最新美国发明专利第2016-01-19期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US09240826B2	Electronic device and control method thereof An electronic device and a control method thereof are provided. The electronic device and the control method thereof provides a user interface whereby when an electronic device is connected to an external device through short-range communication, an item of the electronic device can be shared with the external device through a simple manipulation on the touchscreen. For example, a particular item displayed on the touchscreen can be easily shared with the external device through only an operation of associating an item desired to be shared with a tray bar.
US09240825B2	Monitoring device and a method for wireless data and power transmission in a monitoring device In a monitoring device including a reader and a data carrier, the data carrier includes a receiver coil (201), a resonator capacitor (202), rectifier means (203), a modulation capacitor (206), an energy storage capacitor (204), three modulation switches (209, 210, 211) and data processing means. The modulation capacitor (206), the energy storage capacitor (204), the data processing means and the three modulation switches (209, 210, 211) are arranged such that, in a first configuration, the modulation capacitor (206) and the energy storage capacitor (204) are coupled in parallel and, in a second configuration, the modulation capacitor (206) and the energy storage capacitor (204) are coupled in series. The invention further provides a method of operating a data carrier in such a monitoring device.
US09240821B2	Communication system A charging station performs communications by use of a superimposing/separating unit configured by connecting a capacitor, a coupling transformer and a capacitor to branch lines branching out respectively from a control cable and a grounded cable. An electric vehicle performs communications by use of a superimposing/separating unit configured by providing a coupling transformer to the control cable. A capacitor is also connected between the control cable and the grounded cable. Communications are allowed by the configuration of a closed loop circuit comprising the control cable, the branch line, the capacitor, a primary coil of the coupling transformer, the capacitor, the branch line, the grounded cable, the capacitor, and a primary coil of the coupling transformer.
US09240820B2	Network communication structure, network communication system and network communication method A network communication structure, system and method are disclosed in the invention. The network communication structure includes client devices, a power line network and access points. One of the access points is connected to an external internet. The access points are all connected in the power line network, such that a first local area network is formed between the access points. Each of the access points utilizes an omni-directional antenna to form a local area sub-network between the access point and a client device. Each of the access points utilizes a directional antenna to form a second local area network between access points. According to a network quality of the power line network, each of the access points transmits an information packet to another access point via the first local area network or the second local area network.
US09240819B1	Self-tuning transfer function for adaptive filtering The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at one or more processing devices, a plurality of values representing a set of coefficients of an adaptive filter over a period of time, and identifying, by the one or more processing devices based on the plurality of values, a phase error associated with a transfer function of the adaptive filter. The method also includes adjusting, based on the identified phase error, a phase associated with the transfer function of the adaptive filter such that coefficients calculated using the adjusted transfer function reduce the phase error. The method further includes determining a set of coefficients for the adaptive filter based on the adjusted transfer function, and programming the adaptive filter with the determined set of coefficients to enable operation of the adaptive filter.
US09240808B2	Methods, apparatus, and systems for coding with constrained interleaving Serially-concatenated codes are formed in accordance with the present invention using a constrained interleaver. The constrained interleaver cause the minimum distance of the serial concatenated code to increase above the minimum distance of the inner code alone by adding a constraint that forces some or all of the distance of the outer code onto the serially-concatenated code. This allows the serially-concatenated code to be jointly optimized in terms of both minimum distance and error coefficient to provide significant performance advantages. Constrained interleaving can be summarized in that it: 1) uses an outer code that is a block code or a non-recursive convolutional code, and as such, there are multiple codewords present in the constrained interleaver, 2) selects a desired MHD, 3) selects an interleaver size and a set of predefined interleaver constraints to prevent undesired (low-distance) error events so as to achieve the desired MHD, and 4) performs uniform interleaving among the allowable (non-constrained) positions, to thereby maximize or otherwise improve the interleaver gain subject to the constraints imposed to maintain the desired MHD.
US09240807B2	Radio transmitting/receiving device, communication system, and channel coding processing method used thereby A radio transmitting/receiving device uses a channel interleaver with turbo codes serving as error-correcting codes to convert burst errors into random errors. The radio transmitting/receiving device, in Code Block Concatenation (15), when dividing a Transport Block into a plurality of Code Blocks, performs channel coding so that burst errors that occur during transmission are distributed to all the Code Blocks. Therefore, when burst errors occur, the errors can be uniformly distributed to all Code Blocks in a Transport Block so that no unevenness occurs in error resilience between the Code Blocks.
US09240804B2	Techniques for alignment of parallel signals Receiver circuits in serial lanes each generate a synchronous clock signal that is aligned with a master clock signal to allow synchronous transfer of data onto the master clock domain without corruption. A serial-to-parallel converter circuit in each receiver circuit converts a serial data signal into parallel data signals in response to one of the synchronous clock signals. Phase detection circuitry generates an indication of a phase shift based on a phase offset between the synchronous and master clock signals. A clock signal generation circuit provides an adjustment to a phase of the synchronous clock signal based on the indication of the phase shift. The serial-to-parallel converter circuit adjusts positions of bits indicated by the parallel data signals based on the adjustment to the phase of the synchronous clock signal.
US09240802B2	Inverse quantization method, inverse quantization device, and program Disclosed is an inverse quantization method that reverse-quantizes multiple quantized values as a set, obtaining a set of multiple inverse quantized values, said method being characterized in that the range of potential inverse quantized values for each quantized value is obtained using at least a signal other than that of the aforementioned quantized value, and in that the set of preliminary inverse quantized values for which the total variation norm is the minimum within the range of potential values for each inverse quantized value is obtained as the aforementioned set of reverse-quantized values.
US09240798B2	On-chip analog-to-digital converter (ADC) linearity text for embedded devices A method for testing linearity of an ADC, comprising receiving a trigger signal indicating an ADC input voltage step adjustment, reading an ADC output sample upon receiving the trigger signal, wherein the ADC output sample has a value range of N integer values that correspond to N discrete ADC output codes, computing a histogram of code occurrences for M consecutive ADC output codes, wherein the histogram comprises M number of bins corresponding to the M consecutive ADC output codes, and wherein M is less than N, updating a DNL value and an INL value according to the histogram at an interval of K number of ADC output sample readings, and shifting the histogram by one ADC output code after updating the DNL and the INL values.
US09240793B2	Method for providing a stabilized oscillator signal A method for stabilizing the output frequency of an oscillator comprises providing a temperature model to capture the temperature characteristics of a second oscillator when measured by a first oscillator, measuring a value indicative of the frequency of the second oscillator by using the first oscillator, determine a temperature of the second oscillator based on the measured value indicative of the frequency of the second oscillator and the temperature model, determining a compensation amount for the frequency of the first oscillator from the determined temperature, and providing a compensated output frequency of the first oscillator as a stabilized output.
US09240790B2	Three dimensional integrated circuits A three-dimensional semiconductor device, comprising: a first module layer having a plurality of circuit blocks; and a second module layer positioned substantially above the first module layer, including a plurality of configuration circuits; and a third module layer positioned substantially above the second module layer, including a plurality of circuit blocks; wherein, the configuration circuits in the second module control a portion of the circuit blocks in the first and third module layers.
US09240787B2	Wide supply range high speed low-to-high level shifter A level shifter may include a first current source configured to source current to a node that pulls up an output voltage of the level shifter to a logic high level and a second current source configured to sink away current from the node to pull down the output voltage to a logic low level. When the output voltage at the node reaches the logic high voltage, the first current source may be deactivated while a latch connected to the node maintains the output voltage at the logic high level. Similarly, when the output voltage reaches the logic low voltage, the second current source may be deactivated while the latch maintains the output voltage at the logic low level.
US09240777B2	Switching control device A switching control device controls a drive circuit including one or more series circuits each one of which includes an upper switching element and a lower switching element. The switching control device includes an upper side temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the upper switching element (hereinafter, “an upper side temperature”), a lower side temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of the lower switching element (hereinafter, “a lower side temperature”), and a signal generation circuit adding an offset value to a command voltage of a PWM signal output to the upper and lower switching elements to generate and output a PWM signal to the switching elements so that the upper and lower side temperatures approximate to each other.
US09240775B2	Circuit arrangements A circuit arrangement may include: a first bipolar transistor; a second bipolar transistor; wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to provide a first current flowing through the first bipolar transistor and a second current flowing through the second bipolar transistor; a resistor connected between a first input of the first bipolar transistor and a first input of the second bipolar transistor; a first circuit configured to provide a first current flowing through the resistor to a first input node of the first bipolar transistor, and a second circuit configured to provide a reference current to the first input node of the first bipolar transistor, wherein the first current and the reference current have different temperature dependencies.
US09240772B2	Frequency synthesiser A low power frequency synthesizer circuit for a radio transceiver, the synthesizer circuit comprising: a digital controlled oscillator configured to generate an output signal (Fo) having a frequency controlled by an input digital control word (DCW); a feedback loop connected between an output and an input of the digital controlled oscillator, the feedback loop configured to provide the digital control word to the input of the digital controlled oscillator from an error derived from an input frequency control word (FCW) and the output signal; and a duty cycle module connected to the digital controlled oscillator and the feedback loop, the duty cycle module configured to generate a plurality of control signals to periodically enable and disable the digital controlled oscillator for a set fraction of clock cycles of an input reference clock signal (RefClock).
US09240769B2	Piezoelectric thin film resonator, filter, communication module and communication device A piezoelectric thin film resonator includes a substrate, a lower electrode provided on the substrate, a piezoelectric film provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided on the piezoelectric film. At least a portion of the upper electrode and that of the lower electrode oppose each other through the piezoelectric film, and at least a portion of the periphery of the upper electrode is reversely tapered.
US09240767B2	Temperature-controlled integrated piezoelectric resonator apparatus An integrated resonator apparatus comprises a piezoelectric resonator, an acoustic Bragg reflector coupled to the piezoelectric resonator, and a substrate on which the acoustic Bragg reflector is disposed. The apparatus also includes an active heater layer covering the piezoelectric resonator. Heat produced by the active heater layer is controllable by an amount of current provided through the heater layer.
US09240755B2	Oscillator circuit An oscillator circuit includes a first resonator, a second resonator, and a frequency adjusting unit. The second resonator has a frequency characteristic different from a frequency characteristic of the first resonator. The frequency adjusting unit is configured to change a ratio between a contribution of the first resonator and a contribution of the second resonator so as to adjust an output frequency.
US09240754B2	Frequency fine tuning An oscillator includes an oscillating circuit for generating an output signal having an output signal frequency. The oscillating circuit includes an inductive element and a capacitive element, the capacitive element having a variable capacitance for coarsely tuning the output signal frequency. The oscillator further includes a current supply for supplying current to the oscillating circuit, the current supply being variable for finely tuning the output signal frequency.
US09240753B2	Oscillator and power management apparatus An oscillator includes a transformer, a first capacitor, a first transistor, a depletion or native second transistor, and a current control circuit. The transformer includes a primary winding configured to receive an input voltage and a secondary winding configured to boost the input voltage to generate an output voltage. The first capacitor is configured to form an LC resonant circuit together with the secondary winding to cause oscillation operation, the first transistor is connected in series with the primary winding, and the output voltage is applied to a control terminal of the first transistor. The depletion or native second transistor is connected in series with the primary winding and the first transistor, and the current control circuit is configured to adjust a control voltage applied to a control terminal of the second transistor to control a current flowing through the first winding.
US09240752B2	Power oscillator apparatus with transformer-based power combining An oscillator circuit includes first and second oscillators arranged in a series configuration between a supply voltage node and a reference voltage node. The first and second oscillators are configured to receive a synchronizing signal for controlling synchronization in frequency and phase. An electromagnetic network provided to couple the first and the second oscillators includes a transformer with a primary circuit and a secondary circuit. The primary circuit includes a first portion coupled to the first oscillator and second portion coupled to the second oscillator. The first and second portions are connected by a circuit element for reuse of current between the first and second oscillators. The oscillator circuit is fabricated as an integrated circuit device wherein the electromagnetic network is formed in metallization layers of the device. The secondary circuit generates an output power combining power provided from the first and second portions of the primary circuit.
US09240748B2	Dynamically reconfigurable motor and generator systems An electrical machine comprises a rotor, and a stator magnetically coupled to the rotor. The stator has a plurality of slots and a plurality of windings, and each winding is installed in a corresponding slot. A plurality of magnetic poles and a plurality of phases in each pair of poles are formed when currents flow through the windings. The windings are so configured that the number of phases and the number of poles can be dynamically adjusted.
US09240746B2	Driving apparatus for vibration-type actuator A driving apparatus for a vibration-type actuator that applies an AC voltage to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and generates a driving force between a vibration member and a movable member includes a voltage amplitude command unit configured to instruct an amplitude of the AC voltage, a pulse width command unit configured to monotonically increase a pulse width command and a change rate of the pulse width command according to an increase in a voltage amplitude command, and output a pulse width command, and a pulse signal generation unit configured, when a pulse signal that directly or indirectly generates the AC voltage is generated at the same frequency as the AC voltage to apply the AC voltage to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, to generate a pulse signal having a pulse width corresponding to the pulse width command based on the pulse width command.
US09240745B2	System and method for saving energy when driving masses having periodic load variations A system and method are described for conserving energy by decoupling a supply voltage to an electric motor operating under periodic load variations. A time segment value corresponding to a duration of periodic load variations is obtained and the supply voltage is adjusted to maintain an observed phase angle for a supply voltage and current at a value corresponding to a target phase angle. At least one off-time period is identified during the time segment value that corresponds to when the adjusted supply voltage is applied to the motor. During a remainder of the time segment value, at least one turn-on time period is provided when the supply voltage is coupled to the motor. The system may enter to a closed-loop control process after a predetermined period of time to adjust to any changes in the periodic load variations.
US09240741B2	AC motor An embodiment of the invention provides an AC motor that is driven by an AC voltage. The AC motor includes a motor coil, a switch circuit, a position detector and a controller. The motor coil receives the AC voltage to drive an axis of the motor. The switch circuit is coupled to the motor coil and controls a current passing through the motor coil. The position detector detects the position of a motor rotor to output a polarity signal. The controller controls the switch circuit according to the polarity signal and the AC voltage to make the current to be a first current with a first direction or a second current with a second direction.
US09240735B2	Standby power reduction device A standby power reduction device is provided, including a capacitor connected in parallel to a main switch controlling a switching mode power supply, without the necessity of providing a starting circuit, thereby reducing the cost and enabling miniaturization of product.
US09240733B2	High dynamic control apparatus for current source converter Current source converters and control methods are presented for high dynamic performance by implementing a DC link current control loop parallel to one or more motor control loops, with a DC link current control command value for operating the current source rectifier being derived at least partially independent of the motor control command values, wherein certain implementations drive the current source rectifier to its maximum rated value, or the DC current command value can be set above an amount required by the current source inverter using a gain factor which can be fixed or can itself be adjusted based on one or more motor control error values for balancing as-needed dynamic performance and efficiency.
US09240732B2	Harmonic regulator for current source rectification and inversion A system includes a current source rectifier which has a plurality of switches configured to receive an input current from an AC voltage source and to receive a plurality of control signals. The switches are configured to produce a rectified output current based on the input current and the control signals. The system also includes a rectifier controller configured to receive a current sense signal indicative of the rectified output current and to generate the control signals based at least in part on the current sense signal, where the control signals cause the current source rectifier to attenuate at least one of a plurality of harmonic frequencies in the rectified output current.
US09240730B2	Power circuit of an AC power supply with an adjustable DC voltage regulation circuit A power circuit of an AC power supply includes a power input unit connected to a AC/DC converter. The AC/DC converter is connected to a DC/DC circuit, and the DC/DC circuit is further connected to an adjustable DC voltage regulation circuit. The adjustable DC voltage regulation circuit is connected to an amplifier to amplify and convert the DC voltages into the AC voltages, thereby outputting different AC voltages and electric currents under the condition of not switching off the output when adjusting the voltage via cross position, so that a power level is switched promptly and a very low power distortion.
US09240729B2	Resonant converter for achieving low common-mode noise, along with isolated power supply and method employing the same Embodiments are described for reducing common-mode current in electronic devices. In the various embodiments, a resonant converter is employed, for example in a power supply, and the resonant converter is driven by a DC input to generate an AC primary voltage on the primary windings of a power transformer. The DC input may be derived from an AC line voltage or a DC-to-DC converter. The AC primary voltage drives the primary winding of the transformer to generate an AC secondary voltage on at least one secondary winding of the transformer. The AC secondary voltage may then drive a rectifier, which in turn drives a low-pass filter to produce a DC output voltage. Phase-shift modulation is employed which, in conjunction with the resonant converter, applies a sinusoidal waveform to the primary of the transformer resulting in a reduced amount of common-mode current injected onto the secondary.
US09240725B2	Coordinated dimmer compatibility functions A system and method includes a controller that is configured to coordinate (i) a low impedance path for a dimmer current, (ii), control of switch mode power conversion and (iii) an inactive state to, for example, to allow a dimmer to function normally from cycle to cycle of an alternating current (AC) supply voltage. In at least one embodiment, the dimmer functions normally when the dimmer conducts at a correct phase angle indicated by a dimmer input setting and avoids prematurely resetting while conducting. In at least one embodiment, by coordinating functions (i), (ii), and (iii), the controller controls a power converter system that is compatible with a triac-based dimmer. In at least one embodiment, the controller coordinates functions (i), (ii), and (iii) in response to a particular dimming level indicated by a phase cut, rectified input voltage supplied to the power converter system.
US09240722B2	Methods and systems for improving light load efficiency for power stages of multi-phase voltage regulator circuits Methods and systems are disclosed that may be employed to improve efficiency of smart integrated power stages (IPstages) of multi-phase VR systems while operating under relatively light, ultra-light, or partial or reduced loads. The disclosed methods and systems may be implemented to improve VR system light load efficiency by providing and enabling reduced power IPstage operating modes in one or more smart IPstage/s of a VR system, and by enabling state transition between IPstage active and reduced power operating modes such as IPstage standby and IPstage hibernation modes.
US09240720B2	Emulation based ripple cancellation for a DC-DC converter DC to DC converters and pulse width modulation controllers are presented with compensation circuitry to mitigate discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) undershoot and continuous conduction mode offsets in inductor current emulation information by providing compensation signals proportional to the output voltage and the converter off time (Toff) when the low side converter switch is actuated.
US09240717B2	Switching power supply device and electronic appliance therewith Provided is a switching power source device in which fluctuation of the switching frequency can be suppressed without impairing the advantages of a non-linear control system. A switching power source device is provided with: switching control units of non-linear control type that generate an output voltage (out) from an input voltage (IN) by performing ON/OFF control of switching elements in accordance with the results of comparing a feedback voltage (FB) and reference voltage (REF); and an ON time setting unit that monitors switching voltage (SW) appearing at one end of the switch terminals, and sets the ON time (Ton) of the switching element in the switching control units based on the duty of the switching voltage (SW).
US09240714B2	Voltage converter using graphene capacitors The subject matter disclosed herein provides an apparatus for smoothing an output signal. The apparatus comprising can include an input, an output, one or more voltage regulator circuit components, and one or more graphene capacitors. The voltage regulator circuit components can be configured to provide for a change in the voltage level of signalling between the input and the output. The one or more graphene capacitors can be configured to provide for smoothing of the signalling provided to the output. Related methods, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.
US09240712B2	Controller including a common current-sense device for power switches of a power converter A controller for a power converter includes a current-sense device couplable in series with switched terminals of power switches of interleaved switching regulators and configured to produce a current-sense signal. The controller also includes an error amplifier configured to produce an error signal as a function of a characteristic of the power converter. The controller also includes a duty-cycle controller configured to sample the current-sense signal at mid-points of duty cycles of the power switches and regulate the characteristic as a function of the error signal and the current-sense signal.
US09240707B2	Rotary electric machine A coil is configured so that: N conductor wires of wave windings each divided at at least two positions in a circumferential direction are provided in one of a plurality of slots; within a unit of the divided wave windings in which conduction is made, the N conductor wires are connected in one of series and parallel to each other at division positions located at substantially the same circumferential position of conductor-wire end portions; division units of the divided wave windings are connected in series to each other, and a total number of series turns of the series-connected division units of the each phase is a predetermined number of series turns, which does not exceed an upper limit value of a terminal voltage of the rotary electric machine; and the series-connected division units of the each phase have the same total number of series turns.
US09240706B2	Alternating current (AC) synchronization for load restoration Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for synchronizing one or more direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power sources (e.g., a DC power source coupled to an inverter) for restoration of power to a load. That is, responsive to a grid fault of a grid used to supply power to a load over a common bus, the common bus is isolated from the grid and the load. One or more DC to AC power sources are synchronized through synchronization circuits (e.g., voltage, phase, and/or frequency synchronization) until a total power supply provided by respective synchronized DC to AC power sources is greater than or equal to a target power used to supply the load. Once the target power is achieved, a load circuit breaker is closed so that respective synchronized DC to AC power sources provide power to the load over the common bus.
US09240699B2	Power supply apparatus and power supply apparatus for electric vehicle There are provided an all-in-one power supply apparatus capable of concurrently supplying battery charging power and main power, in particular, main power for driving an electric vehicle, and a power supply apparatus for an electric vehicle. The power supply apparatus and the power supply apparatus for an electric vehicle respectively including: a charging unit; a main power supplying unit; and an auxiliary power supplying unit.
US09240698B2	Switching power supply device and battery charger including the same A switching power supply device includes a full-bridge circuit comprising a plurality of switching devices, a transformer comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil, the primary coil being connected to an output of the full-bridge circuit, and a DC/DC converter comprising a rectifier circuit. The rectifier circuit includes a plurality of diodes and is connected to the secondary coil to rectify a voltage outputted from the secondary coil. A snubber circuit includes a first snubber diode connected to an intermediate point of the secondary coil, a second snubber diode connected in series with the first snubber diode, the second snubber diode being connected to one end of an output capacitor, and a snubber capacitor connected between a node between the first and second snubber diodes and a positive side output of the rectifier circuit.
US09240695B2	USB charger with electric power display and a method for electric power display The invention discloses an USB charger with electric power display of battery being charged and a method for electric power display of battery being charged in an electronic cigarette. The USB charger includes an USB interface, a battery unit and a charging control unit, and further includes an electric power display unit. The charging control unit, being separately connected to the USB interface, the battery unit and the electric power display unit, controls an external power supply charging a battery in the battery unit through the USB interface, tests voltage of the battery being charged directly or indirectly, and further controls the electric power display unit to show updated electric power of the battery being charged in real time to user who can know current charging state of the battery.
US09240693B2	Battery discharge device with self-adjusting resistance A battery discharge device according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor configured to sense a parameter of a high voltage source, a controller in communication with the sensor and a discharge circuit that discharges energy stored on the high voltage source in response to a command signal from the controller. The discharge circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected in parallel to one another.
US09240689B2	Load and consumer A load includes a device for inductively powering it, the device including an insertion part, following the insertion of which into the load the powering of the latter is provided.
US09240687B2	Smart microgrid Described herein are embodiments of microgrid systems which may be used as stand-alone systems or may be connected to a larger, integrated power supply system. In some embodiments, a system comprises a smart microgrid system comprising at least one electrical power bus connectable to at least one input power source by one or more switchable connections, a communication network coupled to the smart microgrid system, and a controller coupled to the communication network. In some embodiments the controller comprises logic to monitor power outputs from the at least one input power source, to monitor one or more power loads coupled to the at least one electrical power bus, and to selectively connect one or more of the input power sources to the at least one electrical power bus.
US09240686B2	Battery power management system The loads of a vehicle electrical system are connected to a power distribution bus through a first or through first and second latching relays. A set of vehicle mandatory loads are connected to an output side of the first latching relay to be cut off from the power distribution bus upon opening of the first latching relay. A set of vehicle optional loads are connected to an output side of the second latching relay to be cut off from the power distribution bus upon opening of the first latching relay or the second latching relay. Opening and closing of the first and second latching relays depends of the values for the measured current and measured voltage. Among factors relating to opening and closing of the first and second latching relays are measured voltage exceeding a voltage high threshold, in which case the first latching relay opens, measured voltage falling below a low voltage threshold in which case the second latching relay opens while the first latching relay remains closed and a positive current transient exceeding a minimum threshold, which opens the first latching relay.
US09240684B2	Overvoltage protection for electrically conductive structures There is described a structure (14) that is disposed on an electrically non-conductive, electrostatically chargeable strip-type carrier film (12) and that has electrically conductive and/or semiconducting structural elements, which structure has at least one structural region (14s) protected against electrostatic voltage flashover. The at least one structural region (14s) protected against electrostatic voltage flashover is connected to a protective conductor track (19) and/or surrounded by a protective conductor track (19, 19′), which is realized such that it discharges an electrostatic charge and/or shields the protected structural region (14s).
US09240678B2	Electrical junction box There is provided an electrical junction box which can improve rigidity of a case body. An electrical junction box includes a block, a case body and an inner cover which regulates a wiring path of an electric wire attached to the block. The case body is formed into a deep box-like shape having a peripheral wall, a bottom wall and an opening portion, wherein a portion of the case body adjacent to the bottom wall has a tapered shape. Cutout portions are formed at two opposing faces of the peripheral wall. A width of the cutout portion is smaller when the case body is in a natural condition in which the block is not housed in the case body than when the block is housed in the case body. The width of the cutout portion is broadened as the block is inserted into the case body.
US09240676B2	Ignition plug A spark plug has a metal shell and a cylindrical ceramic insulator disposed in an inner circumference of the metal shell. An axial hole extends in an axial line CL direction through the insulator, and has a tip located more to a tip side of the spark plug than a tip of the metal shell, and a distance along the axial line CL1 from the tip of the metal shell to the tip of the ceramic insulator is 0.5 mm or more. The insulator satisfies C ≧1.07 mm and V ≦3.9 mm3, where C is a thickness of the insulator in a cross section passing an inner circumference surface tip of the metal shell and orthogonal to the axial line CL1 ,and V is a volume of the ceramic insulator within a range of 0.5 mm from the tip of the ceramic insulator to a rear end side in the axial line CL1 direction.
US09240674B2	Quantum cascade laser A quantum cascade laser includes a semiconductor substrate, and an active layer that is provided on the substrate, and has a cascade structure in which emission layers and injection layers are alternately laminated by multistage-laminating unit laminate structures each consisting of the quantum well emission layer and the injection layer, and generates light by intersubband transition in a quantum well structure. Further, in a laser cavity structure for light with a predetermined wavelength to be generated in the active layer, CeO2 insulating films and reflection control films are formed in order on respective faces of a first end face and a second end face facing each other. Thereby, it is possible to realize a quantum cascade laser capable of preferably realizing reflectance control for light within a mid-infrared region on the laser device end face.
US09240673B2	Tunable SOI laser A wavelength tunable silicon-on-insulator (SOI) laser comprising: a laser cavity including: a semiconductor gain medium having a front end and a back end; and a phase-tunable waveguide platform coupled to the front end of the semiconductor gain medium; wherein the phase-tunable waveguide platform includes a first Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) and a second Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR); at least one of the Distributed Bragg Reflectors having a comb reflectance spectrum; and wherein a mirror of the laser cavity is located at the back end of the semiconductor gain medium.
US09240671B2	Laser light source A laser light source (100) includes a laser element (102) that emits a fundamental wave, a wavelength converting element (104) that performs wavelength conversion on the fundamental wave emitted from the laser element (102) and outputs the converted wave, and an optical waveguide (103) that guides the light output from the wavelength converting element (104). The optical waveguide (103) has a direction changing portion (113) that changes the travel direction of the guided light. The direction changing portion (113) has a function of transmitting the converted wave alone and of not transmitting the fundamental wave.
US09240670B2	Optical pulse source with increased peak power In at least one embodiment time separated pulse pairs are generated, followed by amplification to increase the available peak and/or average power. The pulses are characterized by a time separation that exceeds the input pulse width and with distinct polarization states. The time and polarization discrimination allows easy extraction of the pulses after amplification. In some embodiments polarization maintaining (PM) fibers and/or amplifiers are utilized which provides a compact arrangement. At least one implementation provides for seeding of a solid state amplifier or large core fiber amplifier with time delayed, polarization split pulses, with capability for recombining the time separated pulses at an amplifier output. In various implementations suitable combinations of bulk optics and fibers may be utilized. In some implementations wavelength converted pulse trains are generated. A method and system of the present invention can be used in time domain applications utilizing multiple beam paths, for example spectroscopy.
US09240665B2	Gas laser apparatus carrying out improved startup process A gas laser apparatus includes a receptacle for enclosing a laser gas, a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam, a pressure detecting unit that detects gas pressure inside the receptacle, an exhausting unit that discharges a gas from the receptacle, a feeding unit that supplies a laser gas into the receptacle, a pressure storing unit configured to store the pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit and retain stored information even when a power supply is shut off, a comparing unit that compares pressure inside the receptacle when the gas laser apparatus has stopped suddenly with pressure inside the receptacle when the gas laser apparatus is restarted thereafter, and a determining unit that determines whether or not a gas should be discharged from the receptacle and whether or not the laser gas should be supplied into the receptacle based on the result of the comparison.
US09240658B2	Connector system with a plurality of housings each with a wafer and plurality of contacts A connector system includes a first housing, a second housing and a third housing. The first and second housings each include a wafer with signal terminals aligned in corresponding rows. The third housing mates to the first and second housings and supports a terminal array that connects the signal terminals in the first housings to the signal terminals in the second housing when the first and second wafer are arranged perpendicular to each other.
US09240654B2	Circuit-terminal connecting device A circuit-terminal connecting device comprising a first connector having a first housing attached to a first circuit board provided thereon with first circuit-terminals and a first metallic member, a second connector having a second housing attached to a second circuit board provided thereon with second circuit-terminals and a second metallic member and a manipulatable member mounted on the second housing, wherein an end portion of the manipulatable member is formed into a movable locking portion supported by the second metallic member, the first metallic member is provided thereon with a fixed locking portion, and the manipulatable member is resiliently deformed for causing the movable locking portion to engage with the fixed locking portion so that the second housing is put in mechanical lock to the first housing when the second housing is put in engagement with the first housing for connecting the second circuit-terminals with the first circuit-terminals.
US09240653B2	Wire-to-board connector A plug side surface of a plug housing is provided with a claw portion. The claw portion includes a plug lock surface facing in a direction away from a connector mounting surface. Each assistant fitting of a receptacle connector includes a receptacle lock surface that faces in a direction approaching the connector mounting surface and is opposed to the plug lock surface in a mated state. The plug lock surface includes a lock maintaining surface and an unlocking surface. Further an angle formed between a reference plane and the lock maintaining surface is a lock maintaining angle and an angle formed between the reference plane and the unlocking surface is an unlocking angle, the lock maintaining angle is smaller than the unlocking angle.
US09240652B2	Protection device for protecting a power cable connector and related power supply and electronic system A protection device for protecting a power cable connector includes one sensor, a separation mechanism and a processing unit. The sensor is for sensing a relative distance and a moving speed of an external object. The separation mechanism is connected to the power cable connector in a separable manner. The processing unit is electrically connected to the sensor for controlling the separation mechanism to separate from the power cable connector as the sensor senses that the relative distance is less than a separation distance and the moving speed is not zero.
US09240651B2	Universal DC power adaptor A universal DC power adaptor for a PRC-148 radio, a PRC-152 radio, and a Handheld ISR Transceiver, and a method of using same, is disclosed. The presently disclosed universal DC power adaptor includes mounting and locking features that are common to both the PRC-148 radio and the PRC-152 radio. The universal DC power adaptor further includes certain mounting and locking features that are unique to the PRC-148 radio and other mounting and locking features that are unique to the PRC-152 radio. The universal DC power adaptor also provides an output voltage suitable for both the PRC-148 and PRC-152 radios. Such features also are compatible with the Handheld ISR Transceiver, making the universal DC power adaptor compatible with the ISR Transceiver as well. Additionally, the universal DC power adaptor includes programmable control electronics.
US09240648B2	Header contact for an implantable device An implantable medical device includes a housing and a header mounted to the housing, the header including a header body having a bore with an electrical contact located within the bore, wherein the electrical contact includes a helical coil spring having an axial bore, wherein the axial bore of the helical coil spring is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the bore.
US09240646B2	Press-fit type connector terminal The press-fit type connector terminal includes a pin section having a U-shaped or quadrangular cross-section, and a contact section situated at a front end of the pin section, the contact section including a contact piece surrounding an imaginary center line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pin section, and a slit formed at a part of the contact piece and extending substantially parallel to the imaginary center line, the connector terminal being comprised of a single bent metal plate having elasticity.
US09240645B1	Electrical contact An electrical contact (1) includes a base portion (10) for connecting with a first device (2), a first spring arm (12) extends from the base portion (10) and includes a first contact tip (121) at the end thereof for connecting with the first device (2) and a second contact tip (122) near the base portion (10) for connecting with a second device (3), at a first stage, the base portion (10) is higher than the second contact tip (122) and the second contact tip (122) is higher than the first contact tip (121), at another stage, the base portion (10) and the first contact tip (121) are in a same height to contact the first device (2) and the second contact tip (122) is lower than the first contact tip (121) to contact the second device (3).
US09240636B2	Coaxial cable connector having a coupling nut and a conductive insert with a flange A male coaxial connector of the present invention comprises a conductive insert and a coupling nut. The conductive insert has a front end with an annular flange. The coupling nut includes an inner surface defining a bore, wherein the bore at least partially surrounds the conductive insert and is configured to receive a provided female coaxial connector. The coupling nut further includes a locking member extending from its inner surface. The male connector further comprises a torque washer formed from fiber-reinforced rubber and disposed between the flange of the conductive insert and the locking member. When the coupling nut engages a female coaxial connector, the locking member and the torque washer are compressed against the flange of the insert. The compressed locking member and the compressed torque washer each maintain a tension force between the male and female connectors to help prevent separation of the male and female connectors. The male coaxial connector can be configured to be coupled to an end of the coaxial cable by, for example, crimping or compression.
US09240634B2	Antenna and method for steering antenna beam direction An antenna comprising an IMD element and one or more parasitic and active tuning elements is disclosed. The IMD element, when used in combination with the active tuning and parasitic elements, allows antenna operation at multiple resonant frequencies. In addition, the direction of antenna radiation pattern may be arbitrarily rotated in accordance with the parasitic and active tuning elements.
US09240633B2	Tunable wireless power device Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power devices. A device may include a transmit antenna and a metallic structure spaced from and configured for detuning the transmit antenna. The device may further include a circuit for tuning the transmit antenna.
US09240626B2	Snap attachment for reflector mounting A mount for mounting a reflector of a satellite dish is provided. In one embodiment, the mount includes one or more first hooks and one or more second hooks located offset from the one or more first hooks, wherein the one or more second hooks are spring loaded and the one or more first hooks and the one or more second hooks fasten the reflector of the satellite dish to the mount.
US09240625B2	Expandable in-wall antenna for a security system control unit The present disclosure relates to an expandable antenna for a security system that is installed within a wall. The security system may include a control unit. The control unit may include a casing that houses one or more internal components of the control unit and a radio-frequency (RF) communication module that is situated within the casing. The RF communication module includes an antenna connected that is exposed to the exterior of the casing. An expandable antenna connects to the antenna connector. The expandable antenna is fit through an aperture in a wall and is then expanded to an enlarged size within the gap of the wall.
US09240620B2	High frequency filter The invention relates to an improved high frequency filter (high pass filter) that is characterized by the following features: in addition to the at least both capacitively coupled inner conductor front faces (5b) or the capacitively coupled inner conductor end segments (5c) of two coupled inner conductor segments (5a), at least one further inner conductor coupling device (15) or at least one further inner conductor coupling element (115) is provided, the at least one further inner conductor coupling device (15) or the at least one further inner conductor coupling element (115) is arranged in an at least partially overlapping manner with the inner conductor end segments (5c) of the coupled inner conductor segments (5b), and the branch line (7) runs between the inner conductor coupling device (15) or the inner conductor coupling element (115) and the outer conductor (1).
US09240618B2	Rechargeable battery and battery module A rechargeable battery is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery includes an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case accommodating the electrode assembly and a terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly and exposed from the case. The battery further includes a protective circuit module comprising a connecting member electrically connected to the terminal and an insulating member interposed between the terminal and the connecting member, wherein a plurality of openings are formed in the insulating member.
US09240616B2	Solvent including 1,2-dialkyl-1,2-difluoroethylene carbonate for non-aqueous electrolytic solution of lithium secondary battery A solvent for non-aqueous electrolytic solution of lithium secondary battery including a non-fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate (I), a non-fluorine-containing chain carbonate (II) and 1,2-dialkyl-1,2-difluoroethylene carbonate (III). When the total amount of (I), (II) and (III) is taken as 100% by volume, the non-fluorine-containing cyclic carbonate (I) is contained in an amount of 10 to 50% by volume, the non-fluorine-containing chain carbonate (II) is contained in an amount of 49.9 to 89.9% by volume and the 1,2-dialkyl-1,2-difluoroethylene carbonate (III) is contained in an amount of not less than 0.1% by volume and less than 30% by volume. A non-aqueous electrolytic solution including the above-mentioned solvent and a lithium secondary battery using the non-aqueous electrolytic solution are also disclosed.
US09240614B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte solution and electrochemical element using same The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which can improve the electrochemical characteristics in a broad temperature range, an electrochemical element produced by using the same and a sulfonic ester compound having a branched structure which is used for the same.The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a nonaqueous solvent, which comprises a sulfonic ester compound represented by the following Formula (I) in an amount of 0.001 to 5% by mass of the nonaqueous electrolytic solution: (wherein R represents an alkyl group or an aryl group; A represents a >CH group or a >SiZ group (Z represents an alkyl group or an aryl group); X represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group or an aryl group; Y represents a cycloalkyl group, a -L1CHRaOSO2Rb group or a —Si(Rc)(Rd)OSO2Rb group; W represents 1 or 2; Ra represents an alkyl group; Rb, Rc and Rd represent an alkyl group or an aryl group; L1 represents an alkylene group in which at least one hydrogen atom may be substituted with —OSO2Re (Re has the same meaning as that of R), a divalent linkage group containing at least one ether bond or a single bond).
US09240612B2	Layered materials with improved magnesium intercalation for rechargeable magnesium ion cells Electrochemical devices which incorporate cathode materials that include layered crystalline compounds for which a structural modification has been achieved which increases the diffusion rate of multi-valent ions into and out of the cathode materials. Examples in which the layer spacing of the layered electrode materials is modified to have a specific spacing range such that the spacing is optimal for diffusion of magnesium ions are presented. An electrochemical cell comprised of a positive intercalation electrode, a negative metal electrode, and a separator impregnated with a nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing multi-valent ions and arranged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode active material is described.
US09240611B2	Semiconductor structures having a micro-battery and methods for making the same The present disclosure provides an embodiment of an integrated structure that includes a first electrode of a first conductive material embedded in a first semiconductor substrate; a second electrode of a second conductive material embedded in a second semiconductor substrate; and a electrolyte disposed between the first and second electrodes. The first and second semiconductor substrates are bonded together through bonding pads such that the first and second electrodes are enclosed between the first and second semiconductor substrates. The second conductive material is different from the first conductive material.
US09240603B2	Method of controlling fuel cell system In a case where gas supply controller of an FC system determines that the temperature of an FC is a predetermined temperature or less, the gas supply controller fixes the FC voltage to a voltage value within a voltage region where degradation is relatively small, the voltage value being below a voltage range where an oxidation-reduction proceeds. Further, the amount of a gas supplied to the FC is changed in accordance with electric power required by a load.
US09240602B2	Fuel cell system Provided is a fuel cell system capable of supplying electric power to external loads without excess or deficiency even when switching occurs between operation states. A warm-up timing judgment part judges whether it is time to operate warm-up based on the temperature of a fuel cell stack. A target shift voltage determination part determines a target output voltage of the fuel cell stack used during a warm-up operation, and a voltage change speed determination part determines a voltage change speed based on electric power required from the fuel cell stack, the target output voltage of the fuel cell stack used during the warm-up operation which is output from the target shift voltage determination part and a current output voltage detected by a voltage sensor. A voltage decrease execution part operates voltage decrease processing according to the voltage change speed indicated by the voltage change speed determination part.
US09240599B2	Ammonia or hydrazine injection into fuel cell systems A fuel cell system includes a controller, a fuel cell stack, a fuel inlet conduit operatively connected to the fuel cell stack, the fuel inlet conduit adapted to receive fuel from a fuel supply, a recycling conduit operatively connecting the fuel cell stack to the fuel inlet conduit, the recycling conduit adapted to recycle a portion of a fuel exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack to the fuel inlet conduit, and an ammonia or hydrazine storage vessel operatively connected to the fuel inlet conduit via a valve coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of the valve to provide ammonia or hydrazine from the ammonia or hydrazine storage vessel into the fuel inlet conduit upon detecting a change in the fuel from the fuel supply.
US09240596B2	Composite electrode material The invention relates to a composite material comprising carbon fibers and complex oxide particles, wherein the carbon fibers and the complex oxide particles have a carbon coating on at least part of their surface, said carbon coating being a non powdery coating The material is prepared by a method comprising mixing a complex oxide or precursors thereof, an organic carbon precursor and carbon fibers, and subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment in an inert or reducing atmosphere for the decomposition of the precursors The material is useful as the cathode material in a battery.
US09240594B2	Positive electrode active substance for lithium ion batteries, positive electrode for lithium ion batteries, and lithium ion battery The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for lithium ion battery which has a high capacity and good rate characteristics can be provided. The positive electrode active material for lithium ion battery has a layer structure represented by the compositional formula: Lix(NiyMe1-y)Oz (wherein Me represents at least one type selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Al, Mg, Cr, Ti, Fe, Nb, Cu and Zr, x denotes a number from 0.9 to 1.2, y denotes a number from 0.70 to 0.79, and z denotes a number of 1.9 or more), wherein the coordinates of the lattice constant a and compositional ratio (Li/M) are within the region enclosed by three lines given by the equations: y=1.108, y=−37.298x+108.27, and y=75.833x−217.1 on a graph in which the x-axis represents a lattice constant a and the y-axis represents a compositional ratio (Li/M) of Li to M, and the lattice constant c is 14.2 to 14.25.
US09240591B2	Active material for battery, nonaqueous electrolyte battery, and battery pack In general, according to one embodiment, the active material for a battery contains a niobium composite oxide represented by the formula: LixM(1-y)NbyNb2O(7+δ). M represents at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Ti and Zr. X, y, and δ are numbers respectively satisfying the following: 0≦x≦6, 0≦y≦1, and −1≦δ≦1). The pH of the active material for a battery is from 7.4 to 12.5.
US09240588B2	Anode active material for lithium-ion batteries In at least one embodiment, a rechargeable battery is provided comprising an anode having an active material including MSb2O4 having a purity level of greater than 93 percent by weight, wherein M is a metal. The metal may have an oxidation state of 2+ and may include transition metals and/or alkali-earth metals. The anode active material may be synthesized using metal acetates or metal oxides. The synthesis may include heating at a first temperature to remove oxygen and water and reacting at a second temperature to form the MSb2O4 structure, which may be a spinel crystal structure.
US09240585B2	Manufacturing of high capacity prismatic lithium-ion alloy anodes High capacity energy storage devices and energy storage device components, and more specifically, to a system and method for fabricating such high capacity energy storage devices and storage device components using processes that form three-dimensional porous structures are provided. In one embodiment, an anode structure for use in a high capacity energy storage device, comprising a conductive collector substrate, a three-dimensional copper-tin-iron porous conductive matrix formed on one or more surfaces of the conductive collector substrate, comprising a plurality of meso-porous structures formed over the conductive current collector, and an anodically active material deposited over the three-dimensional copper-tin-iron porous conductive matrix is provided. In certain embodiments, the three-dimensional copper-tin-iron porous conductive matrix further comprises a plurality of columnar projections formed on the conductive current collector with the plurality of meso-porous structure formed on the plurality of columnar projections.
US09240581B2	Battery unit and battery module using the same A battery unit includes a case accommodating an electrode assembly and having an opening, and a cap plate cover the opening, and having a terminal insertion portion. The battery unit further includes a terminal member inserted into the case through the terminal insertion portion from an exterior of the case and coupled to the electrode assembly, the terminal member having a terminal portion, extending in a major side direction of the cap plate at an exterior of the cap plate, and being separated from an upper surface of the cap plate. The battery unit further includes a fixing member in the terminal insertion portion fixing the terminal member to the cap plate and having injection-molded plastic resin in the terminal insertion portion surrounding the terminal member; and a support member coupled to the cap plate and supporting the terminal portion with respect to the cap plate.
US09240576B2	Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery If a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a seal structure between a lid and an electrode terminal in which a seal member is compressed by fastening a nut, the nut may be loosened to make the amount of compression of the seal member insufficient to reduce the seal performance even if the nut is fastened enough to obtain an appropriate amount of compression of the seal member at the time of manufacture of the battery. A battery case has an opening, and houses an electrode group and an organic electrolyte. A lid is fastened to the battery case, and tightly seals the opening of the battery case. An electrode terminal is electrically connected to the electrode group. The lid and the electrode terminal face each other via an elastic member.
US09240573B2	Method of fabricating organic electroluminescent device A method of fabricating an organic electroluminescent display includes: forming a plastic layer on a substrate including a first pixel region; patterning the first plastic layer to form a first opening in the first pixel region; forming a first organic light emitting layer on the first plastic layer having the first opening; and removing the first plastic layer from the substrate to form a first organic light emitting pattern in the first opening.
US09240570B2	Organic light-emitting device and method of fabricating the same Provided is a method of fabricating an organic light-emitting device. The method of fabricating an organic light-emitting device includes: providing a substrate; forming a control electrode on the substrate; forming an insulating layer covering at least a top surface of the control electrode; forming a hole transport layer pattern through printing on at least a part of the insulating layer; forming an organic light-emitting layer to be in contact with at least a part of a surface of the hole transport layer pattern; forming an electron transport layer pattern through printing to be in contact with at least a part of a surface of the organic light-emitting layer; and forming a first electrode and a second electrode respectively on the hole transport layer pattern and the electron transport layer pattern.
US09240564B2	Organic electroluminescence device and method of manufacturing the same An organic electroluminescence device is capable of enhancing reflectance of an anode, resulting in improved light-emitting efficiency. An anode, a thin film layer for hole injection, an insulating layer, an organic layer including a luminescent layer and a cathode including a semi-transparent electrode are laminated in order on a substrate. The anode comprises silver which is a metal with high reflectance or an alloy including silver, and the thin film layer for hole injection comprises chromium oxide or the like. Light generated in the luminescent layer is multiply reflected between the anode and the semi-transparent electrode to be emitted from the cathode. As the reflectance of the anode is enhanced, the light generated in the luminescent layer can be efficiently emitted. An alloy comprised in the anode preferably includes silver, palladium and copper, and a silver content is preferably 50% by mass or over.
US09240559B2	Phosphorescent compound and organic electroluminescent device using the same A phosphorescent compound is represented by following Formula:
US09240556B2	Semiconducting compounds and devices incorporating same Disclosed are molecular and polymeric compounds having desirable properties as semiconducting materials. Such compounds can exhibit desirable electronic properties and possess processing advantages including solution-processability and/or good stability. Organic transistor and photovoltaic devices incorporating the present compounds as the active layer exhibit good device performance.
US09240551B2	Polymers based on benzodiones The present invention relates to polymers comprising one or more (repeating) unit(s) of the formula (I), and compounds of formula (III), wherein Y, Y15, Y16 and Y17 are independently of each other a group of formula (A), (B) or (C) and their use as IR absorber, organic semiconductor in organic devices, especially in organic photovoltaics and photodiodes, or in a device containing a diode and/or an organic field effect transistor. The polymers and compounds according to the invention can have excellent solubility in organic solvents and excellent film-forming properties. In addition, high efficiency of energy conversion, excellent field-effect mobility, good on/off current ratios and/or excellent stability can be observed, when the polymers and compounds according to the invention are used in organic field effect transistors, organic photovoltaics and photodiodes.
US09240548B2	Memory arrays and methods of forming an array of memory cells A method of forming an array of memory cells includes forming lines of covering material that are elevationally over and along lines of spaced sense line contacts. Longitudinal orientation of the lines of covering material is used in forming lines comprising programmable material and outer electrode material that are between and along the lines of covering material. The covering material is removed over the spaced sense line contacts and the spaced sense line contacts are exposed. Access lines are formed. Sense lines are formed that are electrically coupled to the spaced sense line contacts. The sense lines are angled relative to the lines of spaced sense line contacts and relative to the access lines. Other embodiments, including structure independent of method, are disclosed.
US09240547B2	Magnetic tunnel junctions and methods of forming magnetic tunnel junctions A method of forming a line of magnetic tunnel junctions includes forming magnetic recording material over a substrate, non-magnetic material over the recording material, and magnetic reference material over the non-magnetic material. The substrate has alternating outer regions of reactant source material and insulator material along at least one cross-section. The reference material is patterned into a longitudinally elongated line passing over the alternating outer regions. The recording material is subjected to a set of temperature and pressure conditions to react with the reactant of the reactant source material to form regions of the dielectric material which longitudinally alternate with the recording material along the line and to form magnetic tunnel junctions along the line which individually comprise the recording material, the non-magnetic material, and the reference material that are longitudinally between the dielectric material regions. Other methods, and lines of magnetic tunnel junctions independent of method, are disclosed.
US09240544B2	Method of manufacturing piezoelectric element A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element including a step of preparing a green sheet A including a portion which becomes a fired piezoelectric body later, by use of a piezoelectric material; a step of joining, to at least one surface of the green sheet A, a green sheet B having an opening in a portion facing the portion which becomes the fired piezoelectric body later, followed by firing to obtain the fired piezoelectric body provided with a reinforcing plate to which the reinforcing plate formed owing to the firing of the green sheet B is attached; and a step of forming a film-like electrode in a portion obtained by the firing of the green sheet A in the fired piezoelectric body provided with the reinforcing plate.
US09240541B2	Piezoelectric vibration module and vibration generating apparatus including the same There are provided a piezoelectric vibration module and a vibration generating apparatus including the same. The piezoelectric vibration module includes: a piezoelectric actuator including a piezoelectric element deformed in both a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction through the application of electrical power thereto; at least one first rod transferring deformation force of the piezoelectric actuator in the first direction; at least one second rod converting deformation force of the piezoelectric actuator in the second direction into deformation force in the first direction and transferring the converted deformation force; and a mass body connected to the first and second rods and disposed on the piezoelectric actuator so that displacement is generated in the first direction.
US09240538B2	LED spirit system and manufacturing method The present invention relates to a new method, system and apparatus for light emitting diode (LED) packages. An object of the present invention is to provide an LED package having reduced components, a superior heat dissipation property and a compact structure, does not largely restrict use of conventional equipment for its manufacture, and is compatible with implementation within present illumination devices packaging.
US09240536B2	Surface-mountable optoelectronic component and method for producing a surface-mountable optoelectronic component A surface-mountable optoelectronic component has a radiation passage face, an optoelectronic semiconductor chip and a chip carrier. A cavity is formed in the chip carrier and the semiconductor chip is arranged in the cavity. A molding surrounds the chip carrier at least in places. The chip carrier extends completely through the molding in a vertical direction perpendicular to the radiation passage face.
US09240534B2	Light emitting package having a guiding member guiding an optical member A light emitting package, includes a base; a light emitting device on the base; an electrical circuit layer electrically connected to the light emitting device; an optical member formed of a light transmissive material; and a guiding member guiding the optical member, the guiding member including an opening, a first portion disposed on the uppermost surface of the base, and a second portion connected to an edge portion of the optical member. The first portion of the guiding member is positioned higher than a bottom surface of the optical member, an uppermost surface of the base is closer to the first portion of the guiding member than the second portion of the guiding member, and the edge portion of the optical member is closer to the second portion of the guiding member than the first portion of the guiding member.
US09240532B2	LED package structure A LED package structure includes a substrate unit, a light-emitting unit and a package unit. The substrate unit includes two lead frames, and light-emitting unit including a LED chip electrically connected between the two lead frames. The package unit includes a light-transmitting package body enclosing the light-emitting unit and one part of each lead frame and a lens body integrated with the light-transmitting package body, and another part of each lead frame is exposed from the light-transmitting package body. Therefore, light beams generated by the LED chip pass through the lens body to project a cross light pattern on a plane, the cross light pattern has a concentrated cross light shape and a scattered light shape surrounding the concentrated cross light shape, the luminous intensity of the concentrated cross light shape is substantially the same and larger than the luminous intensity of the scattered light shape.
US09240528B2	Solid state lighting apparatus with high scotopic/photopic (S/P) ratio Solid state light emitting apparatuses include blue LEDs (e.g., including short wavelength and long wavelength blue LEDs in combination) to stimulate green lumiphors, with supplemental emissions by red lumiphors and/or red solid state light emitters, to provide aggregate emissions with high S/P ratio (e.g., ≧1.95) and high color rendering values (e.g., ≧85), preferably in combination with high brightness and high luminous efficacy. In certain embodiments, a light emitting apparatus may be devoid of a LED having a peak wavelength of from 470-599 nm and/or devoid of lumiphors with peak wavelengths in the yellow range. Multiple LEDs may be arranged in an emitter package. A fabrication method includes mounting multiple solid state emitters (e.g., with a first blue and a second red emitter) to a common substrate, applying a stencil or mask over the second emitter, applying a lumiphoric material over the first emitter, and removing the stencil or mask.
US09240527B2	Submount, optical module provided with submount, and submount manufacturing method In manufacturing a submount, a first electrode layer (12) is formed as a layer on the surface of a submount substrate (11); a side surface (122) of the first electrode layer (12) is formed on substantially the same plane as a side surface (112) of the submount substrate (11); and the side surface (122) of the first electrode layer (12) is a connection surface for creating an electrical connection with the first electrode layer (12). By making the first electrode layer (12) sufficiently thick, the surface area of the side surface (122) can be made sufficiently large to allow, for example, wire bonding using the side surface (122). Further, components such as an optical element (14) can be protected by a sealing material (16).
US09240526B2	Solid state light emitting diode packages with leadframes and ceramic material Solid state light emitting diode packages can be provided including a ceramic material and a leadframe structure, on the ceramic material, the leadframe structure including a portion thereof that integrates the leadframe structure with the ceramic material.
US09240521B2	Electrode structure and light emitting diode using the same An electrode structure includes a first diffusion barrier layer, an aluminum reflective layer formed over the first diffusion barrier layer. The aluminum reflective layer has a thickness from about 500 angstroms (Å) to less than 2,000 Å, a second diffusion barrier layer formed over the aluminum reflective layer, and an electrode layer overlying the second diffusion barrier layer. The electrode structure is applicable in a light emitting diode device.
US09240513B2	Dynamic support system for quartz process chamber One embodiment of the present invention provides a support system for providing dynamic support to a deposition reactor. The system includes a coupling mechanism configured to provide coupling between the deposition reactor and the support system, an attachment mechanism configured to attach the support system to an external frame, and at least one gas bellows situated between the coupling mechanism and the attachment mechanism.
US09240511B2	Photodetector using surface plasmon resonance and image sensor having the same Disclosed is a photodetector including an electrically conductive substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate, a second electrode disposed to be spaced apart from the first electrode, a plasmonic nanostructure positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode and having surface plasmon resonance, and a resistance measuring device or an electrical conductivity measuring device connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09240502B2	Element and photovoltaic cell The invention provides an element including a semiconductor substrate and an electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the electrode being a sintered product of a composition for an electrode that includes phosphorus-containing copper alloy particles, glass particles and a dispersing medium, and the electrode includes a line-shaped electrode having an aspect ratio, which is defined as electrode short length:electrode height, of from 2:1 to 250:1.
US09240500B2	Film-forming material There is provided a novel material used for solar cells that can contribute to the improvement in maximum output of solar cells without using the conventional MPPT system. A film-forming material for forming a light-collecting film on a transparent electrode of a solar cell, including an aromatic group-containing organic polymer compound (A) and a cross-linker (B), wherein the film-forming material exhibits an index of refraction of 1.5 to 2.0 at a wavelength of 633 nm and a transmittance of 95% or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 400 nm, and a solar cell obtained by coating a cured film made from the film-forming material on a surface of a transparent electrode.
US09240498B2	Optical semiconductor device Phosphate-based glass doped with copper ions having infrared blocking filter characteristics is formed into particles and is mixed with a transparent encapsulating resin to encapsulate a semiconductor element. The glass particles have a particle diameter four times or more as large as a wavelength of infrared radiation to be blocked. An optical semiconductor device can be obtained having a stable filter characteristics thereof even if an incident light angle changes and is resistant to moisture.
US09240494B2	Semiconductor device and method for fabricating semiconductor device A semiconductor device including a first dielectric film, a floating gate portion, second and third dielectric films, a control gate portion, and a recess on the side face of the floating gate portion. The second dielectric film for element isolation is embedded between a height position of a lower portion of the side face of the floating gate portion and a height position inside the semiconductor substrate. The third dielectric film covers an upper surface and a side face portion of the floating gate portion up to a height position of an upper surface of the second dielectric film, and on the second dielectric film. A height position of an interface between the second and third dielectric films is between a height position of a center of the recess and a position in a predetermined range below the height position of the center of the recess.
US09240493B2	Manufacturing method of semiconductor film, manufacturing method of semiconductor device, and manufacturing method of photoelectric conversion device A method for forming an amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with excellent electrical characteristics with high yield are provided. In the method for forming an amorphous semiconductor containing an impurity element, which utilizes a plasma CVD method, pulse-modulated discharge inception voltage is applied to electrodes under the pressure and electrode distance with which the minimum discharge inception voltage according to Paschen's Law can be obtained, whereby the amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity is formed.
US09240490B2	Oxide semiconductor target and oxide semiconductor material, as well as semiconductor device using the same There are provided an oxide semiconductor material, capable of attaining stability of a threshold voltage (Vth) (threshold voltage shift amount ΔVth within a range of ±3 V in PDS and NBIS) and field-effect mobility of 5 cm2/Vs or more necessary for the operation of an OLED display device. An oxide semiconductor target in which an oxide semiconductor material with one or more of oxides of W, Ta, and Hf of 5d transition metal added each by 0.07 to 3.8 at %, 0.5 to 4.7 at %, and 0.32 to 6.4 at % to a semiconductor material with Zn—Sn—O as a main ingredient is sintered; a semiconductor channel layer formed by using the target, and an oxide semiconductor material for TFT protective film, as well as a semiconductor device having the same.
US09240489B2	Oxide material and semiconductor device An object is to provide a material suitably used for a semiconductor included in a transistor, a diode, or the like. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device including a transistor in which the condition of an electron state at an interface between an oxide semiconductor film and a gate insulating film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film is favorable. Further, another object is to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device by giving stable electric characteristics to a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a channel. A semiconductor device is formed using an oxide material which includes crystal with c-axis alignment, which has a triangular or hexagonal atomic arrangement when seen from the direction of a surface or an interface and rotates around the c-axis.
US09240488B2	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same A transistor including an oxide semiconductor, which has good on-state characteristics, and a high-performance semiconductor device including a transistor capable of high-speed response and high-speed operation. In the transistor including an oxide semiconductor, oxygen-defect-inducing factors are introduced (added) into an oxide semiconductor layer, whereby the resistance of a source and drain regions are selectively reduced. Oxygen-defect-inducing factors are introduced into the oxide semiconductor layer, whereby oxygen defects serving as donors can be effectively formed in the oxide semiconductor layer. The introduced oxygen-defect-inducing factors are one or more selected from titanium, tungsten, and molybdenum, and are introduced by an ion implantation method.
US09240487B2	Method of manufacturing thin film transistor and method of manufacturing organic light emitting display having thin film transistor A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor having a compound semiconductor with oxygen as a semiconductor layer and a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display having the thin film transistor include: forming a gate electrode on an insulating substrate; forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode; forming a semiconductor layer including oxygen ions on the gate insulating layer, and including a channel region, a source region, and a drain region; forming a source electrode and a drain electrode to contact the semiconductor layer in the source region and the drain region, respectively; and forming a passivation layer on the semiconductor layer by coating an organic material, wherein a carrier density of the semiconductor layer is maintained in the range of 1E+17 to 1E+18/cm3 to have stable electrical property.
US09240486B2	Thin-film transistor, method for manufacturing the same and display device including the same A thin-film transistor, a method for manufacturing the same and a display device including the same are provided. The thin-film transistor may include a substrate, and an active layer formed on the substrate. The active layer may be made from an oxide semiconductor. A gate electrode may be formed above the active layer or below the active layer. A conductive layer may come in contact with the active layer, may be overlapped with at least a part of the gate electrode, and may be insulated from the gate electrode. A source electrode and a drain electrode may be electrically connected to the active layer. The conductive layer can reduce a channel length of the thin-film transistor and increase a capacitance between the source electrode and the gate electrode or between the drain electrode and the gate electrode.
US09240484B2	FinFET with metal gate stressor A gate stressor for a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device is provided. The gate stressor includes a floor, a first stressor sidewall, and a second stressor sidewall. The floor is formed on a first portion of a gate layer. The gate layer is disposed above a shallow trench isolation (STI) region. The first stressor sidewall formed on a second portion of the gate layer. The second portion of the gate layer is disposed on sidewalls of a fin. The second stressor sidewall formed on the third portion of the gate layer. The third portion of the gate layer is disposed on sidewalls of a structure spaced apart from the fin. The first stressor side wall and the second stressor sidewall do not exceed a height of the fin.
US09240481B2	Semiconductor device having embedded strain-inducing pattern A semiconductor device can include an active region having a fin portion providing a channel region between opposing source and drain regions. A gate electrode can cross over the channel region between the opposing source and drain regions and first and second strain inducing structures can be on opposing sides of the gate electrode and can be configured to induce strain on the channel region, where each of the first and second strain inducing structures including a respective facing side having a pair of {111} crystallographically oriented facets.
US09240480B2	Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor with metal-insulator semiconductor contact structure to reduce Schottky barrier A method includes depositing a first metal layer on a native SiO2 layer that is disposed on at least one of a source and a drain of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). A metal oxide layer is formed from the native SiO2 layer and the first metal layer, wherein the remaining first metal layer, the metal oxide layer, and the at least one of the source and the drain form a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contact.
US09240479B1	Three dimensional semiconductor integrated circuit having gate pick-up line and method of manufacturing the same A 3D semiconductor integrated circuit having a gate pick-up line and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of active pillars formed in a gate pick-up region, buffer layers formed on the respective active pillars in the gate pick-up region, gates each surrounding an outer circumference of the corresponding active pillar and the corresponding buffer layer, and a gate pick-up line electrically coupled to the gates.
US09240477B2	Transistor-containing constructions and memory arrays Some embodiments include transistor-containing constructions having gate material within an opening in a semiconductor material and spaced from the semiconductor material by gate dielectric material. The opening has a wide lower region beneath a narrow upper region. A saddle region of the gate dielectric material extends outwardly from a bottom of the opening and is along the semiconductor material beneath the opening. A saddle region of the gate material extends outwardly from the bottom of the opening and is along the gate dielectric material beneath the opening. Source/drain regions are within the semiconductor material along sides of the gate material. Some embodiments include memory arrays.
US09240471B2	SCR with fin body regions for ESD protection An electrostatic discharge protection circuit is disclosed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes forming a semiconductor controlled rectifier including a first plurality of fingers between an n-well body contact and an anode in an n-well, and a second plurality of fingers between a p-well body contact and a cathode in a p-well.
US09240469B2	Transverse ultra-thin insulated gate bipolar transistor having high current density A transverse ultra-thin insulated gate bipolar transistor having current density includes: a P substrate, where the P substrate is provided with a buried oxide layer thereon, the buried oxide layer is provided with an N epitaxial layer thereon, the N epitaxial layer is provided with an N well region and P base region therein, the P base region is provided with a first P contact region and an N source region therein, the N well region is provided with an N buffer region therein, the N well region is provided with a field oxide layer thereon, the N buffer region is provided with a P drain region therein, the N epitaxial layer is provided therein with a P base region array including a P annular base region, the P base region array is located between the N well region and the P base region, the P annular base region is provided with a second P contact region and an N annular source region therein, and the second P contact region is located in the N annular source region. The present invention greatly increases current density of a transverse ultra-thin insulated gate bipolar transistor, thus significantly improving the performance of an intelligent power module.
US09240467B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof A semiconductor device for high power application in which a novel semiconductor material having high mass productivity is provided. An oxide semiconductor film is formed, and then, first heat treatment is performed on the exposed oxide semiconductor film in order to reduce impurities such as moisture or hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor film. Next, in order to further reduce impurities such as moisture or hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor film, oxygen is added to the oxide semiconductor film by an ion implantation method, an ion doping method, or the like, and after that, second heat treatment is performed on the exposed oxide semiconductor film.
US09240464B2	Manufacturing method of power MOSFET using a hard mask as a CMP stop layer between sequential CMP steps A manufacturing method of a power MOSFET employs a hard mask film over a portion of the wafer surface as a polishing stopper, between two successive polishing steps. After embedded epitaxial growth is performed in a state where a hard mask film for forming trenches is present in at least a scribe region of a wafer, primary polishing is performed by using the hard mask film as a stopper, and secondary polishing is then performed after the hard mask film is removed.
US09240462B2	Field-effect transistor with local source/drain insulation and associated method of production A method for fabricating a field-effect transistor with local source/drain insulation. The method includes forming and patterning a gate stack with a gate layer and a gate dielectric on a semiconductor substrate; forming source and drain depressions at the gate stack in the semiconductor substrate; forming a depression insulation layer at least in a bottom region of the source and drain depressions; and filling the at least partially insulated source and drain depressions with a filling layer for realizing source and drain regions.
US09240461B2	Method for fabricating semiconductor device A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a dummy gate pattern and a spacer that is arranged on a sidewall of the dummy gate pattern on a substrate, forming an air gap on both sides of the dummy gate pattern by removing the spacer, exposing the substrate by removing the dummy gate pattern, and sequentially forming a gate insulating film including a high-k insulating film and a metal gate electrode on the exposed substrate.
US09240457B2	IGBT transistor with protection against parasitic component activation and manufacturing process thereof An IGBT transistor includes a drift region, at least one body region housed in the drift region and having a first type of conductivity, and a conduction region, which crosses the body region in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the drift region and has the first type of conductivity and a lower resistance than the body region. The conduction region includes a plurality of implant regions, arranged at respective depths from the surface of the drift region.
US09240455B2	Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same A MOSFET includes an SiC layer including main surfaces. The SiC layer includes an n type drift region, a p type body region, and an n type source region. The MOSFET further includes a gate insulating film formed to be located on a channel region, a gate electrode formed to be located above the channel region, the gate insulating film being sandwiched between said gate electrode and said channel region, and a connection electrode which includes a contact portion having a width smaller than a width of the gate electrode, has electric resistance lower than electric resistance of the gate electrode, and is formed on the gate electrode.
US09240450B2	IGBT with emitter electrode electrically connected with impurity zone A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including a drift zone of a first conductivity type, an emitter region of a second, complementary conductivity type configured to inject charge carriers into the drift zone, and an emitter electrode. The emitter electrode includes a metal silicide layer in direct ohmic contact with the emitter region. A net impurity concentration in a portion of the emitter region directly adjoining the metal silicide layer is at most 1×1017 cm−3.
US09240445B2	Lateral semiconductor device A lateral semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, and a resistive field plate. The semiconductor layer includes a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region at a surface portion, and the second semiconductor region makes a circuit around the first semiconductor region. The insulating layer is formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer and is disposed between the first and second semiconductor regions. The resistive field plate is formed on a surface of the insulating layer. Between the first and second semiconductor regions, a first section and a second section are adjacent to each other along a circumferential direction around the first semiconductor region. The resistive field plate includes first and second resistive field plate sections respectively formed in the first and second sections, and the first and second resistive field plate sections are separated from each other.
US09240443B2	Process of preparing a gap filler agent, a gap filler agent prepared using same, and a method for manufacturing semiconductor capacitor using the gap filler agent A method of preparing a gap filler agent includes adding a halosilane to a basic solvent, and, to the basic solvent and the halosilane, adding ammonia in an amount of about 50 to about 70 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the halosilane at a rate of about 1 g/hr to about 15 g/hr.
US09240442B2	Method for fabricating capacitor of semiconductor device A method for fabricating a capacitor of a semiconductor device includes forming a mold layer over a substrate, forming a plurality of preliminary openings by selectively etching the mold layer, forming a plurality of openings where each opening is formed to have a given linewidth by forming a sacrificial layer on sidewalls of the preliminary openings, and forming a plurality of storage nodes in the plurality of openings.
US09240439B2	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a first etching stopper film and a second etching stopper film that are formed to be spaced apart from one another on a first inter-layer insulating film; a metal thin film resistor formed to extend over the first and second etching stopper films; a second inter-layer insulating film formed on the first inter-layer insulating film to cover the first and second etching stopper films and the metal thin film resistor; a first contact hole formed in the second inter-layer insulating film to extend from a surface of the second inter-layer insulating film onto the first etching stopper film by penetrating through the metal thin film resistor; and a second contact hole formed in the second inter-layer insulating film to extend from a surface of the second inter-layer insulating film onto the second etching stopper film by penetrating through the metal thin film resistor.
US09240438B2	Passive-matrix display and tiling display A passive-matrix display of the disclosure includes a first electrode disposed over a substrate, a second electrode disposed over the first electrode and three-dimensionally intersecting the first electrode, a first auxiliary electrode disposed between the substrate and the first electrode, three-dimensionally intersecting the first electrode and being parallel to the second electrode, and a second auxiliary electrode parallel to the first auxiliary electrode and to the second electrode, the first electrode and the first auxiliary electrode being electrically connected by a first connection portion, and the second electrode and the second auxiliary electrode being connected by a plurality of second connection portions each disposed with at least one of the first electrodes therebetween. The passive-matrix display enables voltage drop and variation in brightness to be reduced by lowering the wiring resistance of the second electrode.
US09240436B2	Display panel and pixel array thereof A pixel array includes a plurality of pixel groups, each of which includes a plurality of brightness sub-pixel regions, a plurality of first sub-pixel regions, and a plurality of second sub-pixel regions. Each brightness sub-pixel regions has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. The first sub-pixel regions include a first group and a second group, and the second sub-pixel regions include a third group and a fourth group. The first, the second, the third, and the fourth groups are respectively disposed at the first, the third, the second, and the fourth sides of the first brightness sub-pixel region. Extension lines of long directions of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth groups respectively interlace a vertical baseline at a first angle θ1, a second angle θ2, a third angle θ3, and a fourth angle θ4. 0°<θ1<90°, 0°<θ2<90°, 0°<θ3<90°, and 0°<θ4<90°.
US09240435B2	Organic EL display Disclosed is a coated type organic EL display wherein the light extraction efficiencies of all organic light-emitting elements are improved even when the organic light-emitting elements have different organic light-emitting layers for respective emission colors. Specifically disclosed is an organic EL display which comprises a substrate, a red organic light-emitting element (R), a green organic light-emitting element (G), and a blue organic light-emitting element (B), said organic light-emitting elements being arranged on the substrate. Each of the organic light-emitting elements has a pixel electrode that is a reflective electrode, a functional layer that is formed on the pixel electrode by coating, an organic light-emitting layer that is arranged on the functional layer, a counter electrode that is a transparent electrode arranged on the organic light-emitting layer, and a tapered bank that defines the functional layer formed by coating. The amounts of the functional layers formed by coating are different among the element (R), the element (G) and the element (B), and the tapered angles of the banks defining the functional layers are different among the element (R), the element (G) and the element (B).
US09240432B2	Passivation of back-illuminated image sensor A method for forming a back-illuminated image sensor includes forming a higher doped crystalline layer on a crystalline substrate, growing a lower doped crystalline layer on the higher doped crystalline layer and forming a photodiode and component circuitry from the lower doped crystalline layer. Metallization structures are formed to make connections to and between components. The crystalline substrate is removed to expose the higher doped crystalline layer. An optical component structure is provided on an exposed surface of the higher doped crystalline layer to receive light therein such that the higher doped crystalline layer provides a passivation layer for the photodiode and the component circuitry.
US09240424B2	Thin film transistor array substrate and producing method thereof Disclosed are a thin film transistor array substrate and a producing method thereof in the embodiments of the present invention, the producing method comprising: forming an active layer thin film and a conductive layer thin film on a substrate; depositing a source/drain electrode layer thin film on the conductive layer thin film, treating the conductive layer thin film and the source/drain electrode layer thin film using gray tone or half tone masking process, to form at least two data lines, a pixel electrode and source/drain electrodes of the thin film transistor (TFT); after depositing an insulating layer thin film covered the active layer thin film, the source/drain electrodes, the data lines and the pixel electrode, forming a through hole and a gate insulating layer of the TFT on the insulating layer, to form an active layer of the TFT; forming a gate electrode of the TFT and at least two gate scanning lines cross with the data wires.
US09240420B2	3D non-volatile storage with wide band gap transistor decoder Disclosed herein are 3D stacked memory devices having WL select gates that comprises TFTs having bodies formed from a wide band gap semiconductor. The wide energy band gap semiconductor may be an oxide semiconductor, such as a metal oxide semiconductor. As examples, this could be an InGaZnO, InZnO, HfInZnO, or ZnInSnO body. The word lines may be formed from metal, such as tungsten. The 3D stacked memory device could have NAND strings. The TFTs may be formed in the word line layer. The TFT has a high drive current, a high breakdown voltage and low leakage current.
US09240416B2	Semiconductor memory device A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a stacked body with electrode films and inter-electrode insulating films alternately stacked therein, a semiconductor member, a charge accumulation film, an insulating member and a floating electrode member. The semiconductor member is provided in the stacked body. The insulating member is provided at a position opposed to the inter-electrode insulating film on a side surface of the charge accumulation film. The insulating member is divided for each of the inter-electrode insulating films. The floating electrode member is provided on a region of the side surface of the charge accumulation film not covered with the insulating member. The floating electrode member is in contact with the charge accumulation film. The floating electrode member is divided for each of the electrode films. The floating electrode member has higher conductivity than the charge accumulation film.
US09240414B1	Semiconductor devices having self-aligned contact pads A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a field area that defines active areas, gate trenches in the substrate and extending in a first direction, a buried gate in a respective gate trench, gate capping fences in a respective gate trench over a respective buried gate, the gate capping fences protruding from top surfaces of the active areas and extending in the first direction, bit line trenches in the gate capping fences, a respective bit line trench crossing the gate capping fences and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an insulator structure on inner walls of a respective bit line trench, bit lines and bit line capping patterns stacked on the insulator structures in a respective bit line trench, contact pads self-aligned with the gate capping fences and on the substrate between the adjacent bit lines, and a lower electrode of a capacitor on a respective contact pad.
US09240406B2	Precision trench capacitor A capacitor structure can include a parallel connection of a plurality of trench capacitors. First nodes of the plurality of trench capacitors are electrically tied to provide a first node of the capacitor structure. Second nodes of the plurality of trench capacitors are electrically tied together through at least one programmable electrical connection at a second node of the capacitor structure. Each programmable electrical connection can include at least one of a programmable electrical fuse and a field effect transistor, and can disconnect a corresponding trench capacitor temporarily or permanently. The total capacitance of the capacitor structure can be tuned by programming, temporarily or permanently, the at least one programmable electrical connection.
US09240398B2	Method for producing image pickup apparatus and method for producing semiconductor apparatus A method for producing an image pickup apparatus includes processes of: cutting an image pickup chip substrate to fabricate a plurality of image pickup chips; bonding the image pickup chips to a glass wafer via a transparent adhesive layer as well as bonding dummy chips to an outer peripheral region of the glass wafer where the image pickup chips are not bonded to fabricate a joined wafer; filling a sealing member between the image pickup chips and the dummy chips; machining the joined wafer to thin a thickness; and cutting the joined wafer.
US09240395B2	Waterproof surface mount device package and method The present invention is directed to LED packages and methods utilizing waterproof and UV resistant packages with improved structural integrity. In some embodiments, the improved structural integrity is provided by various features in the lead frame that the casing material encompasses to improve the adhesion between the lead frame and the casing for a stronger, waterproof package. Moreover, in some embodiments the improved structural integrity and waterproofing is further provided by improved adhesion between the encapsulant and the casing. Some embodiments also provide for improved wire bonds, with the length, thickness, and loop height of the wire bonds controlled and optimized for improved adhesion between the wire bonds and the encapsulant as well as improved reliability.
US09240390B2	Semiconductor packages having wire bond wall to reduce coupling A device (e.g., a Doherty amplifier) housed in an air cavity package includes one or more isolation structures over a surface of a substrate and defining an active circuit area. The device also includes first and second adjacent circuits within the active circuit area, first and second leads coupled to the isolation structure(s) between opposite sides of the package and electrically coupled to the first circuit, third and fourth leads coupled to the isolation structure(s) between the opposite sides of the package and electrically coupled to the second circuit, a first terminal over the first side of the package between the first lead and the third lead, a second terminal over the second side of the package between the second lead and the fourth lead, and an electronic component coupled to the package and electrically coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, or both the first and second terminals.
US09240388B2	Semiconductor manufacturing device and semiconductor manufacturing method According to one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing device includes a first stage, a second stage, a transfer unit, and a detector. The first stage corrects a position of the semiconductor chip. The second stage supports an object into which the semiconductor chip is to be installed. The transfer unit transfers the semiconductor chip picked up from the first stage to the second stage. The detector detects an elastic wave from the semiconductor chip. The detector is attached to at least one of the first stage and the second stage.
US09240386B2	Semiconductor device and process for producing semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes: a substrate in which a product region and scribe regions are defined; a 1st insulation film formed above the substrate; a metal film in the 1st insulation film, disposed within the scribe regions in such a manner as to surround the product region; a 2nd insulation film formed on the 1st insulation film and the metal film; a 1st groove disposed more inside than the metal film in such a manner as to surround the product region, and reaching from a top surface of the 2nd insulation film to a position deeper than a top surface of the metal film; and a 2nd groove disposed more outside than the metal film in such a manner as to surround the metal film, and reaching from the top surface of the 2nd insulation film to a position deeper than the top surface of the metal film.
US09240382B2	High speed, high density, low power die interconnect system A system for interconnecting at least two die each die having a plurality of conducting layers and dielectric layers disposed upon a substrate which may include active and passive elements. In one embodiment there is at least one interconnect coupling at least one conducting layer on a side of one die to at least one conducting layer on a side of the other die. Another interconnect embodiment is a slug having conducting and dielectric layers disposed between two or more die to interconnect between the die. Other interconnect techniques include direct coupling such as rod, ball, dual balls, bar, cylinder, bump, slug, and carbon nanotube, as well as indirect coupling such as inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, and wireless communications. The die may have features to facilitate placement of the interconnects such as dogleg cuts, grooves, notches, enlarged contact pads, tapered side edges and stepped vias.
US09240379B2	Semiconductor device manufacturing method for suppresing wiring material from being diffused into insulating film, storage medium and semiconductor device A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a second conductive layer on an underlying layer which has an insulating layer in which a recess is formed and a first conductive layer exposed on a bottom surface of the recess; forming a third conductive layer on the second conductive layer; supplying, into the third conductive layer, a material solid-soluble in the third conductive layer; and heating the third conductive layer into which the solid-soluble material is supplied.
US09240378B2	Method of forming a copper layer using physical vapor deposition A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes the steps: providing a substrate; forming a dielectric over the substrate; forming an opening recessed under a top surface of the dielectric; forming a barrier layer on a sidewall of the opening; performing a physical vapor deposition (PVD) to form a copper layer over the barrier layer, a corner of the opening intersecting with the top surface and the top surface with a predetermined resputter ratio so that the ratio of the thickness of the copper layer on the barrier layer and the thickness of the copper layer over the top surface is substantially greater than 1.
US09240376B2	Self-aligned via fuse A method including forming a first via opening in a substrate, the first via opening is self-aligned to a first trench in the substrate, forming a second via opening in the substrate, the second via opening is self-aligned to a second trench in the substrate, a portion of the second via opening overlaps a portion of the first via opening to form an overlap region, and the overlap region having a width (w) equal to or greater than a space (s) between the first trench and the second trench, and removing a portion of the substrate in the overlap region to form a bridge opening, the bridge opening is adjacent to the first and second via openings and extends between the first and second trenches.
US09240373B2	Semiconductor devices with close-packed via structures having in-plane routing and method of making same The invention relates to a semiconductor structure, comprising a substrate of a semiconductor material having a first side (FS) and an opposite second side (BS). There is at least one conductive wafer-through via (V) comprising metal, and at least one recess (RDL) provided in the first side of the substrate and in the semiconductor material of the substrate. The recess is filled with metal and seamlessly connected with the wafer-through via. The exposed surfaces of the metal filled via and the metal filled recess are essentially flush with the substrate surface on the first side of the substrate. There is also provide an interposer comprising the above structure, further comprising contacts for attaching circuit boards and integrated circuits on opposite sides of the interposer. A method of making the structure is also provided.
US09240369B2	Encapsulated semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same An encapsulated semiconductor device includes: a first conduction path formative plate; a second conduction path formative plate joined to the first conduction path formative plate; a power element bonded to the first conduction path formative plate; a heatsink held by the first conduction path formative plate with an insulation sheet interposed between the heatsink and the first conduction path formative plate; and an encapsulation resin configured to encapsulate the first and second conduction path formative plates. A through hole or a lead gap is formed in a region of the first conduction path formative plate in contact with the insulation sheet. The insulation sheet is press-fitted into the through hole or the lead gap.
US09240367B2	Semiconductor package with cantilever leads A semiconductor package includes a metallic leadframe having a plurality of cantilever leads, a mounting area for mounting a die, and one or more non-conductive supports adjacent to a recessed surface of the cantilever leads to support the leads during die mount, wire bond, and encapsulation processes. Encapsulant encapsulates and supports at least a portion of the die, the leadframe.
US09240364B2	Adhesive film for heat dissipation, semiconductor device including the same, and method of fabricating the semiconductor device A heat dissipation adhesive film, a semiconductor device including the same, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, the heat dissipation adhesive film being placeable between a protective layer encasing a semiconductor element therein and a heat dissipation metal layer on the protective layer to bond the protective layer to the heat dissipation metal layer, wherein an adhesive strength between the heat dissipation adhesive film and the protective layer and an adhesive strength between the heat dissipation adhesive film and the heat dissipation metal layer are each about 3 kgf/25 mm2 or greater.
US09240356B2	Surface inspection apparatus, method for inspecting surface, exposure system, and method for producing semiconductor device A surface inspection apparatus includes: an irradiation unit; a detection unit configured to detect a first detection signal according to a first light beam and a second detection signal according to a second light beam; a providing unit which is configured to provide a first reference data and a second reference data; and a determination unit which is configured to determine a processing condition of the pattern in the substrate as an inspection object substrate, based on consistency between the first detection signal and the first reference data, and consistency between the second detection signal and the second reference data.
US09240354B2	Semiconductor device having diffusion barrier to reduce back channel leakage A semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate comprises a bulk semiconductor substrate, a buried insulator layer formed on the bulk substrate and an active semiconductor layer formed on the buried insulator layer. Impurities are implanted near the interface of the buried insulator layer and the active semiconductor layer. A diffusion barrier layer is formed between the impurities and an upper surface of the active semiconductor layer. The diffusion barrier layer prevents the impurities from diffusing therethrough.
US09240351B2	Field effect transistor device with improved carrier mobility and method of manufacturing the same The devices are manufactured by replacement gate process and replacement sidewall spacer process, and both tensile stress in the channel region of NMOS device and compressive stress in the channel region of PMOS device are increased by forming a first stress layer with compressive stress in the space within the first metal gate layer of NMOS and a second stress layer with tensile stress in the space within the second metal gate layer of PMOS, respectively. After formation of the stress layers, sidewall spacers of the gate stacks of PMOS and NMOS devices are removed so as to release stress in the channel regions. In particular, stress structure with opposite stress may be formed on sidewalls of the gate stacks of the NMOS device and PMOS device and on a portion of the source region and the drain region, in order to further increase both tensile stress of the NMOS device and compressive stress of the PMOS device.
US09240350B2	Techniques for forming 3D structures A technique for forming 3D structures is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for forming 3D structures. The method may comprise providing a substrate comprising at least two vertically extending fins that are spaced apart from one another to define a trench; depositing a dielectric material in the trench between the at least two vertically extending fins; providing an etch stop layer within the dielectric material, the etch stop layer having a first side and a second opposite side; removing the dielectric material near the first side of the etch stop layer.
US09240348B2	Method of making a semiconductor device package A method of forming a semiconductor device package includes bonding a front surface of a first substrate to a second substrate, and thinning a back surface of the first substrate. The method includes depositing and patterning a dielectric layer on the thinned back surface of the first substrate, and etching the first substrate after the depositing and the patterning of the dielectric layer are performed to form a through silicon via to enable electrical connection with a first level metal of the first substrate. The method includes depositing an isolation layer to line the through silicon via is formed, and etching the isolation layer at the bottom of the through silicon via. The method includes depositing a conductive layer to line the through silicon via after the isolation layer at the bottom of the through silicon via is etched, and deposited a copper film over the conductive layer.
US09240346B2	Double patterning method Self-aligned double patterning methods that can be used in back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing and other stages of integrate circuit device manufacturing. In these methods, line termini are masked prior to self-aligned double patterning. The self-aligned double patterning involves forming a mandrel, the shape of which is determined by a lithographic mask. That same lithographic mask is used prior to self-aligned double patterning to trim the mask that determines the locations of line termini. The methods provide precise positioning of the line termini mask relative to the line locations determined by self-aligned double patterning. The methods forms consistent end-of-line shapes and allow line termini to be placed more closely together than would otherwise be feasible.
US09240343B2	Method for modifying an initial stress state of an active layer to a final stress state This process comprises steps of: a) providing a first substrate comprising the active layer made of a first material of Young's modulus E1 and of thickness h1; b) providing a second substrate made of a second material of Young's modulus E2 and of thickness h2; c) bending the first substrate and the second substrate such that they each have a curved shape of a radius of curvature R; d) joining the second substrate to the active layer such that the second substrate closely follows the shape of the first substrate; and e) re-establishing the initial at-rest shape of the second substrate, the process being noteworthy in that the second material of the second substrate is a flexible material respecting the relationship E2/E1<10−2, in that the thickness of the second substrate respects the relationship h2/h1≧104, and in that the radius of curvature respects the relationship R = h 2 2 ⁢ ⁢ ɛ .
US09240341B2	Top wafer rotation and support Embodiments of the present disclosure provide thermal processing chambers including a drive mechanism and a heating assembly disposed on opposite sides of a substrate support assembly. Particularly, the heating assembly is disposed below the substrate support assembly to process a substrate with a device side facing up and the drive mechanism is disposed above the substrate assembly.
US09240337B2	Substrate transport method, substrate transport apparatus, and coating and developing system A substrate transporting method includes: after a holding unit of a substrate holding apparatus receives a substrate from one placement location for a substrate and holds it, detecting a first positional deviation of the substrate from a reference position of the substrate on the holding unit; transporting the substrate held by the holding unit to a position facing another placement location; detecting a second positional deviation of the substrate from the reference position of the substrate on the holding unit, when the substrate is located at the position facing the another placement location; calculating, based on the first and second positional deviations, a positional displacement of the substrate relative to the holding unit that occurred during the transporting of the substrate to the position facing the another placement location; and determining whether or not the positional displacement thus calculated falls within a predetermined range.
US09240331B2	Semiconductor device and method of making bumpless flipchip interconnect structures A semiconductor device includes a substrate with contact pads. A mask is disposed over the substrate. Aluminum-wettable conductive paste is printed over the contact pads of the substrate. A semiconductor die is disposed over the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. The aluminum-wettable conductive paste is reflowed to form an interconnect structure over the contact pads of the substrate. The contact pads include aluminum. Contact pads of the semiconductor die are disposed over the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. The aluminum-wettable conductive paste is reflowed to form an interconnect structure between the contact pads of the semiconductor die and the contact pads of the substrate. The interconnect structure is formed directly on the contact pads of the substrate and semiconductor die. The contact pads of the semiconductor die are etched prior to reflowing the aluminum-wettable conductive paste. An epoxy pre-dot to maintain a separation between the semiconductor die and substrate.
US09240330B2	Method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device The TSV technology has been popular as one of stacking technologies of a plurality of semiconductor chips. It has however been revealed by the present inventors that when TSV is formed using a so-called first via process, via middle process, front-via via last process, or the like, there is a possibility of defects such as gate breakdown occurring due to electrostatic breakdown in the subsequent process. In order to overcome the above problem, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device, in which a through via electrode is formed by forming a hole in a semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating member in the hole, and burying a conductive member in the resulting hole while covering a portion of the hole except for the bottom portion with the insulating member.
US09240324B2	Self-aligned process to fabricate a memory cell array with a surrounding-gate access transistor A method to prevent a gate contact from electrically connecting to a source contact for a plurality of memory cells on a substrate. The method includes depositing and etching gate material to partially fill a space between the pillars and to form a word line for the memory cells, etching a gate contact region for the word line between the pair of pillars, forming a spacer of electrically insulating material in the gate contact region, and depositing a gate contact between the pair of pillars to be in electrical contact with the gate material such that the spacer surrounds the gate contact.
US09240323B2	Methods of forming semiconductor devices with metal silicide using pre-amorphization implants A method of forming a semiconductor device can be provided by forming an opening that exposes a surface of an elevated source/drain region. The size of the opening can be reduced and a pre-amorphization implant (PAI) can be performed into the elevated source/drain region, through the opening, to form an amorphized portion of the elevated source/drain region. A metal-silicide can be formed from a metal and the amorphized portion.
US09240321B2	Mask having separated line patterns connected by a connecting pattern According to one embodiment, a mask includes a line-and-space mask pattern. The mask has a separation portion separating a line pattern in a predetermined region within the line-and-space mask pattern. The mask also includes a connection pattern arranged in a crossing direction crossing the extending direction of the line pattern connecting the separated line patterns. The connection pattern is arranged on a position where the end of the line pattern, which is separated by the separation portion, projects from the connection pattern.
US09240317B2	High temperature GaN based super semiconductor and fabrication process A low temperature GaN based super semiconductor comprising a GaN supercell having equal percentages of Cu and at least one material from the family of P, As, or Sb. The GaN supercell is doped in accordance with the formula Ga1-2xCuxAsxN, wherein x is from about 6.25% to about 25%. The supercell is deposited on GaN grown on silicon substrate.
US09240312B2	Discharge lamp and light source device A discharge lamp includes a housing including a dielectric portion having a light transmission area formed of a dielectric material and transmitting light, and a main body portion forming a discharge-gas-filled space together with the dielectric portion, the discharge-gas-filled space being filled with a discharge gas; an electron emission source disposed in the discharge-gas-filled space to face the light transmission area; a discharge path limiting member separating the electron emission source and the light transmission area, in the discharge-gas-filled space, and including an electron passage hole that transmits electrons emitted from the electron emission source; and an external electrode disposed at an outer side of the housing to face the electron emission source across the dielectric portion, and including an opening that passes the light transmitted through the light transmission area.
US09240310B2	Method and apparatus for improving ion transmission into a mass spectrometer An ion transfer device for transferring ions emerging from an electrospray ion source at atmosphere to a vacuum chamber includes an inner surface in the shape of a diverging conical duct. The ion transfer device has an entrance aperture for positioning proximate the exit port of the electrospray ion source emitter, the entrance aperture receiving the electrosprayed ions from the exit port of the electrospray ion source emitter at atmosphere, the diverging conical duct being an electrode toward which the ions migrate and having an exit aperture with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of its entrance aperture, the exit aperture enclosed in the vacuum chamber, the diverging conical duct transporting the ions from atmosphere to vacuum. The vacuum chamber can be a chamber of a vacuum housing enclosing a mass analyzer.
US09240304B2	Specimen holder tip part, specimen holder having said specimen holder tip part, gonio stage, and electron microscope having said gonio stage In at least one embodiment, a specimen holder tip part comprises a specimen setting seat, a specimen mesh for mounting a specimen, a specimen holding part for holding the specimen mesh and a clamping part that clamps the specimen holding part.
US09240301B1	Thermal-field type electron source composed of transition metal carbide material with artificial facet An electron source is made from mixed-metal carbide materials of high refractory nature. Producing field-enhanced thermionic emission, i.e., thermal-field or extended Schottky emission, from these materials entails the use of a certain low work function crystallographic direction, such as, for example, (100), (210), and (310). These materials do not naturally facet because of their refractory nature. The disclosed electron source made from transition metal carbide material is especially useful when installed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) performing advanced imaging applications that require a high brightness, high beam current source.
US09240300B2	Device comprising a thermal fuse and a resistor The present invention discloses a device comprising a thermal fuse and a resistor, the solid ceramic base of the wirewound resistor is changed to be hollow, forming a ceramic tube; the thermal fuse is placed in the solid ceramic base, the ceramic tube provides housing for the thermal fuse; a lead wire of the thermal fuse passes through an end cap of an end of the wirewound resistor, the other end of the thermal fuse extends out of the end cap of the other end of the wirewound resistor, the end cap of the wirewound resistor extends outwardly with a lead wire, then an epoxy resin is used to encapsulate the device. The present invention can be used as a basic unit and directly installed in an existing high-frequency charger; it is capable of replacing the existing simple wirewound resistor or the wirewound resistor with an external contact type thermal fuse, and realizing triple functions of general impedance, over-current fuse protection, and over-temperature protection in case of overload.
US09240296B2	Keyboard construction having a sensing layer below a chassis layer A keyboard having a sensor layer below a chassis layer is described. In one embodiment, the keyboard includes a keyboard chassis and a plurality of keycaps positioned above the keyboard chassis. Each of the plurality of keycaps has a touch surface for receiving a press force. A sensor substrate is positioned below the keyboard chassis and has sensor electrodes configured to sense that one or more of the plurality of keycaps is in a pressed position.
US09240294B2	Touch pad module having a circuit board including a recessed area and electronic device using the same A touch pad module includes a circuit board and a trigger element. The circuit board includes a recessed area. The trigger element is disposed on the circuit board and covers the recessed area. When the trigger element deforms by an external force, at least a part of the trigger element is located in the recessed area.
US09240292B1	Environmentally sealed button The disclosure relates to a button assembly for a device, such as an electronic device. The button assembly may include a button and a seal. The button may fit within a space defined by the seal. A portion of each of three sealing surfaces may each seal and press against respective surfaces of the button.
US09240290B2	Switch for preventing inrush current shock and cutting off standby power The present invention is provided with a delay unit for applying a function of a double-pole contact switch and a control function of an activation switch, so as for the contact switch and the activation switch not to operate simultaneously when turned on. Accordingly, when a predetermined time elapses after the double-pole contact switch operates first to prevent an inrush current shock, the activation switch generates a control signal to safely operate an internal circuit such as a central processing device or a control device, so that an electronic product is turned on without an electrical shock or a significant spark. Moreover, if power is cut off by software or the internal circuit is turned off in response to a control signal of the activation switch after an ON button of the electronic product is pressed, the double-pole contact switch is automatically turned off immediately or over a time interval, so that standby power is cut off completely, safely, conveniently, and effectively.
US09240286B2	Photoelectric conversion device, light detecting device, and light detecting method The present invention has an object to provide a photoelectric conversion device which can be manufactured through a simple manufacturing process, achieve photoelectric conversion over a wide range of wavelength regions, and attain high photoelectric conversion efficiency even in the infrared wavelength region, a photodetection device, and a photodetection method. This photoelectric conversion device 1 includes a substrate 2 containing single crystalline titanium dioxide, adhesion layers 2c formed on a surface 2a of the substrate 2, metal microstructure bodies 3, each of which has a volume of 1,000 nm3 or more and 3,000,000 nm3 or less, arranged at predetermined intervals in a predetermined direction on surfaces of the adhesion layers 2c, a container 4 for containing an electrolyte solution L in an arrangement region of the metal microstructure bodies 3 on the surface 2a of the substrate 2, a conductive layer 7 formed on a rear surface 2b of the substrate 2, and a counter electrode 5 in contact with the electrolyte solution L in the container 4; and the metal microstructure bodies 3 adhere onto the substrate 2 through the adhesion layers 2c, a Schottky barrier is formed at an interface of the substrate 2 with the metal microstructure bodies 3, and photoelectric conversion is carried out for light in an infrared region by utilizing a plasmon resonance phenomenon.
US09240281B2	Multilayer ceramic capacitor and board for mounting the same There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including a ceramic body including a plurality of dielectric layers and having first and second main surfaces, first and second side surfaces, and first and second end surfaces; a first capacitor part including a first internal electrode exposed to the first end surface and a second internal electrode exposed to the second side surface and a second capacitor part including a third internal electrode exposed to the first side surface and a fourth internal electrode exposed to the second end surface; an internal connection conductor exposed to the first and second side surfaces; and first to fourth external electrodes electrically connected to the first to fourth internal electrodes and the internal connection conductor, wherein the internal connection conductor is connected to the first and second capacitor parts in series.
US09240280B2	Multilayer ceramic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body including dielectric layers; first and second internal electrodes facing each other while having the dielectric layer disposed therebetween, and alternately exposed to end surfaces of the ceramic body; first and second external electrodes electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes, wherein each of the first and second external electrodes includes a first external electrode layer formed of material containing copper and glass and extending from an end surface of the ceramic body to portions of main and side surfaces of the ceramic body; a second external electrode layer formed of material containing glass, disposed on the first external electrode layer, and being shorter than the first external electrode layer to expose portion of the first external electrode layer; and a third external electrode layer formed of material containing copper and glass and covering the first and second external electrode layers.
US09240275B2	Core for a wire-wound electronic component, a wire-wound electronic component and a method for manufacturing a core for a wire-wound electronic component A wire-wound electronic component, a core for a wire-wound electronic component and a method for manufacturing a core for a wire-wound electronic component are provided. A winding core portion of a core of a wire-wound electronic component includes flanges at respective ends of the winding core portion, and project in directions perpendicular to an axial direction of the winding core portion. Concaves are positioned at corners formed of adjoining surfaces of the flanges that adjoin to the winding core portion and end surfaces of the flanges that are located at ends in a first perpendicular direction, which is one of the projecting directions of the flange. Connecting surfaces, which connect contact portions where the flanges contact with the winding core portion to the end surfaces, are at least part of inner peripheries of the concaves. All normal vectors of the connecting surfaces have components in the first perpendicular direction.
US09240270B2	Wireless power transfer magnetic couplers A magnetic coupler is disclosed for wireless power transfer systems. A ferrimagnetic component is capable of guiding a magnetic field. A wire coil is wrapped around at least a portion of the ferrimagnetic component. A screen is capable of blocking leakage magnetic fields. The screen may be positioned to cover at least one side of the ferrimagnetic component and the coil. A distance across the screen may be at least six times an air gap distance between the ferrimagnetic component and a receiving magnetic coupler.
US09240269B2	Solenoid actuator, use of a solenoid actuator and braking or clamping device for linearly moving and/or axially rotating components The invention relates to a solenoid actuator, consisting of a magnet body (1), a magnet armature, a cover (3) closing the space in which the magnet armature travels back and forth, at least one electric coil (4), which is arranged in the magnet body (1) concentrically around the axis of travel of the magnet armature, and means (5) for power transmission, which are in operative connection with the magnet armature and protrude out of the solenoid actuator. According to the invention, the magnet armature of the solenoid actuator is an axially guided annular magnet armature (2), and the means (5) for power transmission are arranged coaxially around the axis of travel of the annular magnet armature (2). This has the advantage that the solenoid actuator allows long switching paths and a small construction, along with high tightening and holding forces. This also results in the up to 100% higher holding force of the solenoid, making it particularly suitable for the actuation of braking and clamping equipment for rods and cables.
US09240263B2	Device connection cable with flat profile A cable includes a flexible jacket extending along a length and first and second lateral axes perpendicular to the length. The jacket also defines flat major surfaces that are parallel to each other and spaced apart on opposite sides of the first lateral axis. First and second inner wire assemblies extend within the jacket. The jacket maintains the first and second inner wire assembles in predetermined positions along the first lateral axis within 0.05 mm of each other and disposed on opposing sides of the second lateral axis. First and second outer wire assemblies also extend within the jacket. The outer wire assemblies include a wire of conductive filaments and an insulating layer of an enamel material surrounding the wire. The jacket maintains the first and second outer wire assemblies in positions along the first lateral axis and spaced apart from the first and second inner wire assemblies.
US09240261B2	Multi-conductor cables with spacers for conductors Multi-conductor cables for telecommunication systems include a plurality of fiber-optic conductors and/or power conductors extending within an outer jacket in a main body portion of the cable, and extending outside of the outer jacket in a break-out portion of the cable. A break-out boot may be attached to the outer jacket and may surround the conductors in a break-out portion of the cable. Potting material may be provided in the break-out boot within spaces between adjacent conductors to provide innovative sealing of the break-out portion.
US09240260B2	Flame-retardant resin composition and electric wire using same The present invention provides a flame-retardant resin composition having excellent flame retardancy, in which generation of a corrosive gas during combustion is suppressed.The flame-retardant resin composition of the present invention, comprising the below-described component (A) or both of components (A) and (B) as a flame retardant component(s) in a halogen-free thermoplastic resin, wherein the ratio of the components (A) and (B) is 100:0 to 60:40 in terms of mass ratio; the electric conductivity of a gas generated during combustion, which is measured in accordance with IEC 60754-2, is not higher than 10.0 μS/mm; and the flame retardancy rating measured in accordance with the UL94VTM standard is VTM-2 or higher.Component (A): a (poly)phosphate compound represented by the following Formula (1): Component (B): a (poly)phosphate compound represented by the following Formula (2): (wherein, X1 represents ammonia or a triazine derivative represented by the following Formula (3))
US09240254B2	System and method for characterizing a film by X-ray photoelectron and low-energy X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy Systems and methods for characterizing films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are disclosed. For example, a system for characterizing a film may include an X-ray source for generating an X-ray beam having an energy below the k-edge of silicon. A sample holder may be included for positioning a sample in a pathway of the X-ray beam. A first detector may be included for collecting an XPS signal generated by bombarding the sample with the X-ray beam. A second detector may be included for collecting an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) signal generated by bombarding the sample with the X-ray beam. Monitoring/estimation of the primary X-ray flux at the analysis site may be provided by X-ray flux detectors near and at the analysis site. Both XRF and XPS signals may be normalized to the (estimated) primary X-ray flux to enable film thickness or dose measurement without the need to employ signal intensity ratios.
US09240251B2	Electronic device and method for operating electronic device An electronic device comprising a semiconductor memory unit that may include a plurality of data transfer lines; a plurality of columns including a plurality of memory cells; at least one redundancy column including a plurality of redundancy memory cells and configured to replace at least one column among the plurality of columns; a repair select information generation unit configured to store a column address of the at least one column to be replaced among the plurality of columns and generate a plurality of repair select information in response to the stored column address; and a plurality of repair selection units connected with data transfer lines corresponding to them among the plurality of data transfer lines, columns corresponding to them among the plurality of columns and the at least one redundancy column, and each configured to electrically connect a column selected among a column corresponding to it and the at least one redundancy column, to a data transfer line corresponding to it, in response to repair select information corresponding to it among the plurality of repair select information.
US09240246B2	Semiconductor device having fuse circuit A semiconductor device includes a fuse array with a plurality of fuses, a common signal generation unit suitable for receiving a power-up signal and generating an inverted power-up signal and a reset signal, a plurality of fuse registers suitable for latching a plurality of fuse data for the plurality of fuses and commonly receiving the inverted power-up signal and the reset signal from the common signal generation unit by grouped fuse registers, and an output selection unit suitable for outputting the plurality of fuse data stored on the plurality of fuse registers according to a predetermined sequence.
US09240245B1	Memory efficient triggers of read disturb checks in solid state storage An indication is received that a word line has been read. The word line is part of a plurality of word lines (in solid state storage) which is divided into a plurality of groups. It is determined which group is associated with the read. A count of consecutive, at least potentially uninformative reads is updated based at least in part on the group associated with the read and a group associated with a prior read. It is determining if the count is greater than a threshold and in the event it is determined the count is greater than the threshold, a read disturb check is triggered.
US09240242B1	Method for operating low-cost EEPROM array A method for operating a low-cost EEPROM array is disclosed. The EEPROM array comprises bit lines, word lines, common source lines, and sub-memory arrays. The bit lines are divided into bit line groups. The word lines include a first word line and a second word line. The common source lines include a first common source line. Each sub-memory array includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell, which are respectively connected with the first and second word lines. Each of the first and second memory cells is also connected with the first bit line group and the first common source line. The first and second memory cells are operation memory cells and symmetrically arranged at two sides of the first common source line. The method operates all the operation memory cells and uses special biases to program or erase memory cells massively in a single operation.
US09240237B2	Semiconductor device and method of writing/reading entry address into/from semiconductor device The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a search memory mat having a configuration in which a location with which an entry address is registered is allocated in a y-axis direction, and key data is allocated in an x-axis direction and a control circuit connected to the search memory mat. In the search memory mat, a plurality of separate memories is formed such that a region to which the key data is allocated is separated into a plurality of regions along the y-axis direction. The control circuit includes an input unit to which the key data is input, a division unit which divides the key data input to the input unit into a plurality of pieces of key data, and a writing unit which allocates each piece of divided key data by the division unit into the separate memory using the divided key data as an address.
US09240234B2	Method of operating channel buffer block and devices including the channel buffer block A method of operating a channel buffer block is provided. The method includes changing bias voltages applied to bias lines in an input stage included in the channel buffer block using a coupling effect of coupling capacitors during a slewing interval and increasing bias currents in the input stage using input voltages and changed bias voltages.
US09240231B2	Recording apparatus and control method for recording apparatus In a recording apparatus, a generating unit generates a timing signal by delaying a clock signal. A control unit controls so that a predetermined command is output multiple times to a storage device and each piece of data sent by the storage device in response to the multiple predetermined commands is received in accordance with the timing signal having a different delay amount for each of the multiple predetermined commands. A detection unit detects, in order of the delay amounts, a range of the delay amounts of the timing signals for which predetermined data has been successfully received. A setting unit sets, in a case where a plurality of the ranges have been detected by the detection unit, a single delay amount in a single predetermined range among the plurality of ranges, as the delay amount of the timing signal.
US09240230B2	Bipolar logic gates on MOS-based memory chips A system for using selectable-delay bipolar logic circuitry within the address decoder of a MOS-based memory includes a MOS-based memory, which includes an array of a plurality of memory cells configured to store data; an address decoder including bipolar logic circuitry, where the address decoder is configured to accept a word including a plurality of bits and access the array of memory cells using the word; where the bipolar logic circuitry includes a plurality of bipolar transistor devices, where at least one bipolar transistor device has an adjustable gate bias and is configured to accept an input, wherein the gate bias is adjusted based on the input, where the gate bias determines a selectable gate delay.
US09240228B1	Static memory apparatus and data reading method thereof A static memory apparatus and a data reading method thereof are provided. The static memory apparatus includes a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of dummy memory cells, a sense amplifier, and a discharge current adjuster. The dummy memory cells respectively include a plurality discharge ends for discharging charges on a dummy bit line. The sense amplifier is enabled for a sensing and amplifying operation according to a signal on the dummy bit line, and the sense amplifier generates readout data accordingly. The discharge current adjuster adjusts at least one discharge current on at least one controlled discharge end according to an operating voltage of the memory cells.
US09240227B2	Daisy chain cascading devices A technique for serially coupling devices in a daisy chain cascading arrangement. Devices are coupled in a daisy chain cascade arrangement such that outputs of a first device are coupled to inputs of a second device later in the daisy chain to accommodate the transfer of information, such as data, address and command information, and control signals to the second device from the first device. The devices coupled in the daisy chain comprise a serial input (SI) and a serial output (SO). Information is input to a device via the SI. The information is output from the device via the SO. The SO of an earlier device in the daisy chain cascade is coupled to the SI of a device later in the daisy chain cascade. Information input to the earlier device via the device's SI is passed through the device and output from the device via the device's SO. The information is then transferred to the later device's SI via the connection from the earlier device's SO and the later device's SI.
US09240223B2	Semiconductor memory devices with a power supply A semiconductor device includes a virtual power supplier, a driving signal generator and a load driver. The virtual power supplier boosts a driving voltage to generate a virtual voltage. The driving signal generator generates a driving signal based on the virtual voltage, such that the driving signal has a voltage level that is reinforced as compared with a voltage level of the driving voltage. The load driver drives a load based on the driving voltage and the driving signal.
US09240220B2	Stacked-die multi-processor A plurality of stacked dies has outer dies that permits high heat dissipation. A plurality of processors is located on a first outer die. A plurality of memory elements located on a second outer die. An interconnect structure is located an inner die.
US09240218B2	Mobile terminal and control method of mobile terminal The present invention relates to a mobile terminal displaying an image and a control method of the same. A mobile terminal according to an aspect of the invention may include: a display unit displaying an image; and a controller receiving data according to a user's selection, storing the data to be associated with the image, and displaying an icon on the display unit to indicate that the data is stored.
US09240214B2	Multiplexed data sharing A computing device may receive multiple recordings or transmissions from one or more source devices. The recordings may include geo-tag information to relate the recordings to a specific event. The computing device may receive from a client device a request for the recordings. Responsive to the received request, the computing device may transmit the recordings to the client device. The computing device may receive from the client device an identification of which recording(s) are preferred over the course of the event, and may compile statistics related to the preferred selections over the course of the event as received from a plurality of client devices. The computing device may generate a “best-cut” recording or summary version of the event based on the most preferred recording at various points in time during the event, based on the compiled statistics.
US09240207B1	Minimization of VCM-resolution switching induced position error transients Systems, methods, and devices for selecting modes of operation include, in at least one aspect, a method including: selecting a first mode associated with digital-analog conversion; determining whether a second mode associated with digital-analog conversion is available; if the second mode is available, evaluating one or more switching parameters associated with the second mode; switching from the first mode to the second mode if the one or more evaluated switching parameters satisfy one or more predetermined criteria; analyzing one or more performance parameters after switching from the first mode to the second mode; and setting the second mode as a default mode of operation if the one or more analyzed performance parameters are satisfactory.
US09240204B2	Perpendicular magnetic recording disc A perpendicular magnetic disk is provided. The disk includes, on a base and in the order from bottom, a first granular magnetic layer group including a plurality of magnetic layers each having a granular structure, a non-magnetic layer having Ru or a Ru alloy as a main component, a second granular magnetic layer group including a plurality of magnetic layers each having the granular structure, and an auxiliary recording layer having a CoCrPtRu alloy as a main component. Layers closer to a front surface among the plurality of magnetic layers included in the first granular magnetic layer group having an equal or smaller content of Pt. Layers closer to the front surface among the plurality of magnetic layers included in the second granular magnetic layer group having an equal or smaller content of Pt and having an equal or larger content of an oxide.
US09240198B1	Magnetic disk drive and write control method According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a disk including a plurality of servo areas for detecting a positioning error, a head to write and to read data, and a processor. The processor detects a current positioning error of the head on the disk, while writing data to tracks of the disk so as to partially overlap with each other, calculates a predicted positioning error in a next servo area, determinates write inhibit, based on comparison between the current positioning error and a first threshold value, sets the first threshold value to a smaller value being used as the first threshold value to determinate the write inhibit in the next servo area.
US09240196B2	Apparatus and method for handling transient sound events in audio signals when changing the replay speed or pitch An apparatus for processing an audio signal has an overlap-add stage for overlapping and adding blocks of a corresponding one of a plurality of subband signals using an overlap-add-advance value being different from a block extraction advance value. The apparatus further has a transient detector for detecting a transient in the audio signal or a subband signal of the plurality of subband signals. The overlap-add stage is configured for reducing an influence of a detected transient or for not using the detected transients when adding. The apparatus further has a transient adder for adding a detected transient to a subband signal generated by the overlap/add stage. A related method for processing an audio signal has, inter alia, either reducing an influence or discarding a detected transient when overlapping and adding.
US09240193B2	Modulation of speech signals Methods, systems, and devices for processing an audio signal are provided. An example method includes mapping a fundamental frequency of an audio signal to a modulation frequency. An output of the mapping is less than the fundamental frequency when the fundamental frequency is greater than an intersection frequency. The intersection frequency is a frequency at which the output of the mapping is the fundamental frequency.
US09240191B2	Frame based audio signal classification An audio classifier for frame based audio signal classification includes a feature extractor configured to determine, for each of a predetermined number of consecutive frames, feature measures representing at least the following features: auto correlation, frame signal energy, inter-frame signal energy variation. A feature measure comparator is configured to compare each determined feature measure to at least one corresponding predetermined feature interval. A frame classifier is configured to calculate, for each feature interval, a fraction measure representing the total number of corresponding feature measures that fall within the feature interval, and to classify the latest of the consecutive frames as speech if each fraction measure lies within a corresponding fraction interval, and as non-speech otherwise.
US09240190B2	Formant based speech reconstruction from noisy signals Implementations of systems, method and devices described herein enable enhancing the intelligibility of a target voice signal included in a noisy audible signal received by a hearing aid device or the like. In particular, in some implementations, systems, methods and devices are operable to generate a machine readable formant based codebook. In some implementations, the method includes determining whether or not a candidate codebook tuple includes a sufficient amount of new information to warrant either adding the candidate codebook tuple to the codebook or using at least a portion of the candidate codebook tuple to update an existing codebook tuple. Additionally and/or alternatively, in some implementations systems, methods and devices are operable to reconstruct a target voice signal by detecting formants in an audible signal, using the detected formants to select codebook tuples, and using the formant information in the selected codebook tuples to reconstruct the target voice signal.
US09240184B1	Frame-level combination of deep neural network and gaussian mixture models A method and system for frame-level merging of HMM state predictions determined by different techniques is disclosed. An audio input signal may be transformed into a first and second sequence of feature vector, the sequences corresponding to each other and to a temporal sequence of frames of the audio input signal on a frame-by-frame basis. The first sequence may be processed by a neural network (NN) to determine NN-based state predictions, and the second sequence may be processed by a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to determine GMM-based state predictions. The NN-based and GMM-based state predictions may be merged as weighted sums for each of a plurality of HMM state on a frame-by-frame basis to determine merged state predictions. The merged state predictions may then be applied to the HMMs to speech content of the audio input signal.
US09240176B2	Active noise control system and method Methods and systems are provided for active noise control in a vehicle. The system includes a position sensor for sensing an occupant position. A microphone receives audible noise and generates an error signal corresponding to the audible noise. A first controller is configured to receive the error signal from the microphone and generate a modified error signal by modifying the error signal based on the occupant position with respect to the microphone. A second controller is in communication with the first controller and configured to generate an anti-noise signal based at least in part on the modified error signal. The system also includes a loudspeaker in communication with the second controller for receiving the anti-noise signal from the second controller and producing sound corresponding to the anti-noise signal to negate at least some of the audible noise.
US09240173B2	Sound source control information generating apparatus, electronic percussion instrument, and sound source control information generating method A sound source control information generating apparatus, an electronic percussion instrument, and a sound source control information generating method, adapted for preventing generation of an unintended sound caused by a rebound of an object placed on one struck head, are provided. According to the present invention, if a first output value with respect to one struck head is obtained, the one struck head serves as a target struck head, and information is generated for controlling a sound source means such that a sound generation process performed by the sound source means differs according to whether the first output value obtained with respect to the target struck head or a value corresponding to the first output value is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
US09240172B2	Foot pedal A musical instrument effects pedal system and related methods of use are provided. The system includes rotatable control mechanisms mounted on the side of the enclosure, easily manipulated by the foot of the user, for altering the audio signal output by an instrument.
US09240169B2	Pivot supports for drum rim In a drum beating assembly, the combination comprising a frame, including at least one pedestal, an axle carried by the pedestal to rotate relative thereto, the axle having an axis of rotation, a drum beater carried by the axle, a pedal operatively connected to the axle to rotate the axle and beater in response to pedal movement, the frame including a base plate, there being a clamp arm and means supporting the arm on the plate to pivot relative thereto, and multiple drum rim support elements carried to engage the drum rim at multiple locations to support the drum rim relative to the base plate. The support elements are typically pivotable to self-adjust during clamp up.
US09240166B1	Devices and methods for mounting tuning machines on stringed instruments Devices and methods for mounting a tuning machine with locator pins to a stringed instrument having a mounting configuration with receiving holes that are misaligned with the tuning machines locator pins. A mounting element is provided having top and bottom surfaces and a post aperture to receive the tuning machine's post. Tuning machine alignment apertures in the top surface are in alignment with and adapted to receive the locator pins when the post is located within the post aperture, and instrument alignment elements in the bottom surface are in alignment with the receiving holes on the instrument when the post is located within the post aperture on the mounting element and the first post aperture on the instrument. The top surface complementarily receives the base of the tuning machine, and the bottom surface complementarily fits with the mounting configuration of the instrument such that the tuning machine can be secured to the mismatched instrument.
US09240163B2	Video wall A video wall, having screens, cables, synchronization detection modules and a central control unit. The cables are operative to carry image data to be displayed on the screens. The synchronization detection modules are coupled between the screens and the cables for detection of a feature symbol. The central control unit collects detection results from the synchronization detection modules, and the detection results are utilized in the adjustment of the image data before cable transmission. In this manner, image display synchronization between the screens is achieved. The synchronization detection modules may be implemented as connectors, each having a first end connected to a screen and a second end connected to a cable.
US09240162B2	Transparent display apparatus and method for controlling the same There are provided a transparent display apparatus and a method for controlling the same. The transparent display apparatus includes a transparent display unit that includes an emissive area and a transmissive area and is configured to display a video, an optical sensor configured to measure the amount of light, and a light shielding unit that is disposed on one surface of the transparent display unit and is configured to adjust transmittance on the basis of the amount of light.
US09240161B2	System and display for controlling display A system and method that adjusts a screen brightness of a display, considering an ambient illumination state, are provided. The method includes receiving a signal, corresponding to an event related to an illumination state alteration, from a sensor, confirming the event, and adjusting, if the event is confirmed, a screen brightness of a display unit in accordance with the event.
US09240160B2	Driving circuit and display device of using same In one aspect of the invention, a driving circuit has a PCB, a transmitter disposed on the PCB for providing an input signal, first and second transmission lines disposed on the PCB and electrically coupled to the transmitter for transmitting the input signal, and a plurality of source drivers formed in a COF architecture disposed between the PCB and the display panel. The input signal is an encoded signal including first and second Gamma reference voltages control signals, and image data. The first and second Gamma reference voltages are transmitted by the PLC technology through the first and second transmission lines, respectively. The driving circuit is implemented with differential transmission of the Gamma voltages, the image data and the control signals.
US09240158B2	Method and apparatus for program utilization of display area A method comprising determining that an apparatus is in a partial display physical configuration, receiving an indication of an input that identifies a program to operate in a greater display physical configuration, determining that the apparatus has become configured in the greater display physical configuration, and causing the program to utilize at least part of a display area and at least part of another display area is disclosed.
US09240155B2	Driving circuit and driving method thereof and liquid crystal display A driving circuit for a liquid crystal display comprises a light sensitive element configured to be arranged on a liquid crystal panel of the liquid crystal display, and detect an operation state of a backlight source of the liquid crystal display; and a reset signal output device configured to receive an input signal from the light sensitive element in accordance with the operation state of the backlight source, and output a reset signal to a gate line driver of the liquid crystal display so as to turn on all of gate lines on the liquid crystal panel.
US09240152B2	Array substrate and liquid crystal display panel and driving method thereof The present disclosure provides an array substrate and liquid crystal display panel, and a driving method thereof, wherein each pixel unit of the array substrate includes a compensation circuit unit. When proceeding in the direction of scanning and when there is a scanning signal on a scanning line related to a pixel unit in the next row of a present pixel unit, the compensation circuit of the present pixel unit works on a sub electrode of the present pixel unit, such that a ratio of the voltage difference between the sub electrode and a common electrode to the voltage difference between a main electrode and the common electrode during a positive polarity inversion driving period equals a ratio of the voltage difference between the sub electrode and the common electrode to the voltage difference between the main electrode and the common electrode during a negative polarity inversion driving period. By means of the above, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present disclosure can obtain the effect of reduced color shift.
US09240151B2	Source driver and method for determining polarity of pixel voltage thereof A source driver and a method for determining polarity of pixel voltage thereof are provided. The source driver includes a data register unit, a plurality of data groups and a plurality of polarity determining units. The data register unit receives an image data signal and provides a plurality of display data. The data groups have at least two data channels respectively. The data channels are coupled to the data register unit to receive the corresponding display data and provide a plurality of pixel voltages. The polarity determining units are respectively coupled to the data channels corresponding to different data groups, and each of the polarity determining units determines whether to invert polarities of a part of the pixel voltages provided by the coupled data channels according to the received display data of the coupled data channels and previous display data corresponding to the received display data.
US09240149B2	Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same Disclosed are a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a method of fabricating the same, the LCD device having a dual link structure for reducing width of a line diverging section where data link wires diverge to come in contact with data lines. A set of data link wires are placed in a first layer and another set of data link wires are placed in a second layer so that the pitch between the data link wires can be reduced.
US09240145B2	Multi-display device and image display device A multi-display device includes an image-display-light emitting backlight which includes a light emitting element arranged in each of a plurality of areas to emit light to form planar light; and a light emission controller configured or programmed to generate emission luminance data, for each of the areas, to drive the light emitting element. The light emission controller includes a luminance correcting controller configured or programmed to correct the emission luminance data on the basis of installation directions of image display devices and connection information that is information on connection positions thereof.
US09240144B2	Liquid crystal display and local dimming control method thereof A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit including a plurality of light sources, the backlight unit providing light to a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, a backlight driving circuit that individually drives a plurality of previously determined blocks each including the light sources based on a dimming value of each of the blocks, and a local dimming control circuit that calculates a pixel gain value compensating for a luminance reduction resulting from the dimming value of each block and corrects the pixel gain value based on a grayscale saturation level of each block.
US09240139B2	Organic electroluminescent display device and method of driving the same An organic electroluminescent display device includes a plurality of pixels, each one of the plurality of pixels including: a switching transistor that is connected to a gate line and a data line; a driving transistor, wherein a data voltage of the data line passing through the switching transistor is reflected into a gate of the driving transistor; a sampling transistor that samples a threshold voltage of the driving transistor, wherein a gate of the sampling transistor is connected to a control line, and the sampled threshold voltage is reflected into the gate of the driving transistor; an initializing transistor, wherein a gate of the initializing transistor is connected to a previous or next gate line, and an initialization voltage passing through the initializing transistor is reflected into the gate of the driving transistor; and an organic light emitting diode that is connected to the driving transistor, wherein a driving current of the organic light emitting diode is adjusted according to a voltage of the gate of the driving transistor.
US09240138B2	Organic light emitting diode display device and method for driving the same An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device and a method are discussed. The OLED display device includes a display panel, a power supply unit for supplying drive voltages having different levels respectively corresponding to a user image display mode and an idle mode to power lines of a display panel in accordance with the user image display mode and the idle mode, respectively, a timing controller for controlling the power supply unit, to thereby control image display operations in accordance with the user image display mode and the idle mode, respectively, and a drive voltage generating unit for varying a level of a feedback voltage thereof in accordance with a predetermined feedback reference voltage select signal so that the same period of time is taken to generate the drive voltages upon a mode change to the user image display mode and a mode change to the idle mode, respectively.
US09240128B2	System and method for domain adaptation in question answering The present disclosure relates generally to question answering systems and methods and, particularly, to systems and methods for domain adaptation in question answering.
US09240125B2	Detecting roadway targets across beams The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting targets across beams at roadway intersections. Embodiments of the invention include tracking a target across a plurality of beams of a multiple beam radar system in a roadway intersection and updating track files for targets within a roadway intersection. Returns from a plurality of radar beams monitoring a roadway intersection are divided into range bins. Identified energy in the range bins is used to compute the position of targets within a roadway intersection. When the position of a target is computed, it is determined if the position is a new position for an existing target or if the position is the position of a new target.
US09240124B2	Traffic-volume prediction device and method Because a route selection model for traffic demand prediction of selecting a route from among travel routes in probe data cannot include other routes than the travel route in the probe data, it is not possible to predict a traffic volume on the route that has not been traveled. A traffic-volume prediction device includes a simple-network creation device that makes a simple network connecting principal intersections extracted from travelling loci in the collected probe data, a model creation device that determines a utility between the principal intersections based on the data of the travelling loci and calculates a selection probability for each principal intersection based on the utility, and a traffic-volume assignment device that distributes a traffic volume to the routes between the principal intersections according to the selection probability and uses the traffic volume for each route candidate to be a traffic demand prediction object.
US09240116B1	Integrated gas detection and vehicle telematics system Systems and methods for detecting chemical substance levels in surrounding environments using an integrated vehicle system are provided. A vehicle is equipped with a vehicle system comprising a detector component, a vehicle telematics component, and mobile gateway component. The detector component monitors a level of one or more chemical substances and determines that a threshold level of the one or more chemical substances has been detected. The vehicle telematics component generates an alert signaling detection of the threshold level of the one or more chemical substances. The alert may be communicated to one or more recipients including a command center. The alert may include, among other things, the level of the one or more chemical substances and the location of the vehicle. Communication of the alert and additional communications with the one or more recipients is facilitated by a mobile gateway component that provides access to a wireless communications network.
US09240115B2	Power transmission apparatus Disclosed is a power transmission apparatus to detect the deterioration state of a timing belt in use, thereby making it possible to detect at a high accuracy whether or not the timing belt reaches an exchanging time. The power transmission apparatus comprises a crankshaft pulley, an intake camshaft pulley, and a timing belt wound around the crankshaft pulley and the intake camshaft pulley. The timing belt contains a stress light emission material capable of emitting light when receiving an external force. The power transmission apparatus further comprises an optical sensor and an ECU. The optical sensor is disposed to measure light emitted from the timing belt. The ECU is operative to judge whether or not the timing belt is deteriorated and to judge that the timing belt reaches the exchanging time when the timing belt is judged to be deteriorated.
US09240113B2	Low-power security and intrusion monitoring system and method based on variation detection of sound transfer characteristic Disclosed are a method for measuring a acoustic transfer function of a predetermined space to be secured or monitored through a correlation between sound signals acquired from a sound source generating device and a sound measuring device and a method and a system for judging whether there is an intrusion object by using a difference between an initially set acoustic transfer function information and varied acoustic transfer function information by using the method for measuring the transfer function. In the present disclosure, when an object moves or an intrusion object is generated in a predetermined space, intrusion or no intrusion is monitored by variation of the acoustic transfer function varied by the intrusion object even though there is no noise generated by the intrusion object.
US09240110B2	Haptic footswitch treadle A haptic footswitch treadle for use in microsurgical systems is disclosed. The haptic footswitch treadle includes a haptic surface coupled to a pivotable treadle base and configured to convey vibratory haptic feedback to a surgeon. The haptic footswitch includes a positional sensor coupled to the treadle base and suspension elements and actuators positioned between the haptic surface and the treadle base. The actuators are configured to move the suspension elements and the haptic surface based on command signals generated by haptic software applications in response to data from the positional sensor.
US09240109B2	LED indicator for producing a light bar in a bargraph A led indicator has a bargraph and a lighting device arranged behind the bargraph and provided with a row of LEDs controlled to produce a light bar with a length which is variable as a function of the number of LEDs that are switched on along a lighting sense; the LEDs are arranged between screens, which are spaced apart from the lower surface of the bargraph and extend at least to reach an axis which starts from the immediately preceding led orthogonally to such a lower surface.
US09240107B2	Apparatus for receiving and dispensing bill and method for receiving and dispensing bill Disclosed herein are an apparatus for receiving and dispensing bills and a method for receiving and dispensing bills using the apparatus. The apparatus includes: a bill receiving or dispensing port which is provided in an ATM to receive or dispense bills; a carriage unit which clamps the bills received into the port or clamps the bills to be dispensed and transfers the bills to the port; a separation and piling unit which has a separation space in which the received bills wait for being separated individually from each other sheet-by-sheet, and a piling space in which the bills to be dispensed are piled; a carriage transfer unit which moves the carriage unit along a trajectory between the bill receiving or dispensing port and the separation and piling unit; and a controller which controls operation of the carriage unit, the separation and piling unit and the carriage transfer unit.
US09240103B2	Spin to win gaming device Various embodiments are directed to gaming machines, gaming systems, methods, and computer-readable media for presenting a multi-tiered promotional game having a promotional base game component, promotional bonus game component, and a cash giveaway component. According to one embodiment, the gaming system includes a player tracking system having a database of player gaming data that includes a record of multi-tiered promotional game entry points and multi-tiered promotional bonus game entry points. The gaming system also includes a plurality of gaming devices in communication with the player tracking system, wherein each gaming device presents a primary game. The gaming devices also include a secondary display associated with each gaming device, wherein the secondary display is capable of presenting a promotional base game or a promotional bonus game. The gaming system further includes a multi-tiered promotional game server in communication with the secondary display, wherein the multi-tiered promotional game server manages the promotional base game and the promotional bonus game.
US09240094B2	Rapid play poker gaming device Embodiments of this concept are directed to a video poker gaming device that deals five cards to a player and selects five more cards that represent the possible cards used in a later draw. From these ten cards, the gaming device if a winning combination above a threshold amount is possible. If such a winning combination is not possible, in some embodiments, the device automatically ends the game and deals a new hand. If a win over the threshold amount is possible, the gaming device allows the player to hold and draw cards. This increases the speed of play of the poker game and focuses game play on hands where winning combinations are likely.
US09240092B2	Hockey equipment vending machines Vending machines designed specifically for the sale and provision of large and potentially unusually shaped items, such as sporting goods, including an electronic system for the selection and sale of the vended items. In some examples, the vending machine includes multiple product storage areas designed for holding and vending varied goods such as hockey sticks, hockey stick blades, and related accessories, with each area separate and made accessible by the electronic system as appropriate based upon the purchased products selected by a user.
US09240090B2	Security shelving apparatus and method for securely storing and/or dispensing retail articles Systems and methods secure, store and/or dispense one or more retail items, and have at least one shelf and at least one product holder having a front portion, a back portion, a pusher paddle, at least one product stop ramp, and a level actuator. The systems and methods have a hinged front panel hinged, a blocker panel locatable in an engaged position or in an unengaged position, and at least one linkage connecting the front panel and the blocker panel, wherein the at least one portion of the level actuator is movable within the opening formed in the front panel to lift the associated forks above the stop ramp of the at least one product holder.
US09240089B2	Systems and methods for time variable financial authentication The systems and methods of the invention provide a technique for authenticating a finance related transaction. The method may include providing a token which contains a token counter, the token counter periodically advancing to generate a changing token value, the token counter being synchronized to a base counter that generates an authenticating value; transforming the token value into a token output sequence using logic; and outputting at least part of the token output sequence to an authenticating authority, the authenticating authority having access to the authenticating value. Further, the method includes the authenticating authority verifying the validity of the transaction based on the token output sequence and the authenticating value, from which the authenticating authority obtains a verification sequence using the logic, the verifying the validity including the authenticating authority comparing the token output sequence to the verification sequence to determine if there is a match between the token output sequence and the verification sequence.
US09240086B2	Banknote validator The present invention relates to the technical field of devices for reading/authenticating banknotes. The invention also concerns handheld devices, particularly those which may be used by visually impaired persons, to identify different banknote denominations. The present invention is aimed at providing a banknote validator that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art. The validator according to the invention may as well be used for validating a security document including a marking (like luminescent ink or pattern printed on said document, luminescent security thread or strip, for example) operable to glow with a specific color luminescence under appropriate UV light illumination. The invention further describes a method for identifying a denomination of a banknote having a test zone including a marking operable to glow with a specific color luminescence according to the denomination under appropriate UV light illumination.
US09240078B2	Electronic toll management Identifying a vehicle in a toll system includes accessing a set of toll transaction entries. Each entry in the set designates a toll transaction between a vehicle and the toll system and includes a transaction descriptor and a transaction time stamp. A series of toll transaction pictures is accessed. The series includes a plurality of pictures, each of which is associated with a picture time stamp. A toll transaction entry is identified from the set as a violation transaction entry based on the transaction descriptor. A toll transaction picture is selected from the series. The transaction time stamp of the violation transaction is compared, using a processing device, with the picture time stamp of the selected toll transaction picture. The selected toll transaction picture is identified as a violation picture corresponding to the violation transaction entry based on a result of the comparison.
US09240073B2	File format for representing a scene A file format that includes a constant section and a varying section. The constant section provides a referencing scheme that references the various components that comprise the scene, as well as a listing of attributes of the scene that are modifiable. Within the same file format, the varying section provides an overriding mechanism to modify the attributes that are available to be modified. Accordingly, the disclosed file format can access cached animated geometry directly and/or aggregate other files via the aforementioned referencing and sparse override semantics. This allows the same set of inspection, manipulation, and rendering tools to be used throughout the rendering pipeline, from asset creation to final rendering.
US09240068B2	Three-dimensional image processing apparatus and calibration method of the same A three-dimensional image processing apparatus and a calibration method of the same are disclosed. A display device displays two or more view images. A three-dimensional image filter is disposed at the front of the display device. The three-dimensional image filter has transmission regions and non-transmission regions which are alternately arranged. A controller adjusts positions of the non-transmission regions of the three-dimensional image filter based on a current position of a user and a reference switch mode. Upon detecting a user action to request movement of the non-transmission regions, the controller changes the reference switch mode in response to the user action and adjusts the positions of the non-transmission regions of the three-dimensional image filter based on the changed reference switch mode.
US09240065B2	Image processing apparatus and image processing method There is provided an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit which performs image processing on each of a plurality of images of a same subject having different resolutions, and an image combining unit which combines an image processing result of each of the plurality of images obtained by the image processing unit.
US09240064B2	Image processing device, method for controlling image processing device, program, and information storage medium Provided is an image processing device capable of obtaining a trimming image including a characteristic part of a target image without having a person to select the characteristic part of the target image. A setting unit sets a plurality of trimming candidate areas in a target image. A calculation unit calculates, with respect to each of a plurality of trimming candidate areas, a total value of edge amounts of pixels in the trimming candidate area. A determination unit determines a trimming area from among the plurality of trimming candidate areas, based on the total value of each of the plurality of trimming candidate areas. An obtaining unit obtains an image in the trimming area.
US09240062B2	Node arranging apparatus, node arranging method, and storage medium A node arranging apparatus includes: a node arranging unit that arranges, in a virtual three-dimensional space, nodes indicated by inter-node information stored in an inter-node information storage unit; a node moving unit that moves each node using a movement amount and a movement direction of that node determined by arrangement relationship of that node with a first plane, arrangement relationship with another node arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space, and arrangement relationship with at least one other node associated therewith by the inter-node information and arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space; a display information generating unit that generates display information of a node connection image where nodes are projected and connected; and an output unit that outputs the display information. The node moving unit repeatedly performs at least once the node moving process until a predesignated condition is satisfied.
US09240057B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program Whether or not a received drawing instruction is an instruction which needs an arithmetic operating process with a background portion is discriminated. When it is determined that the received drawing instruction is not the instruction which needs the arithmetic operating process with the background portion, the drawing instruction is converted into a drawing command and transmitted to a printing apparatus, and the received drawing instruction is stored as intermediate data. When it is determined that the received drawing instruction is the instruction which needs the arithmetic operating process with the background portion, the intermediate data which relates to the received drawing instruction is extracted from the intermediate data stored by the storing step, a drawing command in which the arithmetic operating process of the received drawing instruction has been executed to the extracted intermediate data is formed and transmitted to the printing apparatus.
US09240056B2	Video retargeting Videos are retargeted to a target display for viewing with little to no geometric distortion or video information loss. Salient regions of video frames may be determined using scale-space spatiotemporal information. Video information loss may be a result of spatial loss, due to cropping, and resolution loss, due to resizing. A desired cropping window may be determined using a coarse-to-fine searching strategy. Video frames may be cropped with a window that matches an aspect ratio of the target display, and resized isotropically to match a size of the target display.
US09240055B1	Symmetry-based interpolation in images The aspects described herein relate to replacing pixels in images in order to remove obstructions from images. In one example, an image of a scene having symmetrical features and image information identifying at least one pixel of the image corresponding to a hole to be filled may be received. This hole may correspond to an obstruction in the image. A set of symmetry axes may be identified based on the symmetrical features. A symmetry map identifying correspondences between different pixels in the image based on the set of symmetry axes may be generated. A correspondence between the at least one pixel corresponding to a hole to be filled and a second pixel of the image is identified based at least in part on the symmetry map and the image information. The at least one pixel may be altered based on the identified correspondence in order to remove the obstruction.
US09240053B2	Target tracking An apparatus and a method are disclosed for tracking a plurality of targets (e.g. land-based vehicles). The method can include: for a first time-step, estimating a state of each respective target; at a second time-step, measuring values for a state of each target; for the second time-step, estimating a state of each target using the estimated target states for the first time-step; updating the estimated target states for the second time-step by performing a Joint Probabilistic Data Association process using the measured values; and performing an identity management process to estimate a probability that a particular state measurement corresponds to a particular.
US09240046B2	Method and system to assist 2D-3D image registration Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method that is able to automatically provide a starting point for 2D to 3D image registration, without relying on human recognition of features shown in the 2D image. This is achieved by pre-processing the 3D data to obtain synthetically generated 2D images of those parts of the 3D data volume which will be used for registration purposes. Many different synthetically generated 2D images of the or each part of the 3D volume are produced, each from a different possible viewing direction. Each of these synthetic images is then subject to a feature extraction process to extract characterizing feature data of the registration feature shown in the images. Once the feature extraction has been undertaken for each image, when registration is to be performed the real-time 2D image is processed by applying each of the sets of extracted features thereto, to try and identify which set best matches the registration features in the 2D image. For example, where a generalized Hough transform was used in the feature extraction, the R tables would be applied to the 2D image to obtain respective accumulation images. The accumulation images may then be ranked to identify which registration feature is shown in the 2-D image, and from which view direction. This gives the required information of which registration feature is being shown in the 2D image, and also the in-plane location and orientation. This information can then be used as a starting point for the 2D to 3D registration procedure.
US09240045B2	Image diagnosis device and control method thereof An image diagnosis device comprising: a positioning image collection unit configured to collect a positioning image for an object; a weight distribution estimation unit configured to estimate a weight distribution of the object from the collected positioning image; a top board sagging amount estimation unit configured to estimate an amount of sagging of a top board on which the object is placed, from the estimated weight distribution; and an alignment adjustment unit configured to perform alignment for each captured image of the object, based on the estimated amount of sagging of the top board.
US09240044B2	Drug solution inspection device and drug solution inspection method A drug solution inspection device includes a jig that mounts thereon a syringe containing a drug solution, an imaging unit that captures an image of the syringe mounted on the jig, an exposure unit that performs exposure on the syringe mounted on the jig, and a first control unit that controls the imaging unit and the exposure unit to acquire inspection information. In order to inspect an amount of the drug solution in the syringe, the first control unit transmits the captured image of the syringe while changing an exposure state of the exposure unit.
US09240039B2	Method for fast test strip intensity recognition Techniques for fast and accurate measuring test strip intensities are disclosed herein. A method for measuring a test strip intensity comprising steps of obtaining an image of a sample line in a test strip and a plurality of reference lines, wherein the reference lines have known intensities; determining grayscale values of the sample line and the reference lines from the image; constructing a standard curve based on the grayscale values versus the known intensities of the reference lines; and determining the intensity of the sample line by fitting the grayscale value of the sample line on the standard curve.
US09240034B2	Biomedical data analysis on heterogeneous platform Methods and apparatus for biomedical data analysis to produce enhanced images of tubular structures are disclosed. A Gaussian convolution of an input image is used to calculate a Hessian matrix. An Eigen decomposition of the Hessian matrix produces eigenvectors and eigenvalues, which are sorted to determine bright tubular structure detection according to high and low values that represent brightness, and structure shape. A tubularity computation calculates the probability of a voxel of interest being part of a tubular network. Embodiments may be implemented to share computer resources such as between a computer processing unit (CPU) and a graphic processing unit (GPU).
US09240032B2	Multi-modality deformable registration A method, system, and computer program product are provided for performing a multi-modal deformable imaging registration between two different modalities for which a functional dependency is missing or very difficult to identify. The method provides a nonlinear mapping between every pair of points in the two image modalities by calculating the nonlinear mapping for only a limited number of identifiable landmarks within the two modalities and a statistical deformation model of the structure of interest. The method comprises: calculating a mean deformation and a plurality of deformation mode Eigen vectors for a body structure from images from the same imaging mode with different deformation states for a plurality of subjects; performing a registration of a limited number of uniquely identifiable landmark points between images from two different imaging modalities for the same subject to calculate the deformation field for the landmarks from the images; determining weights for each deformation mode Eigen vector using deformation field values at the landmarks with the mean deformation and the deformation mode vectors; and summing the mean deformation field and the linear combination of the weighted deformation mode vectors to determine the deformation field between the different imaging modes for all the points within the images.
US09240030B2	Method and mechanism for performing both server-side and client-side rendering of visual data Disclosed is an approach for providing an improved approach for rendering graphics that can utilize both server-side rendering and client-side rendering for the same display frame. In this way, the different visual objects within the same frame can be rendered using either approach, either at the server or at the client.
US09240029B2	Street level video simulation display system and method A system and method are disclosed for displaying video on a computing device for navigation and other purposes. Video data is collected by traveling along roads in a geographic area and storing the video data along with data indicating the positions at which the video data had been captured. This captured video data is then used in navigation systems and other devices that provide navigation, routing, or other features. A video is presented to a user on the display of a navigation system (or other device). An application associated with the navigation system uses the previously captured video data to create the video shown to the user. The application selects that video data that shows the end user's position from a vantage point. The application further superimposes an indication on the video at a location that corresponds to the position of the end user.
US09240027B2	Systems and methods for establishing communication between an interpreter and a service recipient A representative a scheduler and telecommunication provider manager has instructions that are stored in memory and executed by a processing device. The instructions includes the logics of receiving a request for a date, time, and an availability of an interpreter having at least one language interpretation to schedule a interpretation service assignment from the plurality of computing devices associated with the at least one service recipient; receiving authorization of a interpretation service assignment from the plurality of computing devices associated with the at least one insurance carrier based on the requested date, time, and availability of the interpreter; responsive to receiving the authorization of the interpretation service assignment, scheduling the interpretation service assignment based on the requested date, time, and the availability of the interpreter; determining whether to activate a telecommunication connection between the plurality of the computing devices associated with the interpreter and service recipient based on the requested date, time, and the availability of the interpreter; and responsive to determining that the telecommunication connection is activated, establishing the telecommunication connection between the plurality of the computing devices associated with the interpreter and service recipient by way of the scheduler and telecommunication provider server.
US09240026B2	Forward-looking transactive pricing schemes for use in a market-based resource allocation system Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system. In this embodiment, a desired performance value indicative of a user's desired performance level for an electrical device is received. Price information from an electricity futures market is received. A bid value for purchasing electricity from a local resource allocation market sufficient to operate the electrical device at the desired performance level is computed. In this embodiment, the computing is performed based at least in part on the desired performance value and based at least in part on the price information from the electricity futures market.
US09240023B1	Precomputing processes associated with requests Processes from a set of processes for use at a second triggering event may be processed by performing a subset of the set of processes in response to a first triggering event to obtain a first result. A remainder of the set of processes may be processed in response to the second triggering event occurring after the first triggering event, and using the first result, to obtain a second result.
US09240020B2	Method of recommending content via social signals A method for recommending content via social signals is provided. Two different content sets having content objects that have content-identifying information are received from separate content providers. Social graph information is received from a service provider. A portion of the first content set and a portion of the second content set are aggregated based at least in part on the social graph information, thereby generating a third content set.
US09240019B2	Location information exchange between vehicle and device Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete vehicle ecosystem.
US09240018B2	Method and system for maintaining and reporting vehicle occupant information The present disclosure describes an occupant information module that reports, to a third party, occupant information regarding a vehicle occupant.
US09240017B2	Guide based content services Systems are described for a guide of audio, video, multimedia transmission, receiving and playback with advertising and bi-directional fulfillment of goods and services over the Internet. A method of streaming content distribution includes creating data on streaming content; creating data on network locations of streaming content; creating data on access characteristics; locating a source of streaming content with a with a streaming content guide; and starting playback of streaming content from the source of streaming content. A streaming content distribution system includes a streaming content guide through which a user locates a source of streaming content and starts playback of streaming content; data on streaming content; data on network locations of streaming content; and data on access characteristics.
US09240015B2	Method and system for synchronizing delivery of promotional material to computing devices A system and method for identifying, managing, and synchronizing delivery and storage of promotional material to computing devices associated with a user. The system and method are configured to receive a request from one or more of the user's computing devices to synchronize the delivery of the promotional material to at least a portion of the user's device portfolio. Advantageously, tile action triggering the sending of the synchronization request may include an interaction with the promotional material or an interaction with a web service application.
US09240014B1	Method and apparatus for promotion of users in rules-based virtual worlds The present invention relates generally to the field of computer and network software, and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for promoting and rewarding users within a rules-based virtual world system in accordance with personalized/customized/user-generated content and/or virtual spaces. According to some aspects, the invention allows users to customize virtual content and activities in a manner that drives traffic to their own virtual spaces or those of other users or partners within the system. According to other aspects, the invention provides mechanisms to reward users whose customized content and activities drive a certain level of traffic to partner sites and/or their own virtual spaces. According to further aspects, the invention enables users to promote their customized virtual spaces and/or customized content and activities outside their own circle of friends, and to users of the system as a whole.
US09240011B2	Systems and methods to communicate with transaction terminals A transaction terminal is configured with an application that is configured to present a user interface for out-of-band communication with a transaction handler during the processing of a payment transaction. The transaction handler is configured invoke the application in the transaction terminal via transmitting a predetermined code in an authorization response message.
US09240008B2	Method for providing mobile service using code-pattern A method and apparatus for providing a mobile service with the use of a code pattern is disclosed In one embodiment, the method comprising: taking a photograph of a code pattern image, decoding the photographed code pattern image so as to obtain code information, extracting uniform resource locator (URL) information corresponding to the code information, transmitting a content information request message to a service provider server corresponding to the URL information, and receiving content information corresponding to the URL information from the service provider server. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide various and convenient mobile services to mobile terminal users using a mobile terminal, having a camera, and a code pattern containing the URL information.
US09240006B2	Wireless transactions for enhancing customer experience Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for facilitating a wireless transaction by coupling or associating an identifier to a location. The identifier is read, retrieved, or received by a customer's wireless communication device to connect to a POS terminal. Once connected, the wireless communication device sends a location identifier to the POS terminal, so that the POS terminal can associate the wireless communication device with the location. Once an association is established, the POS terminal then presents options. The POS terminal receives selections, and alerts a staff member of selections and the location. In many instances, the POS terminal also adds the selection to a bill or an invoice.
US09240003B1	System and method for supporting a product via a user-based community The invention relates to a method to provide product support. The method steps include storing mentor information received from at least one mentor to create a volunteer mentor network, where the at least one mentor volunteers to assist a plurality of users with a product, and where mentor information comprises a reported expertise with the product and availability of the at least one mentor to provide product support, tracking a status of the at least one mentor to determine current availability to provide product support, receiving user data, where user data comprises information concerning a focus of a user in the product, identifying an applicable mentor based on the volunteer mentor network and user data, and displaying the applicable mentor to the user.
US09239999B2	System and method for random voice communications through a social network A system and method for establishing voice connections between users of a social network. User access is granted to a social network through a VoIP phone. The social network is navigated based on user input. The user is directly connected to a second user randomly for voice communications based on an authorization.
US09239996B2	Method and apparatus for clearing cloud compute demand Provided are systems and methods for simplifying cloud compute markets. A compute marketplace can be configured to determine, automatically, attributes and/or constraints associated with a job without requiring the consumer to provide them. The compute marketplace provides a clearing house for excess compute resources which can be offered privately or publically. The compute environment can be further configured to optimize job completion across multiple providers with different execution formats, and can also factor operating expense of the compute environment into the optimization. The compute marketplace can also be configured to monitor jobs and/or individual job partitions while their execution is in progress. The compute marketplace can be configured to dynamically redistribute jobs/job partitions across providers when, for example, cycle pricing changes during execution, providers fail to meet defined constraints, excess capacity becomes available, compute capacity becomes unavailable, among other options.
US09239995B2	System and method for generating vehicle drive cycle profiles A system and method for generating vehicle drive cycles. Information describing a path of travel and a vehicle are received from a user. A detailed representation of the path of travel is obtained. Road condition information for segments of the path of travel is obtained, and the path of travel is verified as being traversable by the described vehicle. This information is used to generate a drive cycle profile, which contains at least the simulated path traversed by the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle along segments of the path, and any ambient conditions taken into account when predicting the speed of the vehicle.
US09239992B2	Method and system for generating 3D seating maps Embodiments of systems and methods are described for allowing a user to purchase a ticket. In some implementations, a system comprises a data store and a processor. The data store stores one or more program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform several functions. For example, the processor constructs first data configured to cause an application executing on a computing device to generate a three-dimensional graphical representation of a venue in a first view, receives a selection of a section of seats in the venue from the application, and constructs second data configured to cause the application to generate a graphical representation of the selected section in the first view. The graphical representation of the selected section comprises a graphical representation of rows of seats in the selected section and an image representative of a view from a selected row.
US09239991B2	Services support system and method A system and method for remotely supporting users includes receiving identification information of a potential problem with a remotely located equipment from a user and responding to receiving the identification information by providing a recommended work scope to the user. The recommended work scope includes a recommended series of actions to perform to at least one of repair or replace a component subsystem and an instructional representation for display on a mobile device. The first instructional representation both illustrates the series of actions to perform and includes at least one annotation to represent an alert to the user that is related to the action being illustrated. The first instructional representation includes images, videos, and/or a combination thereof that are displayed on the mobile device to guide the user through the recommended work scope.
US09239990B2	Hybrid location using pattern recognition of location readings and signal strengths of wireless access points A query device scans radio frequencies for visible transmitting devices. The querying device receives at least a signal strength and identifier information associated with each of the transmitting devices. The list of visible devices is used to query a database containing location information for a plurality of visible devices. The list may be sent to a locationing system that may perform a location analysis on the resulting data to return a location to the query device. The weighted average of the locations returned in the database query may be computed to determine the location of the querying device, with the weight for each of the locations being the current signal strength detected by the querying device. Neural network analysis may also be used to determine the location of the querying device. Learning and seeding operations many also be used to populate the database with location information for transmitting devices.
US09239989B2	Computer-implemented system with adaptive cognitive features and method of using the same A computer-implemented system includes an edge module and at least one input device coupled to the edge module. The at least one input device is configured to generate data input signals. The system also includes a cognitive module coupled to the edge module. The cognitive module includes a perception sub-module coupled to the edge module. The perception sub-module is configured to receive the data input signals. The cognitive module also includes a learning sub-module coupled to the perception sub-module. The learning sub-module is configured to adaptively learn at least in part utilizing the data input signals.
US09239986B2	Assessing accuracy of trained predictive models A system includes a computer(s) coupled to a data storage device(s) that stores a training data repository and a predictive model repository. The training data repository includes retained data samples from initial training data and from previously received data sets. The predictive model repository includes at least one updateable trained predictive model that was trained with the initial training data and retrained with the previously received data sets. A new data set is received. A richness score is assigned to each of the data samples in the set and to the retained data samples that indicates how information rich a data sample is for determining accuracy of the trained predictive model. A set of test data is selected based on ranking by richness score the retained data samples and the new data set. The trained predictive model is accuracy tested using the test data and an accuracy score determined.
US09239975B2	Image forming apparatus performing a delay process when a number of sheets printed in a unit of time is equal to or greater than a reference number Image forming apparatus includes: image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, and controller for controlling the image forming unit. The controller includes process modules to carry out: counting process for performing counting in accordance with the number of sheets printed by the image forming unit; first bias applying process for setting a developing bias to be applied to the developer carrier to a first bias if a count value in the counting process has not reached a predetermined threshold value; bias changing process for changing the developing bias to a second bias whose absolute value is smaller than that of the first bias if the count value has reached the threshold value; and delaying process for causing an execution timing of the bias changing process to be delayed if the number of sheets printed in a unit of time is not smaller than a reference number.
US09239966B2	Method and device for watermarking a sequence of images, method and device for authenticating a sequence of watermarked images and corresponding computer program A method for watermarking a sequence of images is provided. The method implements the following steps, for at least one current image: comparing the current image with a preceding image of the sequence, delivering a difference image representing a motion between the preceding image and the current image; if the difference between the current image and the preceding image is above a predetermined threshold, watermarking the current image by inserting a message comprising a field carrying an identifier of the current image and a field carrying a soft hash obtained from at least one portion of the difference image; and if not, watermarking the current image by inserting a message comprising a field carrying an identifier of the current image.
US09239961B1	Text recognition near an edge The recognition of text in an acquired image is improved by using general and type-specific heuristics that can determine the likelihood that a portion of the text is truncated at an edge of an image, frame, or screen. Truncated text can be filtered such that the user is not provided with an option to perform an undesirable task, such as to dial an incorrect number or connect to an incorrect Web address, based on recognizing an incomplete text string. The general and type-specific heuristics can be combined to improve confidence, and the image data can be pre-processed on the device before processing with an optical character recognition (OCR) engine. Multiple frames can be analyzed to attempt to recognize words or characters that might have been truncated in one or more of the frames.
US09239955B2	Method and system for vehicle classification A method and system of vehicle classification, and more particularly to a method and system called hierarchical vehicle classification system using a video and/or video image, a method and system of vehicle classification using a vehicle ground clearance measurement system, and method and system for classification of passenger vehicles and measuring their properties, and more particularly to capturing a vehicle traveling along a road from a single camera and classifying the vehicle into a vehicle class.
US09239953B2	Contextualization of machine indeterminable information based on machine determinable information A system for contextualizing machine indeterminable information based on machine determinable information may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store an electronic document image which may include information determinable by a machine and information indeterminable by a machine. The processor may be operative to receive, via the interface, the electronic document image. The processor may determine the machine determinable information of the electronic document image and may identify the machine indeterminable information of the electronic document image. The processor may contextualize the machine indeterminable information based on the machine determinable information. The processor may present the contextualized machine indeterminable information to the user to facilitate interpretation thereof. In response thereto, the processor may receive, via the interface, data representative of a user determination associated with the machine indeterminable information.
US09239948B2	Feature descriptor for robust facial expression recognition A method and system for generating a feature descriptor for robust facial expression recognition pre-processes a facial image using a Gaussian filter to smooth the facial image. Then, gradient based images at M scales and N orientations are generated from the pre-processed facial image. Further, a portion of an image corresponding to each action unit is selected from each of the gradient based images. Thereafter, appearance of at least one facial event in the selected portion of the image is captured. Also, a geometry of the at least one facial event in the selected portion of image is determined to obtain a feature descriptor for each action unit for robust facial expression recognition.
US09239947B2	Face detection method A method for detecting faces in an image having a plurality of picture elements, each having a plurality of color components in a predetermined color space, includes determining an extended range for color component values, in the color space, in which a skin tone area is likely to be detected, defining intervals for the color component values, in the color space, covering at least part of the extended range, and scanning each of the intervals to detect a skin tone area. If a skin tone area is detected, the method includes selecting the intervals in which a skin tone area is detected, defining candidate limited ranges for color component values, in the color space, from the selected intervals, performing face detection on a skin tone area in at least some of the candidate limited ranges, and selecting a chosen candidate limited range based on the number of faces detected.
US09239946B2	Method and apparatus for detecting and processing specific pattern from image In an image within which a face pattern is detected, when a ratio of a skin color pixel is equal to or smaller than a first threshold value in a first region and a ratio of a skin color pixel is equal to or greater than a second threshold value in a second r region, the vicinity of the first region is determined to be a face candidate position at which the face pattern can exist. Face detection is carried out on the face candidate position. The second region is arranged in a predetermined position relative to the first region.
US09239945B2	Biometric authentication apparatus and biometric authentication method A biometric authentication apparatus includes: a storage unit which stores representative matching data representing features of biometric information of a registered user and representing conditions of a designated body part of the registered user, each representing one of at least two different portions of a variation range over which the condition of the body part containing the registered user's biometric information varies due to cyclic environmental variations; a biometric information acquiring unit which generates a biometric image representing biometric information of a user; a matching data generating unit which generates, from the biometric image, input matching data that represents the features of the biometric information of the user; a matching unit which matches the input matching data against at least one of the representative matching data; and an authentication judging unit which judges, based on a result of the matching, whether the user is to be authenticated or not.
US09239944B2	Biometric information registration device and biometric information registration method The quality of biometric information that will be input the next time is estimated. Estimated matching quality information is calculated which indicates the degree of matching between estimated quality information and quality information of the actually input biometric information. Further, past quality information is calculated which indicates how the quality of a plurality of pieces of estimated matching quality information varied in the past. Then, whether or not the biometric information is to be registered is determined according to the estimated matching quality information and the past quality information.
US09239942B2	Apparatus, system and method for extending the field area of a device equipped with a high-frequency reader A structure for extending the field area of a device equipped with an RF tag reader. The structure can include at least one reader coupling area for inductively coupling with an RF tag reader, and at least one tag coupling area for inductively coupling with an RF tag, wherein the tag coupling area is disposed outside the field area of the RF tag reader, and the reader coupling area is conductively coupled to the tag coupling area such that a signal induced in the reader coupling area by the RF reader creates a signal in the tag coupling area, thereby inducing a signal in the tag, and allowing the RF reader to communicate with the tag.
US09239940B2	Chip-and-pin reader device The invention provides a chip-and-PIN reader device having a slot for accommodating a chip-and-PIN card, a set of electrodes adapted to come into contact with corresponding electrodes on the card when the card is inserted into the slot, and a means for ensuring correct registration between the electrodes on the card and the set of electrodes of the reader device. The means for ensuring correct registration may include two orthogonally disposed walls of the slot, against which the card is pushed. Alternatively, the means may include a pair of electrodes on each side of the set of electrodes of the reader, which are short-circuited when the chip electrodes are not correctly registered with the reader electrodes. The short-circuit is flagged to the user of the card. The reader may also be equipped to read an MSR-type device.
US09239932B2	Secure handling of user related information between web applications Methods and arrangements in a client node and a server node for supporting secure handling of information related to a user, said information being stored by the server node and comprising certain data. The user is assumed to be authenticated towards the server node and to employ a first and a second web application in a web browser supporting cross-Origin resource sharing. The methods and arrangements involve determining whether the first web application is permitted to access the certain data owned by the second web application, and allowing or denying the first web application to access the certain data, based on whether the first web application is permitted to access the data. The methods and arrangements further involve providing user input related to a permission for accessing the certain data, to the server node, and establishing and declaring a mutual trust relation between the first and the second web application.
US09239926B2	Static analysis for discovery of timing attack vulnerabilities in a computer software application Discovering timing attack vulnerabilities in a computer software application by statically analyzing instructions of a computer software application to identify multiple possible execution paths traversing any of the instructions, calculating, for each of the possible execution paths, a cost associated with the execution of the instructions traversed by the possible execution path, comparing the costs of at least two of the possible execution paths having inputs of the same size, and identifying as a timing attack vulnerability any of the compared possible execution paths whose cost differs, by at least a predetermined amount, from the cost of any other of the compared possible execution paths.
US09239919B2	Authentication processing device for performing authentication processing The present invention is to enable a user to input authentication information without burden, such that the user only has to memorize part of the authentication information even when inputting lengthy authentication information in order to ensure high-level security. When an operation of inputting and arranging authentication information in an information arrangement region is performed in a state where an arrangement status of a specified portion in the information arrangement region is set in advance as partial-authentication reference information in a reference authentication information memory, a CPU detects an arrangement status of the specified portion from an overall arrangement status in the information arrangement region, and performs, as partial authentication, processing of matching the detected arrangement status of the specified portion and the arrangement status of the specified portion set as the partial-authentication reference information.
US09239916B1	Using spatial diversity with secrets A method is used in using spatial diversity with secrets. A spatially diverse presentation is presented. A reaction of a user to the spatially diverse presentation is received and analyzed. The analysis is used as a basis for helping to determine whether the user has knowledge of a secret.
US09239912B1	Method, manufacture, and apparatus for content protection using authentication data A method, apparatus, and manufacture for content protection using authentication data. A client media player is employed to determine whether media content is protected. The client media player includes an application, and further includes a media engine that is a distinct program from the application. Upon determining that the media content is protected, the application is employed to get a key and/or a license for the protected media content such that authentication data is employed to authorize the client. The authentication data includes at least one of a software token or a cookie. The application is employed to instruct the media engine to play the media content. The key and/or the license is sent from the application to the media engine.
US09239910B2	System and method for preventing the leaking of digital content There are disclosed a system and method for preventing the leaking of digital content. The system for preventing the leaking of digital content may include a digital content layer generation unit for generating a digital content layer displaying digital content, a security layer generation unit for generating a security layer including security information based on information about a user terminal, and an information display unit for displaying the security layer generated by the security layer generation unit and the digital content layer generated by the digital content layer generation unit in the display device of the user terminal in an overlapping form so that the security information looks like overlapping with the digital content. Accordingly, the illegal leaking of digital content through photographing or screen capture can be prevented.
US09239908B1	Managing organization based security risks A method and system is used in managing organization based security risks. Organization based information is analyzed for information that is suitable for use in attacking a user in the organization. The organization based information comprises user access information. Publicly available information is analyzed for information that is suitable for use in identifying the user within the organization. Based on the analyzes, there is derived a risk score for the user.
US09239903B2	Determination of output of biochemical reaction networks Provided are methods and devices for modeling biochemical reaction networks. A look up matrix is generated with a number of concentrations for each of the input molecules of the reaction network, coupled with calculated concentrations of the output molecules. Such a look up matrix, by itself or with further fitting, can then be used to predict the output of the reaction network for a given set of input molecule concentrations and can be used to determine the reaction time required for a reaction to reach equilibrium. Additionally, disease states and effects of pharmacological agents can be mathematically analyzed on the basis of comparing the relevant system matrices.
US09239901B2	Wiring board design system and wiring board design method An object of the present invention is to provide wiring board design system and wiring board design method to determine a component and a wiring pattern in real-time when designing a wiring on a circuit board. The wiring board design system provides a cloud service for a terminal which is used by users via a network. When to arrange components on the circuit board, while pushing out automatically wirings which are overlapped with the components on the arranging position, the wiring board design system secures a space on that can arrange the component. The wiring processing is performed automatically and the fine adjustment such as rotation, movement of arranged components is performed automatically if necessary. The processing for equalization is performed so as to be the equal wiring density on the circuit board.
US09239900B2	Method of repeater chip A design method of a repeater chip is provided, the repeater chip designed by using the method can implement interconnection among nodes, and implement packet sequence receiving, classifying, storing, forwarding, sorting, and transmitting functions of the repeater chip, thereby implementing effective extension of a high-speed transmission link among the nodes, so as to reduce hardware design difficulties and design risks. The structure of the repeater chip is formed by: an interface detecting unit, a sequence storing unit, a sequence forwarding unit, a sequence determining unit, and a sequence sorting unit.
US09239897B2	Hierarchical testing architecture using core circuit with pseudo-interfaces A core circuit that can be connected in a hierarchical manner, and configured to test a multiple circuits is disclosed. The core circuit includes at least one real input for receiving scan-in data for controlling operation of the core circuit. The core circuit further includes an input register coupled to the at least one real input and configured to store data. The core circuit further includes at least one scan chain coupled a subset if registers of the register chain and configured to generate scan-out data representing the presence of faults in an circuit. Furthermore, the core circuit includes at least one control pseudo-output coupled to the input register and configured to route at least a subset of the data to another register chain in the core circuit or to another core circuit.
US09239894B2	Systems and methods for predicting failures in power systems equipment Certain embodiments herein are directed to systems and methods to predict failures in power systems equipment. In one embodiment, one or more life-span models associated with power systems equipment may be received. Examples of such life-span models may include a left-censoring model, a right-censoring model, and an interval-censoring model. An accuracy of the life-span models may be determined based at least in part on statistical analysis, such as a Weibull distribution analysis. A stability of the life-span models may also be determined, in certain embodiments herein.
US09239892B2	X-ray vision for buildings Embodiments of the present invention include a method for generating a skeletal view of a building including receiving location information and spatial orientation information for a computing device. Further, a field of view may be determined based on the location information and spatial orientation information. The computing device may then receive information about a building at a location near the computing device, and identify a structure in the field of view of the computing device. Based on the information about the building, the structure, and the field of view, a graphical representation of the structure may be prepared and displayed.
US09239889B2	Adaptive search and navigation through semantically aware searching Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for semantically aware adaptive searching and navigation of application data. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for semantically aware adaptive searching and navigation of application data is provided. The method includes associating different tags with different data of a database of unstructured data, each of the different tags corresponding to selected semantics of different objects encapsulating data for a data driven application executing in memory of a host computing system. The method also includes applying in the memory of the host computing system a filter operation to both the tags of the unstructured data and also the different objects, using filter criteria corresponding to one or more semantics of the different objects. Finally, the method includes displaying in a user interface to the data driven application a result set from the filter operation.
US09239885B2	Acquiring data for processing using location information An information processing apparatus generates first location information about a location of at least a part of data as a target of predetermined processing and second location information about a location of location information corresponding to a part different from the part, and transmits the generated first and second location information to a processing apparatus which executes the predetermined processing for the data.
US09239883B2	Searching system having a server which automatically generates search data sets for shared searching A system has a primary server storing search data sets (“staks”) and a linked social network server.
US09239872B2	Data store organizing data using semantic classification Data stores that store content units and annotations regarding the content units derived through a semantic interpretation of the content units. When annotations are stored in a database, different parts of an annotation may be stored in different tables of the database. For example, one or more tables of the database may store all semantic classifications for the annotations, while one or more other tables may store content of all of the annotations. A user may be permitted to provide natural language queries for searching the database. A natural language query may be semantically interpreted to determine one or more annotations from the query. The semantic interpretation of the query may be performed using the same annotation model used to determine annotations stored in the database. Semantic classifications and format of the annotations for a query may be the same as one or more annotations stored in the database.
US09239866B2	Method, system and device for connecting similar users Methods, systems and devices for automatically connecting similar users wherein similarity is based on live audio listening information. The method comprises receiving and storing audio listening information at a server for a plurality of users and identifying the audio the user is currently listening to. The server uses the stored information to automatically generate a list of users similar to a particular user. The similarity between users can be based on audio users are currently listening to, so that the list of similar users comprises a list of users currently listening to the same audio as the particular user. The server filters the list of similar users to a specific geographic area, such as a town. The server then provides the particular user with information on the similar users which may enable the particular user to communicate with the similar users publicly or privately.
US09239863B2	Method and apparatus for graphic code database updates and search Methods and apparatuses for updating and searching a graphic code are disclosed. The apparatus receives a graphic query request carrying a graphic code to be searched. If no product information corresponding to the graphic code is found in the graphic code database, the apparatus searches for a recommended keyword corresponding to the graphic code; if a recommended keyword is found, the apparatus returns the recommended keyword, and if not found, returns a search box. The apparatus then receives a search request carrying a search keyword, and, if the search keyword is determined to be inconsistent with the recommended keyword corresponding to the graphic code, makes the search keyword a new recommended keyword of the graphic code, and adds the new recommended keyword to the graphic code database.
US09239860B1	Augmenting virtual directories A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for linking data. In some embodiments, this includes creating a virtual directory in a first server, creating a symbolic link for an object in the virtual directory, and storing the symbolic link in the first server. In some embodiments, the symbolic link is unknown to a client until the client requests access to the object.
US09239856B2	Methods, systems, or apparatuses, to process, create, or transmit one or more messages relating to goods or services Embodiments of methods, systems, or apparatuses relating to data processing and more particularly to methods, systems, or apparatuses to process, create, or transmit, one or more messages relating to goods or services.
US09239851B1	Advanced database systems and methods Large-scale advanced database models, systems, and methods provide a responsive, scalable data storage solution which is ripe for use in data warehousing and analytics environments. These advanced database models, systems, and methods provide for dramatically increased performance in accessing data as well as increased storage capabilities in the data set.
US09239838B1	Scalable partitioning in a multilayered data service framework A method and system is provided for maintaining customer data in a data store system utilizing a scalable partitioning framework. More specifically, the data store of a customer service system is partitioned (divided) into multiple partitions by a partitionable key of customer data so that each partition owns a subset of the customer data. By maintaining several partitions that store a subset of the customer data exclusive to each other, blackout or brownout problems can be local to one partition and, thus, the availability for the entire system will be increased. Moreover, a set of partitionable keys, a minimal unit to be moved between partitions, is grouped and associated with a partition. By eliminating direct dependencies between the partitions and the partitionable keys, the system can have great flexibility with regard to migrating customer data between partitions and adding a new partition.
US09239835B1	Providing information to modules Providing information to a module is disclosed. A first query and one or more subject type concepts associated with the first query is received. A second query to be provided to the module based at least in part on the received first query and subject type concepts is determined. The second query is sent to the module.
US09239834B2	Systems, methods and apparatus for dynamic content management and delivery Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for linking virtual content to various types of object, such a static physical objects, through the use of triggers of varying formats. The virtual content can be updated by a content curator over time.
US09239833B2	Presenting translations of text depicted in images Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for presenting additional information for text depicted by an image. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an image. Text depicted in the image is identified. A presentation context is selected for the image based on an arrangement of the text depicted by the image. Each presentation context corresponds to a particular arrangement of text within images. Each presentation context has a corresponding user interface for presenting additional information related to the text. The user interface for each presentation context is different from the user interface for other presentation contexts. The user interface that corresponds to the selected presentation context is identified. Additional information is presented for at least a portion of the text depicted in the image using the identified user interface. The user interface can present the additional information in an overlay over the image.
US09239832B2	Modifying language of a user interface on a computing device A mechanism for modifying a language of a user interface in a computing device. A method includes receiving, by a computing device, a request to modify a first language of a user interface of the computing device to a second language. The user interface comprises text displayed in the first language. The method also includes converting, by the computing device, the first language of the user interface to the second language during runtime of the computing device without losing a session of a user of the computing device.
US09239829B2	Speech recognition device A speech recognition device includes: a speech recognition unit 23a that performs speech recognition for input speech; a reading information conversion data base in which a reading information conversion rule L is registered; a reading information conversion unit 27a that converts reading information of the word among the languages based on the rule L; and a speech recognition control unit 24a that performs control such that, when a word in a different language that is different from a predetermined language is included in a recognition subject vocabulary in which a speech recognition unit 23a refers to recognition subject word information E, the unit 27a converts the reading information in the different language into reading information in the predetermined language, and that the unit 23a performs the speech recognition that makes reference to the recognition subject word information of the corresponding word, including the converted reading information in the predetermined language.
US09239826B2	Method and system for generating new entries in natural language dictionary A method and computer system for analyzing a text corpus in a natural language is provided. An initial morphological description having word inflection rules for various groups of words in the natural language is created by a linguist. A plurality of text corpuses are analyzed to obtain information on the occurrence of a plurality of word forms for each word token in each text corpus. A morphological dictionary which contains information about each base form and word inflection rules for each word token with verified hypothesis is generated.
US09239824B2	Apparatus, method and computer readable medium for a multifunctional interactive dictionary database for referencing polysemous symbol sequences An embodiment of the present application is directed to an apparatus, method, and or computer readable medium for effectively storing an interactive dictionary database in a memory. The interactive dictionary database includes a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase. The method includes providing, in the interactive dictionary database, information useable to assign at least a subset of the plurality of symbol sequences at least one of an active and an inactive status.
US09239823B1	Identifying common co-occurring elements in lists One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for detecting correlations between terms. During operation, the system identifies one or more lists contained in one or more documents and identifies two terms co-occurring in the lists. The system further determines a correlation between the co-occurring terms, and places the co-occurring terms in a correlated-pair list based on the correlation.
US09239819B2	System and method of report rendering A report rendering system and method of filtering and navigating reports on mobile devices are provided. The report rendering system comprises a scene generator for generating a scene of a report in response to a request to view the report or a subset of the report and a navigation module for storing selected components within the scene. The method comprises the steps of generating a scene of a report in response to a request to view the report or a subset of the report and storing selected components within the scene.
US09239818B2	Image forming device for serving a web service and method thereof An image forming device includes a storage unit registering information on at least one server, a communication unit connected to at least one server registered in the storage via a network and receiving application information, a UI processing unit configuring an integrated UI displaying applications supported by at least one server, a display unit displaying the integrated UI and a control unit, if an application is selected from the integrated UI, requesting a web service to a server supporting the selected application. Therefore, convenience in the use of web services may increase.
US09239817B2	Managing web extension through manifest file A web extension is managed through a manifest file. An application managing the web extension receives attributes of the extension from a developer or metadata of the extension. A pointer to the web extension is inserted into the attributes. The pointer can be used as a link to activate the web extension. The attributes are stored in a manifest file formatted in extensible markup language (XML). The functionality of the web extension is managed based on the manifest file.
US09239815B2	Vehicle control system The present invention provides a vehicle control system, for example for use with an emergency services vehicle such as an ambulance, fire engine, police car or the like, and which provides enhanced security, functionality and improved fuel consumption for such vehicles when at the scene of a situation such as a fire, accident, or the like, the system being operable to permit an engine of the vehicle to remaining running while simultaneously immobilizing the vehicle. Furthermore when configurable parameters such as but not limited to battery levels and or internal vehicle temperatures are reached, such a control system, without any human interface, automatically shuts down the engine to reduce fuel burn, reduce emissions, reduce engine wear and maintenance and thereby promote a greener environment.
US09239813B2	Ring-pattern bus connected information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium In an information apparatus including a plurality of processing circuits connected to a ring bus, when processing speeds (throughput) of processing circuits are different or an amount of data in the processing circuit is increased or decreased, deadlock can occur or the throughput can be decreased in the ring bus. In order to solve this problem, a stall state of other processing unit is detected from a packet acquired from the ring bus and a packet is restricted from being newly generated by the processing circuit nor transmitted therefrom when other processing unit is in the stall state.
US09239812B1	System for and method of providing a universal I/O command translation framework in an application publishing environment A system and method of providing a universal input/output (I/O) command translation framework in an application publishing environment is disclosed. A client-server computing system includes a network of one or more host computers and an application server that further includes an application publishing service supporting multiple client devices and a translation framework that provides a set of generic public APIs. Using the translation framework, an application-specific translation layer is created and integrated into remote applications, which enables I/O commands from client devices to be interpreted by remote applications whose control functions only exist internally (i.e., controls are private). The application-specific translation layer also receives the I/O commands of the client devices that may be generated via touch-based user input. Then, the application-specific translation layer translates the client I/O commands to the native internal control functions of the remote application.
US09239808B2	Serial interface for FPGA prototyping In aspects of serial interface for FPGA prototyping, an advanced crossbar interconnect (AXI) bridge structure enables serial data communication between field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) in a system-on-chip (SoC). The AXI bridge structure includes a parallel interface configured to receive AXI data signals from an AXI component implemented at a first FPGA. A transmit (TX) engine is configured to packetize the AXI data signals into an AXI data packet, and transmit the AXI data packet to a second FPGA via a serial link. The AXI bridge structure also includes a receive (RX) engine configured to receive an additional AXI data packet from the second FPGA via the serial link, and extract AXI data signals from the additional AXI data packet. The parallel interface is further configured to provide the additional AXI data signals to the AXI component.
US09239807B2	Providing bus resiliency in a hybrid memory system In a hybrid memory system that includes a host memory controller and a non-volatile memory DIMM, where the DIMM is coupled to the host memory controller by a memory bus, the DIMM includes non-volatile memory, a DIMM bus adapter, and a local memory controller, the local memory controller is configured to control memory accesses within the DIMM, the DIMM bus adapter is configured to adapt the local memory controller to the bus for memory communications with the host memory controller in accordance with a bus protocol, bus resiliency may be provided by: discovering, by the DIMM bus adapter, a memory error in the DIMM; providing, by the DIMM bus adapter to the host memory controller, an indication of an error by emulating a hardware error native to the bus protocol; and performing, by the host memory controller, one or more resiliency measures responsive to the indication of the error.
US09239805B2	Driverless data transfer device The present invention includes a driverless data transfer device and method for accessing and downloading item data from an item storage unit associated with an item. The driverless data transfer device includes, inter alia, a data downloading unit configured to download the item data, an interface unit for transferring the downloaded data to an item checking unit via a communications bus, and a decoder configured to decode said stored data to conform to data processing requirements of the item checking unit.
US09239803B2	Array object concurrency in STM A software transactional memory system is provided that creates an array of transactional locks for each array object that is accessed by transactions. The system divides the array object into non-overlapping portions and associates each portion with a different transactional lock. The system acquires transactional locks for transactions that access corresponding portions of the array object. By doing so, different portions of the array object can be accessed by different transactions concurrently. The system may use a shared shadow or undo copy for accesses to the array object.
US09239802B1	System and method for protecting a plug server using encryption techniques without internet connectivity Various systems, computer program products, and methods for securing a plug server and its data are described. According to the invention, the plug server will be protected via encryption when disconnected from the internet via a block level encryption device. The invention is particularly useful in environments where no internet connectivity exists, and teams must collaborate and collect data in remote regions of the world in a secure responsible manner.
US09239800B2	Automatic generation and distribution of policy information regarding malicious mobile traffic in a wireless network Systems and methods for automatically generating and distributing policy information for malicious mobile traffic in a wireless network are disclosed. One embodiment of a method which can be implemented on a system includes, aggregating suspicious activity information detected across multiple mobile devices in a wireless network, generating policy information for malicious mobile traffic using the suspicious activity information, and/or distributing the policy information among the multiple mobile devices or other mobile devices in the wireless network. The policy information can, for example, be distributed to wireless operators, mobile network carriers, or application service providers.
US09239798B2	Prefetcher with arbitrary downstream prefetch cancelation A prefetch cancelation arbiter improves access to a shared memory resource by arbitrarily canceling speculative prefetches. The prefetch cancelation arbiter applies a set of arbitrary policies to speculative prefetches to select one or more of the received speculative prefetches to cancel. The selected speculative prefetches are canceled and a cancelation notification of each canceled speculative prefetch is sent to a higher-level memory component such as a prefetch unit or a local memory arbiter that is local to the processor associated with the canceled speculative prefetch. The set of arbitrary policies is used to reduce memory accesses to the shared memory resource.
US09239796B2	Methods, systems, and computer readable media for caching and using scatter list metadata to control direct memory access (DMA) receiving of network protocol data Methods, systems, and computer readable media for caching and using scatter list metadata to control DMA receiving of network protocol data are described. According to one method, metadata associated with partially used scatter list entries is cached in memory of a scatter list caching engine. Data to be written to host system memory is received. The scatter list caching engine provides the metadata associated with partially used scatter list entries to a DMA controller to control the DMA writing of the data into host system memory.
US09239791B2	Cache swizzle with inline transposition A method and circuit arrangement selectively swizzle data in one or more levels of cache memory coupled to a processing unit based upon one or more swizzle-related page attributes stored in a memory address translation data structure such as an Effective To Real Translation (ERAT) or Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB). A memory address translation data structure may be accessed, for example, in connection with a memory access request for data in a memory page, such that attributes associated with the memory page in the data structure may be used to control whether data is swizzled, and if so, how the data is to be formatted in association with handling the memory access request.
US09239789B2	Method and apparatus for monitor and MWAIT in a distributed cache architecture A method and apparatus for monitor and mwait in a distributed cache architecture is disclosed. One embodiment includes an execution thread sending a MONITOR request for an address to a portion of a distributed cache that stores the data corresponding to that address. At the distributed cache portion the MONITOR request and an associated speculative state is recorded locally for the execution thread. The execution thread then issues an MWAIT instruction for the address. At the distributed cache portion the MWAIT and an associated wait-to-trigger state are recorded for the execution thread. When a write request matching the address is received at the distributed cache portion, a monitor-wake event is then sent to the execution thread and the associated monitor state at the distributed cache portion for that execution thread can be reset to idle.
US09239784B1	Systems and methods for memory management Systems and methods for extending the memory resources of a user device to storage resources and/or network resources associated with the user device. The cache and system memory of the user device may be utilized as a cache memory and the storage resources and/or network resources of the user device may be utilized as a storage memory.
US09239782B2	Nonvolatile memory device and program method thereof Disclosed is a nonvolatile memory device which includes a nonvolatile memory including a plurality of LSB and MSB pages at a plurality of wordlines; and a controller controlling the nonvolatile memory. The controller controls the nonvolatile memory such that an LSB program operation on a first wordline of the plurality of wordlines is programmed and then an LSB program operation on a second wordline of the plurality of wordlines is programmed. When the LSB program operation on the second wordline is performed, the nonvolatile memory stores information about LSB data programmed at the first wordline at a spare area of the second wordline.
US09239781B2	Storage control system with erase block mechanism and method of operation thereof A method of operation of a storage control system includes: partitioning memory channels with memory devices; selecting a super device with one of the memory devices from one of the memory channels, the super device having a super chip select connected to chip selects of the memory devices; and selecting a super block associated with the super device.
US09239780B2	Selection of memory blocks for garbage collection based on variable block life threshold Memory blocks of a nonvolatile memory device are managed by identifying a full memory block, determining whether a block life of the full memory block exceeds a threshold value, and upon determining that the block life of the full memory block exceeds the threshold value, selecting the full memory block as a target block for garbage collection. The threshold of the block life is determined using an average write distance of logical pages programmed in the nonvolatile memory device.
US09239779B2	Storage device which can perform stable communication between host and storage device, and method of controlling the same According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a nonvolatile memory, an interface, a register, and a controller. The nonvolatile memory stores communication speed information. The interface communicates with a host. The register is included in the interface. The controller controls the nonvolatile memory and the interface. The controller reads the speed information from the nonvolatile memory and sets the speed information in the register when the device is started, and the interface communicates with the host based on the speed information set in the register.
US09239778B2	Controllers that generate output bits for storage in non-volatile memory devices by puncturing code word bits and methods for operating the same An operating method of a controller includes selecting bits of code word to be punctured; detecting locations of incapable bits of an input word based on locations of the bits to be punctured and a structure of a generation matrix calculation unit; refreezing the input word such that frozen bits and incapable bits of the input word overlap; generating input word bits by replacing information word bits with frozen bits based on the refreezing result; generating the code word by performing generation matrix calculation on the input word bits; generating output bits by puncturing the code word based on locations of the bits to be punctured; and transmitting the output bits to a nonvolatile memory device.
US09239777B1	Generating test scenario templates from clusters of test steps utilized by different organizations System, method, and non-transitory medium for generating a test scenario template from a cluster of similar partial runs of test scenarios involves executing the following: identifying runs of test scenarios run by users on software systems that belong to different organizations; generating partial runs of the test scenarios by extracting from each run of a test scenario data pertaining to a proper subset of the plurality of test steps described in the run; clustering the partial runs of the test scenarios into clusters of similar partial runs; receiving a profile of a user; selecting, based on the profile, from among the clusters a certain cluster suitable for the user; and generating a test scenario template based on partial runs belonging to the certain cluster.
US09239776B2	Systems and methods to simulate storage The embodiments described herein include a host that includes an operating system and a storage simulation module in communication with the host. The storage simulation module includes a pseudo-adapter configured to emulate a storage adapter and a pseudo-storage device coupled to the pseudo-adapter, wherein the pseudo-storage device is configured to emulate a storage device. The storage simulation module is configured to simulate an error event for the pseudo-adapter and/or the pseudo-storage device upon receipt of an operation from the operating system.
US09239774B2	Classification of JavaScript code for debugging using just my code Just My Code debugging allows developers to work on problems within their own code without noise from libraries, plugins and other unrelated code. Typical debugger behaviors may be modified based upon the identification or characterization of JavaScript code as “My Code,” “Library Code,” or “Unrelated Code.” The debugger behaviors that may be automatically determined using heuristics or set using a code-characterization file provided by a host application. The debugger receives project file information from the host application via a debugger-host interface. The debugger applies code-designation heuristics to undesignated code segments. If a code characterization file is received with the project information, the debugger designates application code segments based upon definitions in the code-characterization file. Once the debugger has characterized the code segments, it performs debugging operations on the application code. The behavior of the debugging operations may be selected depending upon the designation of the application code segments.
US09239773B1	Method and system for debugging a program that includes declarative code and procedural code A method for debugging a program that includes declarative code and procedural code includes presenting to a user on an output device data relating to execution of the procedural code and data relating to execution of the declarative code. The data is presented in the form of a sequence of execution events corresponding to a computational flow of an execution of the program.
US09239772B2	Detecting true battery removal from a host device by comparing a voltage level on a communication line with a threshold voltage level A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product embodiments are disclosed for detection of the availability of a battery (160) by a host terminal (100) during a data exchange session with the battery (160). In accordance with the embodiments of the invention, sampling, data communication with the battery pack (150), and detection of battery (160) removal, may occur substantially simultaneously. The battery (160) removal may be detected during data transmission from the terminal (100) to the battery pack (150). Moreover, a response may be received by the terminal (100) from the battery circuits (155) in response to data communicated to the battery (160) on the battery communication line (140), during sampling in a timed manner.
US09239769B2	Method for remote maintenance of a device A method for the remote maintenance of devices that include a computer by way of a remote maintenance computer. At least one protocol is used to exchange data between the local computer and the remote maintenance computer. The protocol adaptation level is provided which, prior to a data transfer process, evaluates the protocol for exchanging data between the computer and the remote maintenance computer in terms of the compatibility of the protocol with the upcoming data transfer process. If necessary, the protocol is adapted.
US09239768B2	Distributed pin map memory In a testing device, a method for implementing distributed pin mapping. The method includes receiving a request from a plurality of CPUs to access a pin map memory at each of a plurality of bridges, implementing accesses to the pin map memories locally at each of the plurality of bridges, and using pin map data from the accesses to the plurality of CPUs to enable access to testing device resources.
US09239766B2	Storage management system for preserving consistency of remote copy data A storage control system adapted to operate as a remote copy pair by communicating between a primary and a secondary of the remote copy pair comprises a selector for selecting writes to be placed in a batch based on one or more criteria, a sequence number requester for requesting a sequence number for the batch, and a sequence number granter for granting a sequence number for the batch. The storage control system also comprises a batch transmitter for transmitting the batch to the secondary, a permission receiver for receiving a permission to write the batch from the secondary, and a write component responsive to the permission receiver to write the batch to completion, wherein the secondary is responsive to the completion to grant a further permission to write for a further batch.
US09239764B2	Provisioning and redundancy for RFID middleware servers The present invention provides for the provisioning and redundancy of RFID middleware servers. Middleware servers can be automatically provisioned and RFID device/middleware server associations can be automatically updated. Some implementations of the invention provide for automatic detection of middleware server malfunctions. Some such implementations provide for automated provisioning and automated updating of RFID device/middleware server associations, whether a middleware server is automatically brought online or is manually replaced. Changes and reassignments of the RFID device populations may be accommodated.
US09239761B2	Storage system format for transaction safe file system A transaction safe file system uses two sets of file allocation tables and bitmap images to perform file modifications on one of the sets while the other set remains a last known good set. After a modification is complete, a pointer is changed to the newly modified set, and the newly modified set becomes the last known good set. The sets are then synchronized. The file allocation table is used to define cluster chains while the bitmap image is used to determine if a cluster is free or not. In some operations, only the bitmap image may need to be manipulated. The file system may be used in a transaction safe mode as well as a non-transaction safe mode.
US09239758B2	Semiconductor storage device, method for controlling the same and control program According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory stores a program for causing a memory controller to operate in at least one of first and second modes. In the first mode, for each of the blocks, the memory controller autonomously erases and writes data and reads the written data, and determines that the block or the semiconductor storage device is defective when a count of errors in the read data exceeds a correction capability or a threshold. In the second mode, when error correction of read substantial data fails, the memory controller reads the substantial data which failed in the error correction using a read level shifted from the present read level.
US09239756B2	Systems and methods for performing data recovery in a memory system Systems and methods for performing defect detection and data recovery within a memory system are disclosed. A controller of a memory system writes data to a physical location of a memory and stores the physical location of the memory in a Flash Management Unit Tag cache (“Tag cache”). The controller identifies a data keep cache that is associated with the physical location of memory and updates an XOR sum stored in the identified data keep cache. The controller determines whether to perform a verification operation, and in response to a determination to perform the verification operation, verifies data stored at each physical location that has been stored in the Tag cache since a previous verification operation. Additionally, the controller determines whether to perform a reset operation, and in response to a determination to perform the reset operation, flushes the Tag cache and the plurality of data keep caches.
US09239753B2	DRAM address protection In one embodiment, a system includes a memory, and a memory controller coupled to the memory via an address bus, a data bus, and an error code bus. The memory stores data at an address and stores an error code at the address. The error code is generated based on a function of the corresponding data and address.
US09239749B2	Network fault detection and reconfiguration Scalable means are provided for diagnosing the health of a parallel system comprising multiple nodes interconnected using one or more switching networks. The node pings other nodes via different paths at regular intervals. If more than a threshold number of pings are missed from a node, the system performs fault detection by entering a freeze state in which nodes do not send or receive any messages except ping messages. If ping messages still fail to reach destination nodes, the parallel system identifies faulty components that are causing ping messages to fail. Once the faulty component is identified, the parallel system is unfrozen by allowing nodes to communicate all messages. If redundant computers and/or switches are present, the parallel system is automatically reconfigured to avoid the faulty components.
US09239743B2	Method and architecture for exception and event management in an embedded software system A method for providing a dedicated software framework for exception and event management in an embedded software system is disclosed. In one embodiment, each of exceptions/events originated from users are uniquely identified and severity of the exceptions/events is categorized. The users are software subsystems, software layers and software modules in the embedded software system. Further, information regarding the exceptions/events is reported through various layers, subsystems and modules for use by an application. Furthermore, information associated with one or more of the reported exceptions/events is logged using a logging framework. In addition, the exceptions/events are handled to keep applications running without causing an unexpected behavior in the embedded software system.
US09239741B2	System and method for flexible distributed massively parallel processing (MPP) An embodiment method for massively parallel processing includes initiating a management instance on an initial machine, the management instance generating an initial partition corresponding to the initial machine, determining a total number of partitions desired for processing a database, the total number of partitions including the initial partition, determining a number of additional machines available to process the database, grouping the initial machine and the additional machines together in a pod, and launching the management instance on the additional machines in the pod to generate the total number of partitions desired for the database. Additional embodiment methods and an embodiment system operable to perform such methods are also disclosed.
US09239734B2	Scheduling method and system, computing grid, and corresponding computer-program product An embodiment of a method for scheduling execution of jobs with the resources of a Multi-Core system envisages producing a system model based upon agents representing the jobs, said agents being able to implement a strategy for scheduling execution of the jobs with the resources of the Multi-Core system via respective available moves corresponding to the choice of a given resource of the Multi-Core system for execution of a given job. The agents are configured for implementing said strategy as strategy that integrates MiniMax and Nash-equilibrium strategies, for example operating in an iterative way, identifying an optimal solution deriving from the iteration. The strategy can be implemented by maximizing the probability of optimizing the time of completion of a given job for one of the agents.
US09239733B2	Batch job completion estimation using historical data Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for scheduling batch jobs. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may receiving, at a progress engine, status information provided by a job scheduler controlling an execution of a plurality of jobs, the status information representative of the plurality of jobs of the batch job; receiving, at the progress engine implemented on at least one processor, reference information representative of past executions of batch jobs; determining, by the progress engine, a completion time for the batch job based on the received status information and the received reference information; and generating, by the progress engine, a page including the determined completion time. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09239729B1	Sidecar file framework for managing virtual disk plug-in data and metadata Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include receiving selection of a virtual disk and a plug-in. The virtual disk includes an extent file storing data used by a virtual machine and a descriptor file including a reference to the extent file and used by a virtualization stack of a host computer to manage the virtual disk. The plug-in is attached to the virtual disk in response to the received selection. Attaching the plug-in includes adding an identification of the plug-in to the descriptor file. The plug-in is notified of the attachment to the virtual disk. A request is received from the plug-in to create a sidecar file to store data or metadata on behalf of the plug-in. The sidecar file is created for the attached plug-in. The sidecar file is attached to the virtual disk.
US09239728B2	Method, system, and device for securely handling virtual function driver communications with a physical function driver In an input/output virtualization-enabled computing environment, a device, method, and system for securely handling virtual function driver communications with a physical function driver of a computing device includes maintaining communication profiles for virtual function drivers and applying the communication profiles to communications from the virtual function drivers to the physical function driver, to determine whether the communications present a security and/or performance condition. The device, method and system may disable a virtual function driver if a security and/or performance condition is detected.
US09239723B2	Configuring a device based on proximity to other devices An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for associating one or more remote devices with one or more configuration parameters, the remote devices comprising one or more mobile devices, detecting one or more of the remote devices wirelessly, and setting, on a local device, one or more of the configuration parameters associated with a detected remote device.
US09239722B1	System, method and computer program product for interacting with a process diagram In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for interacting with a process diagram. These mechanisms and methods for interacting with a process diagram may allow for a user's enhanced interactive experience with the process diagram. The ability of embodiments to provide such enhancements may allow for improved navigation of the process diagram, searching of the process diagram, editing of the process diagram, etc.
US09239721B2	Global weak pattern history table filtering Embodiments relate to global weak pattern history table (PHT) filtering. An aspect includes receiving a search address associated with a branch prediction, and receiving a prediction strength indicator and a tag from a PHT. Based on determining that the tag matches the search address and the prediction strength indicator is weak, an accuracy counter is compared to a comparison threshold to determine whether a PHT direction prediction from the PHT is more likely accurate than a branch history table (BHT) direction prediction from a BHT. The PHT direction prediction is selected as a direction prediction based on determining that the accuracy counter indicates that the PHT direction prediction is more likely accurate than the BHT direction prediction. The BHT direction prediction is selected as the direction prediction based on determining that the accuracy counter indicates that the BHT direction prediction is more likely accurate than the PHT direction prediction.
US09239719B1	Task management system Project-related tasks are managed and tracked using machine-readable codes. A project board may include one or more task tokens corresponding to tasks of a project, and each task token may include one or more machine-readable codes. Data associated with the project board may be acquired and analyzed to identify and decode the machine-readable codes. Task status information may be determined based on the positions of the task tokens on the project board. The task status information may be stored and used to generate a virtual project board that is accessible through a web site.
US09239717B1	Systems, methods, and computer medium to enhance redeployment of web applications after initial deployment Embodiments of systems, non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored therein, and computer-implemented methods are provided to enhance redeployment of web applications after initial deployment. Access to initial deployment of a plurality of web applications can be blocked. Lists of web applications that are candidates for redeployment can be displayed. For example, a user having a developer role can have abilities to redeploy a web application that is currently in development to a test environment. A user having a librarian role can have abilities to redeploy a web application associated with the librarian's division that is currently deployed in a test environment to a production environment. Consequently, a developer is permitted only to redeploy a web application to a test environment and cannot deploy a web application to a production environment. Application lifecycle rules thereby are enforced. Additionally, human error evasion and smart recovery features are provided.
US09239716B1	Usage-based program slicing In certain embodiments, execution traces for a program definition of an application are accessed. Probability information for components of the program definition is computed based at least in part upon the execution traces. Program definition slices are determined based at least in part upon the probability information. The program definition slices comprises a baseline slice and at least one supplemental slice. The baseline slice is communicated to a client in response to a request for the application. At least one supplemental slice is communicated to the client to allow the patching of the baseline slice with the at least one supplemental slice to recreate at least a portion of the program definition.
US09239711B1	Run benchmark or analysis tools against massive repository of archived webpages on machines in the cloud for continuous builds or AD-HOC requests A system and method for selecting the number of machines from a cloud cluster needed for performing identical tasks with different inputs and outputs are disclosed. An example method receives an administrative task request from a user and determines the number of computing devices necessary to perform the request. The request may then be sharded into tasks across clusters of computing devices and the tasks may be run. The results from each computing device may be combined into a single result output and the output may be provided to a user.
US09239710B2	Programming language transformations with abstract syntax tree extensions Techniques to automate the transformation of an application involving programming language constructs from a composite of source grammars to a composite of target grammars, while maintaining the fidelity of the program semantics and functionality, or extending or changing it to explode the capabilities and avoid the limitations of new technologies are disclosed. The different stages of the transformation are persisted in an annotated abstract syntax tree where the annotations represent semantic preserving transformation rules. The abstract syntax tree is then transformed according to the transformational rules. The transformed abstract syntax tree may then be traversed to generate a new translated source code application or be queried to generate output reports. Alternatively, the transformed abstract syntax tree may be subjected to another transformation as part of a chain of transformations.
US09239709B2	Method and system for an interface certification and design tool Described herein are methods and systems for an interface certification and design tool. An exemplary embodiment is a computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the instructions operable to receive a selection of packaged software components. The set of instructions operable to generate a simulator default response for the software component, validate user changes to the simulator default response to create a validated test file, execute at least one simulator using the validated test file, and publish the validated test file.
US09239708B2	Contextually intelligent code editing This document describes techniques for contextually intelligent code editing. In at least some embodiments, the techniques are network-based and can use client-server interactions to develop programming code. For example, input to a local programming environment of a client can be transmitted to a server. A functionality at the server can inspect the input and determine programming options (e.g., programming terms and/or phrases) that are contextually valid in the local programming environment. A list of the programming options can then be transmitted to the client and presented via a user interface. In some embodiments, a selection of one of the programming options can cause the programming option to be populated to the local programming environment, e.g., as part of a user interface associated with the local programming environment. In at least some embodiments, the list of programming options can be cached locally on the client for quick retrieval.
US09239701B2	Electronic device and method of controlling the same An electronic device connected to at least one external electronic device, the electronic device including a communication unit configured to perform data communication with the at least one external electronic device, an interface unit configured to connect to a sound output device, and a controller configured to receive audio data when the sound output device is connected to the electronic device through the interface unit, the audio data associated with a first external electronic device outputting a second content associated with a first content being output through the electronic device from the first external electronic device, and to output the received audio data through the sound output device.
US09239696B2	Controlling complementary bistable and refresh-based displays An electronic device includes complementary dual displays, which enable sending a video signal to a first display, wherein the first display is a refresh-based, high frame rate display; displaying the video signal on the first display; and printing a frame of the video signal to a second display, wherein the second display is a bistable, low frame rate display, the printing including, loading a portion of a current frame of the video signal into a frame buffer, and displaying the current frame of the video signal to a second display, such that a bistable static image is displayed on the second display. The device may be switched among read, extend, and navigate modes, which enable different transitions of content between the two screens by a common application, such as a browser application.
US09239692B2	Communication apparatus performing communication speed changing process, communication control method and storage medium A communication apparatus which realizes communication flow control which is capable of preventing decrease in reception performance without causing disappearance of communication data. A first storage unit stores data transmitted from an external apparatus. A second storage unit stores data transferred from the first storage unit. A determination unit determines, in a case of executing communication with the external apparatus, determine a notification size to be notified to the external apparatus as a size of data that can be received by the communication apparatus on a basis of a size of a free space of the first storage unit and a size of a free space of the second storage unit. A notification unit notifies the notification size determined by the determination unit to the external apparatus.
US09239687B2	Systems and methods for retaining and using data block signatures in data protection operations A system according to certain embodiments associates a signature value corresponding to a data block with one or more data blocks and a reference to the data block to form a signature/data word corresponding to the data block. The system further logically organizes the signature/data words into a plurality of files each comprising at least one signature/data word such that the signature values are embedded in the respective file. The system according to certain embodiments reads a previously stored signature value corresponding to a respective data block for sending from a backup storage system having at least one memory device to a secondary storage system. Based on an indication as to whether the data block is already stored on the secondary storage system, the system reads the data block from the at least one memory device for sending to the secondary storage system if the data block does not exist on the secondary storage system, wherein the signature value and not the data block is read from the at least one memory device if the data block exists on the secondary storage system.
US09239681B2	Storage subsystem and method for controlling the storage subsystem The present invention provides a storage subsystem accessing a storage resource efficiently to thereby enhance throughput. The storage subsystem adopts a configuration where respective processor packages have ownership of the respective LDEVs, wherein an I/O command from a host specifying an address extending over a division position within a single LDEV is divided, and the I/O processing is executed in a shared manner by multiple processor packages. The I/O processing is executed by allocating a processor package that processes a specific storage area with priority.
US09239680B2	Storage system for a storage pool and virtual volumes This invention provides a storage system to store data used by computers. A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, includes storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage devices, in which the control unit performs the following operations: setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device; setting a second virtual device which including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer; allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and changing the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.
US09239679B2	System for efficient caching of swap I/O and/or similar I/O pattern(s) An apparatus comprising a memory and a controller. The memory may be configured to (i) implement a cache and (ii) store meta-data. The cache may comprise one or more cache windows. Each of the one or more cache windows comprises a plurality of cache-lines configured to store information. The controller is connected to the memory and configured to (A) process normal read/write operations in a first mode and (B) process special read/write operations in a second mode by (i) tracking a write followed by read condition on each of said cache windows and (ii) discarding data on the cache-lines associated with the cache windows after completion of the write followed by a read condition on the cache-lines.
US09239676B2	Information management apparatus and storage medium storing information management program An information management apparatus includes a processor, and a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions. The instructions instruct the information management apparatus to execute steps including acquiring stroke data of a trajectory of an approaching writing device detected by a detection portion capable of detecting the trajectory and including data of the trajectory of the writing device corresponding to schedule information written on a paper medium, generating image data of the trajectory based on the acquired stroke data, generating text data based on the acquired stroke data, and registering and managing the schedule information identified from the text data and the image data.
US09239674B2	Method and apparatus for providing different user interface effects for different implementation characteristics of a touch event A method for providing a mechanism by which different user interface effects may be performed for different classifications of gestures may include receiving an indication of a touch event at a touch screen display, determining a gesture classification and an implementation characteristic classification for the touch event, and enabling provision of substantively different user interface effects for respective different implementation characteristic classifications of the gesture classification. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
US09239671B2	Method for enlarging a display region on a display unit A method for enlarging display regions on displays is provided. The method includes a definition of at least two enlargeable display regions, determining a touch screen signal, associating the touchscreen signal with an enlargeable display region to be enlarged and a display region-specific enlargement of the enlargeable display region to be enlarged.
US09239670B2	Graphical interface data fragment operations for data visualization Techniques are described for providing visualizations of data with options for a user to manipulate the data visualizations. These data visualization options may provide flexible and rapid comparison of different fragments of data. In one example, a method includes outputting a display of a data visualization in a graphical user interface. The method further includes receiving a first user input selecting a first fragment of the data visualization to freeze. The method further includes receiving a second user input selecting a second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization. The method further includes outputting a revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization.
US09239665B2	Dynamic faceplates for multiple objects A method in a UI of a process control system is disclosed. The UI is configured to be displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system. The UI is adapted to visually indicate a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system. At least one sub-UI, such as a faceplate, is generated, each sub-UI corresponding to a respective component of the plurality of components. The at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit. Each of the at least one sub-UI is adapted such that a number of operation information and/or control elements visually indicated in each sub-UI when the at least one sub-UI is displayed on the display unit depends on the number of sub-UIs that are displayed on the display unit at the same time. Furthermore, such a UI is disclosed.
US09239664B2	Method and system for using a tablet device to provide contextual input to a computing device A tablet device provides contextual input to a computing device by using a touchscreen to display a context menu related to a location on a display screen of the computing device, accessing a selection from the context menu from the touchscreen, and sending values corresponding to the selection to the computing device. The touchscreen may alternatively enable user input related to the context menu or touchpad functions.
US09239661B2	Methods and apparatus for displaying images on a head mounted display System and methods are disclosed to selectively project individual UI elements of display images from stereoscopic HMDs as monocular or stereoscopic images. An UI element may be tagged for rendering as a monocular image or as stereoscopic images with a stereo separation to create a perception of depth. Tagging of UI elements as monocular images or stereoscopic images may be based on whether the UI elements are persistent elements. Persistent elements present information to the user but do not require the user's focused attention. Persistent elements may be rendered as monocular images to allow the user to focus on other UI elements or on the real world while maintaining awareness of information presented by the persistent elements. In contrast, non-persistent UI elements may require the user's focused attention. Non-persistent UI elements may be rendered as stereoscopic images for projection at a specific depth plane to invite the user's focus.
US09239660B2	Natural language interface customization A method for communicating over a network includes transmitting, by an application server to a remote user computing device, a predefined interface in response to a contact request by the remote user, the predefined interface being customized by the application server based on specified conditions. The method also includes analyzing, by an analysis server in communication with the application server by a communication link different from the network, a natural language inquiry from the remote user based on the type of remote user language of the contact request. The method further includes transmitting, by the application server to the remote user computing device, a customized interface, which includes a customized plurality of communications options for the remote user to route subsequent communications, and customized content based on a context of the natural language inquiry.
US09239659B2	Content distribution system and method A method and computing system for associating a first portion of a display screen with a social network, wherein the display screen is included within a handheld device. Initial social network content is received from the social network, wherein the initial social network content is associated with an event occurring within the social network. The initial social network content is dynamically rendered within the first portion of the display screen. A user indication is received within the first portion of the display screen. In response to the user indication, enhanced social network content is rendered within a second portion of the display screen. The initial social network content is at least a portion of a media stream included within the social network. The enhanced social network content includes content associated with the event occurring within the social network.
US09239657B2	Characters input method A character input method according to the present invention includes the steps of when a user brings a mouse cursor into contact with the term input box of a web browser or website, or clicks the term input box one or more times, displaying a character input window, in which two or more character buttons and a completion button for enabling the input of a signal indicative of the completion of the entry of one or more characters are arranged, in abutment with the term input box; when one or more of the character buttons are clicked, entering one or more characters cor? responding to the clicked character buttons into the term input box; and when the completion button is clicked, generating an activation signal so that an search engine associated with the term input box is run using the characters, entered into the term input box, as search data.
US09239653B2	Touch panel and method of fabricating the same A touch panel includes a substrate, a touch-sensing circuit, and fan-out traces. The substrate has a touch-sensing region and an adjoined peripheral region. The touch-sensing circuit is disposed on the touch-sensing region. The fan-out traces are disposed on the peripheral region and electrically connected to the touch-sensing circuit. Each fan-out trace includes a first conductive line, a first dielectric layer and a second conductive line. The first conductive line is disposed on the peripheral region. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the peripheral region to cover the first conductive line, and has at least one contact window located above the first conductive line. The second conductive line is disposed on the first dielectric layer, wherein the first and the second conductive line of the same fan-out trace have the same pattern and are electrically connected through the contact window.
US09239651B2	Touch substrate, method of manufacturing the same and display device having the same A touch substrate includes a base substrate, a common electrode and a wire electrode. The base substrate has a plurality of common electrode areas. A common electrode is disposed in each of the common electrode areas. The common electrode has a plurality of first electrode lines extended in a first direction and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction and a plurality of second electrode lines arranged in the first direction. The wire electrode is connected to an end of the common electrode to apply a voltage to the common electrode. The common electrode and the wire electrode are simultaneously formed through a same process using a printing substrate.
US09239649B2	Method for correcting touch position A method for correcting a touch position and applied to an electronic apparatus is provided. The method includes: receiving a current touch event; obtaining prediction information of the current touch event based on correction information of a previous touch event which is received at a previous time point before the current touch event; obtaining correction information of the current touch event according to the prediction information and a measuring position of the current touch event; and updating a position of the current touch event at a display unit by using the correction information of the current touch event.
US09239648B2	Determining user handedness and orientation using a touchscreen device The present disclosure provides techniques for determining the position and/or orientation of a pointing device relative to the screen on a touchscreen device. A method may include receiving first orientation data from a first device that may include a capacitive touch surface. A touch point may be received indicating a location of a touch by a user on the capacitive touch surface. Second orientation data may be received from a second device. The first and second orientation data may be correlated to determine a relative orientation of the first device to the second device. A position of a pointing device may be determined based on the touch point and the relative orientation of the first and second devices. Additionally, multiple distances relative to a capacitive touch surface may be received, and based on the multiple distances, a position of a user's finger, hand, and/or arm may be determined.
US09239644B2	Liquid crystal display device In a liquid crystal display device, a second substrate has detection electrodes of a touch panel, each of pixels has a pixel electrode and a counter electrode divided into a plurality of blocks. The counter electrodes of the respective blocks are commonly provided for the respective pixels of plural continuous display lines, the counter electrodes of the respective blocks double scanning electrodes of the touch panel, and a driver circuit that applies a counter voltage and a touch panel scanning voltage to the counter electrodes of the respective blocks is provided. The driver circuit sequentially applies the touch panel scanning voltage to the counter electrodes of the respective blocks in plural times, while a drive pulse for displaying an image on a liquid crystal display panel is not varied, and drive frequencies of the respective touch panel scanning voltages are different from each other.
US09239642B2	Imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to perform imaging on a subject, a transparent display configured to display a live-view of the imaging unit and an imaging-related menu in a direction of a user, a sensor configured to sense a touch with respect to two sides of the transparent display, and a controller configured to perform an operation corresponding to the imaging-related menu, when the imaging-related menu is selected by a touch input on a side of the transparent display corresponding to a direction of a subject.
US09239641B2	Electronic underlay Provided is an electronic underlay designed not to sense a hand holding a writing tool at the time of writing notes on a sheet. The electronic underlay is provided with: a sheet-like optical waveguide formed by sandwiching lattice-like cores between a sheet-like under cladding and over cladding layers; a light emitting element connected to one end surface of the core; a light receiving element connected to another end surface of the core; and storage means for storing an inputted note as electronic data. An elasticity modulus of the core is larger than that of the under cladding layer and the over cladding layer. When the surface of the optical waveguide is pressed, in the pressing direction, a deformation ratio of the core in a cross section is smaller than that of the over cladding layer and the under cladding layer.
US09239639B1	Protecting stylus force sensor from excess force An electronic stylus device includes one or more mechanisms that deform to protected an electronic force sensor. After the mechanism deforms to relieve force applied to a tip of the stylus, a hard stop may engage to arrest further movement of a shaft transferring force from the tip to the force sensor. The intermediate range of forces that may be relieved by the mechanism, in addition to providing the electronic force sensor, enables less stringent manufacturing tolerances to be used with the hard stop.
US09239638B2	Information processing device supporting suspension operation function, data processing method thereof, input device and input controlling method thereof An information processing device, a data processing method thereof, an input device, and an input controlling method are described. The information processing device is capable of responding to an input operation of an input device, and the input device includes an input component located at end portion thereof. The information processing device includes a sensing module capable of sensing a position of the input component with respect to the sensing module when the distance between the input component and the sensing module satisfies a first predetermined condition, a first controlling module judging whether the information processing device satisfies a second predetermined condition when the distance satisfies the first predetermined condition, responds to an input operation corresponding to the position of the input component with respect to the sensing module when the information processing device satisfies the second predetermined condition, or otherwise, does not respond thereto.
US09239635B2	Method and apparatus for graphical user interface interaction on a domed display A graphical user interface is implemented as a human interface device which can directly sense where on a domed screen a user is pointing. The human interface device can be an optical pointing device which emits a beam of light, preferably produced using a laser, which can be tracked by a camera appropriately located inside the dome. As an alternative, the human interface device can be a hand held device capable of tracking position and orientation. Data produced by the human interface device is then detected and mapped to the location for a corresponding cursor.
US09239633B1	System and method for device having internal reset/restart button that is activated via insertion tool accessiable throught single transmission path of plug connection An integrated port for connecting a device with an accessory having a plug is provided. An opening in the device may provide access to a recess of the port for receiving one or more connectors of the plug. The recess may include one or more terminals for electrically coupling with one or more connectors of the plug in a first mode of operation. The recess may also include a switch, which may be activated to change the operational state of the device from the first mode of operation into a second mode of operation that is not intended for general use. The switch may be provided such that insertion of the plug into the recess via the opening electrically couples the one or more terminals of the port with the one or more connectors of the plug without activating the switch.
US09239630B2	Input device with a display configured for dynamic display of key labels According to the present invention there is provided an input device (100) comprising a plurality of keys, at least one detection structure (107), and at least one display (104), wherein: each of the plurality of keys have a depressible key cap (101) with an at least semi-transparent top surface, the at least one detection structure is configured for detecting individual depression of each of the plurality of key caps, and the at least one display (104) is configured for providing image information of individual labels (103) for each key of the plurality of keys. Furthermore, the at least one display is arranged between the at least one detection structure (107) and the plurality of key caps, such that the individual labels (103) of the plurality of keys are viewable via the transparent top surfaces of the respective key caps.
US09239627B2	SmartLight interaction system The conference room automation apparatus employs a processor-based integrated movement sensor, lights, cameras, and display device, such as a projector, that senses and interprets human movement within the room to control the projector in response to that movement and that captures events occurring in the room. Preferably packed in a common integrated package, the apparatus employs a layered software/hardware architecture that may be readily extended as a platform to support additional third-party functionality.
US09239626B1	Input system Examples of methods and systems for using eye gesture duration to provide calibration for eye gesture detection are described. In some examples, calibration can be executed using a head-mountable device. The head-mountable device may be configured to determine a duration range indicative of an eye gesture and receive a plurality of reference signals indicative of the eye gesture. The plurality of reference signals may comprise duration information indicative of a plurality of reference durations of the eye gesture. The head-mountable device may determine, based on the plurality of reference durations, a reference duration range associated with the eye gesture that is within the duration range, and adjust the duration range for the eye gesture based on the reference duration range.
US09239623B2	Dynamic tactile interface A dynamic tactile interface including a substrate including a fluid conduit, a shelf adjacent the fluid conduit, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit; a flap including a distal end and a proximal end, the flap extending across the fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the proximal end; a tactile layer including a peripheral region and a deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the flap, and a tactile surface opposite the substrate; and a displacement device displacing fluid to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the distal end of the flap engaging the shelf in the retracted setting, and the distal end of the flap lifted off of the shelf and the deformable region in the expanded setting.
US09239622B2	Method and apparatus for controlling haptic feedback of an input tool for a mobile terminal An apparatus and method are provided for controlling haptic feedback of an input tool for a mobile terminal. The method includes detecting, by the mobile terminal, a hovering of the input tool over an object displayed on a touch screen display of the mobile terminal; identifying a property of the object; and transmitting, to the input tool, a control signal for haptic feedback corresponding to the property of the object.
US09239618B2	Head mounted display for providing augmented reality and interacting with external device, and method for controlling the same A method for controlling a head mounted display (HMD) includes detecting an external device, displaying an augmented reality image as a first mode, changing the first mode to a second mode when the gaze of the user to the augmented reality image is detected in the first mode, and executing a function corresponding to the augmented reality image when the augmented reality image and the external device are aligned in the second mode. The first mode is a mode in which a display position of the augmented reality image depends on a position of the external device the second mode is a mode in which the display position of the augmented reality image remains fixed even when the position of the external device is changed.
US09239613B2	Intelligent over-current prevention A system, method, and/or computer program product comprises an input/output (I/O) bus and an intelligent current bank that couples a voltage source to the I/O bus. The intelligent current bank includes an ammeter that measures a real-time flow of current to the I/O bus. In response to the current to the I/O bus exceeding a predetermined level, an intelligent Pulse-Width Modulator (iPWM) within the intelligent current bank selectively decreases current to one or more electronic devices on the I/O bus by shortening a duty cycle of voltage being received by the iPWM from the voltage source.
US09239611B2	Method, apparatus, and system for energy efficiency and energy conservation including balancing power among multi-frequency domains of a processor based on efficiency rating scheme The efficiency rating (ER) of each domain, in a processor, may be compared and then the power budget may be allocated, effectively, among the domains based on the ERs of the domains. The ER may indicate relative advantage among domains in terms of performance return for a given power budget, i.e., a higher effectiveness may be expected in power utilization if the ER is higher for a domain. The ER of a domain may be defined as (scalability factor/cost factor*alpha). The scalability factor may be defined as a performance increase (in %) brought about by an increase in the clock frequency (in %) provided to the domain. The cost factor may be defined as a power budget value required in bringing about an increase in the clock frequency provided to the domain and alpha is an adjustment factor.
US09239608B2	Data stream resource management The present application relates to a computer implemented method, a computer program product and a computer system for controlling a data stream from a server computer to a client computer. The client computer comprises a data stream client and the server computer comprises a data stream server. While receiving, by the data stream client from the data stream server, the data stream, the method may comprise generating, by the client computer, a power management decrease event, receiving, by the data stream client, the power management decrease event, sending, from the data stream client to the data stream server, a first pause request to temporarily halt the data stream, and transitioning, by the client computer, from a fully working power state to a decreased power consumption state in response to the power management decrease event.
US09239606B2	Power management enhancement In one embodiment described herein, a device having an account permitting access to network-based storage, receives a push notification indicating that one or more assets has been shared by another person. In response to the push notification, the device begins downloading the new asset to the device, while starting two timers. When the first timer finishes, the user is notified about the new asset that is available. When the second timer finishes, the download, if still in progress, is interrupted to save power.
US09239605B1	Computing device power state transitions Methods and apparatus for scheduling and controlling power management activities are disclosed. An example method includes automatically scheduling a wake-up alarm for a computing device and transitioning the computing device from an active power state to a first low power state. The example method also includes, in response to occurrence of the automatically scheduled wake-up alarm, transitioning the computing device from the first low power state to the active power state and transitioning the computing device from the active power state to a second low power state, where the second low power state is a lower power state than the first low power state.
US09239603B2	Voice actions on computing devices A computer-implemented method includes receiving spoken input at a computing device from a user of the computing device, the spoken input including a carrier phrase and a subject to which the carrier phrase is directed, providing at least a portion of the spoken input to a server system in audio form for speech-to-text conversion by the server system, the portion including the subject to which the carrier phrase is directed, receiving from the server system instructions for automatically performing an operation on the computing device, the operation including an action defined by the carrier phrase using parameters defined by the subject, and automatically performing the operation on the computing device.
US09239599B2	Combinational cooling pad structure with flash drive storage A combinational cooling pad structure with flash drive storage comprises a cooling pad and a flash drive. The cooling pad comprises at least three combinational pads with structural surfaces. At least two connecting portions are correspondingly disposed between the combinational pads. Limiting structures are correspondingly disposed on outer sides of the outer combinational pads. The combinational pads are connected by the connecting portions to form a structure which can be unfolded flatly; and are folded closely together to form a structural body surrounded by the structural surfaces; and are combined securely by the corresponding limiting structures. An inner hole for inserting the flash drive is defined and formed by inner surfaces of the surrounding combinational pads. A coupling portion is protrudingly disposed at an end of the flash drive, and an interface connector is disposed on the coupling portion. The coupling portion is then inserted into the inner hole.
US09239590B2	Apparatus comprising a pistol grip A pistol-grip module includes a handle and a coupling member that is configured to couple, mechanically and electrically, to a battery compartment of an active frame. The active frame, which includes at least one electrically powered device, is intended to receive a data-capture device, such as a smart phone. In versions of the pistol-grip module that include a trigger, the trigger can be used to actuate the electrically powered device of the active frame.
US09239587B2	Shaft slip-off stopping structure and switch having the same Disclosed is a shaft inserted member into which a shaft is inserted in a relatively movable manner, and a locking mechanism provided in the shaft inserted member. The tip portion of the shaft includes a locking step portion formed by providing an annular groove or a ring-shaped projection portion. The locking mechanism includes at least two locking pieces arranged around the shaft at an equal interval. The shaft is stopped from slipping off by a tip portion of each of the tip locking portions abutting on the locking step portion. The locking piece can receive the force in a pulling direction in a length direction of the locking piece, whereby a load can be reduced. That is, sufficient strength can be maintained.
US09239586B2	Leakage-current start-up reference circuit A leakage-current start-up reference circuit is provided which includes a reference circuit unit, a trigger unit, a leakage-current generator and a disable control unit. The trigger unit includes a first transistor. The drain terminal of the trigger unit is connected to a start-up terminal of the reference circuit unit. The leakage-current generator includes a second transistor which is a gate-drain-tied transistor. The disable control unit includes a third transistor. The gate terminal of the disable control unit is connected to a control terminal of the reference circuit unit. The drain terminal of the leakage-current generator, the gate terminal of the trigger unit and the drain terminal of the disable control unit are joined at a node. The reference circuit unit is started up by the trigger unit to generate a reference current. A leakage-current start-up reference circuit having a current mirror is also provided.
US09239583B2	Circuit for generation of an electric current with a configurable value A current-generator circuit is for generation of an output current of a value that is configurable as a function of a configuration signal. The circuit may have a first reference resistor element traversed by an intermediate current, the value of which is a function of a reference current, for supplying a first reference voltage. The circuit may also include a resistive divider stage receiving the configuration signal and supplying a second reference voltage as a function of the first reference voltage and of the configuration signal. A second reference resistor element supplies, as a function of the second reference voltage (Vref2), the output current on the output terminal. The value of resistance of the second reference resistor element may be matched to a respective value of resistance of the first reference resistor element.
US09239580B2	Autonomous mobile robot, self position estimation method, environmental map generation method, environmental map generation apparatus, and data structure for environmental map To improve the accuracy of the self position estimation of a mobile robot. A robot measures a distance to an object in the mobile environment by using a range sensor. An environmental map storage unit stores an environmental map containing a plurality of map data each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of measurement directions from which a point in the mobile environment is to be observed. A self position estimation unit selects a map data corresponding to a measurement direction in which a distance to the object is measured by the range sensor from the plurality of map data. Then, the self position estimation unit estimates a self position of the mobile robot based on the selected map data and range data obtained by the range sensor.
US09239576B2	Methods and apparatus to apply multiple trip limits to a device in a process control system Methods and apparatus to apply multiple trip limits to a device in a process control system are disclosed. An example method involves monitoring a value of a parameter associated with the operation of the device and receiving an input indicative of an operational state of the device, where a first input indicates a first operational state and a second input indicates a second operational state. If the first input is received, comparing via a function block the value of the parameter to a first trip limit, and if the second input is received, comparing via the function block the value of the parameter to a second trip limit, and implementing a response based on the comparison.
US09239575B2	Diagnostics for a programmable logic controller To reduce the cost and/or space occupied by diagnostic circuitry in a module of a programmable logic controller with multiple outputs, a multiplexer connects the same diagnostic circuitry to the different outputs. The outputs are sequentially tested with the same circuitry. To limit stress on an output driver, an overload condition may be tested while the driver is off. A different source of power is applied to the output, and the results of the application are measured for shorting to ground.
US09239573B2	Mapping between hierarchies in an industrial automation system A mechanism for mapping data between different hierarchies within an industrial automation system facilitates the user of the different hierarchies. For example, the mechanism can include at least: locating an instance of data within a first hierarchical tree; and mapping the instance of the data within the first hierarchical tree to an instance of the data within a second hierarchical tree. The first hierarchical tree and the second hierarchical tree include instances of the same data arranged in different structural organizations. Utilizing the mechanism, when an instance of data in the first hierarchical tree is changed, a corresponding instance of the data in the second hierarchical tree can be updated according to the change.
US09239570B2	Timepiece mechanism, timepiece movement and timepiece A mechanism (3) for indicating and storing time information, including a transmission device (7) coupling a time information counting system (5) and a member (S′) for displaying time information adapted to display selectively current time information and stored time information, including: a cam (C); a lever device (L) including a lever (L1), a follower (L2) and a first elastic member (R) urging the lever and the follower into a particular relative position; the lever (L1) being kinematically coupled to the display member (S′) for displaying time information, the follower (L2) being urged against the cam (C) by a second elastic member (RL).
US09239568B2	Spring for clock movement Spring (10) for clock mechanism, the spring comprising a body (11) extending between a first end (12) of the spring and a second end (13) of the spring, the spring being intended to be connected mechanically to a housing at each of the first and second ends, the spring comprising, between the first and the second end, at least one member (17) intended to act by contact on an element (42) of the clock mechanism, characterized in that the body comprises a deformable zone (14) extending in a curve (18) and in that the curve comprises a first part (18a) that is concave when viewed from the first end.
US09239562B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a frame member, a first sheet metal member, and a pressing member. The frame member is configured to accommodate the photosensitive drums such that the photosensitive drums are withdrawn along an axial direction thereof. The first sheet metal member is disposed on a first side of the frame member and configured to position the photosensitive drums. The pressing member is configured to press the photosensitive drums toward the first sheet metal member. The frame member includes a first wall disposed on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the frame member in the axial direction, a second wall disposed on a third side of the frame member and connected to the first wall, and a third wall disposed on an upper side relative to the photosensitive drums and connected to the first wall and the second wall.
US09239560B2	Image-forming device having waste developer material conveying mechanism In an image-forming device, a waste developer material accommodating part is provided integrally with a developer material accommodating part and is configured to accommodate waste developer material collected by a recovering unit. A waste developer material conveying mechanism is connected to both of the recovering unit and the waste developer material accommodating part and conveys the waste developer material from the recovering unit to the waste developer material accommodating part. The waste developer material conveying mechanism includes a conveying member that is disposed outside the waste developer material accommodating part and that is coupled to a center region of the waste developer material accommodating part along an axial direction of the photosensitive drum.
US09239554B2	Image forming apparatus controlling heated region of sheet by fixing unit based on sheet width An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a heating member configured to heat the sheet for fixing the image onto the sheet, a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of a predetermined position of the heating member, a controller configured to control the heating member, a heating region control unit configured to control the heated region of the heating member, wherein the heating region control unit controls a first and a second heated region, wherein the first heated region includes the predetermined position, and wherein the second heated region in the width direction includes the first heated region and an outer heated region outside the first heated region, and a cooling unit configured to cool the heated region, wherein if the heating region control unit changes the heated region from the first heated region to the second heated region, the cooling unit cools the predetermined position.
US09239552B2	Transfer device and image forming apparatus comprising the same A position of a contact region formed between a transfer belt and a transfer member in the form of a brush is displaced toward a downstream side in a movement direction of the transfer belt with respect to the position in an initial state, whereby it is difficult to acquire excellent transferability. An image forming apparatus, in which a plurality of conductive fibers contacts an inner circumferential surface of the transfer belt, includes a support device configured to support the transfer member in such a manner that the plurality of conductive fibers is pressed between the support device and the transfer belt. A tilt amount of the conductive fiber, which is generated due to a movement of the transfer belt, is smaller than a length of a region where an image bearing member and the transfer belt contact each other in the movement direction of the transfer belt.
US09239541B2	Image forming apparatus A photosensitive drum is axially rotatable and has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. A developing device includes a development roller spaced from the photosensitive drum. The development roller includes a cylindrical sleeve and a coating layer, and the photosensitive drum includes a cylindrical tube and a functional layer. Each of the coating layer and functional layer is formed by dipping the sleeve or tube into a dipping bath with the sleeve or tube directed axially vertically. An axial end portion of the development roller that is lower during the dipping process is disposed opposite to an axial end portion of the photosensitive drum that is higher during the dipping process, and an axial end portion of the development roller that is higher during the dipping process is disposed opposite to an axial end portion of the photosensitive drum that is lower during the dipping process.
US09239539B2	Developing device and layer thickness regulating member A developing device includes a developer carrying member and a layer thickness regulating member. The layer thickness regulating member includes an opposing portion, a regulating portion, side wall portions, and a plurality of rib portions each extending from the side wall portion in one end side to the side wall portion in the other end side with respect to the rotational axis direction of the developer carrying member. A space is formed by being defined by the side wall portions and the rib portions. No substantial rib portion dividing the space with respect to a longitudinal direction of said layer thickness regulating member is provided.
US09239538B2	Developing device and image forming apparatus A developing device and an image forming apparatus including the developing device are provided. The developing device includes a housing, a developer carrier which is rotatably supported by the housing, and which carries developer on a circumferential surface thereof, a layer thickness regulating member which includes, a blade contacting the circumferential surface of the developer carrier along a rotational axial direction of the developer carrier, and a support member supporting the blade, the layer thickness regulating member for regulating a layer thickness of the developer on the circumferential surface of the developer carrier. The support member includes: a contact part which contacts the blade; and a pair of attachment parts which are attached to the housing. The attachment parts are provide at both sides of the contact part in the rotational axial direction and are further protruded than the contact part in a direction away from the developer carrier.
US09239532B2	Brilliant toner, electrostatic charge image developer, and toner cartridge A brilliant toner contains a metallic pigment and a binder resin, and content of Zn is from 0.00005% by weight to 1.0% by weight.
US09239529B2	Toner compositions and processes Processes for producing toners are provided. The processes include determining the desired gloss for a given toner, and determining the desired amount of aluminum in the toner to obtain that gloss. Utilizing the processes of the present disclosure, the solids content of an emulsion utilized to produce such a toner, as well as the mixing speed utilized in the aggregation process and the temperature at which aggregation of the toner particles occurs, may then be selected to obtain toner particles possessing the desired amount of aluminum, and thus the desired gloss.
US09239522B2	Method of determining an asymmetric property of a structure Methods of determining asymmetric properties of structures are described. A method includes measuring, for a grating structure, a first signal and a second, different, signal obtained by optical scatterometry. A difference between the first signal and the second signal is then determined. An asymmetric structural parameter of the grating structure is determined based on a calculation using the first signal, the second signal, and the difference.
US09239514B2	Imaging apparatus and electronic device for producing stereoscopic images An imaging apparatus includes: a first lens group disposed on a subject side of a diaphragm in the vicinity of which two polarizers that polarize light from a subject are disposed, the polarizers being first and second polarizers whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other; a second lens group disposed on the side of the diaphragm where an imaging device is present, over a photodetection surface of which third and fourth polarizers are disposed, the third and fourth polarizers having polarization directions parallel to the polarization direction of the first and second polarizers, respectively; and an image processor that produces stereoscopic images based on image data produced by converting light incident on the imaging device through the first lens group and the second lens group. The second lens group has positive refracting power, and characteristics of the first lens group and the second lens group satisfy certain conditions.
US09239513B2	Laser projection light A laser projection light has a light blocking wall and safety sensor to prevent people from directly looking into the laser beams to harm their eyes. The laser projection light may be an AC powered laser projection light or a DC powered battery operated unit, and may also incorporate a UL listed LED light device to that provides an LED light device function in addition to the projection function in case people do not want to see the laser projection light performance and wish to switch off the laser beam.
US09239509B2	Optical deflector A first element substrate (20a) including an interlayer insulating layer (15a) provided on a first transparent substrate (10a), a plurality of first transparent electrode (16) extending parallel to each other, each first transparent electrode (16) being provided at a bottom (B) of an associated one of a plurality of grooves (S) in the interlayer insulating layer (15a), and a planarizing layer (17) covering the first transparent electrodes (16), filling the grooves (S), and having a refractive index equal to a refractive index of the interlayer insulating layer (15a), a second element substrate (30a) including a second transparent electrode (21) provided on a second transparent substrate (10b), and a liquid crystal layer (40) provided between the first element substrate (20a) and the second element substrate (30a) are provided.
US09239506B2	Dual static electro-optical phase shifter having two control terminals A semiconductor electro-optical phase shifter comprises a central zone (I1, I2) having a minimum doping level; first and second lateral zones (N+, P+) flanking the central zone along a first axis, respectively N and P-doped, so as to form a P-I-N junction between the first and second lateral zones. The central zone comprises first and second optical action zones (I1, I2) separated along the first axis. The second lateral zone is doped discontinuously along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. Two electrical control terminals (A, C) are provided, one in contact with the first lateral zone, and the other in contact with doped portions of the second lateral zone.
US09239505B2	Electrophoretic display apparatus and electronic apparatus In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an electrophoretic display apparatus includes a first substrate. A refractive index variation layer is arranged so as to oppose the first substrate. An electrophoretic layer is arranged between the first substrate and the refractive index variation layer. A refractive index of the refractive index variation layer increases as it recedes away from the electrophoretic layer in a thickness direction of the electrophoretic layer.
US09239495B2	Display device, electronic device including display device, and method for manufacturing display device Included are a first glass substrate (20) and a second glass substrate (30) facing each other, the peripheries of the substrates (20, 30) being superposed with each other, a display medium layer (25) between the substrates (20, 30) in a display area (D), a sealing member (26) for bonding the substrates (20, 30) together in a frame region (F) between the substrates (20, 30) and enclosing a display medium layer (25) between the substrates (20, 30), a flexible resin substrate layer (7) extending outward from between the frame region (F) of the first substrate (20) and the sealing member (26), and driving electronic components (41, 42) mounted on the resin substrate layer (7).
US09239494B2	Polymer network stabilized flexoelectric polarization A liquid crystal device comprising a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer comprising a nematic liquid crystal material and a polymer network. The polymer network is anchored to said first substrate and is configured to alternatingly induce splay deformation and bend deformation of the nematic liquid crystal material along a line parallel with the first substrate. Hereby, the relaxation time τfall of the liquid crystal device is reduced.
US09239493B2	Liquid crystal alignment agent, liquid crystal display, and method for manufacturing liquid crystal display The present invention provides a liquid crystal alignment agent capable of preventing a decrease in voltage holding ratio (VHR), a liquid crystal display containing such a liquid crystal alignment agent, and a method for manufacturing such a liquid crystal display. Aspects of the present invention include a liquid crystal alignment agent containing at least one polymer selected from a polyamic acid and an imide polymer thereof and at least one difunctional monomer having an anthracene or phenanthrene structure, a liquid crystal display including an alignment film formed on at least one of an active substrate and a counter substrate using the above liquid crystal alignment agent, and a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display including the steps of forming an active substrate and forming a counter substrate, at least one of which includes forming an alignment film on the active substrate or the counter substrate using the above liquid crystal alignment agent.
US09239488B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device includes a LCD panel having a first polarizer, a first substrate, a second substrate and a second polarizer are sequentially provided from a front surface side, a frame which surrounds the LCD panel and has a first opening having first to fourth sides, a planar light source disposed on the rear surface side of the LCD panel in the first opening, a plurality of optical sheet groups which are disposed between the planar light source and the LCD panel, and an adhesive layer which has a second opening formed along the first to fourth sides of the frame. A front surface side of the adhesive layer is adhered to the LCD panel along at least the first side, and a rear surface side of the adhesive layer is adhered to the plurality of optical sheet groups and the frame along at least the first side.
US09239487B2	Display device A display device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of pixels; a shutter mechanism section formed in correspondence with each of the pixels, a fluid sealed in an space between the first substrate and the second substrate; and an impact absorption section located to face one substrate among the first substrate and the second substrate, on the side opposite to the side on which the fluid is located. The shutter mechanism section is formed on the second substrate and includes a movable shutter section for controlling a light transmittance of each of the pixels. The impact absorption section includes a third substrate located to face the one substrate, on the side opposite to the fluid, a sealing section for bringing together the one substrate and the third substrate, and a predetermined gap formed among the one substrate, the third substrate and the sealing section.
US09239485B2	Touch display panel and fabrication method thereof, and display device Embodiments of the invention disclose a touch display panel and a fabrication method thereof, and a display device. The touch display panel comprises a color filter substrate. A first conductive layer (1021) is formed on a base substrate (103) of the color filter substrate, and a first insulation layer (1101) is formed on the first conductive layer (1021). A pattern of the first conductive layer (1021) is same as a pattern of a black matrix (104) that is formed on the base substrate (103). A pattern of the first insulation layer (1101) in a display region of the touch display panel is same as a pattern of the first conductive layer (1021) in the display region.
US09239484B2	Display device substrate and method for fabricating same, and display device A thin film transistor substrate (20a) includes an insulating substrate (10a), a semiconductor layer (13a) provided on the insulating substrate (10a) and having a channel region (C), and a channel protection layer (25) provided in the channel region (C). The channel protection layer (25) is made of a multilayer film in which first insulating films and second insulating films are alternately layered. A relationship between a refractive index Ra of the first insulating film and a refractive index Rb of the second insulating film is Rb/Ra≧1.3.
US09239481B2	Liquid crystal display module and liquid crystal display device having the same A liquid crystal display module includes a bottom chassis comprising a lower surface including at least one fastening hole disposed along a first direction; a printed circuit board comprising a first surface supported by the lower surface of the bottom chassis, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and at least one opening hole corresponding to the at least one fastening hole of the bottom chassis; a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the second surface of the printed circuit board; and at least one fastening member comprising a head part inserted into the at least one opening hole of the printed circuit board so as not to be protruded outwardly from the second surface of the printed circuit board, and a fastening part disposed in and affixed to the at least one fastening hole.
US09239463B2	Illumination device and display unit for suppressing luminance unevenness and interference pattern An illumination device includes a light source section including a laser light source, and intermittently emitting, at a predetermined frequency, laser light emitted from the laser light source, an optical element passing the laser light emitted intermittently from the light source section, and a drive section vibrating the optical element at a predetermined vibration frequency. An expression 1 or 2 below is satisfied, where f1 [Hz] denotes the frequency, f2 [Hz] denotes a variable frequency of luminance in illumination light emitted from the optical element as a result of vibration of the optical element, n1 denotes an arbitrary integer of 0 or larger and 10 or smaller, and n2 denotes a predetermined integer of 1 or larger. \|n1×f1−f2\|≧20 1 \|b2×f1−f2\|≦3 2
US09239461B2	Aircraft cockpit with head-up display device An aircraft cockpit comprises a head-up display device comprising a projector and a screen, the screen being placed facing a pilot along a theoretical line of sight of the pilot. The projector is fixed to a side wall of the cockpit, the screen forming a non-zero angle of inclination relative to a plane perpendicular to the theoretical line of sight of the pilot.
US09239459B2	Scanning lens and optical scanner A scanning lens molded of resin includes: a lens portion having an elongate shape extending in a main scanning direction and having first and second longitudinal ends located opposite to and away from each other in the main scanning direction; and a flange portion extending outward in the main scanning direction from the first longitudinal end of the lens portion. The scanning lens has first and second sides located opposite to and away from each other in a sub-scanning direction, and a first protrusion is provided on the first side to protrude outward in the sub-scanning direction. The flange portion protrudes farther beyond the first longitudinal end in an optical axis direction of the lens portion. As viewed from the sub-scanning direction, the first protrusion is located at a position overlapping an interface between the lens portion and the flange portion.
US09239455B2	Structural illumination and evanescent coupling for the extension of imaging interferometric microscopy In accordance with the aspects of the present disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed for imaging interferometric microscopy (IIM), which can use an immersion medium to enhance resolution up to a resolution of linear systems resolution limit of λ/4n, where λ is the wavelength in free space and n is the index of refraction of a transmission medium.
US09239452B2	Variable magnification optical system and imaging apparatus In a variable magnification optical system, consisting of a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, arranged in order from the object side, in which magnification is changed by moving the second lens group and focusing is performed by moving the fourth lens group, the first lens group consists of a positive lens and a positive cemented lens, arranged in order from the object side, the third lens group includes an aperture stop on the most object side, the fourth lens group consists of a positive lens, a negative lens, and a positive lens, arranged in order from the object side, with at least one surface being an aspherical surface, and the system satisfies given conditional expressions.
US09239445B2	Miniaturized lens assembly A miniaturized lens assembly includes a first lens, a second lens and a third lens, all of which are arranged in sequence from an object side to an image side along an optical axis. The first lens is a convex-concave lens with negative refractive power and includes a convex surface facing the object side and a concave surface facing the image side. The second lens is with positive refractive power. The third lens is a convex-concave lens with negative refractive power and includes a convex surface facing the object side and a concave surface facing the image side.
US09239444B2	Incident and reflective mirror array focusing by kinematic function control An array of Fresnel reflectors is presented with an adjustable focus. The focus of the array is controlled by only a few mechanical parts and simple inputs. One preferred embodiment of this device is to collect sunlight and focus it onto a photovoltaic (PV) cell or a boiler, for the purpose of collecting solar energy. This solar collector, or heliostat, is easily adjusted so that it always directs the sun's rays onto the PV cell or boiler.
US09239436B2	Fiber optic plug having an articulated force structure to inhibit angular ferrule biasing during insertion into an optical receptacle, and related assemblies and methods Fiber optic plug connectors having an articulated force structure to inhibit angular ferrule biasing are disclosed. An articulated force structure is provided in the fiber optic plugs to apply a forward force to a ferrule of the fiber optic plug, to dispose the fiber optic plug ferrule in close proximity to an optical interface of the optical receptacle to provide an optical connection therebetween. By the articulating force structure providing an articulating forward force to the fiber optic plug ferrule, the ferrule is able to angularly rotate to inhibit angular biasing applied to the fiber optic plug ferrule as a result of inserting the fiber optic plug into an optical receptacle. The articulating force structure providing an articulating forward force to the fiber optic plug ferrule facilitates alignment of the ferrule with the optical receptacle to preserve optical performance.
US09239432B2	Photonics grating coupler and method of manufacture A structure for coupling an optical signal between an integrated circuit photonic structure and an external optical fiber is disclosed as in a method of formation. The coupling structure is sloped relative to a horizontal surface of the photonic structure such that light entering or leaving the photonic structure is substantially normal to its upper surface.
US09239429B2	Fiber sensor A fiber sensor includes a light source, and an optical fiber having flexibility to guide light emitted from the light source. The optical fiber has at least one light characteristics conversion portion. The fiber sensor also includes a light-receiving unit to receive the light guided by the optical fiber, and an identification unit having a unique shape on an outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber as compared with a round shape. The identification unit is formed to have a shape enabling at least one of an installation position and posture of the light characteristics conversion portion provided on the optical fiber to be identified.
US09239428B2	Epoxy dispensing system and dispensing tip used therewith The present disclosure describes, among other things, a method for attaching a fiber optic terminus of a fiber optic connector to a fiber optic cable. The method may include determining a type of epoxy to be mixed from a first material in a first barrel of the dual-barrel cartridge and a second material in a second barrel of the dual-barrel cartridge. The method may include determining a first rate at which to advance a first plunger against the first barrel based at least in part on the type of epoxy to be mixed. The method may include determining a second rate at which to advance a second plunger against the second barrel based at least in part on the type of epoxy to be mixed. The first rate and the second rate may be associated with a proportion between an amount of the first material and an amount of the second material to mix for the epoxy.
US09239422B2	Light guide plate with blunt edges Electronic devices may include displays. A display may include display layers having an array of display pixels and a backlight unit that provides backlight illumination to the display pixels. The backlight unit may include a light guide plate that distributes light across the display layers and a stack of optical films that may be used to enhance backlight performance. The optical films may be interposed between the light guide plate and the display layers. The light guide plate may be provided with one or more rounded edges formed from curved surfaces and/or one or more beveled edges formed from chamfered surfaces. Providing the light guide plate with rounded or beveled edges may minimize abrasive contact between the light guide plate and the adjacent optical films. An injection molding tool may be used to mold a light guide plate with rounded or beveled edges.
US09239421B2	Illuminating device and display device provided with same The present invention allows light leaked to outside of a light guide plate (50) from a surface area L to pass through a diffusion sheet (70) by covering both the bottom of an optical sheet (75) and the surface area L of the light guide plate (50) located between an LED FPC (25) and the optical sheet (75) with the diffusion sheet (70). This irradiates a liquid crystal display panel (30) with light after the light leaked to outside from the surface area L is diffused by the diffusion sheet (70), so unevenness in the brightness of backlight emitted from a backlight device (240) can be reduced. Thus, the brightness of images displayed on a screen can be made uniform regardless of distance to an LED (60).
US09239415B2	Near-to-eye display with an integrated out-looking camera Embodiments of a near-to-eye display include a light guide with a proximal end, a distal end, a front surface spaced apart from a back surface, an ambient input region on the front surface and an output region on the back surface. A display and a camera are positioned at or near the proximal end. A proximal optical element is positioned in the light guide and optically coupled to the display and the camera. A distal optical element is positioned in the light guide and optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and the output region. The proximal optical element can direct display light toward the distal optical element and ambient light to the camera, and the distal optical element can direct display light to the output region and ambient light to the output region and to the proximal optical element.
US09239414B2	Object provided with a graphic element transferred on a support and method for making such an object An object including at least one graphic element, including at least one at least partly transparent substrate, at least one face of which includes recesses forming a pattern of the graphic element filled with the at least one material, the face of the substrate being fixed to at least one face of at least one support by wafer bonding, the substrate and the support forming a monolithic structure.
US09239402B2	Focused array laterolog tool Various embodiments include apparatus and methods to make resistivity measurements in a borehole using tool having an array of electrodes operable to provide focused currents and measure corresponding voltages to determine resistivity. Tools can be configured with a main electrode having a number of spaced apart electrodes within the main electrode such that the spaced apart electrodes are arranged azimuthally with respect to an axis of the tool. Generation of current from the spaced apart electrodes and control of current from additional electrodes on each side of the main electrode can provide for focused measurements. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09239401B2	Stationary source for marine electromagnetic surveying Disclosed are methods and systems for using electromagnetic sources that are substantially stationary in a body of water while electromagnetic field signals are detected with electromagnetic sensors towed through the body of water. An embodiment discloses an apparatus comprising: a vessel; a first electromagnetic source coupled to the vessel and configured to have a dipole moment oriented in a first direction; and a second electromagnetic source coupled to the vessel and configured to have a dipole moment oriented in a second direction, wherein the second direction is generally orthogonal to the first direction. Another embodiment discloses a system comprising: a sensor streamer configured for towing in a body of water, wherein the sensor streamer comprises a plurality of electromagnetic sensors disposed at spaced apart positions; and an electromagnetic source assembly configured for deployment at a substantially stationary position in the body of water.
US09239400B2	Method for separating target signals from unwanted signals in a metal detector A method for detecting electrically conductive targets in soil including the steps of: generating a transmit magnetic field for transmission into the soil based on a transmit signal; receiving a receive magnetic field; providing a receive signal induced by the receive magnetic field; selecting at least two models, each approximating a form of a signal due to a different type of source; processing the receive signal using the at least two models to produce at least two independent signals, each representing a component of the receive signal due to a different type of source; and producing, based on at least two independent signals, an indicator output signal indicative of the presence of the electrically conductive target.
US09239399B2	Method for processing borehole seismic data Seismic data recorded by subsurface seismic sensors placed in a borehole, such as an oil or gas well, are transformed via a process of upward wavefield propagation to pseudo-receivers at the surface of the earth. The seismic data thus transformed can be processed as though the data had been recorded by the pseudo-receivers at the surface rather than in the borehole where the data were actually recorded. This method accurately accounts for seismic source statics, anisotropy, and all velocity effects between the real receivers in the borehole and the pseudo-receivers at the surface of the earth.
US09239395B2	Method and system of determining earthquake parameters, earthquake search engine Methods for rapidly determining earthquake parameters of an earthquake include inputting a seismogram of the earthquake, searching concurrently in pre-established historical seismogram database and theoretical seismogram database by use of an approximate nearest neighbor search method, to find a set of seismograms similar to the input seismogram according to a preset similarity condition, and determining from the set of similar seismograms one or more seismograms matched with the input seismogram, and determining the earthquake parameters from the matched seismograms. With the present invention, it is possible to search in millions of seismograms and determine parameters for an earthquake in a few second, and thus realize rapid and even real-time estimation of earthquake parameters.
US09239394B2	Detection of ionising radiation A detector for detecting ionizing radiation comprises a scintillator 10 selected to emit light in response to incidence thereon of radiation to be detected, at least one detector 16 for detecting said emitted light, and at least one optical waveguide 12 for transmitting said emitted light to said detector 16. The optical waveguide typically comprises a flexible solid or hollow fiber that can be incorporated into a flexible mat or into a fiber-reinforced structure, so that the detector is integrated therewith.
US09239391B2	Apparatus and method for distinguishing energy bands of photons in multi-energy radiation An apparatus for distinguishing an energy band of a photon in a readout circuit that counts photons in multi-energy radiation incident onto a sensor for each energy band includes an integrator configured to accumulate an electric signal received from the sensor that has undergone photoelectric conversion from the photon; a comparator configured to compare an accumulated electric signal received from the integrator with one of a plurality of threshold values; and a signal processor configured to instruct sequential switching from one of the plurality of threshold values to another one of the plurality of threshold values according to a result of a comparison received from the comparator; and output a digital signal that distinguishes an energy band of the photon based on results received from the comparator of sequential comparisons of the accumulated electric signal with the plurality of threshold values.
US09239390B2	Radiation imaging apparatus and radiation imaging system A radiation imaging apparatus including: a detector that includes a detection section in which pixels having a conversion element that converts radiation to an electric charge are arranged in a matrix shape, a drive circuit configured to drive the detection section, and a read circuit configured to output an electric signal that corresponds to the electric charge as image data; a radiation detection unit configured to detect a radiation irradiation state using two detection units that are adjacently arranged in the detection section; and a control unit configured to control operations of the drive circuit and the read circuit in accordance with a detection result obtained by the radiation detection unit, wherein a detection capability by one of the detection units is set to a lower capability than a detection capability at by the other of the detection units.
US09239385B2	Method of producing isotopes in power nuclear reactors In a method of producing isotopes in a light water power reactor, one or more targets within the reactor may be irradiated under a neutron flux to produce one or more isotopes. The targets may be assembled into one or more fuel bundles that are to be loaded in a core of the reactor at a given outage. Power operations in the reactor irradiate the fuel bundles so as to generate desired isotopes, such as one or more radioisotopes at a desired specific activity or stable isotopes at a desired concentration.
US09239382B2	Attribute and topology based change detection in a constellation of previously detected objects A system that applies attribute and topology based change detection to networks of objects that were detected on previous scans of a structure, roadway, or area of interest. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The topology of the network of previously detected objects is maintained in a constellation database that stores attributes of previously detected objects and implicitly captures the geometrical structure of the network. A change detection system detects change by comparing the attributes and topology of new objects detected on the latest scan to the constellation database of previously detected objects.
US09239374B2	Beamforming method, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, program, and integrated circuit A beamforming method according to the present invention is a method of processing echo signals of a target region which are obtained from a probe including a plurality of receiving elements arrayed on a predetermined line. The beamforming method includes the following steps (S1 to S3). At S1, seed beams are formed from echo signals received by at least two receiving elements from among the plurality of receiving elements. At S2, a main beam and sub beams are formed by synthesizing at least one of the seed beams. At S3, a narrow beam for the target region is formed by multiplying the sub beams by respective predetermined coefficients and subtracting the multiplied sub beams from the main beam. Here, an signal intensity for the target region regarding the main beam is higher than a signal intensity for the target region regarding each of the sub beams.
US09239371B1	High power input protection for signal measurement devices A protection device usable with a signal measurement device to limit power level of radio frequency (RF) signals propagated to the signal measurement device can include a direct current (DC) block capacitor, a variable impedance limiter, and a detector. The variable impedance limiter includes a PIN diode electrically connected with a primary signal path of the protection device along a limiter signal path. The detector includes a Schottky detector diode and a limiting resistor electrically connected with the primary signal path along a detector signal path. The detector is configured to generate a DC bias current to adjust resistance of the variable impedance limiter in response to an RF signal.
US09239369B2	Method and system for selecting base stations to position mobile device A method for selecting a plurality of base stations to position a mobile device is provided. The method includes selecting a plurality of base station sets from the plurality of base stations, wherein each of the plurality of base station sets corresponds to a distance matrix, utilizing a first artificial neural network (ANN) unit to select a predefined number of the plurality of base station sets from the plurality of base station sets according to a plurality of distance matrixes corresponding to the plurality of base station sets; and utilizing a second ANN unit to position the mobile device according to the predefined number of the plurality of base station sets.
US09239363B2	Battery diagnosis device and method An apparatus is disclosed that includes a resistance measuring unit operable to determine a solution resistance Rsol and a charge transfer resistance Rct of a battery; and at least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising code, that, when executed by at least one processor, is operable to provide an estimate of the present value of the battery by: comparing Rsol and Rct to historical deterioration transition information; estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison; and estimating the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached by the battery using the comparison. The estimate of the present value of the battery includes the smaller of the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge capacity lower limit is reached or the number of remaining charge cycles before a discharge time lower limit is reached.
US09239362B2	Battery-type determination apparatus, battery-type determination method, and electronic apparatus A battery-type determination apparatus includes a battery installation unit equipped with battery connection terminals in which a battery is installed, a voltage detector that detects a voltage generated by Seebeck effect between a battery connection terminal and an electrode of the battery, a temperature rise controller that raises a temperature at a contact point between the electrode of the battery and the battery connection terminal, and a type determination unit that determines a type of the battery installed in the battery installation unit, based on the voltage detected by the voltage detector with the temperature risen at the contact point.
US09239359B2	Test access architecture for TSV-based 3D stacked ICS A test access architecture is disclosed for 3D-SICs that allows for both pre-bond die testing and post-bond stack testing. The test access architecture is based on a modular test approach, in which the various dies, their embedded IP cores, the inter-die TSV-based interconnects, and the external I/Os can be tested as separate units to allow optimization of the 3D-SIC test flow. The architecture builds on and reuses existing design for test (DfT) hardware at the core, die, and product level. Test access is provided to an individual die stack via a test structure called a wrapper unit.
US09239357B2	System and method for modulation mapping An apparatus for providing modulation mapping is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser source, a motion mechanism providing relative motion between the laser beam and the DUT, signal collection mechanism, which include a photodetector and appropriate electronics for collecting modulated laser light reflected from the DUT, and a display mechanism for displaying a spatial modulation map which consists of the collected modulated laser light over a selected time period and a selected area of the IC.
US09239354B2	Pin removal mode signal generation circuit and semiconductor apparatus including the same A pin removal mode signal generation circuit includes: a set signal generation unit configured to activate a set signal when an activated test mode signal pulse is generated by a mode register set and an activated flag signal pulse is applied, and a pin removal mode signal generation unit configured to activate a pin removal mode signal when the set signal is activated, and deactivate the pin removal mode signal when a reset signal is activated.
US09239350B2	Methods and apparatus for determining abnormal conditions in vehicular electrical system Methods and apparatus are provided for determining an abnormal condition in an electrical system of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a memory for storing data relating to normal voltage transients. The apparatus also includes a computer electrically connectable to the electrical system and in communication with the memory. The computer is configured to sense voltage transients that occur in the electrical system of the vehicle, compare the sensed voltage transients to the stored normal voltage transients, and determine if the sensed voltage transient indicates an abnormal condition in the electrical system of the vehicle.
US09239347B2	Signal stabilization in a non-resistive contact sensor assembly A non-resistive contact sensor assembly includes an electric field sensor device, including a dry electrode component for receiving an electrical signal from an object of interest and a signal processing component for processing the electrical signal, and a casing in which the signal processing component is surrounded or embedded. The processing component may include communications capabilities.
US09239341B2	Wiring fault detection method, wiring fault detection apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor substrate A wiring fault detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention is capable of determining that, in a case where a temperature rise value of a faulty portion exceeds a temperature rise threshold within a preset threshold of the number of frames, a corresponding pixel has a fault. A wiring fault detection apparatus according to the present invention includes a temperature measurement imaging unit that measure a temperature of a semiconductor substrate and forms an image thereof.
US09239339B2	Acceleration sensor and method for operating an acceleration sensor An acceleration sensor has a substrate, a seismic mass and a detection unit. The seismic mass is configured to be deflected based on an external acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor, the deflection being in the form of a deflection motion with respect to the substrate along a deflection direction. The detection unit is configured to be deflected for the detection of a deflection of the seismic mass, the detection being in the form of a detection motion with respect to the substrate along a detection direction. The detection unit is connected to the seismic mass in such a way that the amplitude of the deflection motion along the deflection direction is greater than the amplitude of the detection motion along the detection direction.
US09239335B2	Laboratory sample distribution system, laboratory system and method of operating A laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The laboratory sample distribution system comprises a plurality of container carriers. The container carriers each comprise at least one magnetically active device such as, for example, at least one permanent magnet, and carry a sample container containing a sample. The system further comprises a transport plane to carry the multiple container carriers and a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane. The electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier. The system also comprises at least one transfer device to transfer a sample item, wherein the sample item is a container carrier, a sample container, part of the sample and/or the complete sample, between the transport plane and a laboratory station such as, for example, a pre-analytical, an analytical and/or a post-analytical station.
US09239332B2	Akt-specific capture agents, compositions, and methods of using and making The present application provides stable peptide-based Akt capture agents and the use thereof as detection, diagnosis, and treatment agents. The application further provides novel methods of developing stable peptide-based capture agents, including Akt capture agents, using iterative on-bead in situ click chemistry.
US09239325B2	Microchip-based apparatus for examining platelet composite functions There is provided a microchip-based platelet multi-function test apparatus. The apparatus includes a sample container configured to accommodate a blood sample therein, a stirrer that is installed inside the sample container and induces a shear flow in the blood sample, a parallel channel configured to divide and flow the blood stirred by the stirrer into a plurality of paths, a vacuum device that is connected to an end of each parallel channel, maintains constant pressure, allows the stirred blood to flow along the parallel channel, a light source that is installed in a rear side of the parallel channel and radiates light to the parallel channel, and an image sensor that receives light transmitted through the blood in the parallel channel, converts the light into an electrical signal, and measures a flowing distance of a blood flow.
US09239321B2	Advanced egg breaking system An egg transfer system for providing automated inspection and tracking of eggs prior to entering an egg breaker, as well as broken egg contents following breaking, and in which the transfer system includes a series of processing and inspection component interfacing with a central processor for grading and segregating the eggs into one of a number of classes including removal eggs. Removal gates are provided at intermediate locations of the egg transfer system, prior to the egg breakers, and are associated with removal of varying classes of eggs. The central processor interfaces with the various stations in order to assemble a dedicated data packet of egg related data which is assigned to a progressing location on the egg conveyor upon which a specified egg is located, and which can further include the central processor assigning the data packet to a location subsequent to the breakers holding specified shell egg contents. At least one, and typically two, manual removal locations are additionally provided, such as associated with the intermediate egg detection and removal station as well as the post-breaker station.
US09239318B2	Spectroscopic sample inspection for automated chromatography A method and a system for generating an extraction sample from a dried sample spot. The method includes acquiring a spectroscopic image of an analyte in the spot. The spectroscopic image includes information on a spatial distribution of the analyte. A region of the spot to be extracted is determined from the spectroscopic image and an extraction sample is generated from the determined region. In other embodiments, the method and system are based on acquiring a spectroscopic measurement of an analyte in the dried sample spot, determining a quantity of the analyte in the spot based on the spectroscopic measurement and determining a volume of an extraction solvent for creating an extraction sample from the spot. The determined volume is based on the determined quantity of the analyte and a detection characteristic of an analytical measurement system. In other embodiments, the method is applied to solid samples.
US09239317B2	System and method for ultrasonic testing with a single channel ultrasonic test unit A device and method for ultrasonic inspection of a test object is disclosed. A plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements and electrical pulser circuits are provided for generating and transmitting electrical pulses. The device has an interface configured to communicate with a single channel ultrasonic testing unit.
US09239311B2	Molecularly imprinted conducting polymer film based aqueous amino acid sensors Molecularly imprinted conducting polymer (MICP) films were electro-polymerized on glassy carbon electrode having specific recognition sites for amino acid viz. L-tyrosine and/or L-cysteine. The amino acid templates in various imprinted films were ejected out by over-oxidation followed by washing and stabilization. Again, the template leached MICP films were modified with metal oxides [oxides of Cu2+, Hg2+, Pd2+, Au3+, Pt4+ etc]. The resultant leached MICP and metal oxide modified template leached MICP film based GCE will now selectively sense L-tyrosine and/or L-cysteine in aqueous media by direct and catalytic means respectively employing differential pulse voltammetric waveform. The sensitivity and selectivity of the sensors prepared by the invention are high and the stability is good, which will be widely used in clinical diagnostics, chemical industry, environment protection and other related fields.
US09239308B2	Humidity detection sensor and a method for manufacturing the same A humidity detection sensor includes a lower electrode provided on a board, an upper electrode provided so as to face the lower electrode, a humidity sensing film which is formed at least between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and whose dielectric constant changes in response to humidity, and a protective film provided so as to cover the upper electrode. Each of the upper electrode and the protective film has an opening through which the humidity sensing film is partially exposed to the outside. In the opening, the humidity sensing film is provided so as to reach at least a position higher than the position of the lower surface of the protective film.
US09239306B2	Abnormality diagnosis apparatus for electric pump An abnormality diagnosis apparatus for an electric pump prevents an erroneous decision that a normally functioning electric pump has an abnormality. When a motor is driven by a current of the driving motor using an upper limit current Iα before a predetermined time T1 passes, it is decided that there is a probability that an abnormality occurs in the pump and the decision is reported to an external device when the number of rotations of the motor is less than the lower limit number of rotations set under lower limit temperature of a hydraulic oil. When the motor is driven by limiting the current of the motor by Iβ and Iγ (
US09239302B2	Method and apparatus for analysing a material A method of analyzing particles of a material which include a constituent is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of exposing particles of the material to x radiation having a range of x-radiation energies, detecting x-radiation intensities at two different energy levels transmitted through the particles, and determining the concentration of the constituent in particles from the detected intensities.
US09239295B2	Variable polarization wafer inspection Methods and systems for variable polarization wafer inspection are provided. One system includes one or more polarizing components position in one or more paths of light scattered from a wafer and detected by one or more channels of an inspection system. The polarizing component(s) are configured to have detection polarization(s) that are selected from two or more polarization settings for the polarizing component(s).
US09239294B2	Gem identification method and apparatus using digital imaging viewer A system and an apparatus for capturing a digital image of a particular gemstone from which specific and unique data can be extracted using digital image processing analysis, which data is used to positively identify a single gemstone from a database of gemstone images.
US09239292B2	Method and apparatus for tracking the motion of molecules in a microscope An apparatus and method for measuring the mobility of molecules in a sample are disclosed. Molecules in a sample are tagged with a dye having active and inactive states that are generated by exposing dye to light of an activation wavelength and an inactivation wavelength, respectively, the activation wavelength being different from the inactivation wavelength. The sample is illuminated in a microscope with a light pattern that includes a first region in which the dye is activated and a second adjacent region in which the first dye is inactivated. After the sample is so illuminated, an image of the activated first molecules is recorded when the first molecules are illuminated with light of an excitation wavelength. Molecules having the first dye in the inactive state are distinguishable from molecules having the first dye in the active state in the microscope when illuminated with light of the excitation wavelength.

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