydrogen An apparatus and method for hydrogenating a sample, such as a semiconductor wafer. The invention utilizes a top electrode comprising a UV-transparent dielectric and a metal contact to provide an electric field to the sample while the sample is irradiated with UV light and hydrogenated with a hydrogenating gas or gasses. The field may be applied to the sample at a number of different pressures, temperatures and concentrations of gas to manipulate the rate and type of hydrogenation. Further, the method of hydrogenating the sample may be used in conjunction with masking and etching techniques.
US09196490B2	Method and device for heating a layer of a plate by priming and light flow The invention relates to a method and to a device for at least locally heating a plate including at least one layer (2) to be at least locally heated by at least one main, light flow pulse, and including at least one priming region (4) located deeply relative to the front surface of said layer to be heated, wherein the main flow (7) is capable of heating said layer to be heated (2) while the temperature of the latter is within a high temperature range (PHT), and a priming a secondary heating means (9) capable of heating said priming region from a temperature within a low temperature range (PBT) up to a temperature within said high temperature range (PHT).
US09196488B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof A semiconductor device includes: a layer of a first conductivity type; a well of a second conductivity type on the layer of the first conductivity type in an active region; and a flat RESURF layer of the second conductivity type on the layer of the first conductivity type on an outer circumference of the well as a termination structure. The RESURF layer includes a low concentration layer arranged at an inner end on the well side and an outer end on the outer circumferential side, and a high concentration layer arranged between the inner end and the outer end and having a higher impurity concentration than the low concentration layer.
US09196485B2	Stacked sidewall patterning The present disclosure provides methods of forming patterning features in a semiconductor structure using a sidewall image transfer technique. The method includes first forming a plurality of sacrificial mandrels over a dielectric hard mask layer. Each sacrificial mandrel has a width greater than a minimum spacing between adjacent patterning features subsequently formed according to a circuit design. After forming a plurality of spacer material layer portions on sidewalls of the sacrificial mandrels, a plurality of filler material layer portions are formed adjacent the spacer material layer portions. The cycle of forming the spacer material layer portions and filler material layer portions may be repeated until spaces between sacrificial mandrels are completely filled. Removal of the sacrificial mandrels and the filler material layer portions provides patterning features.
US09196484B2	Silicon-containing composition for formation of resist underlayer film, which contains organic group containing protected aliphatic alcohol Described herein are compositions for forming an underlayer film for a solvent-developable resist. These compositions can include a hydrolyzable organosilane having a silicon atom bonded to an organic group containing a protected aliphatic alcohol group, a hydrolysate of the hydrolyzable organosilane, a hydrolysis-condensation product of the hydrolyzable organosilane, or a combination thereof and a solvent. The composition can form a resist underlayer film including, a hydrolyzable organosilane, a hydrolysate of the hydrolyzable organosilane, a hydrolysis-condensation product of the hydrolyzable organosilane, or a combination thereof, the silicon atom in the silane compound having a silicon atom bonded to an organic group containing a protected aliphatic alcohol group in a ratio of 0.1 to 40% by mol based on the total amount of silicon atoms. Also described is a method for applying the composition onto a semiconductor substrate and baking the composition to form a resist underlayer film.
US09196475B2	Methods for fabricating integrated circuits including fluorine incorporation Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming an interlayer of dielectric oxide material in a FET region and overlying a semiconductor substrate. A high-K dielectric layer is deposited overlying the interlayer. Fluorine is incorporated into the interlayer and/or the high-K dielectric layer.
US09196474B2	Metal amide deposition precursors and their stabilization with an inert ampoule liner Described are methods and apparatuses for the stabilization of precursors, which can be used for the deposition of manganese-containing films. Certain methods and apparatus relate to lined ampoules and/or 2-electron donor ligands.
US09196472B2	Processing liquid for suppressing pattern collapse of fine metal structure, and method for producing fine metal structure using same There are provided a processing liquid that is capable of suppressing pattern collapse of a fine metal structure, such as a semiconductor device and a micromachine, and a method for producing a fine metal structure using the same. The processing liquid for suppressing pattern collapse of a fine metal structure, contains a phosphate ester and/or a polyoxyalkylene ether phosphate ester, and the method for producing a fine metal structure, uses the same.
US09196466B2	Mass spectrometer with bypass of a fragmentation device A method for analyzing a mixture of components includes forming precursor ions from the components, alternately causing the precursor ions to pass to and to by-pass a fragmentation device, to form product ions from the precursor ions that pass to the device and to form substantially fewer product ions from precursor ions that by-pass the device, and obtaining mass spectra from product ions received from the device and from precursor ions that by-passed the device. An apparatus for analyzing a sample includes an ion source for forming precursor ions from the components of the sample, a fragmentation device for forming product ions from the precursor ions, a by-pass device disposed upstream of the fragmentation device for switchable by-pass of the fragmentation device, and a mass analyzer.
US09196463B2	System and method for plasma monitoring using microwaves A plasma detector system may include a high frequency generator arranged to send incident electromagnetic radiation through a plasma chamber of a plasma system; and a high frequency detection system arranged to detect signal intensity of high frequency radiation sent from the high frequency generator and transmitted through the plasma chamber.
US09196461B2	Plasma processing apparatus A plasma processing apparatus includes: a lower electrode which is provided in a process chamber and functions as a holding stage on which a substrate is placed; an upper electrode which functions as the shower head for introducing a gas and is vertically movable; a cover body which is provided over the upper electrode and hermetically closes an upper opening of the process chamber; an isolated space providing member which is provided to close a space between the upper electrode and the cover body, provides therein an isolated space isolated from a space outside the isolated space providing member, and includes therein an inlet/outlet through which a gas is introduced/exhausted, wherein a size of the isolated space varies as the upper electrode is vertically moved; and a gas introducing and exhausting mechanism which introduces/exhausts a gas into/from the isolated space of the isolated space providing member.
US09196454B2	Micro-column with double aligner Disclosed herein is a microcolumn with a double aligner. The microcolumn is configured such that when an axis of an aperture of a limiting aperture is spaced apart from an original path of a particle beam, the path of the particle beam can be effectively compensated for in such a way that the path of the particle beam is aligned with the axis of the aperture of the limiting aperture by the double aligner. The microcolumn includes a source lens. The source lens includes at least two aligner layers which compensate for the path of the particle beam.
US09196452B2	Methods and apparatus for carbon ion source head Methods and apparatus for a carbon ion source head. An ionization chamber is configured to receive a process gas containing carbon and a noble carrier gas; a cathode is disposed in the ionization chamber and configured to emit electrons in thermionic emission; a graphite coating is provided on at least a portion of the cathode; and an outlet on the ionization chamber is configured to output carbon ions. A method for ion implantation of carbon is disclosed. Additional alternative embodiments are disclosed.
US09196450B2	X-ray tube An X-ray tube includes a vacuum tube. A field emission cathode structure and an anode spaced from each other are located in the vacuum tube. The field emission cathode structure includes a first metal plate, a second metal plate, and an electron emitter. The electron emitter is fixed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate. One end of the electron emitter extends out of the first metal plate and the second metal plate to act as an electron emission end.
US09196444B2	Circuit breaker A built-in intelligent circuit breaker with an automatic closing function, including a box body and a bearing plate. Inside the box body is provided a circuit breaker actuating mechanism, a wire inlet end, and a wire outlet end. The circuit breaker actuating mechanism is triggered by a poke rod positioned in the box body. The bearing plate is positioned in the box body and combined with an electrical operating mechanism. The electrical operating mechanism is provided with an execution end, and the execution end is connected with the poke rod, such that the circuit breaker actuating mechanism is triggered by the poke rod to realize the on/off of the circuit breaker during the operation of the electrical operating mechanism under the control of an automatic closing control unit.
US09196442B2	Contact point device and electromagnetic relay that mounts the contact point device thereon A contact point device 1 includes a drive block 2 that has a drive shaft 25 to which a movable contactor 29 is attached, and drives the movable contactor 29. The movable contactor 29 is attached to the drive shaft 25 so as to be movable relatively to the drive shaft 25 in an axial direction of the drive shaft, and in addition, relative movement thereof in the axial direction is regulated due to abutment of the movable contactor 29 against a regulating portion 60. Then, between the movable contactor 29 and the regulating portion 60 is formed a rotational movement deregulating portion 80, which relaxes the regulation by the regulating portion 60 for the relative rotational movement of the movable contactor 29 in the axial direction.
US09196440B2	Portable electronic device capable of switching different statuses by centrifugal force A portable electronic device includes a casing, four actuating mechanisms and a control module. The four actuating mechanisms are disposed inside the casing. Each actuating mechanism includes a slot structure and an actuating component. The actuating component is disposed on an end of the corresponding slot structure. The control module is electrically connected to the four actuating mechanisms. The control module is for switching from a first status to a second status of the portable electronic device as the portable electronic device rotates in a rotating direction so as to drive each actuating component from the end of the slot structure to the other end of the slot structure due to centrifugal force.
US09196439B2	Vacuum interrupter arrangement for a circuit breaker A vacuum interrupter arrangement for a circuit breaker includes a first cylindrical shaped vacuum insert within which a pair of corresponding electrical contacts is coaxially arranged. The electrical contacts include a fixed electrical contact which is attached to the first vacuum insert and an axially movable electrical contact which is operated by a pushrod. A second cylindrical shaped vacuum insert is coaxially arranged to the first cylindrical shaped vacuum insert. Both vacuum inserts are coaxially surrounded by an outer vacuum container in order to form a double contact gap version.
US09196438B2	Safety system for high voltage network grounding switch The present invention is directed to a safety system integrated into a liquid-insulated high voltage network grounding switch, including modifications to the switch structure to provide an arrangement that is more efficiently installed with greater precision than found in conventional arrangements. The result is a switch assembly that adheres to updated IEEE/ANSI Standards, while still fitting into existing vault space meant to accommodate earlier switch gear.
US09196436B2	Ring main unit circuit breaker equipped with contact force controller The present invention relates to a ring main unit circuit breaker equipped with a contact force controller, and particularly, to a ring main unit circuit breaker equipped with a contact force controller, capable of controlling a contact force between contacts of a vacuum interrupter, by controlling an interval between the contacts, through a simple manual operation from outside, without having a disassembly operation.
US09196433B2	Electromagnetic switch An arc runner has a pair of side panels covering movable contacts and fixed contacts from a width direction of a movable contactor, a back panel covering the movable contacts and the fixed contacts from a longitudinal direction of the movable contactor, and a top panel covering the movable contacts and the fixed contacts from above, is formed of a magnetic material, and guides arcs to be generated between the movable contacts and the fixed contacts when the movable contacts and the fixed contacts separate from each other, toward an upward direction of the movable contactor. Furthermore, the arc runner includes, in a central portion of the top panel, a top panel hole flow-path area which is larger than top-panel to side-panel gaps formed between the side panels and the top panel.
US09196431B2	Encapsulated switchgear An encapsulated switchgear that includes a housing defining, an insulating space, and an electrical active part arranged in the insulating space, the insulating space with an insulation medium. The switchgear is characterized in that the insulation medium with a dielectric compound having a boiling point of above −5° C.
US09196426B2	Electrodes incorporating nanostructured polymer films for electrochemical ion storage Ion storage electrodes formed by coating an underlying substrate with a nanofibrillar film of structured conjugate polymer nanofibers and methods of forming such electrodes are described herein. The electrical properties of the electrodes may be customized by modifying the structure of the polymer nanofibers, the thickness of the nanofiber film, and the pore size of the nanofiber films.
US09196423B2	Multilayer ceramic electronic part and method of manufacturing the same There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic part, including: a ceramic element having a plurality of dielectric layers laminated therein; a plurality of first and second internal electrodes each formed on at least one surface of each of the plurality of dielectric layers within the ceramic element, the first and second internal electrodes respectively including first and second lead parts extended therefrom to be exposed through one surface of the ceramic element; and first and second external electrodes formed on one surface of the ceramic element, and electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes through exposed portions of the first and second lead parts, respectively, wherein a ratio of a width of the first or second lead part to a width of the first or second external electrode is 10 to 85%.
US09196418B2	Push-pull driver with stage inversion and method of operation Systems, methods, and apparatus for amplifying a voltage in wireless power transmitters are disclosed. In one aspect, the transmitter comprises a first circuit configured to generate a first signal. The first signal comprises a non-inverted output. The transmitter further comprises a second circuit configured to generate a second signal in phase with the first signal. The second signal comprises an inverted output with respect to the non-inverted output. The first circuit and the second circuit are further configured to drive a load.
US09196414B2	Planar transformers having reduced termination losses The present disclosure relates to planar transformers including a plurality of circuit layers that are configured to reduce termination losses on at least one of the plurality of circuit layers. The plurality of circuit layers are stacked together in a first direction and include at least first and second circuit layers. The first and second circuit layers each include an electrically conductive trace forming at least one winding having a first termination portion and a second termination portion that are separated by a gap. The gaps of the first and second circuit layers are offset relative to each other in a second direction different from the first direction. The plurality of circuit layers may further include a third circuit layer, which includes an electrically conductive trace having a grounded portion that is disposed adjacent to at least one of the gaps of the first and second circuit layers.
US09196413B2	Reactor and compound used in same [Problem] Provided is an injection-molded reactor which has excellent heat dissipation properties and in which the internal temperature of the core can be satisfactorily inhibited from rising due to heat generation when the reactor is in operation.[Solution Means] A material for a core obtained by mixing a soft magnetic powder, a resin binder, and a thermally conductive fibrous filler having a higher thermal conductivity than the soft magnetic powder in accordance with X·(soft magnetic powder)+Y·(thermally conductive filler)+(100-X-Y)·(resin binder), wherein X, indicating the proportion of the soft magnetic powder, is 83 to 96% by mass and Y, indicating the proportion of the thermally conductive filler, is 0.2 to 6.8% by mass, is used to mold a core 16 so that a coil 10 obtained by winding an electric wire is embedded therein without an interval, thereby configuring a reactor 15.
US09196411B2	System including tunable choke for hydrocarbon resource heating and associated methods A system and method for heating a hydrocarbon resource in a subterranean formation having a wellbore extending therein, include the use of a radio frequency (RF) source, an RF antenna to be positioned within the wellbore and a transmission line coupling the RF source and the RF antenna. A tunable choke is positioned on the transmission line between the RF source and RF antenna, and a controller is coupled to the tunable choke. The controller may be configured to tune the tunable choke to reduce a common mode current from propagating on an outside of the transmission line toward the RF source.
US09196407B2	Winding device, winding method, and transformer winding A transformer winding device, a method and a transformer are disclosed. The transformer winding winding device includes a rotary device configured to extend along an axis of rotation and configured to receive a transformer winding to be wound, at least one device configured to provide a plurality of insulation strips, and a comb-like guide device. The comb-like device is configured to deflect the plurality of insulation strips into at least one common winding plane and fed parallel to one another, at an angle to an axis of rotation, to the transformer winding to be wound. The comb-like guide device can include at least a first guide device element for a first group of insulation strips and a second guide device element for a second group of insulation strips, wherein the first and second guide device elements are offset with respect to one another in terms of axial length.
US09196406B2	High Q factor inductor structure The present disclosure provides a vertical inductor structure in which the magnetic field is closed such that the magnetic field of the vertical inductor structure is cancelled in the design direction outside the vertical inductor structure, yielding a small, or substantially zero, coupling factor of the vertical inductor structure. In one embodiment, several vertical inductor structures of the present disclosure can be placed in close proximity to create small resonant circuits and filter chains.
US09196393B2	Foamed resin molded product, foamed insulated wire, cable and method of manufacturing foamed resin molded product A foamed resin molded product includes not less than two fluorine resins that have a different melting point from each other. One of the not less than two fluorine resins comprises a fluorine resin that has a melting point of not more than 230 degrees C. An other of the not less than two fluorine resins comprises a fluorine resin that has a melting point of not less than 40 degrees C. higher than the fluorine resin having the melting point of not more than 230 degrees C.
US09196389B2	Systems and methods for efficiently preparing plutonium-238 with high isotopic purity A method for preparing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) includes using a nuclear reactor in irradiating a liquid containing a neptunium-237 (Np-237) based compound with neutrons to convert a portion of the Np-237 based compound to a Np-238 based compound; retaining the liquid containing the resulting mixture for a sufficient amount of time for the Np-238 based compound to at least partially convert to a Pu-238 based compound; and separating the Pu-238 based compound from the neptunium based compounds using fractional distillation or a chemical separation method.
US09196388B2	System and method for generating molybdenum-99 and metastable technetium-99, and other isotopes An accelerator based systems are disclosed for the generation of isotopes, such as molybdenum-98 (“99Mo”) and metastable technetium-99 (“99mTc”) from molybdenum-98 (“98Mo”). Multilayer targets are disclosed for use in the system and other systems to generate 99mTc and 98Mo, and other isotopes. In one example a multilayer target comprises a first, inner target of 98Mo surrounded, at least in part, by a separate, second outer layer of 98Mo. In another example, a first target layer of molybdenum-100 is surrounded, at least in part, by a second target layer of 98Mo. In another example, a first inner target comprises a Bremsstrahlung target material surrounded, at least in part, by a second target layer of molybdenum-100, surrounded, at least in part, by a third target layer of 98Mo.
US09196387B2	Apparatus and method for detecting position of annulus spacer between concentric tubes An apparatus for detecting the location of at least one annulus spacer between concentric interior and exterior tubes when a temperature gradient is present therebetween. A probe head assembly is movable within the interior tube. At least one temperature sensor is coupled to the probe head assembly and configured to detect a temperature of an interior surface of the interior tube. A drive assembly is operable to move the probe head assembly relative to the interior tube. A data acquisition system is coupled to the at least one temperature sensor and configured to receive a plurality of temperature measurements in order to identify at least one position along the interior surface having a temperature abnormality corresponding to a reduced temperature gradient.
US09196383B2	Scalable prediction failure analysis for memory used in modern computers One embodiment provides a method for scalable predictive failure analysis. Embodiments of the method may include gathering memory information for memory on a user computer system having at least one processor. Further, the method includes selecting one or more memory-related parameters. Further still, the method includes calculating based on the gathering and the selecting, a single bit error value for the scalable predictive failure analysis through calculations for each of the one or more memory-related parameters that utilize the memory information. Yet further, the method includes setting, based on the calculating, the single bit error value for the user computer system.
US09196377B1	Anti-fuse type one-time programmable memory cell and anti-fuse type one-time programmable memory cell arrays An anti-fuse type OTP memory cell includes a first active region having a first program region with a first width and a first selection region with a second width that is greater than the first width, a second active region spaced apart from the first active region and having a second program region with a third width and a second selection region with a fourth width that is greater than the third width, a program gate intersecting the first program region and the second program region, a first selection gate intersecting the first selection region, and a second selection gate intersecting the second selection region.
US09196374B1	System and method for detecting data stored in multi-bit memory cells A control module for a memory system including a plurality of multi-bit memory cells. The control module includes a read module configured to receive, from a first storage region of a first memory cell of the plurality of multi-bit memory cells, a first signal, and generate a second signal based on the first signal. A signal detection module is configured to determine distances between the second signal and respective estimates of a plurality of noiseless signals associated with the first memory cell. The noiseless signals correspond to a combination of an ideal signal and an interference signal. The signal detection module is further configured to determine, from the estimates of the plurality of noiseless signals, a noiseless signal that matches most closely to the second signal. A data conversion module is configured to detect data stored in the first storage region based on the noiseless signal that matches most closely to the second signal.
US09196372B2	Flash memory device and a method of verifying the same Provided are a flash memory device and a method of verifying the same. The flash memory device includes: a memory cell for storing data; a sense amplifier for reading information of the memory cell; a load current input device for providing a load current to the sense amplifier; and a control circuit for controlling the load current input device to provide a load current during a memory cell reading operation, verifying the memory cell by using a program verify voltage if the memory cell is a programmed memory cell, and verifying the memory cell by using a compensated erase verify voltage if the memory cell is an erased memory cell.
US09196370B2	Reducing noise in semiconductor devices The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for reducing noise in semiconductor devices. One method embodiment includes applying a reset voltage to a control gate of a semiconductor device for a period of time. The method further includes sensing the state of the semiconductor device after applying the reset voltage.
US09196366B2	Semiconductor memory apparatus and method for erasing the same A flash memory with low power consumption and rapid operations is disclosed, including a memory array of memory cells, a word line selection circuit for selecting a row of cells, a current-type sensing circuit electrically connected with each bit line for sensing the current of a selected bit line, and an erase unit erasing the cells in a selected block of the array. The erase unit includes: an erase sequence that determines whether the current of each bit line in the erased block is larger than a first value and ends the erasure if the result is “yes”, and a soft-program sequence that performs a soft program verification, which applies a soft-program voltage to all word lines in the erased block and determines whether the current of each bit line is lower than a second value, and ends the soft programming if the result is “yes”.
US09196359B2	Read distribution management for phase change memory Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a memory device, and more particularly to write performance of a phase change memory.
US09196357B2	Voltage stabilizing for a memory cell array Voltage balancing for a memory cell array is provided. One example method of voltage balancing for a memory array can include activating an access node coupled to a row of a memory array to provide voltage to the row of the memory array, activating a stabilizing transistor coupled to the row of the memory array to create a feedback loop, and activating a driving node coupled to a column of the memory array, wherein activating the driving node deactivates the stabilizing transistor once the column reaches a particular voltage potential.
US09196355B2	Memory including a selector switch on a variable resistance memory cell Embodiments include but are not limited to apparatuses and systems including memory having a memory cell including a variable resistance memory layer, and a selector switch in direct contact with the memory cell, and configured to facilitate access to the memory cell. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09196353B2	Semiconductor storage device with smaller driving force precharge A semiconductor storage device includes an SRAM memory cell composed of a drive transistor, a transfer transistor and a load transistor, an I/O circuit that is connected to bit lines connected to the memory cell, and an operating mode control circuit that switches an operating mode of the I/O circuit between a resume standby mode and a normal operation mode, wherein the I/O circuit includes a write driver that writes data to bit lines, a sense amplifier that reads data from the bit lines, a first switch inserted between the bit lines and the write driver, a second switch inserted between the bit lines and the sense amplifier, a precharge circuit that precharges the bit lines, and a control circuit that controls the first and second switches and the precharge circuit according to a signal from the operating mode control circuit.
US09196350B2	Active control device, semiconductor device and system including the same Disclosed herein are an active control device, a semiconductor device and system including the same. The active control device may include a refresh control unit configured for outputting a refresh signal by controlling a delay time for a refresh start time when a refresh operation is performed and a precharge signal generation unit configured for generating a bank precharge signal for precharging a bank in response to the refresh signal. The refresh control unit may include a refresh delay unit for delaying a bank-active signal for a specific time and outputting a delay signal, and the refresh delay unit may be operably coupled with a plurality of banks in common.
US09196347B2	DRAM controller for variable refresh operation timing A method for selection of a DRAM refresh timing in a DRAM memory system is disclosed. The method may include running a workload for a first number of refresh intervals using a first DRAM refresh timing and making a first workload throughput measurement for the first number of refresh intervals. The method may also include running the workload for a second number of refresh intervals using a second DRAM refresh timing and making a second workload throughput measurement for the second number of refresh intervals. The method may further include deciding if the first throughput measurement is greater than the second throughput measurement, and then selecting the first DRAM refresh timing as a selected DRAM refresh timing, or deciding if the second throughput measurement is greater than the first throughput measurement, then selecting the second DRAM refresh timing as the selected DRAM refresh timing.
US09196341B2	Memory device having a local current sink A memory device having a local current sink is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes one or more write drivers. The electronic device includes at least one Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) coupled to a bit line and coupled to a source line. The electronic device also includes a current sink circuit comprising a single transistor, the single transistor coupled to the bit line and to the source line.
US09196337B2	Low sensing current non-volatile flip-flop A low sensing current non volatile flip flop includes a first stage to sense a resistance difference between two magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and a second stage having circuitry to amplify the output of the first stage. The output of the first stage is initially pre-charged and determined by the resistance difference of the two MTJs when the sensing operation starts. The first stage does not have a pull-up path to a source voltage (VDD), and therefore does not have a DC path from VDD to ground during the sensing operation. A slow sense enable (SE) signal slope reduces peak sensing current in the first stage. A secondary current path reduces the sensing current duration of the first stage.
US09196336B2	Storage cell, storage device, and magnetic head Provided is a storage cell that makes it possible to enhance magnetic characteristics of magnetization pinned layer, a storage device and a magnetic head that include the storage cell. The storage cell includes a layer structure including a base layer, a storage layer in which a direction of magnetization is varied in correspondence with information, a magnetization pinned layer that is formed above the base layer and has magnetization that is perpendicular to a film surface and serves as a reference of information stored in the storage layer, and an intermediate layer that is provided between the storage layer and the magnetization pinned layer and is made of a nonmagnetic body. The base layer has a laminated structure of ruthenium and a nonmagnetic body having a face-centered cubic lattice, and the ruthenium is formed at a location adjacent to the magnetization pinned layer.
US09196335B2	Magnetic memory According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory includes magnetoresistive effect elements each including a first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a second magnetic layer which are successively stacked, and a ferroelectric capacitor provided above the magnetoresistive effect elements via an insulating layer, and including a lower electrode, a ferroelectric film, and an upper electrode which are successively stacked.
US09196332B2	Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) with in-plane magneto-static switching-enhancing layer An STTMRAM element includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having a perpendicular magnetic orientation. The MTJ includes a barrier layer, a free layer formed on top of the barrier layer and having a magnetic orientation that is perpendicular and switchable relative to the magnetic orientation of the fixed layer. The magnetic orientation of the free layer switches when electrical current flows through the STTMRAM element. A switching-enhancing layer (SEL), separated from the free layer by a spacer layer, is formed on top of the free layer and has an in-plane magnetic orientation and generates magneto-static fields onto the free layer, causing the magnetic moments of the outer edges of the free layer to tilt with an in-plane component while minimally disturbing the magnetic moment at the center of the free layer to ease the switching of the free layer and to reduce the threshold voltage/current.
US09196329B1	Combinatorial flip flop with off-path scan multiplexer Systems and methods are provided for a data storage cell. A pass gate, controlled by one or more clock signals, is configured to selectively pass data to a keeper circuit. A multiplexer device is disposed in the keeper circuit and is configured to select one of the data that is passed to the keeper or a scan input.
US09196326B2	Semiconductor memory apparatus A semiconductor memory apparatus may include a program voltage generation block configured to generate a program voltage in response to program codes; a precharge voltage generation block configured to generate a precharge voltage in response to the program codes and addresses; and a main bit line configured to be applied with the program voltage and the precharge voltage.
US09196325B2	Integrated circuit with on die termination and reference voltage generation and methods of using the same An integrated circuit includes a data input such as a data pad for receiving an external data signal input and an on-die termination (ODT) information input for receiving ODT information from an external device. An ODT circuit selectively couples a termination resistor to the data pad based on the ODT information. An input buffer is coupled to the data pad for determining data that is input into the pad using a reference voltage. A reference voltage generator is coupled to the input buffer and generates the reference voltage on the basis of the ODT information.
US09196313B2	Stacked device identification assignment Some embodiments include apparatus and methods having dice arranged in a stack. The dice include at least a first die and a second die, and a connection coupled to the dice. The connection may be configured to transfer control information to the first die during an assignment of a first identification to the first die and to transfer the control information from the first die to the second die during an assignment of a second identification to the second die.
US09196311B2	Video recording method and video recording device A video recording device including: a format control section defining a video file record to produce a file via a format defined having a BDMV directory and at least directories to record the video signal and to record Play List data further arranged below the BDMV directory, and forms the format so one Play Item is produced in each of segments of video scenes to be acquired and a plurality of Play Items are arranged within one piece of the Play List data; and a recording control section recording the video information on the recording medium according to the format formed by the format control section, wherein when video acquired by the camera is recorded where a first piece of Play List data is produced, Items are produced within the first piece of the Play List data without generating a new piece of Play List data.
US09196310B2	Systems and methods for indexing and searching digital video content The present invention relates to systems and methods for indexing digital video content maintained on a storage media item. The method of the present invention comprises extracting caption and subtitle content from one or more video object (“VOB”) files maintained on the storage media item. The extracted caption and subtitle content are segmented into one or more segments and video and audio content corresponding to the one or more segments are extracted. Descriptions of the video and audio content corresponding to the segmented caption and subtitle content are generated. The captions, subtitles, descriptions, and corresponding video and audio content associated with the one or more segments of the one or more VOB files are indexed.
US09196308B2	Content reproduction method and apparatus Provided are a content reproduction method and apparatus. The content reproduction method includes receiving a select signal for selecting one or more pieces of content; and reproducing the selected pieces of content and one or more pieces of content which were generated or reproduced together with the selected pieces of content in a temporal space within a range.
US09196305B2	Smart transitions A method, system and computer-readable storage medium for performing smart transitions between video clips are disclosed. According to implementations, a first video clip can be displayed on an interface of a video editing application. A second video clip can be received in the interface. In response to receiving the second video clip, a video clip sequence that includes the first video clip, the second video clip and a transition selected based on content characteristics of the first video clip and the second video clip can be generated. The generated video clip sequence containing the transition can be displayed on the interface. The video clip sequence including the transition can be generated automatically in response to receiving the second video clip.
US09196300B2	Optical recording medium, recording/reproducing apparatus, and recording/reproducing method An information recording medium, on which when a spare area for a replacement block for replacing a defect block created in a predetermined area of an information recording medium is enlarged or newly allocated, defect status information of blocks within the enlarged or newly allocated spare area is changed and written on the information recording medium. By managing the defect status information of the blocks within the enlarged or newly allocated spare area, unnecessary operations of a drive system are eliminated thus improving efficiency of the drive system.
US09196295B1	Disk to motor hub swage attachment A disk drive includes a disk defining an opening, and a motor hub coupled to the disk. The motor hub further defines a swage ring extending at least partially into the opening of the disk, the swage ring swaged radially outwards into contact with the disk.
US09196294B2	Apparatus with repulsive force between stationary and rotatable components Provided herein, is an apparatus that includes a fluid dynamic bearing, a hub, and an induction housing. The fluid dynamic bearing is defined by a stationary component and a rotatable component. The hub is configured to rotate relative to the stationary component. A current is induced within the induction housing resulting from the relative rotation. The induced current creates a repulsive force between the stationary component and the hub.
US09196290B2	Library device A library device includes: a first robot configured to transport a storage medium stored in a storage rack; and a second robot configured to transport a storage medium stored in the storage rack; and wherein the first robot and the second robot each include: a hand device; a transportation body including a slot to store the storage medium; a rotation device configured to rotate the transportation body between a first orientation in which an opening of the slot faces the hand device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot and a second orientation in which the opening of the slot faces the hand device of the other one of the first robot and the second robot; and a switch device configured to control the rotation device.
US09196284B2	In-line type film forming apparatus and method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium There is provided an in-line type film-forming apparatus that can prevent a substrate from being dropped out of a carrier and convey the carrier at high speed. A first supporting member (41) is supported to be displaceable in a direction along an attaching face (S1) of the support base (40) in accordance with the growth of the first supporting member (41) due to thermal expansion in a horizontal direction, a second supporting member (42) is supported to be displaceable in a direction negating the growth of the first supporting member (41) due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction along an attaching face (S2) of the first supporting member (42) in accordance with the growth of the second supporting member (42) due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction, and a holder (3) is supported to be displaceable in a direction negating the growth of the first and second supporting members (41) and (42) due to thermal expansion in the vertical direction along an attaching face (S3) of the third supporting member (43) in accordance with the growth of the holder (3) due to thermal expansion in the vertical direction.
US09196273B2	Magnetoresistive element with three terminals, magnetic head, and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus An example magnetoresistive element includes a nonmagnetic conductive layer; a first magnetic layer connected to the nonmagnetic conductive layer; a second magnetic layer connected to the nonmagnetic conductive layer so as to be distant from the first magnetic layer; a third magnetic layer connected to the nonmagnetic conductive layer so as be distant from the first magnetic layer; and first to third magnetic electrodes connected to the first to third magnetic layers respectively. A voltage is applied between the third magnetic electrode and the first magnetic electrode through the third magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic conductive layer, and the first magnetic layer, and a current is caused to flow between the third electrode and the second magnetic electrode through the third magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic conductive layer, and the second magnetic layer. The nonmagnetic conductive layer decreases in volume toward the one end face.
US09196272B1	Sensor structure having increased thermal stability A reader sensor having a dusting layer having a thickness less than 5 Angstroms between and in contact with the AFM layer and with the pinned layer. The dusting layer comprises a non-magnetic, electrically conducting material, such as ruthenium or iridium. The reader sensor has a free layer composed of a material free of nickel (Ni).
US09196271B1	Spin-torque oscillation element and microwave-assisted magnetic recording head using the same According to one embodiment, a spin-torque oscillation element includes a lamination structure containing a spin injection layer, a non-magnetic interlayer formed on the spin injection layer and an oscillation layer formed on the non-magnetic interlayer, and a non-magnetic conductive layer provided on a sidewall of the lamination structure, and the thickness of the lamination structure in a longitudinal direction is 60 nm or less.
US09196268B2	Magnetic head manufacturing method forming sensor side wall film by over-etching magnetic shield According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a reproducing unit to detect a medium magnetic field recorded in a magnetic recording medium. The reproducing unit includes first and second magnetic shields, a stacked body, and a side wall film. The stacked body is provided between the first and second magnetic shields and includes first and second magnetic layer and an intermediate layer provided between them. The stacked body has a side wall. The side wall intersects a plane perpendicular to a stacking direction from the first magnetic shield toward the second magnetic shield. The side wall film covers at least a part of the side wall of the stacked body. The side wall film includes at least one of Fe and Co, and has a composition different from a composition of the first magnetic layer and different from a composition of the second magnetic layer.
US09196267B2	Data writer with flux density insert A data writer may be generally configured at least with a write pole adjacent to and separated from a side shield and a trailing shield. The side shield may be formed of a first material and configured with a trailing box region that is at least partially filled with a flux density insert formed of a second material that is different than the first material.
US09196265B2	Disk-drive pulse duration control system One embodiment includes a pulse duration control system for a magnetic disk-drive system. A rise delay system generates first control voltages in response to a write data input signal changing between a first state and a second state. A fall delay system generates second control voltages in response to the write data input signal changing between the first and second states. A comparator system generates a rising-edge overshoot signal and a falling-edge overshoot signal based on a comparison of the first and second control voltages. The rising-edge overshoot signal can set a duration of a positive overshoot current pulse for a write current at a transition of the write data input signal from the first state to the second state, and the falling-edge overshoot signal can set a duration of a negative overshoot current pulse for the write current at a transition from the second state to the first state.
US09196263B2	Pitch period segmentation of speech signals A method for automatic segmentation of pitch periods of speech waveforms takes a speech waveform, a corresponding fundamental frequency contour of the speech waveform, that can be computed by some standard fundamental frequency detection algorithm, and optionally the voicing information of the speech waveform, that can be computed by some standard voicing detection algorithm, as inputs and calculates the corresponding pitch period boundaries of the speech waveform as outputs by iteratively •calculating the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of a speech segment having a length of approximately two periods, the period being calculated as the inverse of the mean fundamental frequency associated with these speech segments, •placing the pitch period boundary either at the position where the phase of the third FFT coefficient is −180 degrees, or at the position where the correlation coefficient of two speech segments shifted within the two period long analysis frame maximizes, or at a position calculated as a combination of both measures stated above, and repeatedly shifting the analysis frame one period length further until the end of the speech waveform is reached.
US09196262B2	User sensing system and method for low power voice command activation in wireless communication systems A method of activating voice control on a wireless device includes sampling signals from a plurality of sensors on the device, determining if the device is in a hands-on state by a user on the basis of the signal sampling, and enabling a voice activated detection (VAD) application on the device on the basis of the determination. A voice controlled apparatus in a wireless device includes a plurality of sensors arranged on the device, a microphone, a controller to sample signals from one or more of the plurality of sensors, a processor coupled to the controller, and a voice activated detection (VAD) application running on the processor coupled to the controller and the microphone.
US09196258B2	Spectral shaping for speech intelligibility enhancement A speech intelligibility enhancement (SIE) system and method is described that improves the intelligibility of a speech signal to be played back by an audio device when the audio device is located in an environment with loud acoustic background noise. In an embodiment, the audio device comprises a near-end telephony terminal and the speech signal comprises a speech signal received over a communication network from a far-end telephony terminal for playback at the near-end telephony terminal.
US09196257B2	Apparatus and a method for converting a first parametric spatial audio signal into a second parametric spatial audio signal An apparatus for converting a first parametric spatial audio signal representing a first listening position or a first listening orientation in a spatial audio scene to a second parametric spatial audio signal representing a second listening position or a second listening orientation is described, the apparatus including: a spatial audio signal modification unit adapted to modify the first parametric spatial audio signal dependent on a change of the first listening position or the first listening orientation so as to obtain the second parametric spatial audio signal, wherein the second listening position or the second listening orientation corresponds to the first listening position or the first listening orientation changed by the change.
US09196252B2	Selective enablement of speech recognition grammars A method for processing speech audio in a network connected client device can include selecting a speech grammar for use in a speech recognition system in the network connected client device; characterizing the selected speech grammar; and, based on the characterization, determining whether to process the speech grammar locally in the network connected client device, or remotely in a speech server in the network. In one aspect of the invention, the selecting step can include establishing a communications session with a speech server; and, querying the speech server for a speech grammar over the established communications session. Additionally, the selecting step can further include registering the speech grammar in the speech recognition system.
US09196250B2	Application services interface to ASR An application services interface system includes an automatic speech recognition control application program interface that receives a request for a recognition session from an application-based automatic speech recognition controller. An automatic speech recognition control engine directs the performance of an automatic speech recognition module. The automatic speech recognition module compares a spoken utterance to a vocabulary of active grammars to generate recognition results through limited data interchanges or exchanges.
US09196242B1	System and methods for offline audio recognition In one implementation, a method is described of retrying matching of an audio query against audio references. The method includes receiving a follow-up query that requests a retry at matching a previously submitted audio query. In some implementations, this follow-up query is received without any recognition hint that suggests how to retry matching. The follow-up query includes the audio query or a reference to the audio query to be used in the retry. The method further includes retrying matching the audio query using retry matching resources that include an expanded group of audio references, identifying at least one match and transmitting a report of the match. Optionally, the method includes storing data that correlates the follow-up query, the audio query or the reference to the audio query, and the match after retrying.
US09196238B2	Audio processing based on changed position or orientation of a portable mobile electronic apparatus An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform determining a change in position and/or orientation of an apparatus, and processing at least two audio signals dependent on the change in position and/or orientation to generate at least one output signal wherein the processing of the two audio signals dependent on the change in position and/or orientation produces the output signal comprising a representation of acoustic energy from a first direction.
US09196236B1	Electronic music instrument, system and method for operating an electronic music instrument An electronic music instrument comprises at least one rotary encoder with a knob configured for setting a value of a parameter of the instrument; at least one input configured for receiving at least one of a base value of the parameter and a modulation offset of the parameter; and a visual indicator associated with the encoder configured for indicating the base value of the parameter and the modulation offset of the parameter.
US09196235B2	Musical instrument switching system A musical instrument switching system includes a) a control circuit controllable for combining and routing the analog audio, the control circuit comprising a plurality of instrument pickups for transmitting analog audio, and a controller connector for allowing connection of the control circuit to a computing device, and b) a software program, installable in the computing device, for modifying the characteristics of the musical instrument.
US09196225B2	Electro-optic device and driving method thereof A driving method of an electro-optic device includes initializing a gate voltage of a driving transistor; and performing a data write operation where a threshold voltage of the driving transistor is compensated by turning on a first transistor and a second transistor connected in series between a drain and a gate of the driving transistor and a voltage is provided to a capacity element connected to the gate of the driving transistor to hold a voltage of the compensated data signal as a gate voltage. The first transistor is at a drain side of the driving transistor and the second transistor is between the first transistor and a gate side of the driving transistor. When the data write operation ends, the second transistor is first turned off and, subsequently, the first transistor is turned off. The second transistor is again turned on after the first transistor is turned off.
US09196223B2	Display panel and display apparatus comprising the same A display panel and a display apparatus having the display panel are disclosed. The display panel includes: a substrate having a flat panel shape; a light output layer disposed on the substrate and outputting light by an electrical drive; and a semiconductor layer including a plurality of switching elements arranged in a matrix form and switching based on a driving signal for driving the light output layer, and a plurality of lines to transmit the driving signal to the plurality of switching elements, wherein each of the lines extends with a predetermined width, a first width of the line at a central portion thereof in a lengthwise direction thereof is thicker than a second width thereof at one end portion thereof in the lengthwise direction.
US09196222B2	Method of displaying an image, display apparatus performing the same, method and apparatus of calculating a correction value applied to the same A method of displaying an image on a display panel having a plurality of pixels arranged as rows and columns includes calculating a row correction value corresponding to a pixel position of a received data based on an average luminance of pixels in a pixel row of a sample-grayscale image, calculating a column correction value corresponding to the pixel position of the received data based on an average luminance of pixels in a pixel column of the sample-grayscale image, generating correction data for the received data using a row correction value and a column correction value corresponding to a pixel position of the received data, and converting the correction data to a data voltage to provide a data line of the display panel with the data voltage.
US09196213B2	Gate driving circuit and display device having the same A gate driving circuit includes: a plurality of driving stages configured to apply gate signals to a plurality of pixels of a display panel, one driving stage of the driving stages including: a thin film transistor including a first control electrode, an active part overlapping the first control electrode, an input electrode overlapping the active part, an output electrode overlapping the active part, and a second control electrode on the first control electrode and the active part; and a control voltage generator configured to supply a control voltage determined according to a channel characteristic of the thin film transistor to the second control electrode and to include a voltage generating thin film transistor including an active part having a same channel characteristic as the active part of the thin film transistor.
US09196206B2	Liquid crystal display In one embodiment of the present invention, each pixel includes first and second subpixels. CS bus lines connected to the respective storage capacitors of the first and second subpixels are electrically independent of each other. A CS voltage has a waveform that inverts its polarity at least once a frame, which includes a first subframe for sequentially scanning a series of odd rows and a second SF for sequentially scanning even rows that have been skipped during the first SF. A source signal voltage varies so as to have two frames or subframes with mutually opposite polarities. A CS voltage has a waveform that has quite opposite consequences on the effective voltage of a subpixel of a pixel connected to the jth scan line to be selected during the first subframe and on that of another subpixel of a pixel connected to the (j+1)th scan line to be selected during the second subframe. In this manner, the deterioration in display quality, which would be caused if either a source line inversion drive or a block inversion drive is applied to a multi-pixel technology, can be minimized.
US09196196B2	Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same There is provided an organic light emitting display device for providing a compensation period of a threshold voltage. The organic light emitting display device includes: a scan driver configured to supply a plurality of scan signals to a plurality of scan lines, each of the scan signals having a width greater than two horizontal periods; a data driver configured to supply a plurality of data signals to a plurality of data lines; and a pixel including an organic light emitting diode, a pixel circuit having a first transistor for controlling an amount of current supplied to the organic light emitting diode, and a compensation circuit configured to control a voltage of a gate electrode of the first transistor to compensate for deterioration of the organic light emitting diode; wherein the scan driver is configured to supply a current scan signal which partially overlaps in time with a previous scan signal.
US09196189B2	Display devices and methods for generating images thereon A display includes pixels and a controller. The controller can cause the pixels to generate colors corresponding to an image frame. The controller can cause the display to display the image frame using sets of subframe images corresponding to contributing colors according to a field sequential color (FSC) image formation process. The contributing colors include component colors and at least one composite color, which is substantially a combination of at least two component colors. A greater number of subframe images corresponding to a first component color can be displayed relative to a number of subframe images corresponding to another component color. The display can be configured to output a given luminance of a contributing color for a first pixel by generating a first set of pixel states and output the same luminance of the contributing color for a second pixel by generating a second, different set of pixel states.
US09196188B2	Image display apparatus and control method therefor An image processing unit includes a filter unit which performs high frequency emphasis processing on a image signal of a first sub-frame among a plurality of sub-frames, and performs high frequency suppression processing on a image signal of a second sub-frame different from the first sub-frame; and a level adjustment unit which performs level adjustment processing on the image signal of the first sub-frame, and performs level adjustment processing different from the level adjustment processing on the image signal of the second sub-frame. Alight source control unit controls light quantity of a light source during a period of a sub-frame in which the image signal subjected to the level adjustment processing is outputted, in accordance with the level adjustment performed on the sub-frame.
US09196187B2	System and method of reducing power using a display inactive indication A system includes one or more video processing components and a display processing unit. The display processing unit may include one or more processing pipelines that generate read requests to fetch stored pixel data from a memory for subsequent display on a display unit. The display processing unit may also include a timing control unit that may generate an indication that indicates that the display unit will enter an inactive state. In response to receiving the indication, one or more of the video processing components may enter a low power state.
US09196186B2	Display device and method for driving display device A display device (10) includes a timing control section (13) and a signal line drive circuit (16), either of which receives a lower power supply voltage level than the other, and a level changing circuit (20) for changing an amplitude level (T) of a reset signal (B). The timing control section (13) and the level changing circuit (20) receive the reset signal (B). The level changing circuit (20) changes the amplitude level (T) of the supplied reset signal (B) and then supply, to the signal line drive circuit (16), a reset signal (Ba) with a converted amplitude level. This makes it possible to achieve an image display with low power consumption and a stable display quality.
US09196182B2	Display device A display device having a display panel including a plurality of data lines; a data driver including at least one data driving circuit chip which transmits data signals to the plurality of data lines; and a signal controller transmitting a dummy control signal and an output image signal to a first data driving circuit chip of at least one data driving circuit chip. The first data driving circuit chip may include zero or more dummy channels which are not connected with the data lines, and the dummy control signal includes information on positions of the dummy channels included in the first data driving circuit chip and information regarding the number of dummy channels.
US09196171B2	3JCN music notation There is no staff in 3JCN Music Notation. Therefore, 3JCN Music Notation is very simple compare to Western Notation. A note in 3JCN Music Notation is represented by a lower case letter for the pitch class (a through g), preceded by the note's octave (1 through 11) and followed by the note's duration (a real number). For example, 6c1 is for note “c” in 6th octave (middle C) with 1 unit of duration.
US09196166B2	Runway takeoff monitor Disclosed is a runway alerting method and system for an aircraft during a take-off maneuver. The method includes determining stopping positions for the aircraft along the runway using aircraft energy state, deceleration and braking information and displaying the stopping positions on a display.
US09196164B1	Pedestrian notifications Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to notifying a pedestrian of the intent of a self-driving vehicle. For example, the vehicle may include sensors which detect an object such as a pedestrian attempting or about to cross the roadway in front of the vehicle. The vehicle's computer may then determine the correct way to respond to the pedestrian. For example, the computer may determine that the vehicle should stop or slow down, yield, or stop if it is safe to do so. The vehicle may then provide a notification to the pedestrian of what the vehicle is going to or is currently doing. For example, the vehicle may include a physical signaling device, an electronic sign or lights, a speaker for providing audible notifications, etc.
US09196163B2	Driving support apparatus and driving support method There are provided a driving support apparatus and a driving support method in which the reliability can be improved. In the driving support apparatus, in a traveling direction of the host vehicle and a direction crossing the traveling direction, an intersection where the host vehicle and the moving object cross is predicted; a virtual TTC that it takes for the host vehicle to arrive at the intersection and a virtual TTV that it takes for the moving object to arrive at the intersection when the moving object moves in the direction crossing the traveling direction at a virtual speed which is set virtually, are respectively acquired; and the driving support in the host vehicle is implemented based on the relative relationship between the virtual TTC and the virtual TTV.
US09196156B2	Electronic apparatus and method of receiving information, and recording medium for recording program executing method of receiving information The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus and method for receiving various pieces of information, after setting various search conditions, based on the set search conditions. According to the present invention, the electronic apparatus comprises: a communication unit; and in the case that a particular event occurs, a control unit transmitting search conditions including at least one of a search direction, search range and search region, related to the event through the communication unit, and receiving information corresponding to the search conditions.
US09196155B2	Remote control device, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and remote control method Provided is a remote control device, including: an operation section configured to receive input of an instruction from a user, and to receive input of an analog value with respect to the instruction; a converting section configured to convert the instruction input in the operation section into a bit string for infrared communication, and to convert the analog value input in the operation section into a bit string for infrared communication; and an infrared-communication section configured to send an infrared signal based on the converted bit strings.
US09196154B2	Method and electronic device for controlling display device using watermark A method for an electronic device configured to control a display device by using a watermark is provided. The method includes receiving a captured image of the display device from a remote control device, extracting a watermark from the captured image, acquiring a menu for the display device based on the watermark, and transmitting the menu to the remote control device for controlling the display device.
US09196150B2	System and method for video monitoring of restricted areas below bucket trucks, lineworkers on power distribution poles or other elevated loads A method and system (10) are provided for monitoring a restricted area (12) below a temporarily elevated worker (14) working on an elevated power transmission line (16). The method and system (10) utilize a video camera system (30) that is temporarily elevated to a location (32) adjacent the worker (14) and that is configured to detect the presence of personnel (34) who enter the restricted area (12). The system (30) is configured to automatically alert personnel (34) at the worksite (17) who enter the restricted area (12) in response to detection of the personnel (34) by the system (30).
US09196146B1	Vehicular carbon monoxide detector The vehicular carbon monoxide detector is a system that is specially configured for use with a vehicle in order to detect unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in and around said vehicle thereby issuing an alarm to alert persons in around or remote of said vehicle as to the elevated level of carbon monoxide associated with said vehicle. The vehicular carbon monoxide detector system includes an internal carbon monoxide sensor and an external carbon monoxide sensor that are both in wired communication with a vehicle computer. The vehicle computer may be integrated into a pre-existing vehicle or an add-on. The vehicle computer being wired to the vehicle battery derives the electricity required to operate all aspects of the carbon monoxide detector, and which includes a cellular transceiver for communication with a cellular telephone or operation of a vehicle horn/headlights/windows.
US09196144B2	Social alarm system and method of monitoring a fall detector unit in a social alarm system The social alarm system includes a fall detector unit, worn by the user, having an accelerometer to detect a fall. A controller monitors for an acceleration signal which exceeds a wake-up or starting threshold and, in response, distinguishes between a fall event and a non-fall event based at least on the acceleration signal. A counter unit maintains a count of the non-fall events over a monitored time period such as one day. An alarm signal unit generates an inactivity alarm signal when the count of non-fall events is below a count threshold within the monitored time period.
US09196141B1	Smoke detector chamber Various embodiments of a smoke chamber for a smoke detector are presented. Such a smoke chamber may include a housing, having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be through which an electromagnetic sensor and two or more electromagnetic emitters interact with an airspace within the housing. The second portion may have an airflow surface that at least partially defines a curved airflow path between the airspace within the housing and an external environment. The curved airflow path may curve radially outward.
US09196138B2	Image reproduction apparatus and image reproduction method An object of this invention is to simplify an operation of reproducing, on a single window, pieces of image information of different image capturing apparatuses or pieces of image information captured at different times. A display apparatus manages a camera apparatus (1) serving as the image capturing source of image information to be reproduced in each image region in association with a plurality of image regions on a single window. The display apparatus manages whether the image information to be reproduced in each image region is recorded image information or image information which is currently being captured. On the basis of the pieces of management information, the display apparatus acquires image information from a desired one of camera apparatuses and recording apparatuses and reproduces the pieces of acquired image information on the plurality of image regions.
US09196133B2	Doorbell communication systems and methods Doorbell systems can include a doorbell having a speaker and a microphone. Doorbell systems can receive a custom message from a user. Doorbell systems can thereby detect an indication of a presence of a visitor, and then in response to detecting the indication of the presence of the visitor, doorbell systems can emit the custom message with the speaker.
US09196132B2	Wagering game having free spin feature with variable quantities of reel arrays A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes at least one input device, at least one display device, at least one processor, and at least one memory device storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming system to receive a wager for playing the wagering game, and trigger a free-spin event in which a plurality of free spins is awarded. For a first spin, a first number of arrays is randomly determined, displayed, and evaluated to determine whether an award condition is present. For a second spin, a second number of arrays is randomly determined, displayed, and evaluated to determine whether an award condition is present. The second number of arrays is non-equal to the first number of arrays. Any awards associated with each determined award condition are provided.
US09196129B2	Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing a strategy game having a plurality of awards The disclosed gaming system, gaming device and method provide a game including a plurality of awards, each of the awards associated with a plurality of award characteristics, including an award value and a level of difficulty. Based at least in part on the award characteristics associated with the awards, a player strategically chooses which award or awards to play for (i.e., which award or awards to attempt to collect) in the game. In certain multiplayer embodiments, two or more players can work together to obtain awards.
US09196127B2	Keno redraws A keno game may be provided during which at least some of the drawn numbers are redrawn. A keno board may display a set of available numbers. Upon the player's selection of numbers on the keno board, a set of drawn numbers may be generated. The drawn numbers that match the player selected numbers may be locked on the keno board, while the generated numbers that are not matches may re-drawn.
US09196122B2	Authorizing and managing wagering agent accounts Described herein are processes and devices that authorize and manage wagering agents and associated accounts. One of the devices described is a wagering game system. The wagering game system can detecting a request from a first player account to utilize a shared wagering fund to wager on a wagering game. The shared wagering fund can be funded by a second player account. The wagering game system can make the shared wagering fund available to the first player account to wager on a wagering game. The wagering game system can determine a game award produced by the wagering game. The system can then allocate a portion of the game award to the second player account.
US09196118B2	Gaming machine which rearranges symbols after varying and displaying the symbols A reduction in amusement of gaming which may occur after providing a progressive bonus is suppressed. A gaming machine 1 conducts a revival drawing for a bonus game after finishing the bonus game. A revival winning probability after finishing a progressive bonus game is lower than that after finishing the other bonus games. In the gaming machine 1, it may be configured that the revival drawing after finishing the progressive bonus game is not conducted.
US09196116B2	Securing gaming transactions Providing tamper-evident transaction data for transactions relating to a draw or game event such as a lottery or other game of chance or skill. The transactions, individually, as a whole draw or event file, or in batches, are digitally time-stamped using a cryptographic device to create digital signatures. The resulting, signed, transaction file is capable of subsequent verification to enable detection of alteration of the transaction data and the time it was processed. The efficient time-stamping occurs quickly, does not require custom software on the gaming system, and ensures transaction integrity.
US09196115B1	Performance based basketball scoring system An automated, replicable, process-based original concept that provides a self-validating, defined quantification of the relevance of one or more active physical efforts performed by two or more different competing real-life basketball teams engaged in at least one real-life basketball contest or its adaptations.
US09196114B2	Enhanced gaming display through personal gaming device Gaming machines and methods for transmitting hidden elements to a portable electronic device are described. The gaming machine includes a cabinet, a display, and a user input mechanism. The gaming machine further includes an interface, wherein the interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable electronic device. The gaming machine includes a game controller. The game controller is configured to provide game play of a wager-based game, including generating gaming information including a hidden element. The game controller is further configured to display at least a portion of the gaming information to the player through the display, wherein the hidden element is not displayed. The game controller is configured to facilitate a data connection between the gaming machine and the portable electronic device through the interface. The game controller is further configured to transmit the hidden element to the portable electronic device.
US09196113B2	Wagering game preference selection A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include presenting, at a wagering game machine, a wagering game including a wagering game element. The operations can include presenting a graphical indicium in association with the wagering game element. The operations can include detecting player selection of the graphical indicium, wherein the player selection of the graphical indicium indicates player liking for the wagering game element. The operations can include modifying the wagering game based on the player liking for the wagering game element.
US09196111B1	Automated teller machine (“ATM”) dynamic keypad Systems and methods according to the present invention provide a more secure Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction by preventing observation of banking customers' Personal Identification Number (PIN). Such systems and methods make it difficult to obtain a customer's PIN by tracking the hand movement of a customer using an ATM. Inputs presented for a customer selection are preferably dynamically displayed in different locations preferably each time the customer is asked to enter a PIN. Dynamically changing the sequence of the display and/or location of the presented inputs reduces the possibility of mapping the hand movement of the customer to the positions of the inputs displayed for a customer selection. Inputs may also be presented at a very narrow viewing angle, thereby making observation of a PIN difficult. Hence, banking customers are preferably provided with a more robust and secured ATM transaction system.
US09196108B2	Apparatus and method of maintaining and repairing banknote validator using a network There is provided an apparatus and a method of maintaining, repairing and/or optimizing a banknote validator using a network. The apparatus includes a banknote validator configured to count banknotes or determine genuineness or fitness of the banknotes, a wired or wireless network connection unit configured to relay or transmit one or more first data items and/or software, first data items and software updating, maintaining and/or repairing the banknote valuator and including security information, and a server configured to receive one or more second data items and software version information from the banknote validator and optionally transmit maintenance and repair results to the banknote validator through the wired or wireless network connection unit. The wired or wireless network connection unit may comprise a predetermined smart device or a web adjuster.
US09196104B2	Wireless access control system and related methods A wireless access control system includes a remote access device. A plugin device communicates with the remote access device. A lock controls the ability to lock and unlock a door in which the lock is disposed. The lock is in communication with the plug in device. The plug in device determines a distance between the remote access device and the lock and causes the lock to communicate with the remote access device when the remote access device is at a distance less than or equal to a predetermined distance from the lock to enable the lock to be unlocked.
US09196101B2	Automated control system for multi-level authority to operate electronic and electrical devices An automated control system for multi-level authority to operate electronic and electrical equipment, the system including one or more wireless or wired controlled devices and one or more separate communicator and/or transmitter devices for an operation authorizing code and/or separate user identifiers for communicating the codes to a customer or a device. In the process of granting authorities to operate, the system utilizes, as positional data for a user or a device, the base station information of a mobile phone network and/or at close range a wired or wireless communication link, such as a bluetooth communication link.
US09196099B2	Tachograph, toll onboard unit, display instrument, and system A tachograph and a toll onboard unit as communication partners, which each have a data interface for a data communication via a vehicle data bus to which the communication partners are coupled. The tachograph and/or the toll onboard unit are implemented as a transmitter of data to ascertain a cryptographic check value as a function of user data, which are to be transmitted to the communication partner, and to transmit the cryptographic check value in addition to the user data to the communication partner. The toll onboard unit or the tachograph, respectively, as a receiver of data, is implemented to receive user data and the cryptographic check value associated with the user data from the communication partner and to check the received user data for corruption as a function of the received cryptographic check value.
US09196098B2	Motor vehicle operating data collection and analysis A method and apparatus for collecting and evaluating powered vehicle operation utilizing on-board diagnostic components and location determining components or systems. The invention creates one or more databases whereby identifiable behavior or evaluative characteristics can be analyzed or categorized. The evaluation can include predicting likely future events. The database can be correlated or evaluated with other databases for a wide variety of uses.
US09196097B2	Electronic parking meter with vehicle sensor An electronic single space parking meter associated with a parking space is provided. The meter includes a support pole and an electronic meter mechanism coupled to and supported from the support pole. The electronic meter mechanism includes a processor. The meter includes a vehicle sensor communicably coupled to the processor of the electronic meter mechanism. The vehicle sensor is configured to detect a vehicle located within the parking space. The vehicle sensor is coupled to and supported by the support pole at a position above the ground and below the electronic meter mechanism.
US09196095B2	Method for the preparation of a digital mock-up of a plurality of objects in an installation space The invention relates to a method for compiling a digital mockup of a multiplicity of objects in an installation space, comprising allocating an installation location for each object, determine neighboring objects and object types for each object, and determining possible interactions between neighboring objects.
US09196093B2	Information presentation device, digital camera, head mount display, projector, information presentation method and non-transitory computer readable medium A digital camera functioning as an information presentation device is provided with a CG superimposition unit 17 which functions so that a virtual object is superimposed on a real space image captured by an imaging element 3, and is displayed on a display unit 23; a visual line detection unit 12 which detects a visual line of a person included in the real space image captured by the imaging element 3; and a superimposing position determination unit 11 which determines a superimposing position of the virtual object on the basis of the visual line detected by the visual line detection unit 12.
US09196092B2	Multiple volume renderings in three-dimensional medical imaging Clipping is provided for volume rendering in three-dimensional medical imaging. Rather than a single or even two clipping planes, an enclosed clipping volume isolates a region of interest. More than one volume rendering may be formed from the data of the clipping volume. The volume renderings from different directions, such as opposite directions, may be displayed substantially simultaneously. For imaging a valve or other structure with multiple views of interest, the clipping volume defines the valve or structure region and rendering from the multiple views provides desired diagnosis information.
US09196084B2	Determining object volume from mobile device images Techniques are described for analyzing images acquired via mobile devices in various ways, including to estimate measurements for one or more attributes of one or more objects in the images. For example, the described techniques may be used to measure the volume of a stockpile of material or other large object, based on images acquired via a mobile device that is carried by a human user as he or she passes around some or all of the object. During the acquisition of a series of digital images of an object of interest, various types of user feedback may be provided to a human user operator of the mobile device, and particular images may be selected for further analysis in various manners. Furthermore, the calculation of object volume and/or other determined object information may include generating and manipulating a computer model or other representation of the object from selected images.
US09196081B2	Techniques for enhancing multiple view performance in a three dimensional pipeline Techniques may be directed to enhancing multiple view performance in a three dimensional pipeline. A plurality of view transformations associated with an image may be received. The vertex data associated with the image may be received. Operation data may be determined by performing the view transformations on the compiled vertex data. A plurality of display lists may be determined through a single run of a vertex pipeline. A display list may be based on the operation data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09196078B2	System and methods for displaying virtual space including a silhouette image There is generated a display image of a state in which a three-dimensional virtual space, including a first model and a second model to which a predetermined texture is pasted, is imaged by a virtual camera, and the generated image is displayed on a display device. In the generated display image, there is rendered, at a front surface of the first model, a silhouette model which is a silhouette model that is present at a position corresponding to the second model present behind the first model with respect to a view direction of the virtual camera in the virtual space, and to which a silhouette image of the second model is pasted.
US09196075B2	Animation of computer-generated display components of user interfaces and content items Animation of computer-generated display components of user interfaces and content items is provided. An animation application or engine creates images of individual display components (e.g., bitmap images) and places those images on animation layers. Animation behaviors may be specified for the layers to indicate how the layers and associated display component images animate or behave when their properties change (e.g., a movement of an object contained on a layer), as well as, to change properties on layers in order to trigger animations (e.g., an animation that causes an object to rotate). In order to achieve high animation frame rates, the animation application may utilize three processing threads, including a user interface thread, a compositor thread and a rendering thread. Display behavior may be optimized and controlled by utilizing a declarative markup language, such as the Extensible Markup Language, for defining display behavior functionality and properties.
US09196072B2	Method for scripting inter-scene transitions A method for authoring and displaying a virtual tour of a three-dimensional space which employs transitional effects simulating motion. An authoring tool is provided for interactively defining a series of locations in the space for which two-dimensional images, e.g., panoramas, photographs, etc., are available. A user identifies one or more view directions for a first-person perspective viewer for each location. For pairs of locations in the series, transitional effects are identified to simulate smooth motion between the pair of locations. The authoring tool stores data corresponding to the locations, view directions and transitional effects for playback on a display. When the stored data is accessed, a virtual tour of the space is created that includes transitional effects simulating motion between locations. The virtual tour created can allow a viewer to experience the three-dimensional space in a realistic manner.
US09196069B2	Digital image manipulation There is disclosed a method for seamlessly replacing areas in a digital image with corresponding data from temporally close digital images depicting substantially the same scene. The method uses localized image registration error minimization over a fixed preliminary boundary. A least cost closed path which constitutes a boundary for the area to be replaced is calculated using dynamic programming. The replacement area is blended such that image data information from one image is seamlessly replaced with image data information from another image.
US09196068B2	Projector system, and method for drawings When a user or the like blocks a portion of a projected image, acquisition of position information about a drawing-designated position, which is designated using a pointing device, is inhibited, and a missing drawn portion is produced. However, a projection apparatus generates image data that is interpolated using a pattern image, thereby making it possible to draw a graphic object as drawn.
US09196066B2	Method, apparatus and system for rendering an object on a page A method of rendering a graphical object on a page in a pixel sequential renderer (1100) processing a page having a plurality of scanlines, is disclosed. Each of the scanlines is divided into at least a first swathe and a second swathe. The method tracks a plurality of edges of the graphical object and sorts a first portion of the tracked edges on a first swathe of one or the plurality of scanlines using a first sorter to control first activation information. A second portion of the tracked edges on a second swathe of said one of the plurality of scanlines is sorted using a second sorter to control second activation information and the second activation information is synchronized with the first activation information. The graphical object is rendered on the page in the pixel sequential renderer (1100) using the first and the synchronized second activation information.
US09196064B2	Image reconstruction method and device for tilted helical scan Image reconstruction method and device for tilted helical scan are provided. The method includes: acquiring data generated by the tilted helical scan; calculating a ray channel parameter and a slice number corresponding to each pixel position based on a geometric relationship that a ray of the tilted helical scan emitting from a ray source to a detector intersects with a pixel; and performing image reconstruction by using a three-dimensional helical back-projection method based on the acquired data, and the ray channel parameter and the slice number corresponding to each pixel position. With the method and device, there is no need to correct the raw data, which ensures the accuracy of the data, and the artifact is avoided, which ensures the accuracy of the reconstructed image.
US09196060B2	Texture repository for image processing applications A texture repository is provided for use with an image manipulation application. The texture repository provides a canvas to the image manipulation application for use with an image filter. The texture repository may provide an existing canvas matching the request from the image filter, or the texture repository may generate a new canvas for the request. The generated canvas may be procedurally generated to match the request, or the generated canvas may be resized from an existing canvas stored in a non-volatile storage or a cache.
US09196059B2	Method and apparatus for processing video signals using boundary intra coding A boundary intra coding flag is obtained according to a current macroblock type. When the boundary intra coding flag indicates that the current macroblock is coded in an intra prediction mode using boundary intra coding, boundary coding information is obtained, and a boundary in the current macroblock is induced based on the boundary coding information. Therefore, the regions divided by the boundary can be coded in the intra prediction mode. The accuracy of a predicted pixel value can be improved by performing the intra prediction for regions divided by the boundary. Accordingly, the residual data transmitted to a decoder can be reduced.
US09196058B2	Automated workflow for 3D core digital modeling from computerized tomography scanner (CTS) images Computer-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program stored therein are provided to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of modeling a core sample from images of two-dimensional transverse sections of a core sample. Embodiments of the invention include, for example, image registering a plurality of images of transverse sections of a core sample to produce aligned transverse sections by approximating the circular location of the boundary of the transverse section and aligning the images based on center points of the approximated circles. Embodiments can further include, for example, performing a saw cut correction on the aligned transverse section images to adjust the images for the slab cut, generating a three-dimensional simulated model of the core sampling using or more of the saw cut line corrected images, and generating a three-dimensional simulated model of the internal composition of a borehole related to the core sample using multipoint statistics calculations.
US09196056B2	Electro-optical system and method for analyzing images of a scene to identify the presence of a target color An electro-optical system and method are provided for analyzing images of a scene to identify the presence of a target color, such as human skin tones. The system includes a thermal detector for obtaining a thermal image of the scene within a thermal waveband. The system also includes at least one additional detector for obtaining at least one additional image of the scene at an additional waveband different from the thermal waveband. The system also includes a controller. The controller is configured to: process the thermal image to identify portions of the scene having a temperature exceeding a threshold value; process the additional image to identify portions of the scene having a target color; and output a positive response if a same portion of the scene is identified in the thermal image and the additional image.
US09196055B2	Method and apparatus for providing a mechanism for gesture recognition A method for providing a mechanism for gesture recognition may include causing down-sampling of image data received to generate down-sampled image blocks for a plurality of image frames, causing extraction of a plurality of features from the down-sampled image blocks, determining a moving status of the down-sampled image blocks based on changes in values of respective features in consecutive frames, and determining a direction of motion of an object in the image data based on movement of a first border and a second border of a projection histogram determined based on the moving status of respective down-sampled image blocks. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
US09196050B2	Image-based bridge identification and boundary detection Systems and methods for image-based bridge identification and boundary detection are provided. One example method includes determining, by one or more computing devices, a wide bridge mask and a narrow bridge mask based at least in part on a road mask and a water mask. The method includes selecting, by the one or more computing devices, a portion of an image depicting a bridge based at least in part on the wide bridge mask and the narrow bridge mask. The method includes identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of line features included in the portion of the image depicting the bridge. The method includes determining, by the one or more computing devices, a bridge boundary in the portion of the image based at least in part on the plurality of line features. One example system includes a bridge image extraction module and a bridge boundary determination module.
US09196049B2	Method and system for regression-based 4D mitral valve segmentation from 2D+t magnetic resonance imaging slices A system and method for regression-based segmentation of the mitral valve in 2D+t cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) slices is disclosed. The 2D+t CMR slices are acquired according to a mitral valve-specific acquisition protocol introduced herein. A set of mitral valve landmarks is detected in each 2D CMR slice and mitral valve contours are estimated in each 2D CMR slice based on the detected landmarks. A full mitral valve model is reconstructed from the mitral valve contours estimated in the 2D CMR slices using a trained regression model. Each 2D CMR slice may be a cine image acquired over a full cardiac cycle. In this case, the segmentation method reconstructs a patient-specific 4D dynamic mitral valve model from the 2D+t CMR image data.
US09196046B2	Medical imaging Ultrasound imaging, or ultrasonography, is a convenient imaging modality for diagnostic purposes. During procedures requiring visualization, the user coordinates the movement of the transducer through the manual selection of an appropriate representation on the screen. Ultrasound may also be employed for functional measurements. Typically, the measurement requires the manual selection of target planes, lines, or volumes where the measurement is to be performed. Therapeutic applications of ultrasound are also known in the art. Such applications typically employ higher energies, and therefore inaccuracies in positioning may result in damage to surrounding tissues. The invention provides a system and method for repeated determination of a first vector between a reference structure comprised in an anatomical volume and a medical imaging transducer configured to provide imaging data of the anatomical volume. The invention provides an automated tracking system of the reference structure, requiring that the user only selects the reference structure.
US09196045B2	Analysis of three-dimensional scenes A method for processing data includes receiving a depth map of a scene containing a humanoid form. The depth map is processed so as to identify three-dimensional (3D) connected components in the scene, each connected component including a set of the pixels that are mutually adjacent and have mutually-adjacent depth values. Separate, first and second connected components are identified as both belonging to the humanoid form, and a representation of the humanoid form is generated including both of the first and second connected components.
US09196043B2	Image processing apparatus and method A method and apparatus for localizing an area in relative movement and for determining the speed and direction thereof in real time is disclosed. Each pixel of an image is smoothed using its own time constant. A binary value corresponding to the existence of a significant variation in the amplitude of the smoothed pixel from the prior frame, and the amplitude of the variation, are determined, and the time constant for the pixel is updated. For each particular pixel, two matrices are formed that include a subset of the pixels spatially related to the particular pixel. The first matrix contains the binary values of the subset of pixels. The second matrix contains the amplitude of the variation of the subset of pixels. In the first matrix, it is determined whether the pixels along an oriented direction relative to the particular pixel have binary values representative of significant variation, and, for such pixels, it is determined in the second matrix whether the amplitude of these pixels varies in a known manner indicating movement in the oriented direction. In each of several domains, histogram of the values in the first and second matrices falling in such domain is formed. Using the histograms, it is determined whether there is an area having the characteristics of the particular domain. The domains include luminance, hue, saturation, speed (V), oriented direction (D1), time constant (CO), first axis (x(m)), and second axis (y(m)).
US09196042B2	Feeling-expressing-word processing device, feeling-expressing-word processing method, and feeling-expressing-word processing program The present approach enables an impression of the atmosphere of a scene or an object present being photographed to be pictured in a person's mind as if the person were actually at the photographed scene. A feeling-expressing-word processing device has: a feeling information calculating unit for analyzing a photographed image, and calculating feeling information which indicates a situation of a scene portrayed in the photographed image, a condition of an object present in the scene, a temporal change in the scene, or a movement of the object; a feeling-expressing-word extracting unit for extracting, from among feeling-expressing words which express feelings and are stored in a feeling-expressing-word database in association with the feeling information, a feeling-expressing word which corresponds to the feeling information calculated by the feeling information calculating unit; and a superimposing unit for superimposing the feeling-expressing word extracted by the feeling-expressing-word extracting unit on the photographed image.
US09196033B2	Inspection sensitivity evaluation method An inspection sensitivity evaluation method includes generating a reference design image where plural figure patterns are arranged, based on reference design data, generating plural position shift design images whose positional deviation amounts are mutually different such that positions of the plural figure patterns in the reference design image are uniformly shifted, acquiring an optical image of a photo mask fabricated based on the reference design data where there is no positional deviation from the plural figure patterns, calculating a first positional deviation amount between the reference design image and the optical image, calculating plural second positional deviation amounts each of which is a respective positional deviation amount between a corresponding position shift design image of the plural position shift design images and the optical image, and acquiring a detectable positional deviation amount by using the first and the plural second positional deviation amounts.
US09196031B2	Appearance inspection apparatus and method An appearance inspection apparatus comprises an inspection part for detecting a defect of a pattern on the basis of an image of a surface of a substrate on which the pattern is formed, which is captured by an imaging part. The inspection part comprises an image transfer part for transferring image data which is obtained by imaging a region to be inspected on the substrate and stored in an image storing memory by the imaging part to a plurality of image processing memories and a plurality of GPUs for taking image data corresponding to respective regions to be processed out of transferred image data which are transferred to the image processing memories by the image transfer part and performing an inspection process for defect detection on the image data. The inspection part further comprises an image processing control part for acquiring inspection tasks each prescribing inspection details from an inspection task holding part and controlling the plurality of GPUs in accordance with the inspection tasks, respectively, independently of the image transfer by the image transfer part.
US09196029B2	Threshold setting device for setting threshold used in binarization process, object detection device, threshold setting method, and computer readable storage medium A threshold setting device, an object detection device, a threshold setting method, and a computer readable storage medium are shown. According to one implementation, the threshold setting device includes, an image acquisition unit, a ratio acquisition unit, and a setting unit. The image acquisition unit acquires an image including a specific object. The ratio acquisition unit acquires ratio information related to a ratio of a plurality of colors present in the specific object. The setting unit sets, based on the ratio information acquired by the ratio acquisition unit, a threshold used in a binarization process performed on the image including the specific object acquired by the image acquisition unit.
US09196026B2	Thermal imager with large dynamic range and improved signal-to-noise ratio A system for producing thermal images acquires at least first and second thermal images comprising a plurality of pixels and a first and second dynamic range, respectively. The second dynamic range is such that its upper limit is higher than that of the first, and at least partially overlaps the first. A final thermal image is created comprising pixels from the first thermal image that are not saturated or nearly saturated with respect to the first dynamic range, and pixels from the second thermal image that are saturated or nearly saturated with respect to the first dynamic range. The resulting final image generally comprises both a large dynamic range and high signal-to-noise ratio.
US09196025B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing program In an image processing apparatus, a conditional probability calculating element calculates the probability of existence of an attribute as to each region in an input degraded image, for each attribute. Optimization function determining element uses a conditional probability calculated by the conditional probability calculating element with regard to each region in the degraded image for each attribute, a-priori knowledge defined as a conditional probability of appearance of an attribute in a region of a candidate of a restored image when there is the attribute in the region, and the input degraded image to determine an optimization function using the candidate of the restored image as a variable and yielding a smaller value as the candidate of the restored image is closer to a true restored image. Restored image determining element adopts the candidate of the restored image with which the optimization function yields a minimum value as the restored image.
US09196019B2	Color image enhancement A color image is enhanced in the following fashion. A saturation detector (SDT) detects a degree of color saturation (LC, CC) that occurs in an image area (SP). A filter arrangement (DE1, DE2, DE3) filters at least one spatial detail in the image area to a degree that depends on the degree of color saturation. This allows an improvement of perceptual quality of color images.
US09196018B2	No-reference spatial aliasing measure for digital image resizing A method includes identifying an area in an image that is associated with strong directional energy. The method further includes determining a first estimate of signal energy for the area and a second estimate of aliasing energy for the area. The method further includes estimating a severity of an aliasing error of the image based on the first estimate and the second estimate.
US09196016B2	Systems and methods for improving video stutter in high resolution progressive video Systems and methods for improving video stutter in high resolution progressive video captured with fast exposure times. In a first approach, digital video is captured with fast shutter speeds that cause objects moving within the frame to appear motionless. The video codec generates motion information that may be utilized to add an artificial motion blur to each frame of the digital video during processing in a digital video pipeline. The motion blur creates the appearance that an object is moving in the frame. In a second approach, the lens assembly of the digital camera includes an electronically controlled filter that attenuates the light reaching an image sensor such that the shutter speeds may be decreased in order to capture motion blur. The electronically controlled filter may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) device that is set to a plurality of different transparency levels based on a target exposure value.
US09196015B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method and image display system An image processing apparatus for generating an intermediate frame according to a previous frame and a next frame is provided. The apparatus includes a determining module and a selecting module. The intermediate frame includes a plurality of intermediate image blocks, each of which corresponds to a motion vector. For each intermediate image block, the determining module determines whether an interpolated image generated according to the motion vector meets a correctness requirement. According to whether the interpolated image meets the correctness requirement, the selecting module selects the interpolated image or a substitutive image different from the interpolated image to represent the intermediate image block.
US09196012B2	Method and system for starting up a medical engineering device A method and an associated arrangement for starting up a medical engineering system via a data transmission link are provided. The method includes storing, in advance, at least one switch-on time for the medical engineering system in a spatially remote central unit via the data transmission link. The method also includes switching-on the medical engineering system by the central unit via the data transmission link at the at least one stored switch-on time.
US09196010B2	Resource cost optimization system, method, and program Apparatus and method use a Markov decision process (MDP) to reduce the cost of variations in electric power usage. The user notifies a power company of a predicted value for a period. The period is divided into subsections. For each subsection, on the basis of a MDP including a state that depends on an electric power usage amount error, charge amount, and set target, the amount of charging and discharging of a storage battery as an action at any given time is optimally decided depending on the electric power usage amount error, charge amount, time, and set target at that time. A predetermined time in a subsection is a target setting time, at which a future target is further set as the action. The action includes deciding the charging and discharging amount in that subsection and deciding a future target in a subsection whose target should be set.
US09196009B2	Systems and methods for detecting changes in energy usage in a building A computer system for use with a building management system for a building includes a processing circuit configured to automatically identify a change in a building's energy usage model based on data received from the building management system. The processing circuit may be configured to communicate the identified change in the static factor to at least one of (a) a module for alerting a user to the identified change and (b) a module for initiating an adjustment to the energy model for a building in response to the identified change.
US09196005B2	Vending kiosk user interface systems and methods An exemplary method includes a computer-implemented vending kiosk user interface system 1) receiving a camera image captured by a mobile device, the camera image including a visual representation of a vending kiosk located within a vicinity of the mobile device, 2) detecting the visual representation of the vending kiosk within the camera image, 3) generating, based on the detecting of the visual representation of the vending kiosk within the camera image, an augmented reality image that includes a combination of camera image content included in the camera image and virtual content associated with a vending service, and 4) directing the mobile device to display the augmented reality image. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US09196004B2	Systems and methods for detection of session tampering and fraud prevention The invention provides methods and apparatus for detecting when an online session is compromised. A plurality of device fingerprints may be collected from a user computer that is associated with a designated Session ID. A server may include pages that are delivered to a user for viewing in a browser at which time device fingerprints and Session ID information are collected. By collecting device fingerprints and session information at several locations among the pages delivered by the server throughout an online session, and not only one time or at log-in, a comparison between the fingerprints in association with a Session ID can identify the likelihood of session tampering and man-in-the middle attacks.
US09196003B2	Pre-purchase feedback apparatus and method A computer-implemented method is disclosed for enabling pre-purchase feedback. Within the method, a primary customer carrying a first computing device may be received within a brick-and-mortar store. A computer system corresponding to the store may receive via the first computing device an instruction to share with a secondary customer data describing a proposed purchase of one or more products. The computer system may then pass the data to a second computing device corresponding to the secondary customer. The computer system may also receive, via the second computing device, feedback corresponding to the proposed purchase and pass the feedback to the first computing device. Accordingly, the primary customer may receive pre-purchase feedback from the secondary customer.
US09196002B2	Shopping context engine A system receives context data associated with a context and a user. The system then associates the context data to a user identifier and retrieves data associated with the context. The system then filters the data according to the context data to create result data. In another embodiment, the system also receives context data from a plurality of users, where the context data pertains to one or more attributes of a context. The system then using the context data ranks the one or more attributes of the context to create ranked data and generates a user interface based on the ranked data. In yet another embodiment, the system communicates context data associated with a context and a user to a server, and receives result data created by the server filtering data retrieved based on the context data. The system then generates a user interface based on the result data.
US09195997B2	Generating content campaign snapshots Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that may be used to generate representative sample images for content campaigns are provided. One method includes identifying a resource in which a content campaign item has been previously displayed. The method further includes determining a content slot within the resource in which the content campaign item was previously displayed. The content slot is determined based on a slot signature associated with the content slot. The method further includes retrieving a current version of the resource, where the current version of the resource includes a current content item appearing in the content slot. The method further includes generating a representative image of the resource that includes the content campaign item by replacing the current content item appearing in the content slot within the current version of the resource with the content campaign item.
US09195995B2	Geotargeted news and advertisement delivery system A system that provides content and/or ad publishers the ability to sell and target content, including “deals,” to mobile devices of users when those users and their mobile devices are located within the defined geographic zone. The content may be targeted and mass distributed to all mobile devices having a registered address within the defined geographic area. The content creator and/or content distributor can manually define the regions where they desire to distribute content by plotting vertices on a map to form a polygon enclosing a geographic region. Regions may be defined by population, retail locations, content and/or ad categories and other relevant criteria. The System User can manage the type of message delivered based upon the time of day and day of the week. Such options provide the content creator with granular management of its content based upon the defined regions established by the content creator and/or content distributor.
US09195990B2	Methods, systems, and media for reviewing content traffic Methods, systems, and media for review content traffic are provided. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a method, implemented on a processor, for reviewing advertisement placement on webpages is provided. The method can include: receiving a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) relating to the placement of a plurality of advertisements associated with an advertiser; obtaining, for the plurality of URLs, a plurality of images and a plurality of advertisement traffic and rating information relating to each of the plurality of URLs, wherein each of the plurality of images shows the placement of an advertisement on the page accessed by a URL; presenting a traffic display that includes the plurality of images for the plurality of pages, wherein the plurality of images are user selectable; and, in response to selecting one of the plurality of images, presenting the advertiser with the advertisement traffic and rating information for a URL corresponding to the selected image and providing the advertiser with an opportunity to provide feedback information for the rating information associated with the URL.
US09195989B2	Location aware deals In one embodiment, a request is received from a first user to create a location-triggered benefit that may be redeemed by a second user at a vendor and associated with a condition. The first user is not the vendor, and the condition may require that the second user go to a particular location. A record of the location-triggered benefit may be created in a database. Information may be received that the second user has satisfied the condition, and in response, the second user may be allowed to redeem the location-triggered benefit at the vendor.
US09195984B1	Systems and methods for processing transactions using a wallet The invention provides a wallet vault, in the form of a tangibly embodied processing machine, disposed in communication with a financial payment network, the wallet vault comprising a communication portion that inputs and outputs information and a processing portion. The processing portion may perform processing including storing token information of a customer and real credentials of the customer, the token information associated with the real credentials of the customer, the real credentials constituted by an account number of the customer; inputting the token information with transaction ID information from a processing entity in the financial network, the token information with transaction ID information generated by a merchant processing a transaction for the customer; associating the token information of the customer with the real credentials of the customer; and outputting the associated real credentials with the transaction ID information to the processing entity in the financial network. The wallet vault may be associated with a wallet from which the transaction is initiated, and the wallet associated with the merchant.
US09195983B2	System and method for a secure cardholder load and storage device A system for a secure cardholder and storage device includes a mobile communication device and a secure card transporter (SCT). The SCT includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip, a microprocessor, a magnetic stripe card reader, a contact chip card reader, a contactless card reader, an audio jack interface and a micro-USB interface. The SCT interfaces with the mobile communication device via the audio jack interface or the micro-USB interface, and the SCT captures payment card data and transmits the captured payment card data to a merchant point of sale (POS) checkout system both in the physical and virtual environments. The system provides convenient buying experience for buyers, and secure and informative transaction for sellers.
US09195981B2	System and method for authorizing transactions via mobile devices A system and method for authorizing transactions via mobile devices is provided. The system includes a mobile device executing a transaction authorization application. The transaction authorization application generates a transaction code for a transaction upon request by a user. The transaction authorization application includes a presentation module for presentation of the transaction code on the mobile device, and a communication module for communicating at least a part of the transaction code over a first channel. A server is in communication with the mobile device over the first channel for receiving the at least partial transaction code. The server is also in communication with a merchant system over a second channel for receiving a transaction request for the transaction. The transaction request includes the transaction code. The server executes transaction processing software for validating the transaction code received via the second channel by determining if the transaction code received via the second channel matches the at least partial transaction code received via the first channel. The server then communicates a transaction response to the merchant system.
US09195978B1	Dynamic query sequences for retrieval of negotiable instrument image Determining sequences of queries for retrieving images of negotiable instruments such as checks. A request for a check image is received from a first computer such as an account holder computer at a second, intermediate computer that hosts an on-line banking program and is in communication with a third computer of a financial institution. A sequence program is executed to determine a first sequence of queries having respective query formats available to attempt to retrieve the requested image from an image server or data store. The first sequence is determined based on historical data of whether respective query formats were successfully used in the past to retrieve respective requested images from the data store and is dynamically updated to reflect whether queries were used to retrieve requested images. Thus, with embodiments, the order of queries to utilize is dynamic and can change as opposed to being pre-determined or static.
US09195977B2	System and method for remote deposit system Described is a method and system for a remote deposit system. The method comprises receiving facsimile data corresponding to facsimile of a plurality of checks, constructing digitized images of the checks as a function of the facsimile data, gathering check data from each of the digitized images, and processing the check data according to a check processing procedure to settle transactions referenced by each of the checks.
US09195975B2	Delivery of information services to personal devices A transaction processing system for sending user information data to a personal device, and an associated method are provided. The system comprises: a personal device, such as a balance display card; an interface device, such as a card reader for transmitting data to and from the card; a communications network connecting to the interface device; an issuer processor connected to the communications network; and a trusted network processor (TNP) processor connected to the communications network, interposed between the interface device and the issuer processor. The TNP processor is arranged to receive a transaction request message from a card user and to transmit a response message back to the personal device, the response message typically being a transaction authorization together with information for display on the card. The TNP processor is arranged to identify, dependent on properties of the transaction request message, whether the associated response message will require data to be sent to the user information device, and if so identified, to: route the transaction request message to the issuer processor using a standard message; receive the required data from the issuer processor using another standard message; match the received required data to the original request; generate an appropriate response message and script containing the required data; and transmit the response message back to the personal device thereby making the required information known to the user.
US09195972B2	Smart calendar A smart calendar system, method and program product that integrates disparate sets of data to identify scheduling conflicts and generate scheduling suggestions. The smart calendar system includes the following: a database for storing activity data associated with a user, wherein the activity data includes items scheduled for the user; an interface for receiving and storing profile data associated with the user; an analysis engine that includes: a system for selecting and interfacing with a plurality of external knowledge databases to obtain knowledge data associated with the user; a system that integrates the profile data, activity data, and knowledge data into a collection of integrated scheduling information; a suggestion system that suggests modifications to the items scheduled for the user, based on the integrated scheduling information; and a conflict system that identifies potential conflicts in the items scheduled for the user, based on the integrated scheduling information.
US09195970B2	Calendaring tool with optimized management capabilities A computer-implemented method, apparatus and computer-readable storage device for arranging a meeting in a networked environment having nodes assigned to respective individual users. Upon receiving a set of meeting requirements including at least a meeting time and a set of invitees from a user at one of the nodes, invitations for a meeting at the meeting time are sent to at least a subset of the invitees based on one or more of the meeting requirements. The meeting is confirmed at the meeting time responsive to receiving acceptances from a predetermined subset of the invitees, such as a set of invitees identified as being critical invitees or a number of invitees constituting a quorum, and is rescheduled or cancelled responsive to a failure to receive acceptances from the predetermined subset of the invitees.
US09195966B2	Managing contact groups from subset of user contacts Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing a subset of user contacts on a telecommunications device are provided. In one embodiment, a software application executed by a processor of a telecommunications device determines at least two contact groups from a subset of contacts accessible by a telecommunications device. The software application executed by the processor of the telecommunications device also generates a contact display including at least one contact group associated with the subset of contacts based on a current context of a user of the telecommunications device. The current context can include, for example, one or more of a location, time, date, and the like.
US09195959B1	Fulfillment of orders from multiple sources This disclosure relates to order fulfillment by various fulfillment sources in a fulfillment network. A fulfillment source is selected in the fulfillment network to fulfill an order before a contingency deadline. If the order is not fulfilled by the deadline, other fulfillment sources are used. Lead times for fulfillment of orders for products are adjusted for respective fulfillment sources based on their past fulfillment history.
US09195956B2	Federated uptake throttling In a first enterprise joined in a distributed, federated network of second enterprises, a system is provided for managing data flow between enterprises, the system including a data management server in the first enterprise having access to sets of rules for managing data flow to and from the first enterprise, a first data interface in the first enterprise dedicated to data transfer to a paired second dedicated data interface at a neighboring second enterprise in the federation, wherein the first data interface manages data sent to the second interface and/or data incoming from the second interface according to the sets of rules for managing data flow.
US09195953B2	System and method for the calculation and use of travel times in search and other applications A system and method are provided for generating travel sheds which show the area reachable in a given amount of time by different modes of transport. A travel shed may consist of a series of polygons or other geometric shapes showing areas reachable from a given address or location within a specified travel time utilizing a specified mode of transport (e.g. driving, biking, walking, public transportation, etc.). Techniques are disclosed for enabling rapid calculations of travel times. In one embodiment, rapid generation of travel times and associated travel sheds may be enabled by performing pre-processing steps (e.g. downsampling, progressive road type removal, etc.) on road graph data. The pre-processing steps reduce the road graph while still preserving enough to generate accurate travel sheds. One example use of travel sheds is to enable searching for points of interest (e.g. homes, apartments, hotels, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.) according to specified travel times.
US09195943B2	Behavioral rules discovery for intelligent computing environment administration A management system for determining causal relationships among system entities may include a causal relationship detector configured to receive events from a computing environment having a plurality of entities, and detect causal relationships among the plurality of entities, during runtime of the computing environment, based on the events, and a rules converter configured to convert one or more of the causal relationships into at least one behavioral rule. The at least one behavioral rule may indicate a causal relationship between at least two entities of the plurality of entities.
US09195935B2	Problem solving by plastic neuronal networks More realistic neural networks are disclosed that are able to learn to solve complex problems though a decision making network, modeled as a virtual entity foraging in a digital environment. Specifically, the neural networks overcome many of the limitations in prior neural networks by using rewarded STDP bounded with rules to solve a complex problem.
US09195934B1	Spiking neuron classifier apparatus and methods using conditionally independent subsets Spiking neuron network conditionally independent subset classifier apparatus and methods. In some implementations, the network may comprise one or more subset neuron layers configured to determine presence of one or more features in the subset of plurality of conditionally independent features. The output of the subset layer may be coupled to an aggregation layer. State of the subset layer may be configured during training based on training input and a reference signal. During operation, spiking output of the subset layer may be combined by the aggregation layer to produce classifier output. Subset layer output and/or classifier output may be encoded using spike rate, latency, and/or base-n encoding.
US09195933B2	Electronic circuit and electronic device including the same A counter includes: a count processing circuit including a nonvolatile register; a regulator receiving voltage from a direct current power supply, generating power supply voltage based on the received voltage for the count processing circuit, and supplying the power supply voltage to the count processing circuit; and a delay circuit receiving the power supply voltage and supplying a count signal to the count processing circuit after the power supply voltage is supplied to the count processing circuit. After having received the power supply voltage from the regulator, the count processing circuit updates a count value in response to the count signal and holds the updated count value in the nonvolatile register in a non-volatile manner.
US09195932B2	Booster antenna configurations and methods A booster antenna (BA) for a smart card comprises a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component at a location for an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) contributing to the inductance of the booster antenna (BA). A method of wire embedding is also disclosed, by controlling a force and ultrasonic power applied by an embedding tool at different positions on the card body (CB).
US09195927B2	Apparatus and method for selecting secure element in near field communication device An apparatus and method for selecting a Secure Element (SE) in a Near Field Communication (NFC) device are provided. Identifiers (IDs) are displayed to indicate which application programs correspond to a plurality of SEs. Upon selection of one of the IDs, an SE corresponding to the selected application-program ID from among the plurality of SEs is activated. An NFC controller is configured to select an SE from one of at least three schemes including a User Selection Scheme, Automatic Selection Scheme, and a Hybrid Scheme.
US09195921B2	Control method for printing and printing apparatus A control method for printing is provided which allows an image printed in an area including a unique portion on a continuous sheet to be identified as a defective image. In a case where a disabled area including the unique portion overlaps a part of a print area of an interest image being printed when the unique portion is detected, an identification mark for identifying the interest image is applied to the continuous sheet.
US09195920B2	Swathing parallel pipeline architecture Disclosed is a method of processing a print job, the print job being received in a page description language format. The method identifies a number of print heads on a printer targeted for printing said print job. The method processes the print job in the page description language format to produce a plurality of intermediate jobs, in which a number of the intermediate jobs is determined by the number of print heads. The intermediate jobs have an intermediate format between the page description language format and a rasterized image format. The method renders each of a plurality of intermediate jobs to a rasterized image in a renderer associated with each of the print heads independently of one another and external input.
US09195917B2	Dither pattern forming method and dither pattern In order to print a unit area of a print medium by a first printing scan and a second printing scan, dither patterns are formed which can control the arrangement of dots on the print medium without adverse effects of density unevenness and graininess, that are caused by printing position displacement. Regarding first and second dither patterns, information indicating whether or not a threshold is already set to a reference pixel and one or more pixels around the reference pixel in the first dither pattern is obtained for cases where each pixel in the first dither pattern is the reference pixel. A pixel in the second dither pattern to which a predetermined pixel is to be set is determined based on the obtained information. The first and second dither patterns formed in the above manner are associated with the first printing scan and the second printing scan, respectively.
US09195913B2	Method of configuring a sensor-based detection device and a corresponding computer program and adaptive device This method of configuring a device for detecting a situation from among a set of situations in which it is possible to find a physical system observed by a least one sensor, comprises the following steps: receiving (102) a training sequence corresponding to a determined situation of the physical system; determining (118) parameters of a statistical hidden Markov model recorded on the detection device and related to the determined situation, based on a prior initialization (104-116) of these parameters.The prior initialization (104-116) comprises the following steps: determining (104, 106) multiple probability distributions from the training sequence; distributing (108-114) the determined probability distributions between the hidden states of the statistical model being used; and initializing the parameters of the statistical model being used from representative probability distributions determined for each hidden state of the statistical model being used.
US09195912B1	Face annotation method and a face annotation system A face annotation method and a face annotation system adapted for a current owner to annotate contacts in online social networks (OSNs) are provided. The face annotation method includes: providing a Hierarchical Database Access (HDA) architecture for each member according to various social network contexts; providing a Fused Face Recognition (FFR) unit which uses an Adaboost algorithm to fuse a plurality types of base classifiers; and constructing a Face Recognizer by integrating the HDA architecture and the corresponding FFR unit for the owner and each member via respective types of the social network contexts; and selecting suitable personalized Face Recognizers and merging multiple personalized Face Recognizer results by using at least two collaborative FR strategies.
US09195911B2	Modular robotic manipulation A system for interaction with a the environment includes an initial manipulation module operable to orient a device in a general direction of a surface of an object and a range control module operable to converge the device and the surface. Once the device and surface are in the proximity of each other a contact sensor detects when physical contact between the surface and the device occurs. Thereafter, a proprioception module measures normal force disparities between the surface and device motion actuators and finally, an exteroception module to measure translational resistance disparities between relative motion of the surface and the device. The system uses these disparity measurements and actuator positions to modify the manipulation of the device.
US09195909B2	Using machine learning to define user controls for photo adjustments In various example embodiments, a system and method for using machine learning to define user controls for image adjustment is provided. In example embodiments, a new image to be adjusted is received. A weight is applied to reference images of a reference dataset based on a comparison of content of the new image to the reference image of the reference dataset. A plurality of basis styles is generated by applying weighted averages of adjustment parameters corresponding to the weighted reference images to the new image. Each of the plurality of basis styles comprises a version of the new image with an adjustment of at least one image control based on the weighted averages of the adjustment parameters of the reference dataset. The plurality of basis styles is provided to a user interface of a display device.
US09195906B2	Region extraction from occupancy grids Systems and methods for extracting regions from occupancy grids are provided. One example method includes performing a plurality of assignment iterations. Each assignment iteration includes assigning each of a first plurality of cells to one of a plurality of centroids based on a cost formula such that a plurality of regions respectively associated with the plurality of centroids are formed. The region for each centroid comprises all of the cells assigned to such centroid. Each assignment iteration includes reassigning one or more of the first plurality of cells to one or more respective alternate regions. The one or more reassigned cells were included in one or more problem areas of one or more of the plurality of regions. Each assignment iteration includes relocating the plurality of centroids to be the respective means of the plurality of regions. One example system includes computing devices implementing instructions stored on non-transitory computer-readable media.
US09195904B1	Method for detecting objects in stereo images A method detects an object in a pair of stereo images acquired of a scene, by first generating a cost volume from the pair of stereo images, wherein the cost volume includes matching costs for a range of disparity values, for each pixel the stereo images, between the stereo images in the pair. Feature vectors are determined from sub-images in the cost volume using a feature function of the disparity values with a minimal accumulated cost within regions inside the sub-images. Then, a classifier is appled to the feature vectors to detect whether the sub-image includes the object.
US09195900B2	System and method based on hybrid biometric detection A system and method based on hybrid biometric detection capture first images of a user that is projected by first light of different wavelengths, extract various biometric informations from the first images, analyze and compare for each of the biometric informations to generate a matching score, determine an identity for the user according to all of the matching scores, generate second images and PPG signals from dispensed second light from the user, generate a time and PPG variation signal and a space and PPG variation signal for each frame of the second images, convert the time and PPG variation signals into frequency domain signals, determine a reference frequency according to the space and PPG variation signals, retrieve energy of the frequency domain signals at the reference frequency, and establish a three-dimensional energy distribution from the retrieved energy.
US09195899B2	Self correcting portable digital radiography detector, methods and systems for same Embodiments of radiographic imaging systems and/or methods can monitor the state of calibration of a digital x-ray detector, the detector including a solid state sensor with a plurality of pixels, an optional scintillating screen and at least one embedded microprocessor. In one embodiment, a method can use a computer or the embedded microprocessor or both, for setting a calibration operating mode of the portable detector; taking a plurality of dark images in the calibration mode; determining a dark difference image between pixel readings between two of the plurality of dark images; identifying pixels in the dark difference image that differ by over a threshold amount from at least some surrounding pixels in the dark difference image as defective pixels.
US09195898B2	Systems and methods for image recognition using mobile devices Implementations relate to systems and methods for real-time image recognition and mobile visual searching. A mobile device, such as a cellular phone, acquires an image and pre-processes the acquired image to generate a visual search query based on objects detected in the acquired image. The visual search query includes the acquired image or a query image extracted therefrom and metadata associated with the detected objects. The mobile device wirelessly communicates the visual search query to a remote server, and in response to the visual search query, the remote server recognizes an object in the query image based on the associated metadata. The remote server then generates information content based on the recognized object and communicates the information content to the mobile device to be presented via the mobile device.
US09195897B2	Media processing device, media processing system, and control method of a media processing device A media processing device 1 has an MICR reader 17 that reads magnetic ink characters recorded on a check; an interface 32 that communicates with a web browser; and a control unit 30 that controls the MICR reader 17 to read magnetic ink characters recorded on the check based on control data received from the web browser, and sends data based on the read result of the MICR reader 17 to the web browser.
US09195894B2	Vehicle and mobile device traffic hazard warning techniques A computer-implemented method includes monitoring an environment external to a vehicle via a sensor of the vehicle or a mobile device. The monitoring includes recording audio or video signals based on an output of the sensor. Audio or image recognition is performed via the mobile device based on the audio or video signals. Based on results of the audio or image recognition, objects in an area through which the vehicle is to pass are detected. The method includes determining which ones of the detected objects satisfy a predetermined criteria. The predetermined criteria includes object features that are indiscernible or marginally discernible to a vehicle operator with a perception deficiency. Selected ones of the detected objects that satisfy the predetermined criteria are monitored. The vehicle operator is alerted of the selected ones of the detected objects with an alert predetermined to be discernible to the vehicle operator.
US09195878B2	Method of controlling an electronic device The present invention relates to a method of controlling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is typically comprised with a user input device providing a possible compliment and/or addition to a general user input device provided with the portable electronic device. Advantages with the invention include simplified user control of the portable electronic device. The invention also relates to a corresponding electronic device and to a computer program product.
US09195876B2	Oil tank farm storage monitoring A system for oil storage tank monitoring, comprising an extraction module and an analysis module, wherein an extraction module is utilized to determine information from an oil storage tank image and an analysis module is utilized to perform operations on extracted information, such as for determining measurements or values of oil storage tanks.
US09195871B2	Information processing method and system An identification code-based three-dimensional interactive technique includes acquiring an image including an identification-coded real object, the image being taken by video-capable equipment, identifying an identification code from the identification-coded real object, obtaining object information corresponding to the identification code, acquiring a reference image associated with the identification code and feature points of the reference image, obtaining a position, an orientation, or a combination thereof on the video-capable equipment relative to the identification-coded real object based on the reference image and the feature points of the reference image, and conducting a three-dimensional interaction based on the position, the orientation, or a combination thereof of the video-capable equipment relative to the identification-coded real object and the object information corresponding to the identification code.
US09195861B2	Methods and systems involving manufacturing sheet products by testing perforations A method includes receiving a first image of a first line of perforations in a sheet product, processing the first image to determine whether the first line of perforations are within specifications, and outputting an indication to an operator indicative that the first line of perforations are not within specifications responsive to determining that the first line of perforations are not within specifications.
US09195859B2	Selectively securing a hot-swappable data storage device to prevent data corruption A method and computer program product secure a hot-swap data storage device against being manually physically removed from an operable position within a chassis bay of a computer system. The hot-swap data storage device is released to be manually physically removed from the operable position within the chassis bay of the computer system in response to determining that the data storage device is not active. The hot-swap data storage device may, for example, be secured and released using an electronically-actuated lock.
US09195858B2	Encrypted data storage device A data storage device has encrypted user data and a media key stored on media, and a root key stored in an electronic circuit. The data storage device has a first connector adapted to receive a user key and a hardware key device connected to a second connector adjacent an installation space. The hardware key device stores a destructible key in non-volatile memory. The hardware key device is mechanically destroyed, thereby rendering the encrypted user data non-decipherable after the destroying.
US09195857B2	Computational system A computational system is configured to protect against integrity violation. The computational system includes a processing unit and a critical resource, the critical resource being controllable by the processing unit so as to be locked or unlocked. The critical resource is configured to intermittently transmit a polling value to the processing unit, and the processing unit is configured to apply a transformation onto the polling value so as to obtain a response value and send the response value back to the critical resource. The critical resource is configured to check the response value on correctness so as to obtain a check result, and subject the controllability to a dependency on the check result.
US09195853B2	Automated document redaction Document redaction includes identifying within a computer-based document stored on computer-readable storage medium, a candidate redaction element that is of a predefined redaction element type, identifying an evaluation element that is of a predefined evaluation element type and that is associated with the candidate redaction element, identifying a predefined logic expression that is associated with the redaction element type and that operates on the evaluation element type, evaluating the logic expression which generates a value, identifying a predefined permission expression that is associated with the logic expression, that operates on the value, and that is associated with a recipient role, evaluating the permission expression, which identifies a redaction directive, and applying the redaction directive to the candidate redaction element within the computer-based document prior to the computer-based document being provided to a recipient having the recipient role.
US09195852B2	Distributed computing system A Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) enforcement module (100) comprises: a monitor (110), (120, 130, 140) for monitoring the output of a policy controlled module or PEP (200) operating within a distributed computer system and a correction performer module (150). The PEP (200) is associated with one or more policies (400) which are applied to the PEP. Each policy specifies a trigger event or events and an action or actions to be performed as a result of the trigger event occurring as well as expected output from the PEP (200) when it performs a specified action or actions. The monitor monitors output produced by the PEP (200) as a result of operating in compliance with a policy, and it compares the monitored output with one or more specified expected outputs specified in the policy. In the event that the comparison indicates a divergence between the expected and observed outputs a correction evaluator (140) evaluates an appropriate corrective action to take and issues a request to the correction performer module to perform such corrective action. The correction performer module (150) then performs the corrective actions as specified by the correction evaluator (140).
US09195851B1	Offloading encryption to the client Exemplary methods for offloading encryption to a client include receiving from a first client a first encrypted data and a corresponding first encrypted key, and decrypting the first encrypted key to recover a first key, without decrypting the first encrypted data. In one embodiment, the methods further include encrypting the first key using a second key to create a second encrypted key, wherein the second key is available only to the storage system, and storing the second encrypted key and the first encrypted data as received, without having to decrypt and re-encrypt the first encrypted data.
US09195850B2	System, method and computer program product for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. These mechanisms and methods for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system can provide a single instance of a database that is shared amongst tenants of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. The ability to provide a single instance of a database that is shared amongst tenants of a multi-tenant on-demand database system can enable the database to be managed or otherwise maintained in a central location.
US09195848B2	Computational systems and methods for anonymized storage of double-encrypted data Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out receiving level-two encrypted data and at least one associated hash; storing the level-two encrypted data and at least one associated hash; and transmitting the level-two encrypted data and at least one associated hash in response to a request for at least one of the level-two encrypted data or the at least one associated hash.
US09195843B2	Systems and methods for permissioning remote file access via permissioned links Permissioned links for a novel method of credentialing users and assigning permissions to the user using the link to access repositories holding or intended to hold digital files. The permissioned links comprise a unique identifier that can be correlated to a specific repository of digital files and permission set. Users using the permissioned links for access need not enter a login or password. Moreover, permissioned links are portable, allowing multiple users to access the repository of digital files using the same permissioned link.
US09195838B2	Method and apparatus for providing provably secure user input/output A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for securing user input and/or output on a mobile endpoint device. For example, the method receives an input on the mobile endpoint device, encrypts and authenticates the input in a trusted domain of the mobile endpoint device executing an application and sends the input that is encrypted and authenticated to an untrusted domain of the mobile endpoint device over a secure channel.
US09195837B2	Method and system for securely transmitting deterrent data A method for securely transmitting deterrent data includes generating a deterrent having a predesigned number and configuration of glyphs having deterrent data therein, and transmitting a portion of the deterrent data from a subset of the glyphs without transmitting deterrent data from a remainder of the glyphs. The glyphs form a predetermined structure with a single solution. The method further includes receiving the portion of the deterrent data, placing the portion of the deterrent data into the subset of the glyphs, and solving the predetermined structure with the single solution, thereby determining the remainder of the glyphs to be infilled in the predetermined structure with deterrent data gleaned from the solution.
US09195831B1	Verified boot A user-provided keystore may be utilized in a boot process to verify a boot image as disclosed herein. A device may be determined to be in a locked or verified state. A selected keystore may be determined to not verify against a first key such as a root key. A user may provide a keystore to a device. The system may display a prompt to the user which asks whether the user would like to continue to boot or not, if the system determines that the keystore does not verify against the first key. The user may respond to the prompt by indicating a desire to continue booting. The system may determine that the boot image verifies against the keystore and finish booting the device. Thus, the prompt may alert the user to a threat to the integrity of the boot process or device.
US09195829B1	User interface with real-time visual playback along with synchronous textual analysis log display and event/time index for anomalous behavior detection in applications According to one embodiment, a method comprises conducting an analysis for anomalous behavior on application software and generating a video of a display output produced by the application software. The video is to be displayed on an electronic device contemporaneously with display of one or more events detected by the analysis being performed on the application software.
US09195826B1	Graph-based method to detect malware command-and-control infrastructure Potentially infected internal device(s) and potential malware command and control device(s) are identified by generating a bipartite graph that includes internal device(s) inside a network and destination(s) outside the network which communicate over a period of time. The bipartite graph is reduced to obtain a reduced bipartite graph, including by eliminating those connections that include a whitelisted internal device and those connections that include a whitelisted destination. From the reduced graph, a cluster of potentially infected internal device(s) and potential malware command and control device(s) are identified based at least in part on (1) the cluster's degree of isolation from other clusters and (2) an isolation threshold.
US09195823B1	System and method for intercepting process creation events A system for detecting creation of a program instance includes an interceptor routine that obtains a parameter corresponding to a characteristic of a program instance and an interceptor module that can be injected into a native operating system process. In certain examples, the interceptor module can replace an address of a selected routine in an address table with an address to the interceptor routine, such that the native operating system process can call the interceptor routine in place of the selected routine. Additionally, the system can include a comparison module that compares the parameter to a set of identified programs to determine whether the program instance corresponds to at least one of the identified programs. The system can also include a security module that can modify execution of the program instance based at least in part on a determination that the program instance corresponds to at least one identified program.
US09195813B2	Secure gesture Aspects of the disclosure provide a system that includes a protected module, an input module and a gesture engine. The protected module is configured to be accessible based on a specific gesture of a user predetermined to have a right to access the protected module. The input module is configured to receive an input gesture from a requester to access the protected module. The gesture engine is configured to be trained to process the input gesture in order to grant/deny an access to the protected module by the requester.
US09195812B2	Method for entering a password and computer program (therefor) A method is provided for entering a password. The method includes: providing a display means which is coupled to a data processing means; displaying a timepiece with a first representation of a timepiece element on the display means, detecting a user input; and assigning an alphanumeric character of the password to the user input and the first representation of the timepiece element or a further representation of the timepiece element. In some instances, the first representation of the timepiece element is time dependent.
US09195811B2	Functionality watermarking and management A method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium product are provided for functionality watermarking and management. In the context of a method, a method is provided that includes identifying a request to perform at least one function of a user device and identifying at least one watermark template. The method further includes applying the at least one watermark template to at least one function of the user device and authorizing the request to perform the at least one function of the user device.
US09195805B1	Adaptive responses to trickle-type denial of service attacks Various approaches are provided that are able to mitigate the effects of potential trickle-type denial of service (DoS) attacks or similar occurrences. Connection values such as the maximum number of concurrent connections and the timeout values for new connections can be adjusted dynamically in response to changes in operational state and/or an amount of suspicious activity. The suspicious activity can include, for example, a low rate of packets or bytes per unit time, repetitive small headers, unrecognized headers, and other such information. In some embodiments the changes are made iteratively to minimize the effect of the changes on legitimate requests. After the level of suspicious activity decreases, the connection values can iteratively be readjusted hack to normal operational values, in order to minimize any remaining portion of the potential attack.
US09195799B2	Wireless patient monitoring system A patient monitoring system for monitoring vital signs, comprises: one or more sensors, wherein the sensors measure vital signs; a monitor station; and one or more portable monitoring devices, wherein monitored data based on the measured vital signs is wirelessly transmitted from the sensors to the monitor station, wherein the monitor station issues one or more alarms to certain ones of the portable monitoring devices as a function of the monitored data, and wherein a portion of the monitored data that pertains to the alarms is wirelessly transmitted to the certain ones of the portable monitoring devices and displayed by the certain ones of the portable monitoring devices.
US09195798B2	Flexible computation of isodose lines The present invention relates to a data processing method of determining a distribution of isolines to be used for displaying a radiation dose distribution in tissue of a patient, the steps of the method being executed by a computer and comprising: d) acquiring dose distribution data comprising dose distribution information describing a radiation dose distribution in an anatomical body part; e) acquiring display data comprising display information describing a predetermined display mode to be applied for displaying the dose distribution information; f) determining, based on the dose distribution data and the display data, isodose data comprising isodose information describing a distribution of is isolines to be used for displaying the dose distribution information.
US09195795B2	Identification and modification of dynamical regions in proteins for alteration of enzyme catalytic effect A method for analysis, control, and manipulation for improvement of the chemical reaction rate of a protein-mediated reaction is provided. Enzymes, which typically comprise protein molecules, are very efficient catalysts that enhance chemical reaction rates by many orders of magnitude. Enzymes are widely used for a number of functions in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and other purposes. The method identifies key protein vibration modes that control the chemical reaction rate of the protein-mediated reaction, providing identification of the factors that enable the enzymes to achieve the high rate of reaction enhancement. By controlling these factors, the function of enzymes may be modulated, i.e., the activity can either be increased for faster enzyme reaction or it can be decreased when a slower enzyme is desired. This method provides an inexpensive and efficient solution by utilizing computer simulations, in combination with available experimental data, to build suitable models and investigate the enzyme activity.
US09195794B2	Real time posture and movement prediction in execution of operational tasks A system for determining the pose of an articulated model of a virtual subject in carrying out a task within a vehicle occupant packaging design is described. The system uses an initial posture of the articulated model prior to the virtual subject carrying out the task as a starting point. The system determines pose throughout the carrying out of the task by the virtual subject. The pose is determined based on the parameters of the virtual subject, the design, the task to be completed, and a set of constraints restricting the motion of the virtual subject. The pose can be analyzed to determine the feasibility of a design for a human subject, without the need for live subject testing. The method is analytically derived and results in a kinematically and dynamically consistent posture in real-time without requiring iterative optimization.
US09195792B2	Circuit design porting between process design types Among other things, one or more systems and techniques for porting a circuit design from a first process design type to a second process design type are provided. A circuit design comprises one or more components, such as transistors, that are arranged and sized according to a first process design type, such as a 90 nm processing environment. The circuit design is partitioned into one or more topology categories such as a current mirror topology category or a differential pair topology category. Ordered sets of parameters are determined for respective topology categories. The components within the circuit design are resized based upon the one or more topology categories to generate a ported circuit design specified for the second process design type, such as a 50 nm processing environment.
US09195785B2	System and method for emulating and profiling a frame-based application playing on a mobile device A system, method and software product emulate and profile an application playing on a mobile device. The mobile device is emulated using a model based upon characteristics related to performance of the mobile device. The application is played and monitored within the model to determine resource utilization of the application for the mobile device.
US09195783B2	Reducing the dimensionality of the joint inversion problem Method for reducing a 3D joint inversion of at least two different types of geophysical data acquired by 3-D surveys to an equivalent set of 1D inversions. First, a 3D inversion is performed on each data type separately to the yield a 3-D model of a physical property corresponding to the data type. Next, a 1D model of the physical property is extracted at selected (x,y) locations. A 1D simulator and the 1D model of the physical property is then used at each of the selected locations to create a synthetic 1D data set at each location. Finally, the 1D synthetic data sets for each different type of geophysical data are jointly inverted at each of the selected locations, yielding improved values of the physical properties. Because the joint inversion is a 1D inversion, the method is computationally advantageous, while recognizing the impact of 3-D effects.
US09195781B2	Golf club apparatuses and methods Methods and systems for managing golf clubs and for collecting golf data, such as golf strokes, are described. In one embodiment, a golf data collection system includes a golf accessory worn on the golfer's wrist, such as a watch, equipped with a GPS receiver, impact sensing and motion sensing means, and a transceiver to communicate with golf club tags (e.g. at 2.4 GHz such as Bluetooth). The golf accessory senses the motion of the golf club being swung by the golf and/or senses the impact of the golf club striking the golf ball. When swinging motion or impact is sensed the device uses the transceiver to communicate with golf club tags. The closest golf club (i.e. the club in the golfer's hand during the swing) is captured as the club used by the swing based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator). Other embodiments are also described.
US09195772B2	Delayed image decoding In one or more embodiments, a framework is provided in which image decoding can be delayed based on heuristics, and later initiated based on a use type associated with the image or the likelihood that the image is going to be used. For example, a use history and priority system can enable images that are currently being rendered and/or are likely to get rendered to be decoded before images that have a history of being downloaded but never used. Accordingly, by decoupling image download from image decoding, CPU resources and memory can be more efficiently utilized.
US09195770B1	System and method for identifying content using content templates for distribution to internet users A collaborative Internet data mining system for facilitating a group effort from a plurality of guides to the Internet, by automatically processing the information provided by the guides and thereby create a branded or uniform look and feel to the web sites supported by the plurality of guides.
US09195769B2	Method and apparatus for quickly evaluating entities Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for evaluating entities for a target user, the method comprising obtaining, at a server computer, entity data from a plurality of data sources. The entity data is then stored in an entity database. The method further comprises merging the entity data from the plurality of data sources, mapping the entity data to a corresponding entity, and differentiating the entity. Then a relevance is determined associated with the entity data and data source. The method further comprises generating a set of entity evaluations to the target user using the relevance, determining a set of one or more entities relevant to the primary user based on the entity data, user data, and the relevance, with an initial order of relevance, and displaying, on a user device, the set of relevant entities to the target user in the order of relevance.
US09195750B2	Remote browsing and searching A remote browsing and searching process is directed to the generation and management of a remote browse session at a network computing provider. Responsive to a search request, the network computing provider provides search results corresponding to historical content representations associated with content previously requested by the client computing device, or search results corresponding to content representations associated with current content, or to both. The network computing and storage provider may determine the search results based on a navigation path associated with a previous request for content, based on navigation paths of other client computing devices, based on relationships or differences between various versions of content, or based on any number of other factors. Interactive displays may be provided to client computing devices, allowing a user to refine the search results, zoom and manipulate content representations, and view relationships, similarities, and differences in content representations.
US09195746B2	Search scratch pad A plurality of queries associated with a plurality of user query object submissions to a scratch pad application executing asynchronously as a background application to a first user application may be obtained. One or more search requests may be initiated to one or more search engines based on each one of the plurality of obtained queries. Cumulative search results of the one or more search requests may be obtained, the cumulative search results accumulated over the plurality of obtained queries. A set of accumulated results metadata may be obtained based on an analysis of the accumulated cumulative search results. A display of a summary of the cumulative search results based on a relevance analysis of the accumulated results metadata may be initiated.
US09195740B2	Audio scene selection apparatus An apparatus comprising: an audio analyzer configured to determine for a set of received audio signals at least one dominant audio signal source; and a selector configured to select from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on the at least one dominant audio signal source.
US09195738B2	Tokenization platform A tokenization platform and method is described for accurately tokenizing character strings, including but not limited to non-delimited character strings of the type commonly used in Internet domain names and computer filenames, to accurately identify words and phrases occurring therein. In one embodiment, a phased tokenization approach is used in which the final phase is a lexical analysis-based tokenization using a dictionary. The dictionary may be advantageously created and updated based upon one or more query logs associated with respective information retrieval systems, thereby ensuring that the dictionary accurately reflects currently-used terminology and captures alternative spellings and presentations of words and phrases submitted by users.
US09195735B2	Information extracting server, information extracting client, information extracting method, and information extracting program According to one embodiment, an information extracting method includes: collecting a text in which a keyword of interest appears, the keyword of interest, and a time of creation of the text; extracting a keyword included in the text except for the keyword of interest and configured to extract the time of creation; extracting the keyword having a time score obtained on the basis of an appearance frequency of the keyword in a time interval exceeding a first threshold value and a local score obtained from the appearance frequency of the keyword in a predetermined local area exceeding a second threshold value as a local hot word, and also extract the extracted time interval of the extracted keyword and the keyword of interest corresponding to the keyword; and storing the extracted local hot word, the time interval, and the keyword of interest.
US09195734B2	Associating a task completion step of a task with a task template of a group of similar tasks Methods and apparatus related to associating a task completion step with a task template based on one or more task completion steps of tasks that conform to the task template. A task template may include one or more terms, entities, and/or category of entities. A Task conforms to the task template when the task includes the one or more terms, entities, and/or an identifier of an entity that is a member of the entity category. In some implementations, a task that is associated with a task completion step is identified as conforming to the task template and the task completion step of the conforming task is associated with the task template. In some implementations, the task template may be utilized to associate a task completion step with a task that conforms to the task template.
US09195723B1	Evolutionary content determination and management A visual refinement interface enables users to adjust and/or refine search results by selecting results that match a user's interest, and displaying subsequent results that are closer to the selected items. Multiple result sets can be displayed concurrently such that the user can maintain context for the results. Further, the user can quickly go back to modify an earlier selection without having to navigate to a previous page, for example, and a single modification can cause several subsequent result sets to automatically change such that the user can quickly view dozens of new results, for example, simply by selecting at least one different result from a displayed result set. Prior result sets can be modified, such as by reducing the size or adjusting the placement of the sets, such that the user can easily determine the current set and the relatedness to previous results sets.
US09195719B2	Water rights analysis system Exemplary water rights analysis systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes obtaining water rights data from a water rights agency database, maintaining a database of water rights data, receiving from a user a search query for water rights data, and presenting the search results on the user device. The exemplary method may additionally or alternatively include displaying on the user device one or more graphical elements on a geo-reference base layer representing one or more water rights data elements, such as a point of diversion change. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US09195717B2	Image result provisioning based on document classification A system is configured to receive a search query; obtain search results, based on the search query, that identify documents relevant to the search query; identify image attributes associated with one or more of the documents; obtain classification metrics that include information for determining a measure of image intent associated with the one or more of the documents; determine the measure of image intent, associated with the one or more of the documents, based on the image attributes and the classification metrics; determine whether the measure of image intent satisfies a threshold; generate a search results document that selectively includes the image results or the search results based on whether the measure of image intent satisfies the threshold; and provide the search results document.
US09195715B1	Providing information regarding prior searches A system is configured to identify prior search history associated with a user, where the prior search history includes information regarding searches initiated by the user and information regarding search results provided based on the searches. The system is further configured to filter the prior search history to select one of the search results, generate an information item for the search result, and provide the information item to a client, associated with the user, for presentation on a display associated with the client.
US09195711B2	Persisting and retrieving arbitrary slices of nested structures using a column-oriented data store Methods and arrangements for storing and retrieving nested structures. A nested structure is obtained. There are created slices containing arbitrary sub-structures of the nested structure. The content of slices is stored in one or more columns of a column-oriented data store. At least one access plan for accessing slices in the data store is developed, to be used when a projection query is received. The access plan is executed to construct a nested structure that answers the projection query. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.
US09195709B2	Graph-based system and method of information storage and retrieval Structure of a resultant Every Document as a Graph (EVG) graph may be outlined using an EVG query. First metadata for a first data source may be retrieved. At least one entity key may be determined for a first entity, the entity key coming directly from the EVG query or from an entity on a preceding level of the EVG graph. Based on the first metadata and entity key, an edge may be created in the EVG graph beginning at the first entity, wherein the edge contains information retrieved from the first data source. Second metadata for a second data source may be retrieved. Based on the second metadata and information contained in the edge retrieved from first data source, a second entity may be created in the EVG graph, wherein the edge connects to the second entity, wherein the second entity contains information retrieved from the second data source.
US09195708B2	Continuous querying of a data stream In continuous querying of a data stream, a query including query cycles can be initialized (310) on a query engine to analyze the data stream for desired information. The data stream can be processed (320) as segments, where a size of the segments is based on a user-defined parameter. The query cycles can be synchronized (330) with the segments of the data stream. A first segment can be analyzed (340) by performing the query on the first segment to obtain a first result. A query state of the query can be persisted (350) and the query operation can be rewound to begin a new query cycle. A second segment can be analyzed (360) in the new query cycle by performing the query on the second segment based on the first result.
US09195707B2	Distributed event system for relational models A distributed event system for a relational database is disclosed. An event data model operatively describes a target database. For a subject entity in the target database, the event data model declares and defines triggering events and respective corresponding operations. An event engine monitors database queries and events involving the subject entity and determines from the event data model corresponding operations. Execution of the determined corresponding operations is distributed to network-based agents. Agents may be filtered based on skills and/or credentials injected at runtime. Code binaries of the operations are downloaded to the agents for execution.
US09195696B2	Method and system for data transfer optimization A data migration system and method for migrating data objects from a source entity to a target entity, wherein the source entity includes infrastructure shared between discrete systems, the system including: a storage device storing an index of the data objects stored on the shared infrastructure and object attributes of the data objects, said index being in a normalized data model independent of native formats of the discrete systems; a selector adapted to select which objects to migrate based on at least one said object attribute; and an optimizer adapted to optimize the migration of data from the shared infrastructure to the target entity.
US09195694B2	Distributed database management system A distributed database management system provides a central database resident on a server that contains database objects. Objects, e.g., program guide data, to be replicated are gathered together into distribution packages called “slices,” that are transmitted to client devices. A slice is a subset of the central database which is relevant to clients within a specific domain, such as a geographic region, or under the footprint of a satellite transmitter. The viewer selects television programs and Web content from displayed sections of the program guide data which are recorded to a storage device. The program guide data are used to determine when to start and end recordings. Client devices periodically connect to the server using a phone line and upload information of interest which is combined with information uploaded from other client devices for statistical, operational, or viewing models.
US09195684B2	Redundant task execution in a distributed storage and task network A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module determining data block storage redundancy among a set of distributed storage and task (DST) execution units. The method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding a data segment of data to produce a set of encoded data slices, where a first encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices includes at least one redundant encoded data block in common with a second encoded data slice of the set of encoded data slices. The method continues with the DS processing module assigning a first partial task and a first encoded block processing order to a first DST execution unit regarding processing the first encoded data slice and assigning a second partial task and a second encoded block processing order to a second DST execution unit regarding processing the second encoded data slice.
US09195682B2	Integrated analytics on multiple systems The embodiments provide a federated system for supporting an application to perform analytics. The federated system includes a first distributed system for performing one or more first tasks including processing incoming data into a set of data blocks, an in-memory database system for performing one or more second tasks including receiving the set of data blocks from the first distributed system and storing the set of data blocks in an internal storage, and a second distributed system for performing one or more third tasks including receiving at least one data block of the set from the in-memory database system and performing analytics on the at least one data block. Execution of the first, second, and third tasks are controlled via a scripting language utilized by the application and associated with the in-memory database system.
US09195678B2	Automatic selection of digital images from a multi-sourced collection of digital images Described herein are techniques related to automatic selection of one or more digital images from a set of digital images collected from multiple image sources, such as such as digital cameras and camera-equipped mobile phones. The automatic selection is based, at least in part, upon various weighted criteria regarding properties (e.g., metadata or content) of the digital images. The automatic selection and other aspects of the techniques described herein can be performed, at least in part, in or by the so-called cloud. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09195673B2	Scalable graph modeling of metadata for deduplicated storage systems Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and computer program product for providing a scalable representation of metadata for deduplicated storage systems. The method includes identifying shared data segments that are contained in a plurality of data objects in a deduplicated storage system. A data object centric graph is generated. The generating includes creating vertices that represent the data objects and creating edges between the data objects. An edge connecting two data objects indicates that the two data objects contain at least one shared data segment in common. Each shared data segment between any two data objects is represented by at most one of the edges. At least one of the data objects is manipulated based on the data object centric graph.
US09195662B2	Online analysis and display of correlated information The invention relates to the field of user interfaces for computing devices. In particular, it relates to a method and system for analyzing and displaying informational entities which are associated to a text document on a computing device, such as a work station, a desktop computer, a tablet PC, a laptop computer and/or a mobile device. A method for displaying an associated informational entity on a computing device when processing a text document is described. The method may comprise: displaying text of the text document on a display of the computing device; automatically determining a first informational entity which is associated with a first portion of the displayed text; and automatically displaying the first informational entity on the display.
US09195657B2	Columnar storage of a database index Methods, systems, and computer-readable media of columnar storage of a database index are disclosed. A particular columnar index includes a column store that stores rows of the columnar index in a column-wise fashion and a delta store that stores rows of the columnar index in a row-wise fashion. The column store also includes an absence flag array. The absence flag array includes entries that indicate whether certain rows have been logically deleted from the column store.
US09195656B2	Multilingual prosody generation Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for multilingual prosody generation. In some implementations, data indicating a set of linguistic features corresponding to a text is obtained. Data indicating the linguistic features and data indicating the language of the text are provided as input to a neural network that has been trained to provide output indicating prosody information for multiple languages. The neural network can be a neural network having been trained using speech in multiple languages. Output indicating prosody information for the linguistic features is received from the neural network. Audio data representing the text is generated using the output of the neural network.
US09195654B2	Automatic invocation of a dialog user interface for translation applications A device is configured to receive a translation query that requests a translation of terms from a source language to a target language; determine translation features associated with the translation query; assign a feature value to each of the translation features to form feature values; apply a feature weight to each of the feature values to generate a final value; and determine whether to provide a dialog translation user interface or a non-dialog translation user interface based on whether the final value satisfies a threshold. The dialog translation user interface may facilitate translation of a conversation, the non-dialog translation user interface may provide translation search results, and the non-dialog translation user interface may be different than the dialog translation user interface. The device also configured to provide the dialog translation user interface for display when the final value satisfies the threshold.
US09195650B2	Translating between spoken and written language Techniques for converting spoken speech into written speech are provided. The techniques include transcribing input speech via speech recognition, mapping each spoken utterance from input speech into a corresponding formal utterance, and mapping each formal utterance into a stylistically formatted written utterance.
US09195648B2	Multi-lingual knowledge base Mechanisms and methods for enabling customers to manage multi-lingual knowledge bases, so that end users can access articles based on a language the end user chooses, while also providing publishers with tools to manage articles in different languages and to translate them, either using an external vendor or leveraging in house translators, and providing administrators (knowledge managers) with the ability to setup or choose which languages are available in the knowledge base, as well as default language assignments for translations.
US09195642B2	Spell checking URLs in a resource Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for spell checking URLs in a resource. Embodiments include identifying within a resource a URL, determining whether the URL is valid, and marking the URL as misspelled if the URL is invalid. In typical embodiments, determining whether the URL is valid is carried out by resolving a domain name contained in the URL. Typical embodiments also include suggesting an alternative spelling for the URL. In some embodiments, suggesting an alternative spelling for the URL is carried out by identifying a keyword in the resource, querying a search engine with the identified keyword, and selecting a URL in dependence upon search results returned by the search engine.
US09195639B2	Computer-based system and method for generating, classifying, searching, and analyzing standardized text templates and deviations from standardized text templates A method for generating, classifying, searching, and analyzing standardized text templates drawn from a plurality of text documents and for identifying standardized text deviations from standardized text templates. Semi-standardized documents may be represented as standardized templates and deviations from standardized templates, with such templates themselves automatically generated by a computer-implemented method from a plurality of similar text documents. The method enables enhanced analysis of semi-standardized documents and automatic extraction of information from standardized text templates.
US09195637B2	Proportional font scaling The font size of text included in web page content is proportionally scaled based on proportional container widths and/or a minimum readable font size. The proportional font scaling improves web content readability on small-screen devices while maintaining relative proportions of font sizes between text containers when the text containers are rendered at full display width.
US09195634B2	Optimizing constraint solving by rewriting at least one modulo constraint Methods and apparatuses are described for assigning random values to a set of random variables so that the assigned random values satisfy a set of constraints. A constraint solver can receive a set of constraints that is expected to cause performance problems when the system assigns random values to the set of random variables in a manner that satisfies the set of constraints. For example, modulo constraints and bit-slice constraints can cause the system to perform excessive backtracking when the system attempts to assign random values to the set of random variables in a manner that satisfies the set of constraints. The system can rewrite the set of constraints to obtain a new set of constraints that is expected to reduce and/or avoid the performance problems. The system can then assign random values to the set of random variables based on the new set of constraints.
US09195626B2	Reducing write I/O latency using asynchronous Fibre Channel exchange A FCP initiator sends a FCP write command to a FCP target within a second FC Exchange, and the target sends one or more FC write control IUs to the initiator within a first FC Exchange to request a transfer of data associated with the write command. The first and second FC exchanges are distinct from one another. A payload of each write control IU includes an OX_ID value with which the initiator originated the second Exchange and a RX_ID value assigned by the FCP target for the second exchange. The two Exchanges yield a full-duplex communication environment between the initiator and target that enables the reduction or elimination of latencies incurred in a conventional FCP write I/O operation due to the half-duplex nature of a single FC Exchange. The write control IU may be an enhanced FCP_XFER_RDY IU or a new FC IU previously undefined by the FCP standard.
US09195624B2	Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data in a data communication system An apparatus and method are provided for transmitting and receiving data in a data communication system. The method includes receiving certain multimedia data from a portable terminal using a first data communication scheme; transmitting the certain multimedia data to an external device; receiving control data corresponding to the certain multimedia data from the external device based on the first data communication scheme; converting the control data into a data format of a second data communication scheme; generating data including the converted control data; and transmitting the data to the portable terminal.
US09195623B2	Multiple address spaces per adapter with address translation A plurality of address spaces are assigned to an adapter. To select a particular address space for the adapter, a requestor identifier and address space identifier provided in a request by the adapter are used. Each address space may have a different address translation mechanism associated therewith.
US09195619B2	Semiconductor memory device According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory and a controller. The controller controls the memory, communicates with a host device via a first signal line and a second signal line, and receives data items to be written in the memory from the host device on the first and second signal lines in a first period. The same group number is assigned to two data items which flow in parallel on the first and second signal lines. The controller transmits to the host device a response packet including an indication of a group number assigned to an unsuccessfully received one of the data items.
US09195617B2	Semiconductor memory devices and semiconductor systems including the same Semiconductor systems are provided. The semiconductor system includes a controller and a semiconductor memory device. The controller generates a first command signal and receives a foreground data to generate a foreground control signal for controlling a drivability of the foreground data and to generate a second command signal. The semiconductor memory device receives the first command signal to output a pattern data as the foreground data through a foreground input/output (I/O) line, stores the foreground control signal therein in response to the second command signal, and controls the drivability of the foreground data according to the foreground control signal.
US09195616B2	Apparatus and method for copying rules between devices Devices, systems, and methods are described for allowing rules that are applied to one device to be applied to another device based on a user's interaction with only the devices. A rule-copy action, such as simultaneous shaking of the two devices, proximity of the two devices to each other, and/or the relative positions of the two devices, may be detected at one of the devices (e.g., a first device to which the user desires the rules or a copy of the rules to apply). In response to the rule-copy action, another device (e.g., a second device configured to operate according to the at least one rule) may be identified. The at least one rule may then be caused to be applied to the first device in response to detection of the rule-copy action, so as to configure the first device to operate according to the at least one rule.
US09195613B2	Systems and methods for managing read-only memory Embodiments for managing read-only memory. A system includes a memory device including a real memory and a tracking mechanism configured to track relationships between multiple virtual memory addresses and real memory. The system further includes a processor configured to perform the below method and/or execute the below computer program product. One method includes mapping a first virtual memory address to a real memory in a memory device and mapping a second virtual memory address to the real memory. Here, the first virtual memory address is authorized to modify data in the real memory and the second virtual memory address is not authorized to modify the data in the real memory.
US09195610B2	Transaction info bypass for nodes coupled to an interconnect fabric A shared resource within a module may be accessed by a request from an external requester. An external transaction request may be received from an external requester outside the module for access to the shared resource that includes control information, not all of which is needed to access the shared resource. The external transaction request may be modified to form a modified request by removing a portion of the locally unneeded control information and storing the unneeded portion of control information as an entry in a bypass buffer. A reply received from the shared resource may be modified by appending the stored portion of control information from the entry in the bypass buffer before sending the modified reply to the external requester.
US09195607B1	Content matching using a multi-hash function for replacement of a faulty memory cell A memory interface device comprising an address match table. The address match table includes a content entry input and a plurality of hash functions numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer greater than 1. The address match table includes a first table comprising a plurality of lists numbered from 1 through N, each hash function (i) corresponds to a list (i), where (i) is a number in a set from 1 through N, and a second table coupled to the first table, the second table comprising a plurality of entries, each of the entries point to a different entry within the second table or a null entry in the second table. The interface device includes an index from list N in the first table points to the second table.
US09195603B2	Storage caching The present disclosure provides a method for processing a storage operation in a system with an added level of storage caching. The method includes receiving, in a storage cache, a read request from a host processor that identifies requested data and determining whether the requested data is in a cache memory of the storage cache. If the requested data is in the cache memory of the storage cache, the requested data may be obtained from the storage cache and sent to the host processor. If the requested data is not in the cache memory of the storage cache, the read request may be sent to a host bus adapter operatively coupled to a storage system. The storage cache is transparent to the host processor and the host bus adapter.
US09195598B2	Synchronous and asynchronous discard scans based on the type of cache memory A computational device maintains a first type of cache and a second type of cache. The computational device receives a command from the host to release space. The computational device synchronously discards tracks from the first type of cache, and asynchronously discards tracks from the second type of cache.
US09195585B2	Techniques for allocating and surfacing host-side storage capacity to virtual machines Techniques for surfacing host-side flash storage capacity to a plurality of VMs running on a host system are provided. In one embodiment, the host system creates, for each VM in the plurality of VMs, a flash storage space allocation in a flash storage device that is locally attached to the host system. The host system then causes the flash storage space allocation to be readable and writable by the VM as a virtual flash memory device.
US09195581B2	Techniques for moving data between memory types A two-level paging mechanism. The first level gathers data from reclaimable memory locations for a process and compacts the data into a single container. The second level sends the compact container's contents to a swap file and may use optimal I/O operations to the target memory device. On-demand paging is made possible by having a first pager locate the requested data in the compact container and then having a second pager retrieve the corresponding data from the swap file.
US09195575B2	Dynamic reconfiguration of applications on a multi-processor embedded system A multiprocessor system and method for swapping applications executing on the multiprocessor system are disclosed. The plurality of applications may include a first application and a plurality of other applications. The first application may be dynamically swapped with a second application. The swapping may be performed without stopping the plurality of other applications. The plurality of other applications may continue to execute during the swapping to perform a real-time operation and process real-time data. After the swapping, the plurality of other applications may continue to execute with the second application, and at least a subset of the plurality of other applications may communicate with the second application to perform the real time operation and process the real time data.
US09195573B1	Remediation of known defects and vulnerabilities in cloud application packages A method for applying remediation policy to a cloud application package having a set of components is described. The method is initiated in response to discovery of a new vulnerability. It begins by comparing information from a deployment description against a data set of known problems associated with the one or more of the components. The deployment description represents the set of components and their interrelationships. For each of the one or more components, one or more known problems that satisfy a given severity and/or complexity criteria are identified. Thereafter, and with respect to at least one of the components for which one known problem satisfying the given criteria has been identified, the remediation policy (e.g., an update, a replacement, a patch, an additional installable) is applied to attempt to rectify the known problem. After applying the policy, the old version of the package is replaced with the new version.
US09195572B2	Systems and methods for identifying user interface (UI) elements A method includes executing instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media using at least one processor. The method includes identifying a targeted user interface (UI) element using a uniform resource identifier (URI), where the URI includes one or more URI fragments with each of the URI fragments being associated with a specific UI element, parsing the URI identifying a UI element to validate a format syntax of the URI, determining from a current session an initial resolution context, resolving each of the URI fragments within a UI hierarchy in a current resolution context, where the current resolution context is the initial resolution context for a first URI fragment and after resolving a last of the URI fragments, returning a reference to the targeted UI element.
US09195569B2	System and method to identify code execution rhythms The present technology is directed to accurately identifying code execution rhythms from a running program, even when they are occasionally irregular. The present technology is capable of detecting and inferring the rhythms without any prior knowledge or expectations of rates or number of rhythms present in a running program. These code execution rhythms can then be used to further understand and analyze the behavior of a running program, for example, by exposing various rhythms that might have been unknown/unrealized, irregularity of rhythms, or by analyzing the behavior of functions on a per frame basis under different rhythms.
US09195566B2	Defect analysis system for error impact reduction An apparatus includes a network interface, memory, and a processor. The processor is coupled with the network interface and memory. The processor is configured to analyze a first set of data associated with a plurality of data sources. Analyzing the first set of data associated with the plurality of data sources determines a plurality of relationships among the first set of data. The processor is configured to store indications of the plurality of relationships among the first set of data. An indication of a relationship indicates a possible software defect. The processor is configured to generate rules based, at least in part, on the first set of data associated with a plurality of data sources. A rule indicates a possible software defect.
US09195563B2	Use of metrics selected based on lag correlation to provide leading indicators of service performance degradation The present description refers to a computer implemented method, computer program product, and computer system for identifying a service metric associated with a service, identifying one or more abnormalities of one or more infrastructure metrics that occur within a time window around an abnormality of the service metric, determining a set of candidate infrastructure metrics for the service metric based on how many times an abnormality of an infrastructure metric occurred within a time window around an abnormality of the service metric, determining a degree of lag correlation for each candidate infrastructure metric with respect to the service metric, selecting one or more candidate infrastructure metrics having a degree of lag correlation that exceeds a threshold to be a leading indicator infrastructure metric for the service metric, and providing a performance degradation warning for the service when an abnormality of one of the leading indicator infrastructure metrics is detected.
US09195561B2	System and method for proactive management of an information handling system with in-situ measurement of end user actions Dissatisfaction variables track inputs made by an end user at an information handling system that are associated with end user dissatisfaction regarding the operation of the information handling system, such as corrective actions, so that an alert issues if a dissatisfaction variable changes by a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period. Dissatisfaction variables identify a pattern of a change in behavior by an end user rather than the operational status of system components. For example, an increase in end user forced shutdowns of the information handling system indicates end user dissatisfaction with the information handling system, such as repeated freezes of the operating system so that performing a timely diagnostics will improve end user satisfaction and proactively correct and impending system failure.
US09195556B2	Host device and method for testing booting of servers In a method for testing a booting of servers, the servers are controlled to boot to perform a booting test, and are controlled to quit the booting test. A current state of the booting test is stored in a test log, if the booting of one of the servers is unsuccessful. A system log of each server is saved in the storage device if a first component list of each server is identical to the second component list of the server. The servers are controlled to quit the booting test, and a current state of the booting test is recorded in the test log if the component list of one of the servers is not identical to the second component list the server.
US09195553B2	Redundant system control method The redundant system includes a redundant server of a first system and a redundant server of a second system. The redundant servers of the first system and the second system operate in lockstep. When a failure occurs in the redundant server of the second system, the redundant server of the first system separates the redundant server of the second system in which the failure has occurred and continues the operation, and then prepares for restoration to a duplexed operation with a configuration in which the failed part is fallen back. When the preparation is completed, both redundant servers of the first system and the second system start a lockstep operation from initialization processing by synchronous reset, and resume the duplexed operation with the configuration in which the failed part is fallen back.
US09195550B2	Method for guaranteeing program correctness using fine-grained hardware speculative execution A method for checking program correctness may include executing a program on a main hardware thread in speculative execution mode on a hardware execution context on a chip having a plurality of hardware execution contexts. In this mode, the main hardware thread's state is not committed to main memory. Correctness checks by a plurality of helper threads are executed in parallel to the main hardware thread. Each helper thread runs on a separate hardware execution context on the chip in parallel with the main hardware thread. The correctness checks determine a safe point in the program up to which the operations executed by the main hardware thread are correct. Once the main hardware thread reaches the safe point, the mode of execution of the main hardware thread is switched to non-speculative. The runtime then causes the main thread to re-enter speculative mode of execution.
US09195542B2	Selectively persisting application program data from system memory to non-volatile data storage Application program data stored in system memory may be selectively persisted. An indication may be provided to an application program that an application data object or a range of application data stored in system memory may be treated as persistent. Data backup may be enabled for the application data object or range of application data in the event of a system failure, copying the application data object or range of application data from system memory to non-volatile data storage. Upon recovery from a system failure, further data backup for the application data object or the range of application data may be disabled. In some embodiments, at least some of the application data object or range of application data may be recovered for the application program to access. Data backup for the application data object or the range of application data may also be re-enabled.
US09195540B2	Multiple sector parallel access memory array with error correction The present invention is a method for accessing more than one block of correctable information at a time when it is most efficient to access more bits of information at a time on a given dimension, for example from a multiple bit per cell (MLC) memory element, than the error correction algorithm can correct. Since it may be more efficient to access more bits of information at a time on a given dimension than the error correction algorithm can correct, that access is performed in this most efficient way, but the information is divided into correctable blocks within this information such that the error correction algorithm can still compensate for a serious fault along a given dimension. Furthermore, the present invention can be employed even when the number of bits retrieved along a given dimension is less than the number of correctable bits when it is desired to protect against a given number of faults which could, in total, exceed the number of correctable bits.
US09195537B2	Method of data storage in non-volatile memory A method of storing a set of metadata bits associated with each of multiple data words includes combining the set of metadata bits with each of the multiple data words to generate multiple extended data words. The method includes encoding each of the multiple extended data words to generate multiple codewords and puncturing each of the multiple codewords to generate multiple punctured codewords, where in each of the punctured codewords the set of metadata bits is removed. The method includes storing the multiple punctured codewords, transforming the set of metadata bits to generate a set of transformed metadata bits, and storing the set of transformed metadata bits.
US09195532B2	Display processing system, display processing method, and program A display processing system (1) includes a display unit (208) that displays the occurrence status information of a failure, which has occurred due to heat accumulation of a server that provides the service, for a predetermined period of time, according to the level of the effect of failure on the service, and also displays the energy efficiency information of the server for the predetermined period of time so as to be associated with the failure occurrence status information.
US09195531B2	Processor design verification A system and method for verifying that a processor design having caches conforms to a specific memory model. The caches might not be maintained coherent in real time. Specifically, the system and method make use of a checker that conforms to the memory model, a time-stamping scheme, and a store buffering scheme to identify a bug(s) in the processor design that violates the memory model and/or loads an incorrect value in response to a load instruction.
US09195524B1	Hardware support for performance analysis Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with echo cancellation are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of first registers configured to respectively store information related to a performance of a processor and a second register in communication with each of the plurality of first registers. The apparatus also includes logic configured to detect a trigger event; and in response to having detected the trigger event, copy the information related to the performance of the processor respectively in the plurality of first registers into the second register.
US09195521B2	Methods for software systems and software systems using the same A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may comprise a set of instructions for creating a subsystem process independent from a main system process for data computation. The set of instructions may direct at least one processor to perform acts of: in a main system process, receiving a user input; in the main system process, sending the user input to a subsystem process, the subsystem process is independent from and in parallel with the main system process; in the main system process, generating a first computation result according to the user input; in the subsystem process, generating a second computation result in parallel with the main system process according to the user input; in the main system process, receiving the second computation result from the subsystem process; and in the main system process, combining the first computation result and the second computation result.
US09195514B2	System and method for managing P-states and C-states of a system A current value of a load indicator of a system is determined, by an application entity, based on one or more of a central processor unit utilization measure of the system, a memory utilization measure of the system, a system-internal resources utilization measure, an input/output utilization measure of the system, and a secondary storage utilization measure of the system, wherein the system is associated with a plurality of P-states and a plurality of C-states. An operating mode of the system is determined, by the application entity, based on the current value of the load indicator, wherein the operating mode comprises a P-state selected from the plurality of P-states and a C-state selected from the plurality of C-states. The system is operated in accordance with the operating mode. A predictive load map associating respective time periods and respective operating modes may be generated and adaptively adjusted.
US09195512B2	Relocating related resource partitions The method for relocating related resource partitions includes detecting a relocation event to relocate a first resource partition operating in a first division from the first division to a second division. The first division includes a second resource partition. The first resource partition and the second resource partition are each distinct operating environments. The method also includes determining that the second resource partition is sufficiently related to the first resource partition. The method includes relocating the second resource partition to the second division with the first resource partition in response to determining that the second resource partition is sufficiently related to the first resource partition.
US09195509B2	Identifying optimal platforms for workload placement in a networked computing environment Embodiments of the present invention provide a workload optimization approach that measures workload performance across combinations of hardware (platform, network configuration, storage configuration, etc.) and operating systems, and which provides a workload placement on the platforms where jobs perform most efficiently. This type of placement may be based on performance measurements (e.g., throughput, response, and other such service levels), but it can also be based on other factors such as power consumption or reliability. In a typical embodiment, ideal platforms are identified for handling workloads based on performance measurements and any applicable service level agreement (SLA) terms.
US09195508B1	Allocation of resources among computer partitions using plural utilization prediction engines A multi-partition computer system includes a utilization monitor for monitoring resource utilization, plural prediction engines for predicting utilization during a next allocation period, a prediction rater for rating said prediction engines based on the accuracy of their predictions, and an allocation implementer for implementing an allocation determined as a function of a prediction by a highest-rated of said prediction engines as determined by the prediction rater.
US09195505B2	Method, system and an executable piece of code for controlling the use of hardware resources of a computer system The invention relates to a method for controlling the use of hardware resources of a computer system by an application that is executed on an operating system comprising at least one application programming interface (API) that is executed on this computer system, using an executable piece of code adapted for being injected into a process belonging to the application. The method comprises: redirecting an API service to a corresponding service comprised in the piece of code; intercepting the call from the process to the API service; and acting on a software entity belonging to the process being executed on the basis of the interception of the call from the process to the API service.
US09195503B2	Auto detecting shared libraries and creating a virtual scope repository Provided are techniques for receiving a request to load a first resource corresponding to an application into a computing system for execution; determining whether or not the first resource is identical to a resource loaded in a virtual scope library (VSR); and, if the first resource is determined not to be identical to any particular resource loaded in the VSR, load the first resource into the VSR; and direct references to the first resource in the application to the first resource loaded in the VSR; and otherwise, if the first resource is determined to be identical to the second resource, direct references to the first resource in the application to the particular resource stored in the VSR.
US09195498B2	Supply capability engine weekly poller A method for executing and polling an operational slice of a supply capability engine. The method of polling is designed to query a DB2 table searching for a predetermined, eligible operational slice to process. When an operational slice is detected that is ready to be processed, an entry on a queue is placed, typically to a second DB2 table. The operational slices on the queue are then processed sequentially. The poller monitors the duration of the operational slice, and generates an alert if any of the operational slices placed on the queue exceed an allowable duration.
US09195495B2	Configuration space with pseudo device identifier Techniques for loading device drivers are provided. A configuration space may contain a device identifier. The configuration space may be modified by replacing the device identifier with a pseudo device identifier. In one aspect the pseudo device identifier may be passed to a virtual machine. In another aspect, the pseudo device identifier may be used to load a driver.
US09195493B2	Dispatching multiple threads in a computer According to one aspect, a computer system includes a configuration with a machine enabled to operate in a single thread (ST) mode and a multithreading (MT) mode. In addition, the machine includes physical threads. The machine is configured to perform a method that includes issuing a start-virtual-execution (start-VE) instruction to dispatch a guest entity having multiple logical threads on the core. The guest entity includes all or a part of a guest virtual machine (VM), and issuing is performed by a host running on one of the physical threads on the core in the ST mode. The executing of the start-VE instruction by the machine includes mapping each of the logical threads to a corresponding one of the physical threads, initializing each of the mapped physical threads with a state of the corresponding logical thread, and starting execution of the guest entity on the core in MT mode.
US09195489B2	Image deployment in a cloud environment The invention relates to a mechanism for image deployment in a cloud environment comprising at least two hosts coupled to at least one disk, and at least one virtual machine created in at least one host of the at least two hosts by deploying an additional image to the at least one disk. The method is characterized in that the at least one host for deploying an additional image is selected according to a deployment factor representing a communality relationship between one or more existing base images in the cloud environment and the additional image.
US09195487B2	Interposition method suitable for hardware-assisted virtual machine One embodiment of the present invention is a method of interposing operations in a computational system that includes a virtualization system executable on an underlying hardware processor that natively supports one or more instructions that transition between host and guest execution modes. The method includes introducing a hooked vector into a supervisor register block of the hardware processor, wherein the hooked vector displaces a system call handler vector otherwise set by a guest computation; read and write protecting at least the hooked vector containing portion of the supervisor register block; initiating execution of a code sequence of the guest computation on the hardware processor using one of the instructions that transition between the host and guest execution modes thereof, wherein the code sequence includes a system call and wherein upon initiation of the system call, the hardware processor transfers execution to a substitute handler in accordance with the hooked vector; and responsive to execution of the substitute handler, initiating a hooked operation and transferring control to the guest system call handler.
US09195486B2	Observation and analysis based code optimization Observation and analysis based optimization of software code is disclosed. An expected value is chosen for a dynamic attribute that cannot be determined, prior to execution of the associated software code, to be guaranteed to have that expected value at runtime. An optimized version of the software code is generated, including one or more optimizations based on an assumption that the dynamic attribute will have the expected value. Non-exhaustive examples of a dynamic attribute include a variable type; a location in memory; a location in which a global object, property, or variable is stored; the contents of a global function or method; and a value of a global property or variable. A check is performed during execution of the optimized version of the software code, prior to executing the portion that has been optimized based on the assumption, to verify that the dynamic attribute has the expected value. In the event that it is determined at runtime that the dynamic attribute does not have the expected value, execution reverts to backup code that is not based on the assumption that dynamic attribute will have the expected value.
US09195485B1	Method and apparatus for concurrently maintaining queues for multiple virtual machines A wireless network device includes a wireless network port, first and second virtual machines, and a processor. While executing the first virtual machine, the processor stores, in a third queue, data to be processed by the first virtual machine and the first virtual machine maintains, in a first queue, a copy of the data stored in the third queue. While executing the second virtual machine, the processor stores, in the third queue, data to be processed by the second virtual machine and the second virtual machine maintains, in a second queue, a copy of the data stored in the third queue. Upon resuming execution, the first virtual machine transfers, to the third queue, the copy of the data maintained in the first queue. Upon resuming execution, the second virtual machine transfers, to the third queue, the copy of the data maintained in the second queue.
US09195482B2	Method and apparatus for distributing a composite software stack as a virtual machine image A composite software stack is distributed as a virtual appliance. A new virtual appliance is published by obtaining a parent virtual appliance; configuring the new virtual appliance; obtaining file level differences between the parent virtual appliance and the new virtual appliance; and publishing the new virtual appliance as a patch comprising the file level differences relative to the parent virtual appliance. The file level differences comprise additions, deletions and/or modifications to the parent virtual appliance. An update to a given virtual appliance can be published as a fix pack, wherein the fix pack comprises file level differences relative to the given virtual appliance. An end user obtains a desired virtual appliance by selecting the desired virtual appliance; obtaining metadata for the desired virtual appliance comprising an identifier of a patch file and a parent virtual appliance; and applying the patch file to the parent virtual appliance to get a modified virtual appliance.
US09195480B2	Associated plug-in management method, device and system An associated plug-in management method, device, and system are provided. A first associated plug-in and a second component that uses the first associated plug-in are determined by obtaining description information of the first associated plug-in and information about the second component that uses the associated plug-in, where the description information of the first associated plug-in and the information about the second component are provided by a first component; and then, based on the information about the second component and the description information of the first associated plug-in, the first associated plug-in is installed onto a device on which the second component is located. Thus decoupling during deployment of components related to an associated plug-in is implemented.
US09195479B2	Selective notification of native applications Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing selective notifications. In one aspect, a method includes receiving code for a web application, the code including a reference to a native application equivalent to the web application, and determining whether to display a notification regarding the native application equivalent to the web application, then selectively displaying the notification regarding the native application equivalent to the web application based on the determination.
US09195478B2	Image forming apparatus for displaying guidance According to one embodiment, a display device includes a detecting section configured to detect information concerning a sheet, a control section configured to set image guidance according to a result of the detection by the detecting section, and a display section configured to display the image guidance set by the control section.
US09195477B1	Device profiles, deep linking, and browser history support for web applications The disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for Web applications developed using a client-side scripting language such as ECMAScript®, JavaScript®, ActionScript®, Jscript®, or the like and, more particularly, to a system with a methodology for more easily customizing the functionality of such Web applications for different types of computing devices and a methodology for deep linking and browser history support for such Web applications.
US09195462B2	Techniques for tracing processes in a multi-threaded processor A technique for tracing processes executing in a multi-threaded processor includes forming a trace message that includes a virtual core identification (VCID) that identifies an associated thread. The trace message, including the VCID, is then transmitted to a debug tool.
US09195460B1	Using condition codes in the presence of non-numeric values Systems and methods for compiling programs using condition codes and executing those programs when non-numeric values are present allow for explicit handling of non-numeric values. In addition to the conventional condition code values of positive, negative, and zero, a fourth value may be encoded, not a number (NaN) representing a non-numeric value. New condition tests are defined that explicitly account for condition code values of NaN. A compiler may produce code using the new condition tests to represent if and if-else statements. The code including the new condition tests generates deterministic results during execution when non-numeric values are present.
US09195459B2	Simultaneously accessible memory device and method for using the same A memory device is provided with an instruction decoding unit, a control and logic unit, a first memory, and a second memory. The memory device serves to decode an inputted instruction and producing a decoding signal. The control and logic unit serves to produce a control signal based on the decoding signal. The first memory has a first memory array and a first page buffer, and the second memory with a second memory array and a second page buffer. When the inputted instruction is a preset instruction, the preset instruction is used to simultaneously execute data access on a first memory and access the backup data on a second memory based on a same data.
US09195457B1	Interactive application programming interface documentation Documentation for an application programming interface may include a source code portion. Input may be received from a user of the documentation indicating a request to see a simulated result of executing the source code portion. A set of instructions corresponding to the source code portion may be loaded. State dependencies of the set of instructions may be resolved to form an execution environment for the instructions. Simulated results for executing the source code portion may be obtained by executing the instructions based on the execution environment.
US09195453B1	Remediation of known defects and vulnerabilities in cloud application packages A method for applying remediation policy to a cloud application package having a set of components is described. The method is initiated in response to discovery of a new vulnerability. It begins by comparing information from a deployment description against a data set of known problems associated with the one or more of the components. The deployment description represents the set of components and their interrelationships. For each of the one or more components, one or more known problems that satisfy a given severity and/or complexity criteria are identified. Thereafter, and with respect to at least one of the components for which one known problem satisfying the given criteria has been identified, the remediation policy (e.g., an update, a replacement, a patch, an additional installable) is applied to attempt to rectify the known problem. After applying the policy, the old version of the package is replaced with the new version.
US09195448B2	Caching and analyzing images for faster and simpler cloud application deployment Techniques provide include analyzing a first node, associated with a first version of an service, to extract first configuration metadata; analyzing the first node, associated with a second version, subsequent to the first version, of the a service, to extract second configuration metadata; determining, based upon a comparison of the first configuration metadata and the second configuration metadata, that the first node has not been modified between the first version and the second version; generating a first image of the node for distribution in conjunction with the service in response to the determining that the particular node has not been modified; and caching the first image for use in conjunction with the service.
US09195447B2	Optimized SCA descriptors with run-time deployment additions Systems and methods for converting Software Communications Architecture (SCA) XML files into optimized SCA descriptors usable by a SCA Core Framework (CF) for application deployment and installation. The optimized SCA descriptors include sufficient run-time information so as to be directly usable by the CF for deploying and executing waveform applications without copying to different structures. The optimized SCA structures include component instantiation direct indexes into a sequence of partitions. The optimized SCA descriptors can be Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) structures provided in Common Data Representation (CDR) format.
US09195446B2	Method and registry for enabling the enforcement of design-time policies during runtime in a service-oriented architecture Certain example embodiments relate to computer-implemented methods enabling the enforcement of design-time policies during runtime in a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The SOA includes SOA assets (e.g., web services), and at least one runtime container configured to enforce runtime policies on SOA assets executed therein. Example methods may include: obtaining at least one design-time policy from a SOA registry, the at least one design-time policy applying to SOA assets grouped into a design-time domain; automatically deriving at least one runtime policy from the at least one design-time policy and at least one runtime domain from the design-time domain, the runtime domain indicating at least one runtime container; performing a compatibility check to determine whether the at least one runtime policy is enforceable by the at least one runtime container; and depending on the compatibility check, automatically deploying the at least one runtime policy to the runtime container.
US09195430B2	Image display terminal, image display control method and recording medium recording image display control program An image display terminal includes an image display control unit, a display range setting unit, a display range sending unit and a graph expression receiving unit. The image display control unit displays a background image in a display screen. The display range setting unit sets display range data of a coordinate system to an image display region of the display screen. The display range sending unit sends the display range data to at least one other image display terminal which displays the background image displayed on the image display terminal. After the display range data is set to an image display region of the other image display terminal, the graph expression receiving unit receives, from the other image display terminal, graph expression data for a graph figure displayed on the image display region of the other image display terminal.
US09195423B2	Image forming apparatus, image forming method An image forming apparatus includes: an operation-suspended-period storage unit configured to store a start time and an ending time of an operation suspended period; a job-data storage unit configured to store a job including a start time of execution the job of which is reserved; a job-execution-period calculation unit configured to acquire the start time of execution of the reserved job from the job-data storage unit so as to calculate an execution period from the start time until the completion time of the execution based on a type of the job; and a job-execution-period changing unit configured to change the execution period of the reserved job to be prior to the operation suspended period when the calculated execution period of the reserved job overlaps the operation suspended period at a predetermined period of time before the operation suspended period stored in the operation-suspended-period storage unit.
US09195415B2	Print controller, computer readable medium having computer program product for generating print data based on print setting information stored thereon, and method of generating print setting information An apparatus includes a processing unit and memory. The memory stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the apparatus to provide an application tool and a generation section. The application tool is configured to edit a print condition based on print functional information relating to print functions provided with a printer. The generation section is configured to generate print setting information including a first print condition and a second print condition. The generating section generates the first print condition in a form so as to be editable by the application tool and generates the second print condition including at least a part of the first print condition in a form so as not to be editable by the application tool. The print data producing section is configured to produce print data based on the print setting information including the first print condition that has been edited by the application tool and the second print condition.
US09195408B2	Highly autonomous dispersed storage system retrieval method A method for accessing data in a directory-less dispersed storage (DS) network. In various embodiments, the method begins when a DS processing unit receives a read request for data stored in accordance with a dispersed storage error encoding function. Estimated storage metadata is determined based on the identity of the data, the identity of the requesting unit, and data storage preferences of the requesting unit. The estimated storage metadata is used to determine a target set of storage units. Next, a retrieval request is sent to one or more storage units of the target set. If a favorable response is received (e.g., a read threshold number of storage units return encoded data slices), the data is decoded and forwarded to the requestor. Otherwise, the storage metadata is re-estimated and used to determine a second target set of storage units for solicitation. This process continues until a favorable response is received.
US09195407B2	Apparatus, method and system for using shadow drives for alternative drive commands A storage processor is configured to identify a first disk drive and a second shadow drive associated with the first disk drive to an initiator. The storage processor receives storage commands from an initiator. When the storage commands access the first disk drive, the storage processor issues a first storage operation to the first disk drive. When the storage commands access the second shadow drive, the storage processor issues different storage operations to the first disk drive that are not supported by the initiator.
US09195406B2	Operation management in a memory device Multiple segment operations having non-volatile state trackers in memory devices are disclosed. Operations are segmented in multiple segments and selectively performed to avoid violating timing requirements within a memory device. In at least one embodiment, a memory device operation is segmented into a plurality of segments and selectively performed within time frames of other memory device operations. Non-volatile state trackers maintain state values corresponding to each segment of multiple segmented operations.
US09195405B2	Log data store that stores data across a plurality of storage devices using non-disjoint layers Storing data records within a log data store is provided. The log data store that stores data records within a plurality of successive non-disjoint layers inserted across a plurality of different types of data storage devices associated with a data processing system is generated. A first non-disjoint layer of the plurality of successive non-disjoint layers is inserted within a main memory device. A set of intermediate non-disjoint layers of the plurality of successive non-disjoint layers is inserted within a set of storage-class memory devices. A last non-disjoint layer of the plurality of successive non-disjoint layers is inserted within a hard disk drive. A size of each successive non-disjoint layer in the plurality of successive non-disjoint layers is increased exponentially. The data records are organized into the plurality of successive non-disjoint layers of the log data store inserted across the plurality of different types of data storage devices.
US09195404B2	Exposing protected memory addresses Mechanisms for exposing a protected memory address are provided. A processing device may store a data value at a protected memory address. The protected memory address may be a control register or a status register. The processing device may identify a mirror relationship between the protected memory address and an unprotected memory address and copy the data value from the protected memory address to the unprotected memory address. The unprotected memory address may be directly accessible via an external interface.
US09195402B1	Target and initiator mode configuration of tape drives for data transfer between source and destination tape drives Systems and methods that substantially or fully remove a commanding server from a data path (e.g., as part of a data migration, disaster recovery, and/or the like) to improve data movement performance and make additional bandwidth available for other system processes and the like. Broadly, a network interface card (e.g., host bus adapter (HBA)) of a tape drive may be configured in both a target mode to allow the tape drive to be a recipient of control commands from a server to request and/or otherwise obtain data from one or more source tape drives, and in an initiator mode to allow the tape drive to send commands to the one or more tape drives specified in the commands received from the server to request/read data from and/or write data to such one or more tape drives.
US09195401B2	Method and apparatus for virtual machine live storage migration in heterogeneous storage environment Embodiments pertain to live storage migration for virtual machines. Specific embodiments can implement the migration of VM disk images without service interruption to the running workload. Specific embodiments relate to storage migration between different disk arrays. Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus that can enhance the efficiency of virtual machine (VM) live storage migration in heterogeneous storage environments from a multi-dimensional perspective, e.g., user experience, device wearing, and/or manageability. Specific embodiments utilize one or more of the following: adaptive storage migration strategies, or techniques, such as 1) Low Redundancy (LR), which generates a reduced, and preferably the least, amount of redundant writes; 2) Source-based Low Redundancy (SLR), which can help keep a desirable balance between IO performance and write redundancy; and 3) Asynchronous IO Mirroring (AIO), which seeks high, and preferably the highest, IO performance. Specific embodiments adaptively mix one or more of these adaptive storage migration techniques during massive VM live storage migration.
US09195398B2	Information storage device and method An information storage device includes a storage unit to which a storage region is assigned, a first management information storage unit that stores address information indicating an address range of the storage region in association with identification information identifying the storage region, and a processor that executes a procedure that includes acquiring the address information corresponding to the identification information from the first management information storage unit and accesses the storage region corresponding to the address information and rewriting the identification information stored in the first management information storage unit.
US09195397B2	Disaster-proof data recovery A recovery unit for recovering data includes an antenna and a first wireless transceiver. The first wireless transceiver is configured to communicate via the antenna only with a second wireless transceiver of a storage unit that holds records associated with the data. When an event damaging at least some of the data occurs and the recovery unit is brought into proximity with the storage unit, the recovery unit receives the records from the storage unit for recovery of the data.
US09195396B2	Estimating access frequency statistics for storage device Techniques are disclosed relating to determining statistics associated with the storage of data on a medium. In one embodiment, a computing system maintains a management statistic for a storage device, and uses the management statistic as a proxy for a workload statistic for a storage block within the storage device. In some embodiments, the storage block is a first storage block included within a second storage block of the storage device. In one embodiment, the management statistic is a timestamp indicative of when a write operation was performed for the second storage block; the workload statistic is a write frequency of the first storage block. In one embodiment, the management statistic is a number of read operations performed for the second storage block; the using includes deriving, based on the number of read operation, a read frequency for the first storage block as the workload statistic.
US09195392B2	Distributed storage method, apparatus, and system A distributed data storage method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: splitting a data file to generate K data slices, splitting each data slice of the K data slices to generate M data blocks for each data slice, and performing check coding on the M data blocks by using a redundancy algorithm to generate N check blocks; determining, by using a random algorithm, a first physical storage node corresponding to one block of the M data blocks and the N check blocks, and determining at least M+1 different physical storage nodes based on the determined first physical storage node and according to a first rule-based sorting manner; and storing at least M+1 blocks of the M data blocks and the N check blocks onto the at least M+1 different storage nodes, where K, M, and N are integers.
US09195388B2	Specifying applications to share in a shared access mode Some embodiments of the invention provide a mobile device with multiple access modes. The device in some embodiments has at least two access modes, a primary access mode and a secondary access mode, that provide different restrictions for accessing the applications and/or data that are stored on the device. In some embodiments, the primary access mode of the device provides unfettered access to all of the device's applications and/or data that are available to a user, while its secondary access mode provides access to a limited set of applications and/or data that are stored on the device. In some embodiments, the device provides tools to select applications for the secondary access mode.
US09195386B2	Method and apapratus for text selection A method includes, detecting a first touch input representing a selection of multiple rows of text displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the electronic device, determining whether a complete row of text has been selected from a start point or to an end point of the selected text, and, displaying a paragraph selection handle proximal to said row, the paragraph selection handle being responsive to a second touch input to place the electronic device in a paragraph selection mode for the selection of text.
US09195385B2	Physiological monitor touchscreen interface A physiological monitor touchscreen interface which presents interface constructs on a touchscreen display that are particularly adapted to finger gestures. The finger gestures operate to change at least one of a physiological monitor operating characteristic and a physiological touchscreen display characteristic. The physiological monitor touchscreen interface includes a first interface construct operable to select a menu item from a touchscreen display and a second interface construct operable to define values for the selected menu item. The first interface construct can include a first scroller that presents a rotating set of menu items in a touchscreen display area and a second scroller that presents a rotating set of thumbnails in a display well. The second interface construct can operate to define values for a selected menu item.
US09195384B2	System and method for presenting information in an industrial monitoring system A system includes an industrial monitor configured to receive inputs from a plurality of sensors coupled to a mechanical system. The industrial monitor is configured to determine a plurality of measurements corresponding to operation of the mechanical system based, at least in part, on the received inputs. The system includes a display device communicatively coupled to the industrial monitor, wherein the display device is configured to present a user interface having a plurality of screens, and wherein each of measurement is associated with at least one of the plurality of screens. Further, each screen of the plurality of screens is configured to selectively present a navigational indicator having an appearance when a measurement associated with a different screen has an irregular status.
US09195382B2	Intelligent window sizing and control The disclosed subject matter relates to a method for managing display of a window. In certain aspects, the method includes presenting a window in a display area, wherein the window comprises a control icon, receiving a first input indicating a selection of the control icon and presenting a plurality of selectable options associated with the control icon, wherein each of the plurality of selectable options correspond with one of an up direction, a down direction, a left direction or a right direction. In certain aspects, the method further includes receiving a second input indicating a selection of a first one of the plurality of selectable options and adjusting a size of the window in response to the second input based on a direction associated with the first one of the plurality of selectable options. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.
US09195378B2	Method, system and program for supporting input of execution parameter of predetermined software to input field To provide a method, a program and a system for supporting the input of one or more execution parameters of predetermined software in an input field. The method includes: receiving input of a text character string including one or more execution parameters in the input field displayed on a display device; displaying one the display device one or more execution options of the predetermined software in such a manner that a user can select the options in response to selection of a part of the text character string by the user; and transforming the text character string so as to include at least one of the one or more execution options selected and displaying the transformed text character string on the display device. The one or more execution options displayed can vary with the type of selection of the part of the text character string.
US09195376B1	System and method for facilitating user defined virtual space A system and method for facilitating a user defined virtual space is disclosed. One or more virtual space locations and/or activities may be correlated with user specified geolocations. In some implementations, the user specified geolocations may be verified against one or more spatial requirements prior to recording the user selected space-geolocation correlations. A user request to initiate an action or activity in the virtual space may be received. Prior to executing the requested action or activity in the virtual space, the user current geolocation may be verified against that specified in a space-geolocation correlation corresponding to a virtual space location or activity indicated in the user request.
US09195369B2	Virtual opening of boxes and packs of cards Systems and methods for virtual opening of packages such as boxes and packs of cards are provided herein. Exemplary systems may execute methods via one or more processors, which are programmed to generate a visual representation of a package, receive input from the user, the input indicating opening of the package, and provide feedback to the user corresponding to the opening of the package that at least partially mimics a physical opening of the package.
US09195367B2	Managing active GUI elements remotely A method, system or computer usable program product for selectively forwarding activated graphical user interface (GUI) elements from a source system to a remote device for user interaction including configuring the source system for selectively forwarding to the remote device activated GUI elements that are for front of screen display on the source system, receiving user preferences for GUI elements to forward to the remote device, in response to a user request, identifying an activated GUI element for front of screen display on the source system and related information that meets the user preferences, and forwarding only the identified GUI element and related information to the remote device for interaction with the user.
US09195366B2	Operational programs and tools selection method of numerical control composite machine The present disclosure relates to an operational program of a numerical control machine, which includes: a main menu in which main menus including a tool management menu and a tool setting menu are arranged; a detail information in which the list of tools mounted on a machine tool is outputted, when the tool management menu is selected from the main menu; a preview that displaying the machining state of a material on the basis of the information inputted through the main menu; and a function selection in which function selection icons for selecting and adding new tools are arranged, in which when the tool management tool is selected from the main menu, “register new tool item” is shown up on the function selection icons, and the function selection icon for selecting a new tool is selected, a tool database including characters, symbols, and images for tool lists is outputted in the detail information in accordance with a machining method so that a new tool can be registered.
US09195357B2	System for providing a user interface for use by portable and other devices A method of processing a touch input of a portable terminal includes detecting a hover input, detecting a finger input while receiving the hover input, calculating a distance between positions of the hover input and the finger input, comparing the calculated distance with a predetermined threshold and ignoring or processing the finger input according to a result of the comparison.
US09195356B2	Coordinate input device, and electronic device A coordinate input device of the present invention includes: an M-sequence generator (12); a drive electrode driving circuit (13); and a receiving electrode selecting circuit (14) which receives a value corresponding to a coupling capacitance, an inputted coordinate position being detected in accordance with the value received by the receiving electrode selecting circuit (14), a receiving electrode group being divided into two blocks, and a first detecting section (15) and a second detecting section (16) being provided so as to correspond to the respective two blocks.
US09195355B2	Method for increasing accuracy of touch coordinate calculation in a capacitive multi-touch system In a method for increasing accuracy of touch coordinate calculation in a capacitive multi-touch system, it performs operations on obtained data for de-noising of the obtained data and increasing its linearity so as to generate data with excellent stability and linearity. An integral accumulation operation is performed to generate data for each sensing channel, cancel the accumulation error in data, and calculate coordinates for touch points on a capacitive touch panel.
US09195354B2	Device and method for localized force and proximity sensing Methods, systems and devices are described for operating an electronic system which includes a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a first layer and configured to detect input objects at an input surface of the input device, the first plurality of sensor electrodes including a first subset of transmitter electrodes; a second plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect a force imparted to the input surface and configured for capacitive coupling with the first subset of transmitter electrodes; and a compressible dielectric configured to compress in response to force applied to the input surface. The capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes is configured to vary in response to the applied force.
US09195351B1	Capacitive stylus In some implementations, a stylus having a variable capacitive coupling mechanism may include a conductive stylus tip and a conductive stylus body. A spacer of resilient material may be positioned between the stylus body and the stylus tip. The spacer may be compressed when a user presses the stylus tip against a contact surface an electronic device having of a capacitive touch sensor. The compression of the spacer moves the stylus body closer to a proximal portion of the tip, which increases the capacitive coupling of the stylus with the touch sensor and provides an indication of the amount of pressure applied to the stylus tip by the user. In some examples, the stylus may further include a magnet, and the electronic device may include at least one magnetic field sensor to detect the orientation and/or angle of the magnet and, thus, the orientation and/or angle of the stylus.
US09195346B2	Touch panel, touch device using the same, and touch control method A touch panel includes a light guide plate, a light emitting device, a light sensing module, and a controller. The light guide plate has a touch plane. The light emitting device applies an incident light to the light guide plate, and at least a portion of the incident light is completely reflected in the light guide plate. When an object touches the touch plane, a total internal reflection of at least a portion of the incident light at a touch point is frustrated. The light sensing module detects a wavelength of an ambient light. The controller controls the light emitting device according to the ambient light wavelength detected by the light sensing module to adjust an incident light wavelength of the incident light emitted by the light emitting device so that the incident light wavelength differs from the ambient light wavelength.
US09195340B2	Key display device and recording medium A mobile electronic device includes a touch panel, a display unit, and a CPU that displays a key on the display unit and, when a key group of a soft keyboard that has a plurality of keys arranged within a predetermined area is displayed on the display unit, the CPU displays, in a switchable manner, first arrangement in which each key of the key group is arranged within the predetermined area and second arrangement in which at least one of the keys of the key group is deleted or arranged in a size smaller than that of a key that is in the first arrangement and that corresponds to the one of the keys and in which a handwriting input area is arranged at a space area that is generated within the predetermined area as the one of the keys is deleted or arranged in a smaller size.
US09195338B2	Touch panel control device and non-transitory computer-readable medium A touch panel control device includes a first identification portion that periodically identifies a plurality of pressed cells, a second identification portion that identifies at least one separation distance based on positions of a plurality of first pressed cells that are identified by the first identification portion at a first timing, a first invalidation portion that invalidates at least one pair of first cells among the plurality of first pressed cells identified at the first timing, a second invalidation portion that invalidates second cell among a plurality of second pressed cells identified by the first identification portion at a second timing, and a decision portion that decides, as a specified position, a position of at least one pressed cell from among a plurality of pressed cells included in at least one first valid pressed cell and at least one second valid pressed cell.
US09195336B2	Touch-type inputting device and method for controlling the same A piezoelectric sheet included in a touch panel is provided with a split electrode having a plurality of electrode parts. Lattice-shaped coordinates are set in the touch panel, and voltages generated in the respective electrode parts through pressing manipulations with a predetermined load on the respective lattice points are preliminarily stored in a storage portion as reference voltages. During actual use, actually-measured voltages induced in the respective electrode parts due to a pressing manipulation are detected by a detection portion. The ratios of the measured voltages to the reference voltages are calculated by an operation portion, and the average thereof and the standard deviation there among are determined. The coordinates of the pressed position are determined from the coordinates of four lattice points in the ascending order of standard deviations. The load is multiplied by the ratio to determine the pressing force of the lattice point having a minimum standard deviation.
US09195333B2	Flat panel display device A flat panel display device includes a plurality of scan lines elongated in a direction, a plurality of data lines elongated to intersect the scan lines, a plurality of pixel devices respectively coupled to the plurality of scan lines and the plurality of data lines, a plurality of first sensing lines elongated parallel to the scan lines, a plurality of second sensing lines elongated parallel to the data lines, and a plurality of sensing devices respectively coupled to the plurality of first sensing lines and the plurality of second sensing lines.
US09195331B2	Common electrode connections in integrated touch screens Common electrodes (Vcom) of integrated touch screens can be segmented into electrically isolated Vcom portions that can be operated as drive lines and/or sense lines of a touch sensing system. The touch screen can include high-resistivity connections between Vcom portions. The resistivity of the high-resistivity connections can be high enough so that touch sensing and image display can be performed by the touch screen, and the high-resistivity connections can provide an added functionality by allowing a charge build up on one of the Vcom portions to be spread to other Vcom portions and/or discharged from system by allowing charge to leak through the high-resistivity connections. In this way, for example, visual artifacts that result from charge build up on a Vcom portion can be reduced or eliminated.
US09195315B2	Interactive control device and system including an integrated display Provided is an interactive control device and system including an integrated display. According to one exemplary embodiment, the control device includes a collimated optical fiber optically coupled to a conventional LCD screen including a control image, the control image is projected to a remote face of the optical fiber for viewing by a user. In addition, a tactile control integrated with the collimated optical fiber provided the user with the ability to control a function associated with the control image, whereby the control image dynamically changes based on the user's movement of the tactile control.
US09195314B2	Keyboard with magnetic key position return for an electronic device Particular embodiments described herein provide for a keyboard assembly having a plurality of keys that include a key having one or more magnets, which are provided at a substantially outer portion of the key. The keyboard assembly can also include a top plate that comprises a ferrous material to attract the one or more magnets to the top plate.
US09195309B2	Method and apparatus for classifying multiple device states Techniques are described herein for classifying multiple device states using separate Bayesian classifiers. An example of a method described herein includes accessing sensor information of a device, wherein at least some of the sensor information is used in a first feature set and at least some of the sensor information is used in a second feature set; processing the first feature set using a first classification algorithm configured to determine a first proposed state of a first state type and a first proposed state of a second state type; processing the second feature set using a second classification algorithm configured to determine a second proposed state of the first state type and a second proposed state of the second state type; and determining a proposed state of the device as the first proposed state of the first state type and the second proposed state of the second state type.
US09195308B2	Operating device An operator control apparatus has an operator control element with haptic feedback. The operator control element has an input area and can be operated by an operator using an input member. The operator control apparatus includes a first and second ferromagnetic areal components and a first and second flat coils that are arranged between the first and second components. The first and second components have their largest areas oriented toward each other and are configured to move relative to each other. The input area is either configured as a part of the first or second component or coupled to the first or second component using a coupling apparatus. The first coil is associated with the first component and the second coil is associated with the second component such that a flow of current through the first and second coils causes the first and second components to move.
US09195307B2	Operator control device An operator control device has an operator control element with haptic feedback. The operator element includes one or more sensors and can be activated by an operator by an inputting element. The operating control device includes first and second ferromagnetic two-dimensional components. The components are arranged in parallel and configured to move relative to each other. The first ferromagnetic two-dimensional component is configured to form the operator control element. The first ferromagnetic two-dimensional component includes at least one flat coil that is arranged on a printed circuit board and is arranged between the ferromagnetic components. The first and second ferromagnetic two-dimensional components are configured to move with respect to each other when said at least one flat coil is energized, and the printed circuit board bearing the flat coil is permanently arranged on a face of said second ferromagnetic two-dimensional component.
US09195300B2	Electronic device capable of selecting and playing files based on facial expressions and method thereof An electronic device includes a storage unit, a capturing unit and a processing unit. The storage unit stores a plurality of files, and a relationship table between facial expressions and the plurality of files. The processing unit includes a controlling module, a facial image acquiring module, a facial expression identifying module, a file acquiring module and a file playing module. The controlling module controls the capturing unit to capture a predetermined number of facial images. The facial image acquiring module acquires a clear facial image from the predetermined number of facial images. The facial expression identifying module identifies a facial expression of the clear facial image. The file acquiring module identifies whether there is at least one of the files matching with the identified facial expression, and acquires the at least one matching file. The file playing module opens and/or plays the at least matching file.
US09195297B2	Bridging device for connecting to a host executes a power saving operation or a polling operation according to status detected by the connection detector A bridging device and a power saving method thereof are disclosed. The disclosed bridging device includes a connector, a connection detector and a bridging chip. The connector is operative to connect to a host and includes a power pin and a command pin. The connection detector is coupled to the power pin to determine whether the connector is floating, and, outputs a linked signal when the connection is non-floating. The bridging chip is coupled to the command pin and the connection detector. When the bridging chip receives a power saving command transferred from the host via the command pin and the linked signal transferred from the connection detector, the bridging chip executes a power saving operation.
US09195291B2	Digital power estimator to control processor power consumption In an embodiment, a digital power estimator (DPE) may be provided that may monitor the processors to estimate the amount of power being consumed. If the estimate exceeds a power threshold, the DPE may throttle one or more of the processors. Additionally, throttling events may be monitored to determine if a change in the operating point is desired. In one embodiment, the DPE throttling events may be counted, and if the counts exceed a count threshold, a change in the operating point to a reduced operation point may be requested. Additionally, if the DPE estimate is below the power threshold (or a second power threshold), a second count of events may be maintained. If the second count exceeds a threshold and the operating point is the reduced operating point, a return to the original operating point may be requested.
US09195290B2	Navigation images A computer-implemented navigational method includes transmitting, from a mobile computing device to a computer server system, data that can be used to determine a start point and an end point of a trip. The method also includes receiving navigational information defining a route between the start point and the end point, and a plurality of digital photographic images that have previously been taken along the route, sensing motion of the mobile computing device along the route, and displaying updated images from the plurality of images that substantially match a geographic position of the mobile computing device along the route.
US09195288B2	Battery backup system and battery backup module thereof A battery backup system includes a base and a plurality of battery backup modules. The base has a plurality of receiving portions. Each of the battery backup modules includes a first modular casing, a microcontroller, an energy storage unit and a DC-DC converting circuit. The microcontroller is disposed in the first modular casing. The energy storage unit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for charging or discharging electrical energy. The DC-DC converting circuit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for converting a DC voltage. The first modular casing is swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions of the base. When the first modular casing is accommodated within the receiving portion, the energy storage unit is controlled to charge or discharge electrical energy by the microcontroller.
US09195285B2	Techniques for platform duty cycling Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques for detecting active and semi-active workloads during execution on a platform processing device and enabling a duty cycle process to reduce thermal output and power consumption, and align unaligned activity. In various embodiments, the duty cycle processing may be enabled during an active workload when thermal output or power consumption is above a thermal threshold or power consumption threshold that is below an efficient operating point for the platform processing device. The duty cycle processing may also be enabled during semi-active workloads when the workload causes the platform processing device to be underutilized and unaligned. The duty cycle processing may comprise enabling a forced idle period for the platform processing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09195281B2	System and method for a modular multi-panel display Embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated modular display systems. In one embodiment, a modular multi-panel display system includes a mechanical support structure, and a plurality of LED display panels detachably mounted to the mechanical support structure so as to form an integrated display panel. Each LED panel includes an LED array and an LED driver coupled to the LED array. Each panel further includes a power supply unit disposed outside the housing and electrically coupled to the receiver circuit. The mechanical structure is configured to provide mechanical support to the plurality of LED display panels without providing hermetic sealing. Each of the plurality of LED display panels is hermetically sealed.
US09195280B2	Case fastening device The present invention discloses a case fastening device, which is applied to a case. The handle and the plate member are respectively pivotally coupled to two ends of the base by a first pivotal element and a second pivotal element, and rotatable above the base. Two ends of the metallic buckle are respectively snap-fitted to the handle and the plate member. The bayonet bolts are fixed on the plate member. While the user presses down the handle, the metallic buckle actuates the plate member to rotate above the base, and let the-bolts be inserted into the second through-hole of the base and the first through-hole of the case, whereby the bayonet bolts are mounted to the case. While the user lifts up the handle, the bolts are withdrawn from the first through-hole and the second through-hole, whereby the bolts are dismounted from the case.
US09195278B2	Foldable electrical connector-housing system and method of manufacture thereof A method of manufacture of a foldable electrical connector-housing system includes: providing a first end panel having an outer first end panel side with first end panel contacts that substantially span from one edge of the outer first end panel side to an opposite edge of the outer first end panel side; providing a second end panel having an outer second end panel side, the second end panel and the first end panel with the outer second end panel side facing away from the outer first end panel side and the first end panel contacts exposed in a folded configuration; mounting an electronic component between the outer first end panel side and the outer second end panel side; and connecting a conductor to the first end panel contacts and the electronic component.
US09195276B2	Optical user input devices Embodiments provisioning various electronic devices with optical user input devices having one or more optical sensors are described. Embodiments broadly contemplate expanding the functionality of current user input devices through use of a variety of optical sensors in a variety of configurations, as described further herein.
US09195274B2	Lock device with lever released in cycle and insertion device having the lock device The present invention relates to a lock device, which comprises a first lever and a third lever pivoted on a frame, and the first lever is pivoted with a second lever. When a first machine body inserted in the insertion device is desired to be removed, the third lever can buckle an unlocked lock member thereby preventing returning and allowing the first machine body to be easily removed; when the first machine body is inserted, the second lever drives the third lever to release the lock member for buckling and fastening the first machine body, then the third lever can be released and recovered through the second lever thereby allowing another cycle of buckling the unlocked lock member to be processed; as such, through continuously releasing of the levers in cycle, operations of inserting and removing the first machine body are more smooth and simplified.
US09195270B2	Display device for notebook computer A display device includes a cover having an inner surface, and a clamping unit provided on the inner surface and having two spaced-apart clamping arms. A display panel includes a protruding portion protruding from a frame thereof, corresponding in position to the clamping unit, and formed with a through hole. The bezel includes a through hole formed in a bezel body thereof and registered with the through hole in the protruding portion. The shock absorbing positioner includes a positioning post protruding from a pad body thereof. The positioning post extends through the through holes in the bezel body and the protruding portion, and is clamped between the clamping arms, thereby fixing together the bezel, the display panel and the cover.

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