Document Document Title
US09281713B2 System and method for electricity management
A system and a method for electricity management are disclosed. The system includes a data management unit, a cabinet, a control unit, an uninterruptible power supply apparatus and a power switch. The cabinet is powered by an external power supply. When the data management unit sends a testing instruction to the cabinet, the control unit controls the power switch to shut down the external power supply such that the cabinet is powered by the uninterruptible power supply apparatus instead. The control unit measures a set of battery parameters of the uninterruptible power supply apparatus, computes a power supply capacity of the uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to the set of battery parameters, and returns the power supply capacity to the data management unit.
US09281710B2 Bypass control wireless charging device
A bypass control wireless charging device includes a logic control unit electrically connected to a wireless transmission unit, a full-bridge inverter, a buck-boost unit, a discharging switch unit and a back current prevention unit, wherein the discharging switch unit electrically connected to a battery, and a inlet terminal of the back current prevention unit electrically connected to a charging terminal, when the charging terminal electrically connected to an external power, the back current prevention unit turned on by the logic control unit to turned off the discharging switch unit and the input voltage of the external power boosted by buck-boost unit and converted DC to AC by the full-bridge inverter. The coil of the wireless transmission unit provided the emission electricity with AC induction to achieve the purpose of wireless charging for the electronics while received the emission electricity of the wireless transmission unit.
US09281709B2 Power receiving device for wireless charging and portable electronic device having the same
Disclosed herein are a power receiving device for wireless charging and a portable electronic device having the same. The power receiving device for wireless charging include a body having a receiving space formed therein; and a charging kit detachably received in the receiving space, and including a coil formed to receive power by magnetic coupling with a power supplying device and a charging circuit configured to charge a battery by electromotive force induced in the coil.
US09281703B2 Cost-effective reliable method to depower rechargeable electric batteries
Methods and systems for depowering a rechargeable battery in a rapid, yet controlled, manner. The methods comprise (i) providing a depowering medium comprising expanded graphite (and optionally, one or more dispersible non-ionic electric conductors) dispersed in a substantially non-ionic aqueous medium; (ii) contacting terminals of the battery with the depowering medium; and (iii) maintaining contact between the depowering medium and terminals for a period of time sufficient to depower the battery. The systems comprise (i) the depowering medium; and (ii) a container configured to receive a battery and the depowering medium such that the battery body is contacted with the depowering medium prior to the terminals.
US09281702B2 Electric storage unit group, charger, electronic device, electric vehicle, method for charging electric storage unit group, method for discharging electric storage unit group, method for supplying and receiving power, and method for determining charging/discharging route in electric storage unit group
The present invention relates to an electric storage unit group, a charger, an electronic device, an electric vehicle, a method for charging the electric storage unit, a method for discharging the electric storage unit group, a method for supplying and receiving power, and a method for determining a charging/discharging route in the electric storage unit group, which can provide a method for charging the electric storage unit group in which a plurality of electric storage units are connected in a desired form.The method for charging the electric storage unit group is a method for charging a rechargeable battery cell in an electric storage unit group in which a plurality of electric storage units having rechargeable battery cells are linearly or reticulately connected. At an upstream side of the electric storage unit group, the electric storage unit group is connected to a power supply for charging the electric storage units.
US09281700B2 Power supply system and method for charging at least one energy storage cell serving as an energy store for a DC link in a power supply system
A power supply system has an n-phase electric machine, where n≧1, and a controllable energy store serving to control and to supply electrical energy to the electric machine. The controllable energy store has n parallel power supply arms which each have at least two series-connected energy storage modules which each include at least one electrical energy storage cell with an associated controllable coupling unit, are connected on one side to a reference bus and are connected on the other side to one respective phase of the electric machine. In dependence on control signals, the coupling units either bridge the respectively associated energy storage cells or connect the respectively associated energy storage cells into the power supply arm.
US09281697B2 Capacitively coupled cell balancer with a common AC bus
This invention concerns a capacitively coupled cell balancer with a common AC bus. It comprises either a half or full bridge connected to each cell of a set of N cells, which are either floating or connected in series. The midpoints of each half bridge and the full bridges are coupled through coupling capacitors to a common AC bus.
US09281693B2 System control apparatus for equipment
The system control apparatus for equipment for causing equipment to collaboratively operate includes: equipment profile management means for managing an equipment profile that is metadata representing the electrical properties of the equipment; control scenario management means for managing a control scenario in which is described metadata that states an operation to be fulfilled by the equipment; equipment detection means for detecting control-targeted equipment; electrical status monitoring means for monitoring an electrical status related to transfer of electrical power caused by equipment interconnections; equipment selection means for selecting equipment for use on the basis of the metadata described in the control scenario and the equipment profile; and control execution means for controlling the selected equipment.
US09281692B2 Power distribution unit, communication device used with same, and power distribution system
A power distribution unit, a communication device used with same, and a power distribution system. The power distribution unit comprises a master management module (331), and at least a group of socket management modules (211). The socket management module (211) is used to manage power output. The master management module (331) is connected to each socket management module (211), and is used to monitor a power output state of each socket management module (211) and control a switching state of the power output of each socket management module (211). The master management module (331) comprises an incoming port (431) and an outgoing port (432) for connection to external devices. The power distribution system comprises the power distribution unit and the communication device coordinating with the power distribution unit. The system can implement intelligent remote monitoring on the power distribution unit, and effective monitoring on a surrounding environment of the power distribution unit.
US09281688B2 Energy management system for multiple power inputs
In general, described is an energy management system for controlling multiple input streams of electricity to a local power system. Preferably, input streams are prioritized by computer algorithms for use or output within the local power system. Suitably, high priority streams are directed by the computer software to primary outputs while lesser priority streams are directed to secondary outputs.
US09281682B2 Apparatuses and method for over-voltage event protection
Circuits, integrated circuits, apparatuses, and methods, such as those for protecting circuits against electrostatic discharge events are disclosed. An example apparatus comprises a thyristor coupled to a node and configured to limit the voltage and discharge the current associated with an over-voltage event at the node. The over-voltage event includes a negative voltage having a magnitude that exceeds a trigger voltage of the thyristor. The example apparatus further comprising a transistor coupled to the thyristor and configured to adjust the magnitude of the trigger voltage.
US09281681B2 ESD protection circuits and methods
An electrostatic discharge protection circuit includes a first LC resonator circuit coupled to an input node and disposed in parallel with an internal circuit that is also coupled to the input node, and a second LC resonator circuit coupled in series with the first LC resonator circuit at a first node. The first LC resonator circuit is configured to resonate at a different frequency than a frequency the second LC resonator circuit is configured to resonate.
US09281671B2 Cast one-piece outlet box
In an example an integral wiring box comprises: a circular base having a base wire access point; a side wall extended from a perimeter edge of the base forming a cavity having an internal surface and an external surface and a side wall wire access point; a base conduit extending from the base wire access point into the cavity; a side wall conduit extending from the side wall wire access point into the cavity; an internal mounting projection extending from the internal surface of the side wall into the cavity and free from attachment to the circular base, the internal mounting projection further comprising a mounting hole; and an external mounting projection extending from the external surface of the side wall away from the base, the external mounting projection further comprising a mounting hole; wherein a single mounting hub extends from the base into the cavity, wherein the base, side wall, internal mounting projection, external mounting projection, and mounting hub, are formed as a single component.
US09281667B2 Back saver (A-frame pully system)
A wire feeding pulley A-Frame System is provided for feeding electrical, telephone, communication wires ect into manhole, transformers, switch gears ect., including a frame having four vertical rails one horizontal rail at the top which has four short pieces of square tubing welded to it which the vertical rails sleeve over and are held together by horizontal pins. The bottom of the frame has four horizontal pieces welded into a square that have four short vertical pieces welded on top of them that the vertical rails can sleeve into and be held together by horizontal pins. It has three vertical pieces of square tubing welded to the bottom side of the top horizontal rail that three pulleys can be attached to for wire to be fed through. There is also a square tube that can be attached to the bottom frame that has a smaller square tube inside of it that has a pulley that pins on the end of it, making it a snorkel attachment for feeding into devices with small doorways.
US09281664B2 Access doors
An access door adjustable to an opening, comprising a frame adjustable to the width and the height of the opening; and a door panel, the frame comprising side members and corner members; each side member having a section adapted to receive an edge of the opening and comprising a first part adapted to lay flat on an outer surface of the edge of the opening and a second part extending within the opening and comprising engagement positions, the engagement positions being adapted to engage the corner members between a maximum length for each side of the frame by using outermost engagement positions and a minimum length for each side of the frame, depending on the size of the opening, the frame receiving the door panel for closing the opening.
US09281659B1 Thermal management of laser diode mode hopping for heat assisted media recording
A method and apparatus provide for determining a temperature at a junction of a laser diode when the laser diode is operated in a lasing state that facilitates heat-assisted magnetic recording, comparing the junction temperature and an injection current supplied during the lasing state to stored combinations of junction temperature and injection current, and determining a likelihood of mode hopping occurring for the laser diode during the lasing state based on the comparison to stored combinations of junction temperature and injection current.
US09281657B2 Apparatus for output light with wavelength tunable function and method to determine oscillation wavelength of wavelength tunable laser diode
An apparatus for output light with a wavelength tunable function, includes: a semiconductor laser diode (LD) including regions to determine an oscillation wavelength, the regions providing respective diffraction gratings and electrodes to control refractive index of the regions; a temperature controller for mounting the LD thereon to control a temperature of the LD; and a controller configured to vary the refractive index of the regions by providing control signals to the electrodes and another control signal to the temperature controller for varying the temperature of the LD to coincide the oscillation wavelength with a target wavelength.
US09281656B2 Ridge laser
In at least one embodiment, the bar laser (1) has a semiconductor layer sequence (2) with an active zone (20). A waveguide (3) with a defined width (B) is formed as an elevation from the semiconductor layer sequence (2). A contact metallization (4) is applied to an upper side (30) of the waveguide (3) facing away from the active zone (20). A current flow layer (5) is in direct contact with the contact metallization (4). The contact metallization (4) is electrically connected via the current flow layer (5). A current flow width (C) of the active zone (20) and/or the waveguide (3) is less than the width (B) of the waveguide (3).
US09281653B2 Intelligent laser interlock system
Systems and methods are disclosed for shutting down a laser system in an intelligent and flexible manner. An intelligent laser interlock system includes both hardwired components, and intelligent components configured to execute computing instructions. The hardwired components and the intelligent components are configured to shutdown the laser system to one or more alternative shutdown states in response to one or more interlock signals.
US09281652B1 Unstable OPO resonators with improved beam quality
A laser system includes a laser resonator having a laser resonator volume and a gain block disposed therein, the gain block being configured to emit light at a predetermined laser wavelength, and an OPO unstable resonator having an OPO unstable resonator volume, the OPO unstable resonator optically coupled to the laser resonator and configured to receive light therefrom, wherein a portion of the OPO unstable resonator volume is situated with respect to the laser resonator volume so as to form an overlapping volume.
US09281647B2 Pass-through connector
An exemplary pass-through connector includes a connector housing a first end and a second end. A first amount of terminals extends from said first end to said second end. A supply line connects to a second amount of terminals. The supply line is located apart from the first end and the second end. The second amount of terminals is less than said first amount of terminals.
US09281643B1 Connector having metal separating plate being fastened by tongue plate in integral formation
The present invention is to provide a connector having a metal separating plate being fastened by a tongue plate in integral formation, which is compatible to USB Type-C standard and includes a tongue plate made of plastic integrally and provided with a metal separating plate fixedly disposed therein; a plurality of first connection terminals respectively inserted into first connection slots formed in the tongue plate near a top surface of the metal separating plate; a plurality of second connection terminals respectively inserted into second connection slots formed in the tongue plate near a bottom surface of the metal separating plate; grounding boards having structures respectively matched with the tongue plate, so as to enclose an outer edge of the tongue plate; and a metal casing having a structure matching with the tongue plate, so as to allow the tongue plate and grounding boards to be assembled into the metal casing.
US09281636B1 Cable assembly having a flexible light pipe
A cable assembly includes a cable bundle extending between first and second cable ends. A first electrical connector is terminated to the first cable end and has first contacts defining a first mating interface. A second electrical connector is terminated to the second cable end and has second contacts defining a second mating interface. A flexible light pipe extends along the length of the cable bundle. The flexible light pipe has a first light pipe interface at a first end of the flexible light pipe and a second light pipe interface at a second end of the flexible light pipe. The first light pipe interface is at or beyond the first cable end for interfacing with a component associated with a first mating connector and the second light pipe interface is at or beyond the second cable end for interfacing with a component associated with a second mating connector.
US09281633B2 MicroUSB accessory device with antenna
A Lightning connector compatible accessory device includes circuitry that is completely enveloped by a mobile device when the accessory device is inserted in a Lightning connector. The accessory device may include a microUSB connector on one end of a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may be offset in a housing.
US09281631B2 Connector and storage device using the same
A connector suitable for a storage device is provided. The storage device has a storage module. The connector includes a body, a plurality of terminals, and a housing. The terminals are disposed in the body, and a first end of each terminal protrudes from the body and is electrically connected to the storage module. The housing covers the body and has an indentation and a shielding portion. The first end of each terminal is located at the indentation. The shielding portion shields the indentation, and the first end of each terminal is located between the shielding portion and the storage module. A storage device is also provided.
US09281630B2 Electrical connector systems
An electrical connector that includes a housing configured to be coupled to a mating connector. The connector has signal contacts held in signal contact openings. The signal contacts are arranged in arrays of quad groups. Each of the quad group has a set of four contacts arranged in row pairs and column pairs. The signal contacts of each quad group are configured to carry relational signals with each other signal contact in the quad group. Each signal contact is configured to electrically couple to a signal contact of the mating connector. The connector also includes ground shields held in corresponding ground shield openings. The ground shields have walls surrounding a corresponding quad group of signal contacts and provides electrical shielding from adjacent quad groups of signal contacts. The ground shields have mating ends for mating with corresponding ground contacts of the mating connector.
US09281629B2 Flippable electrical connector
A receptacle connector mounted to the printed circuit board, includes an insulative housing defining a mating tongue and a metallic shell enclosing the housing to form a mating cavity in which said mating tongue forwardly extends. A complementary plug connector includes a shell with a bull-nose tip. A metallic piece is mounted around a root of the mating tongue and equipped with a plurality of spring tangs to contact the relatively rigid bull-nose tip of the shell of the complementary connector for EMI/RFI protection.
US09281627B2 Device connector with improved operability when connecting harness-side terminals and device-side terminals
A device connector includes device-side terminals (18), a device-side shield shell (21), harness-side terminals (40) to be fixed to a plurality of wires (71) and connected to the device-side terminals (18) by bolts (69) and a harness-side shield shell (50) connected to a braided wire (72) surrounding the wires (71). The harness-side shield shell (50) includes a first shell (51) and a second shell (61). The first shell (51) is fixed to the braided wire (72) and includes an operation cutout (60) for enabling a connecting operation of the device-side terminals (18) and the harness-side terminals (40) by the bolts (69). The operation cutout (60) is closed by the second shell (61).
US09281626B2 Mating connector
A mating connector includes a plastic body, a first terminal group and a second terminal group received in the plastic body, a retaining elastic sheet retained at the plastic body and located at a side of the first terminal group and the second terminal group, a middle shielding sheet located between the first terminal group and the second terminal group, and a shielding case contacting the middle shielding sheet. An urging portion is extended from the middle shielding sheet and abuts the retaining elastic sheet. The middle shielding sheet shields an interference signal between plate surfaces of the first and second terminal groups. The retaining elastic sheet shields an interference signal between side surfaces of the first and second terminal groups.
US09281623B2 Electrical connector with a mating port for different transporting interfaces
An electrical connector defines perpendicular first direction and second direction and includes a housing and a plurality of contacts. The housing includes a base portion and a first mating portion. The mating portion defines opposite first mating face and second mating face. The contacts are arranged in the housing in the second direction and include mating portions respectively exposed upon the first mating face and the second mating face and tails protruding from the housing. The contacts include several high-speed signal groups and each includes a pair of signal contacts and a grounding contact. The mating portions of the pair of signal contacts are located at the second mating face while the mating portion of the grounding contact is located at the first mating face. Three mating portions of each high-speed signal group are shaped as a triangle from a view along the first direction.
US09281620B2 Communication connector with reduced crosstalk
A communication connector including a housing and a plurality of contact pairs arranged relative to the housing. One of the plurality of contact pairs includes a first conductor termination zone centerline, and another contact pair includes a second conductor termination zone centerline, wherein the second conductor termination zone centerline is an approximately perpendicular bisector of the first conductor termination zone centerline.
US09281619B2 Vibration resistant connector system with connector position assurance device
A connector that is configured to be inserted within a cavity of a shroud defined by a mating connector along a longitudinal axis, including a connector body which defines a first resilient member and a first wedge member that is configured to urge the first resilient member into compressive contact with the shroud of the mating connector along a vertical or longitudinal axis. The connector may include a plurality of pairs of resilient members and wedge members to provide compressive contact along more than one axis. The wedge members may be incorporated into a connector position assurance device (CPA).
US09281618B2 Lock device
A lock device that locks or unlocks a locking subject includes a lock member moved between a lock position where the lock member locks the locking subject and an unlock position where the lock member unlocks the unlocking subject and a movable transmission member that acts to move the lock member to at least the lock position. A guide mechanism is arranged between the transmission member and the lock member. The guide mechanism includes a sloped lock guide surface. The lock guide surface guides the lock member to the lock position when the transmission member moves in a first direction.
US09281616B2 Connector
A connector mounted to a circuit board to be inserted into a storage destination, and configured to include: a connector body including a housing part for housing an electric terminal connected to a predetermined wire of the circuit board, and a base part connected to the housing part; a panel including an opening which is formed in a pair of opposed surfaces and through which the housing part can be inserted; an ejector for detaching the circuit board from an insertion destination by turning; and a connection member connected to a turning shaft part for turning the ejector to fasten the circuit board and the base part of the connector body. The connector can be mounted, together with the ejector, to a compact circuit board corresponding to a compact unit wire rack and can be efficiently mounted in a saved space.
US09281612B2 Magnetic connector having a unitary housing
Power cables that include plug housings having an improved appearance as well as employ a halogen-free cable while providing adequate fire resistance. One example provides a power cable having cable plug with a substantially unitary body. Another example provides a power cable that is formed using halogen-free materials. To provide adequate fire protection, a strain relief formed using multiple materials is used.
US09281611B2 Electric connector with wire retainer tube
An electrical connector has a connector body and a terminal mounted to the connector body. A wire is connected to the terminal, and a retainer tube is mounted to the connector body and engaged with the wire.
US09281608B2 Waterproof electrical connector
An electrical connector (100) has a front insertion opening and a receiving space (40) for receiving a mating connector. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing (2), a number of contacts (3) retained in the insulative housing, a metal shield (4) covering the insulative housing, an insulative cover (5) assembling outside of the metal shield, and a waterproof block (7) interposed between the metal shield and the insulative cover along a vertical direction. The waterproof block is formed by cooling and solidifying glue material from a rear of the metal shield and insulative cover combination. A bulge (532) is formed at one of the insulative cover and the metal shield. The bulge extends along a transverse direction perpendicular to a mating direction along which the mating connector is inserted. The bulge seamlessly seals between the metal shield and the insulative cover.
US09281603B2 Data connector and labeling apparatus
The present invention relates to a plug that can be fit into network ports. The plug features a flexible extrusion that fits into a aperture in the back of the plug. The when the flexible extrusion is linked into the aperture, it creates a loop that can hold a hang tag. The hang tag can be used to label the plug. The loop created by the plug can be tightened, so that it fits around a cable, in order to label the cable, once the plug has been removed from the socket.
US09281602B2 Multiple socket
A socket has a plug board with first plug-in openings for appropriate pins of a plug of a first standard and with second plug-in openings for appropriate pins of a plug of a second standard. Provided in a spacing to the plug board are a first type of contact mounts for receiving plug pins of the first standard, and a second type of contact mounts for receiving plug pins of the second standard. Provided between the contact mounts and the plug board are protection elements which are movable out of a closed position in which the first and second plug-in openings are blocked, into an open position in which the plug-in openings are open. The protection elements are pretensioned into their respective closed positions by spring elements. The first and second protection elements are pretensioned into their respective end positions in different directions of movement by the spring elements.
US09281601B2 Pin terminal
A pin terminal (PT) is such that a cap (30) made of synthetic resin is attached to a tip part of a terminal main body (10) made of metal and in the form of a round pin. An attachment hole (21) including an uninterrupted and continuous peripheral wall over the entire circumference is perforated on the tip surface of the terminal main body (10), whereas a press-fitting portion (35) to be press-fitted into the attachment hole (21) is formed to project on the rear surface of the cap (30). An internal thread (23) is formed on the peripheral surface of the attachment hole (21), and a ridge portion (24) of this internal thread (23) constitutes a biting protrusion. The tip of the pin terminal (PT) is structured to form a smooth and tapered guiding portion (40).
US09281597B2 Connector
A connector comprises a plurality of contacts which are formed using a plurality of conductive contact points provided on a first plate surface of an FPC as a connection object, a frame member which has an opening size and a height capable of receiving a mating connector and is attached to the first plate surface of the FPC so as to surround the contacts, and a plate-like member which is provided on a second plate surface of the FPC so as to extend over a region corresponding to the contacts. The frame member has locking holes which respectively engage with mating locking claws of the mating connector when the connector is fitted to the mating connector, thereby maintaining the fitting state of the connector and the mating connector.
US09281588B2 Female connector
A female connector downsized by downsizing female-side contacts. Each female-side contact portion is formed of a first connection portion having an arm portion extending from a base portion in a width direction, a first supporting portion integrally connected to one end of the arm portion, and a second connection portion having a second supporting portion integrally connected to the other end of the arm portion. The first and second supporting portions extend in a direction away from the arm portion, and then extend toward the central portion of the arm portion. When a male connector and the female connector are fitted, each male-side contact portion is received outside an associated female-side contact portion and then is moved inside therefrom. Then, the male-side contact portion is sandwiched by a first and second contact point portions formed respectively at the first and second point portions.
US09281582B2 Receptacle of electrical connector
A receptacle for an electrical connector includes a metal housing body, a plastic main body positioned in the metal housing body, and flat terminals. The plastic main body incorporates with the metal housing body to form an accommodating space for being plugged into by a plug. First and second tongue parts disposed on the plastic main body are respectively close to upper and lower sides of the metal housing body. Each flat terminal includes a fixing part, a contacting part formed in a flat shape, and a soldering part. The contacting parts are respectively disposed on first and second tongue parts and respectively are exposed to the accommodating space in downward and upward directions. A tongue of a plastic body of the receptacle, i.e. first and second tongue parts, and the flat terminals are thus minimally damaged, to prevent the expensive cost of repairing a damaged receptacle.
US09281580B2 Connector
One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a connector. The connector includes a top cover, a connecting plate, and a base. The top cover includes a top cover body and a first arc member. A first end of the first arc member is arranged on a side surface of the top cover body. A removable thin plate is arranged inside the first arc member. The connecting plate includes a connection section and a protruding section. The top cover body and the base are engaged and connected to form a cavity. The connection section is arranged inside the cavity. The connection section is connected to the base. A first end of the protruding section is connected to the connection section and a second end of the protruding section protrudes from the base.
US09281566B2 Stacked bow tie array with reflector
A stacked bow tie antenna array structure is placed within, for example a rectangular reflector. Spaces between the bow tie elements and the reflector are filled with close spaced conductive plates.
US09281564B2 Systems and methods for providing directional radiation fields using distributed loaded monopole antennas
An antenna system is disclosed that provides a directional radiation field. The antenna system includes at least two monopole antennas, each of which provides a differential connector. Each differential connector is associated with a signal having a different phase such that a radiation field associated with said antenna system is other than a radiation field that would exist if each differential connector were associated with the signal having the same phase.
US09281563B2 Antenna
A shared antenna communicates radio waves with different frequencies or different polarization characteristics, and has a simple configuration that can be placed in a small device. The antenna includes a plurality of loops of the shape of a cross in a spiral fashion and includes a gap provided at a certain midpoint in the spiral loops and a power supply portion provided in a central portion. The distance of the gap is set such that electromagnetic coupling is caused at a first frequency and no electromagnetic coupling is caused at a second frequency different from the first frequency.
US09281559B2 Method for directed antenna alignment through augmented reality
A system for aligning two ground-based antennae (100, 110) or a ground-based antenna (100) and a satellite antenna (110), for use in military and civilian settings, in which a visual display is generated showing a graphical representation of the antennae including graphical representations indicating both the axis of the main lobe (102) and the approximate radiation pattern (414) of the antennae, superimposed over a live imaging of the local terrain. The alignment is achieved when the graphical representations of the main axis and radiation patterns of the two antennae align with each other.
US09281557B2 Multi bandwidth balun and circuit structure thereof
A multi bandwidth balun is provided, including a main signal port, a main inductor electrically connected to the main signal port, a first inductor inducted mutually with the main inductor to constitute a first inductor of a first conversion circuit, a first capacitor module connected in parallel to the first conversion circuit, two first signal ports electrically connected to the first capacitor module, a first main capacitor electrically connected to the first signal port and the first capacitor module therebetween, a second inductor inducted mutually with the main inductor to constitute a second inductor of a second conversion circuit, a second capacitor module connected in parallel to the second conversion circuit, two second signal ports electrically connected to the second capacitor module, and a second main capacitor electrically connected to the second signal port and the second capacitor module therebetween.
US09281555B2 Method and monopole antenna for making uniform the radiation of said antenna, when disposed inside a radome
Method and monopole antenna for making uniform the radiation of the antenna, when disposed inside a radome. According to the invention, on the surface of the monopole antenna is formed a protruding longitudinal ridge which is disposed at least approximately opposite an area of the radiating pattern of the assembly radome (1)-monopole antenna having a reduced gain in comparison with the radiating pattern of said monopole antenna alone.
US09281549B2 Electricity storage module
An electricity storage module includes: an electric storage unit block that is constituted by arraying a plurality of prismatic electric storage units through a holding member; and a cooling channel that is formed between the electric storage unit and the holding member, through which a cooling medium for cooling the electric storage unit flows. A part of a cooling medium inlet opening of the cooling channel is covered so that a flow speed of a cooling medium after flowing into the cooling channel is higher than a flow speed of a cooling medium before flowing into the cooling channel.
US09281547B2 Traction battery thermal management system
A modular thermal management system for a battery in an electric vehicle is provided. The thermal management system includes a battery module having a plurality of module ports for conducting heat exchange fluid to regulate temperature in a traction battery. The thermal management system also includes a manifold having a plurality of connector ports corresponding to the plurality of module. A retention feature is located on the manifold or the battery module for securing the manifold to the battery module to ensure the connector ports remain fluidly sealed to the module ports.
US09281545B2 Method of controlling discharge, battery pack, electrical storage system, electronic apparatus, electric vehicle and power system
A method of controlling discharge in a battery pack, including: measuring an ambient temperature of a battery cell and a voltage of the battery cell; a first discharge processing of discharging the battery cell until the voltage of the battery cell becomes a second voltage lower than a first voltage when the ambient temperature is higher than a first predetermined temperature and the voltage of the battery cell is higher than the first voltage; and a second discharge processing of discharging the battery cell until the voltage of the electrical battery cell becomes a fourth voltage lower than a third voltage when the ambient temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature and the voltage of the battery cell is higher than the third voltage.
US09281543B2 Square lithium secondary battery
A square lithium secondary battery includes a wound body in which a collective sheet in which a positive electrode sheet and a negative electrode sheet overlap each other with a first separator interposed therebetween is wound while a second separator is put inside the collective sheet. An active material mixture layer on one or both surfaces of at least one of the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet includes a region with a plurality of openings and a region with no opening. At least a bent portion of the collective sheet is covered with the region with the plurality of openings.
US09281542B2 Electricity storage device and welding method
An electricity storage device includes an electrode assembly configured such that first and second electrodes are layered. The electrode assembly includes two tab groups in each of which tabs of the first electrodes or the second electrodes having the same polarity are bundled. Each tab group and a conductive member are welded with each other by a welding portion. The welding portion has a mixed portion configured by mixing at least one of a metal that forms metal foils and a metal that forms the conductive member with a dissimilar metal that is different from the metal of the metal foils and has a higher electric resistivity than that of the metal of the metal foils.
US09281540B2 Lithium-ion battery comprising an ion-selective conducting layer
A lithium-ion battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte system and an ion-selective conducting layer disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The ion-selective conducting layer consists of high polymers and an inorganic lithium salt having lithium-ion conductivity, or consists of the inorganic lithium salt. The inorganic lithium salt includes LimMnOx, wherein the values of the m and n ensure the LimMnOx an electrically neutral compound, M is selected from at least one of B, P, Si, Se, Zr, W, Ti, Te, Ta, Al and As. The lithium-ion battery has a conduction layer having preference-selective conductivity for the lithium ions and disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The selective-conduction layer has improved mobility for lithium ions. Metal ions generated from the oxidized metal current collector at the negative electrode due to the over-charging of the battery can be blocked.
US09281538B2 Thin battery and battery device
Disclosed is a thin battery including an electrode assembly in sheet form and a housing for accommodating the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte layer interposed therebetween. A lubricating material with a lubricating effect is interposed between an inner surface of the housing and the electrode assembly, and is, for example, an inert gas. The inert gas includes, for example, at least one of nitrogen and argon. It is preferable that the lubricating material is present, at least, between end surfaces of the electrode assembly on both sides in the thickness direction thereof and two main flat surfaces of the inner surface of the housing which face the end surfaces, respectively.
US09281537B2 Method of fabricating thin film electrodes including metal tubes filled with active material
A thin film electrode is fabricated from a non-metallic, non-conductive porous support structure having pores with micrometer-range diameters. The support may include a polymer film. A first surface of the support is metalized, and the pores are partially metallized to create metal tubes having a thickness within a range of 50 to 150 nanometers, in contact with the metal layer. An active material is disposed within metalized portions of the pores. An electrolyte is disposed within non-metalized portions of the pores. Active materials may be selected to create an anode and a cathode. Non-metalized surfaces of the anode and cathode may be contacted to one another to form a battery cell, with the non-metalized electrolyte-containing portions of the anode facing the electrolyte-containing portions of the cathode pores. A battery cell may be fabricated as, for example, a nickel-zinc battery cell.
US09281535B2 System dongle
A method for operating an electronic system with a dongle is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving system information from system components. The method further comprises continuing or ceasing to operate the electronic system based upon the system information; and writing system information to the dongle.
US09281534B2 Fuel cell and vehicle including the fuel cell
A fuel cell (1) includes a stacked body of a membrane electrode assembly (3) and of separators (2). Then, the membrane electrode assembly (3) and the separators (2) are formed into a substantially rectangular shape, the separators (2) include flow passages. Moreover, an aspect ratio R as a ratio (flow passage length/flow passage width) of a flow passage length with respect to a flow passage width is 0.01 or more to less than 2. Furthermore, a horizontal direction equivalent diameter D (mm) of the flow passages satisfies Expression (1): D=B×(R×Acat)1/3  Expression (1) where Acat is a catalyst area (cm2) of the membrane electrode assembly (3), and B is a constant of 0.005 or more to 0.2 or less.
US09281528B2 Fuel cell and fuel cell system
A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; a first reactive gas channel that is provided on a first surface side of the electrolyte membrane; a second reactive gas channel that is provided on a second surface side of the electrolyte membrane; and a coolant channel. The coolant channel is configured such that a flow direction of the first reactive gas flowing in the first reactive gas channel is opposite to a flow direction of the second reactive gas flowing in the second reactive gas channel, and a downstream portion of the flow of at least one of the first and second reactive gases, in a plane of the electrolyte membrane, is cooled from the central portion within the plane.
US09281527B2 Fuel cell system with interconnect
The present invention includes a fuel cell system having an interconnect that reduces or eliminates diffusion (leakage) of fuel and oxidant by providing an increased densification, by forming the interconnect as a ceramic/metal composite.
US09281526B1 Batteries with replenishable storage capacities
This invention provides batteries with improved calendar and cycle lifetimes. A rechargeable battery comprises an additional electrode that includes active ions, such as lithium ions. Cell capacity of the battery can be increased by supplying these active ions to the anode or the cathode. In some variations, this invention provides a lithium-ion battery comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and an additional lithium-containing electrode, wherein the additional lithium-containing electrode is capable of supplying lithium ions to the anode or the cathode in the presence of an electrical current.
US09281521B2 Graphite negative material for lithium-ion battery, method for preparing the same and lithium-ion battery
A graphite negative material for a lithium-ion battery includes a number of graphite layers parallel to each other. A number of channels are through the graphite layers. And the channels are capable of allowing lithium ions to pass therethrough freely. A method for preparing the graphite negative material and a lithium-ion battery including the graphite negative material are also provided.
US09281519B2 Positive electrode active material for secondary battery and secondary battery using the same
Provided is a lithium ion positive electrode active material for a secondary battery that can realize a high operating voltage and a high capacity while suppressing capacity drop with cycles by using a low-cost material. A positive electrode active material for a secondary battery, which is a lithium manganese composite oxide represented by the following general formula (I) Lia(MxMn2−x−yYy)(O4−wZw)  (I) wherein in the formula (I), 0.5≦x≦1.2, 0
US09281518B2 Metal nanoparticles synthesized via a novel reagent and application to electrochemical devices
Methods for synthesizing metal nanoparticles and the nanoparticles so produced are provided. The methods include addition of surfactant to a novel reagent complex between zero-valent metal and a hydride. The nanoparticles produced by the method include oxide-free, zero-valent tin nanoparticles useful in fabricating a battery electrode.
US09281517B2 Battery, battery pack, electronic apparatus, electric vehicle, electric power storage apparatus, and electric power system
An anode includes an anode double side coating section; a first anode single-side coating section; and an anode double side non-coating section, the anode double side non-coating section, the first anode single-side coating section, and the anode double side coating section are provided in this order from a first end on the side of spiral winding start of the anode, and in an anode, (“Area density of an anode mixture layer on the first main surface side of the first anode single-side coating section”)/(“Area density of the anode mixture layer on the first main surface side of sections other than the first anode single-side coating section”) is equal to or more than about 1.2.
US09281514B2 Batteries prepared by spinning
A method of forming a lithium-ion battery by spinning and a battery formed thereby are disclosed. The spinning may include electrospinning A first anode layer may be spun, followed by a first separator layer, a first cathode layer, and a second separator layer. Each layer may be spun directly onto the previously spun layer to provide a battery that does not include metal current collectors. The anode and/or cathode layers may include polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. To render the anode and cathode layers conductive, they may be carbonized using a heat source (e.g., a laser). The disclosed method may allow for the incorporation of high capacity materials, such as sulfur and/or silicon, in the electrode active materials.
US09281513B2 Lithium-ion secondary battery
A lithium-ion secondary battery (100A) has a negative electrode current collector (241A) and a negative electrode active material layer (243A) formed on the negative electrode current collector (241A). The negative electrode active material layer (243A) contains a graphite material and a binder. The negative electrode active material layer (243A) has a first region (A1) neighboring the negative electrode current collector (241A), and the first region (A1) contains natural graphite in a weight ratio of equal to or greater than 80% of the graphite material. The negative electrode active material layer (243A) has a second region (A2) neighboring a surface thereof, and the second region (A2) contains artificial graphite in a weight ratio of equal to or greater than 80% of the graphite material.
US09281512B2 Method for producing aqueous electrode paste and two-shaft kneader
A method for producing an aqueous electrode paste includes charging a powder made of an active material and a thickener and an aqueous solvent inside of a two-shaft kneader, and, using the two-shaft kneader, thickly kneading the powder and the aqueous solvent to generate a mixture; and charging a misty aqueous solvent having an average liquid droplet diameter of 1 μm or more and an average particle diameter (D50) of the thickener or less inside of the two-shaft kneader by spraying, and using the two-shaft kneader, diluting the mixture with the charged aqueous solvent.
US09281507B2 Battery having feed-through assembly forming compression joint with insulation layer and method for making the same
A battery includes a case having a lid. A feed-through assembly provides an electrical connection through the lid. Feed-through insulation is disposed over the feed-through assembly. An insulation layer is disposed over the inner surface of the lid and the feed-through assembly. The insulation layer comprises an aperture configured to accommodate the feed-through assembly and to form a compression joint with the feed-through insulation disposed over the feed-through assembly.
US09281502B2 Electrochemical accumulator with packaging comprising at least one polyaryletherketone (PAEK) sheet, sheet and associated manufacturing methods
The invention concerns a new flexible or rigid packaging for an electrochemical accumulator (A).It is made from at least one polyaryletherketone (PAEK) sheet, notably a polyetheretherketone (PEEK™) sheet.According to a preferred embodiment, a polyaryletherketone (PAEK) sheet (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 61) incorporates within it at least one metal stud (40, 50) constituting one of the poles of the accumulator. The main application sought is the packaging of lithium-ion accumulators.
US09281499B2 Organic light emitting diode display device and method of fabricating the same
An organic light emitting diode display device comprises: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line and a data line on the first substrate, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions; at least one thin film transistor coupled to the gate line and the data line; a light emitting diode coupled to the at least one thin film transistor, the light emitting diode including a first electrode, an emitting layer and a second electrode; and a passivation layer on the light emitting diode, the passivation layer having a smaller area than the second electrode.
US09281497B2 Light-emitting device, display device, and method for manufacturing the same
It is known that a light-emitting element utilizing organic EL deteriorates due to moisture. Therefore, a sealing technique to prevent moisture permeation is important. A light-emitting device including a light-emitting element utilizing organic EL is manufactured over a support substrate having flexibility and a high heat dissipation property (e.g., stainless steel or duralumin), and the light-emitting device is sealed with a stack body having moisture impermeability and a high light-transmitting property or with glass having moisture impermeability and a high light-transmitting property and having a thickness greater than or equal to 20 μm and less than or equal to 100 μm.
US09281496B2 Display device packaging method and display device
A display device packaging method comprises steps of: providing a first substrate including a display region and a non-display region that surrounds the display region; providing an adhesive material which is disposed on the first substrate and formed into a closed curve surrounding the display region, wherein the closed curve has a start zone and an end zone connected to the start zone; providing a light-blocking element at least covering the end zone; providing a heating source radiating to the light-blocking element and moving the heating source to the start zone of the adhesive material; and scanning the adhesive material from the start zone to the end zone along the closed curve by the heating source. A display device is also disclosed.
US09281493B2 Flexible substrate and manufacturing method thereof, OLED display device
A flexible substrate, a manufacturing method for the flexible substrate and an OLED display device including the flexible substrate are provided. The flexible substrate includes a flexible base on which a mesh depression layer is provided, in which a mesh current sinking layer is embedded. The mesh current sinking layer is configured to enhance electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate. With the mesh depression layer, the mesh current sinking layer may be embedded in the flexible substrate, which effectively enhances the electrical conductivity of the flexible substrate.
US09281491B2 White organic light emitting device
A white organic light emitting device including an anode and a cathode opposite to each other, a plurality of stacks disposed between the anode and the cathode, each of the stacks including a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer and an electron transport layer, and an n-type charge generation layer and a p-type charge generation layer disposed between different adjacent stacks, wherein the n-type charge generation layer includes a first organic host, and the p-type charge generation layer includes a second organic host having a LUMO energy level smaller than or equal to a LUMO energy level of the first organic host, and an inorganic dopant containing 1% to 20% by volume of a metal.
US09281489B2 Organic luminescent materials, coating solution using organic luminescent materials for organic emitting layer, organic light emitting device using coating solution, light source device using organic light emitting device and method of organic light emitting device
The objects of the present invention are to provide an organic luminescent material capable of being easily controlled for dopant concentrations. The present invention is characterized in that a organic light-emitting device comprising a upper electrode, a lower electrode; and a light-emitting layer positioned between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, wherein the light-emitting layer contains a host, a first dopant and a second dopant, the first dopant is a blue-light-emitting dopant or a green-light-emitting dopant, the first dopant has a first functional group, and the first functional group makes the first dopant transfer toward the surface of the light-emitting layer on the upper electrode side in the light-emitting layer.
US09281486B2 Semiconductor device, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, solid-state imaging unit, and electronic apparatus
A semiconductor device includes, in order on a substrate, an organic semiconductor layer, an inorganic film, and a protective film. The inorganic film and the protective film each have a peripheral edge portion that is formed in an outer region compared to a peripheral edge portion of the organic semiconductor layer.
US09281484B2 Method for fabricating single electron transistor
A transistor and a fabrication method thereof. A transistor includes a channel region including linkers, formed on a substrate, and a metallic nanoparticle grown from metal ions bonded to the linkers, a source region disposed at one end of the channel region, a drain region disposed at the other end of the channel region opposite of the source region, and a gate coupled to the channel region and serving to control migration of at least one charges in the channel region.
US09281477B2 Resistance change element and method for producing the same
To provide a resistance change element which does not require a forming process and enables reduction of power consumption and miniaturization of the element, and to provide a method for producing it. A resistance change element 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a bottom electrode layer 3, a top electrode layer 5 and an oxide semiconductor layer 4. The oxide semiconductor layer 4 has a first metal oxide layer 41 and a second metal oxide layer 42. The first metal oxide layer 41 is formed between the bottom electrode layer 3 and the top electrode layer 5, and in ohmic contact with the bottom electrode layer 3. The second metal oxide layer 42 is formed between the first metal oxide layer 41 and the top electrode layer 5, and in ohmic contact with the top electrode layer 5.
US09281473B1 Memory device
According to one embodiment, a memory device includes a resistance change film, a selection element connected with the resistance change film in series, and an electrode connected with at least one of the resistance change film and the selection element. The selection element contains a chalcogenide compound, the chalcogenide compound containing silicon.
US09281466B2 Memory cells, semiconductor structures, semiconductor devices, and methods of fabrication
A magnetic cell includes a magnetic region formed from a precursor magnetic material comprising a diffusive species and at least one other species. An amorphous region is proximate to the magnetic region and is formed from a precursor trap material comprising at least one attracter species having at least one trap site and a chemical affinity for the diffusive species. The diffusive species is transferred from the precursor magnetic material to the precursor trap material where it bonds to the at least one attracter species at the trap sites. The species of the enriched trap material may intermix such that the enriched trap material becomes or stays amorphous. The depleted magnetic material may then be crystallized through propagation from a neighboring crystalline material without interference from the amorphous, enriched trap material. This enables high tunnel magnetoresistance and high magnetic anisotropy strength. Methods of fabrication and semiconductor devices are also disclosed.
US09281465B2 Piezoelectric element and method of manufacturing the same
A piezoelectric element includes first internal electrodes and second electrodes, as well as piezoelectric ceramic layers that are made of ceramics and arranged between the first internal electrodes and second internal electrodes. Manganese is present relatively more abundantly in the areas of the piezoelectric ceramic layers adjacent to the first internal electrodes and second internal electrodes, compared to at the centers of the piezoelectric ceramic layers. Insulation performance of the piezoelectric element is kept from dropping over the course of use.
US09281460B2 Light emitting device package and light emitting device having lead-frames
The light emitting device package has a lengthwise direction as viewed from above and a lateral or widthwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and is provided with two lead-frames lined-up in the lengthwise direction and molded resin formed as a single unit with the two lead-frames. The package is characterized in that each of the two lead-frames has a first thin region that is thinned by establishing a recess in the lower surface and/or the upper surface of the lead-frame, and that recess is covered with molded resin. Further, each lead-frame has an extension that narrows as it extends towards the opposite lead-frame. Both extensions are entirely within first thin regions, and as viewed from above, at least parts of the opposing extensions are positioned opposite each other in the lateral direction.
US09281457B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the semiconductor device
Provided is a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, in which the semiconductor device has a semiconductor element having a plurality of wires bonded to the semiconductor element with sufficient bonding reliability and has a good heat dissipation property. A semiconductor device in which a first wire is ball bonded on an electrode, and a second wire is further bonded on the ball-bonded first wire, and the first wire or an end of the second wire defines a space between itself and the ball portion of the first wire.
US09281453B2 Method for producing an optoelectronic component, and optoelectronic component
A method of producing an optoelectronic component includes providing a cavity; introducing a liquid matrix material with phosphor particles distributed therein into the cavity; introducing a semiconductor chip into the matrix material; sedimenting the phosphor particles in the matrix material; and curing the matrix material, wherein a conversion layer including phosphor particles is produced, said conversion layer being arranged on the semiconductor chip.
US09281451B2 Light emitting element and fabricating method thereof
A fabricating method of light emitting element. A substrate is provided. A plurality of first concaves and a plurality of second concaves are formed on the substrate, wherein a volume of each first concave is different from a volume of each second concave. A plurality of first light emitting diode chips and a plurality of second light emitting diode chips are provided, wherein a volume of each first light emitting diode chip is corresponding to the volume of each first concave, and a volume of each second light emitting diode chip is corresponding to the volume of each second concave. The first light emitting diode chips are moved onto the substrate such that the first light emitting diode chips go into the first concaves, and the second light emitting diode chips are moved onto the substrate such that the second light emitting diode chips go into the first concaves.
US09281449B2 Light emitting device
A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting cells separated from each other and disposed on the substrate, and a plurality of conductive interconnection layers electrically connecting two neighboring light emitting cells. Each light emitting cell includes a light emitting structure including a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and an etching area. The light emitting structure further includes a first side surface and a second side surface, and if a width between the first side surface and the second side surface is defined as W, the second electrode is disposed in an area between a position separated from the first side surface by ⅕ W and a position separated from the first side surface of the light emitting structure by ½ W.
US09281447B2 Method for synthesizing indium phosphide nanoparticles
The method for synthesizing indium phosphide nanoparticles using indium trichloride as an indium raw material and tris(dimethylamino)phosphine as a phosphorus raw material, includes a preparation step of mixing the indium raw material, the phosphorus raw material, an organic solvent having a boiling point of 170° C. or higher, and a particle surface ligand to obtain a mixture solution and a synthesis step of synthesizing the indium phosphide nanoparticles by heating the mixture solution to 150° C. or higher but lower than 170° C. In the method, the particle surface ligand is an aliphatic amine having a carbon number of 18 or more, and the indium trichloride is an anhydride.
US09281444B2 Light emitting device and light emitting device package
A light emitting device includes a light emitting layer, a substrate that is transparent to an emission wavelength of the light emitting layer and positioned to receive an emission wavelength from the light emitting layer, a convex pattern including a collection of a plurality of convex portions discretely arranged on a front surface of the substrate with a first pitch, an n type nitride semiconductor layer located on the front surface of the substrate to cover the convex pattern and a p type nitride semiconductor layer located on the light emitting layer. The light emitting layer is located on the n type semiconductor layer. Each of the convex portions includes a sub convex pattern comprising a plurality of fine convex portions discretely formed at the top of the convex portion with a second pitch smaller than the first pitch, and a base supporting the sub convex pattern.
US09281443B2 Light-emitting diode array
The application provides a light-emitting diode array, including: a first light-emitting diode including a first area; a second area; a first isolation path between the first area and the second area, and the first isolation path including an electrode isolation layer; and an electrode contact layer covering the first area; a second light-emitting diode including a semiconductor stack layer; and a second electrical bonding pad on the semiconductor stack layer; and a second isolation path between the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode, wherein the second isolation path includes an electrical connecting structure electrically connected to the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode.
US09281440B2 Electroluminescence device using indirect bandgap semiconductor
This invention provides an electroluminescence device comprising an indirect bandgap semiconductor layer, such as silicon or germanium, having a local conduction-band minimum at the Γ-point in an E-k diagram for using as a light emitting layer, and a direct bandgap semiconductor layer formed by a heterojunction on the indirect bandgap semiconductor layer for using as an electron supply means transporting electrons from a Γ-valley to a Γ-valley when a forward-biased voltage is applied, wherein a light emission is occurred by recombining the electrons transported to the Γ-valley of the indirect bandgap semiconductor layer with holes located at a valance band maximum of the indirect bandgap semiconductor layer.
US09281439B2 Nitride semiconductor element and method for producing same
A nitride semiconductor element 1 includes a base structure part 5, and an element structure part 11 formed on the base structure part 5 and having at least an n-type AlGaN based semiconductor layer 6, and p-type AlGaN based semiconductor layers 8, 9, 10, and further includes an n-electrode contact part 13a formed on the n-type AlGaN based semiconductor layer 6, an n-electrode pad part 13b formed on the n-electrode contact part 13a, and a p-electrode 12 formed on the p-type AlGaN based semiconductor layers 8, 9, 10, in which an AlN mole fraction in the n-type AlGaN based semiconductor layer 6 is 20% or more, the n-electrode contact part 13a includes one or more metal layers, and the p-electrode 12 and the n-electrode pad part 13b have a common laminated structure of two or more layers having an Au layer as an uppermost layer, and an Au diffusion preventing layer composed of conductive metal oxide and formed under the uppermost layer to prevent Au diffusion.
US09281436B2 Radio-frequency sputtering system with rotary target for fabricating solar cells
One embodiment of the present invention provides a sputtering system for large-scale fabrication of solar cells. The sputtering system includes a reaction chamber, a rotary target situated inside the reaction chamber which is capable of rotating about a longitudinal axis, and an RF power source coupled to at least one end of the rotary target to enable RF sputtering. The length of the rotary target is between 0.5 and 5 meters.
US09281433B2 Photo-semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing photo-semiconductor device that has a photoconductive semiconductor film provided with electrodes and formed on a second substrate, the semiconductor film being formed by epitaxial growth on a first semiconductor substrate different from the second substrate, the second substrate being also provided with electrodes, the electrodes of the second substrate and the electrodes of the photoconductive semiconductor film being held in contact with each other.
US09281431B2 Thermal tracking for solar systems
A power generating system is disclosed. The power generating system comprises a solar cell, a support structure coupled to the solar cell and adapted to adjust the position of the solar cell, a first thermal sensor coupled to the solar cell and adapted to detect a first temperature at a first location on the solar cell, a second thermal sensor coupled to the solar cell and adapted to detect a second temperature at a second location on the solar cell, the second location spaced apart from the first location, and a control system. The control system is adapted to receive a first signal from the first thermal sensor and a second signal from the second thermal sensor, compare information conveyed in the first and second signals, and adjust the position of the solar cell by operating the support structure in response to information conveyed in the first and second signals.
US09281430B2 Composite insulating panel
A method for manufacturing a composite insulated panel (1) comprising the steps of: providing a first sheet (2); cutting a hole (7) in the first sheet (2) to accommodate a photovoltaic solar collector module (8); inserting the solar collector module (8) into the cut-out hole; sealing the solar collector module to the first sheet (2); providing a second sheet (3), the second sheet having an opening therein to receive a connector housing (22); leading electrical connections from the solar collector module through the connector housing; and providing a body (4) of insulating material between the inner face of the second sheet and the inner face of the first sheet and the inner face of the photovoltaic solar collector module.
US09281418B2 Capacitor
A capacitor includes an active layer, a gate insulation layer on the active layer, a gate electrode on the gate insulation layer, an interlayer insulating layer on the gate electrode, and a first electrode on the interlayer insulating layer and connected to the active layer through at least one contact hole.
US09281406B2 Thin film transistor substrate, display device including the same, and fabricating method of the thin film transistor substrate
A method of fabricating a thin-film transistor substrate includes disposing an oxide semiconductor layer on an insulating substrate, performing a thermal treatment process to the oxide semiconductor layer, providing an alignment mark, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an oxide semiconductor pattern, after the thermal treatment process, providing a gate electrode, after the thermal treatment process, and providing a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode.
US09281405B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A bottom-gate transistor with a short channel length and a method for manufacturing the transistor are provided. A bottom-gate transistor with a short channel length in which portions of a source electrode and a drain electrode which are proximate to a channel formation region are thinner than other portions thereof was devised. In addition, the portions of the source electrode and the drain electrode which are proximate to the channel formation region are formed in a later step than the other portions thereof, whereby a bottom-gate transistor with a short channel length can be manufactured.
US09281404B2 Three-dimensional graphene switching device
A switching device includes a semiconductor layer, a graphene layer, a gate insulation layer, and a gate formed in a three-dimensional stacking structure between a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a substrate.
US09281400B1 Method of fabricating a semiconductor device with fin-shaped structures
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device with fin-shaped structures includes respectively forming first fin-shaped structures in a first region and a second region of a semiconductor substrate, depositing a dielectric layer to completely cover the first fin-shaped structures, removing the first fin-shaped structures in the second region so as to form trenches in the dielectric layer, and performing an in-situ doping epitaxial growth process so as to respectively form second fin-shaped structures in the trenches.
US09281399B2 FinFET with high breakdown voltage characteristics
A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and a method of forming the same are introduced. In an embodiment, trenches are formed in a substrate, wherein a region between adjacent trenches defines a fin. A dielectric material is formed in the trenches. A part of the substrate is doped and a region of high dopant concentration and a region of low dopant concentration are formed. Gate stacks are formed, portions of the fins are removed and source/drain regions are epitaxially grown in the regions of high/low dopant concentration. Contacts are formed to provide electrical contacts to source/gate/drain regions.
US09281387B2 High voltage durability III-nitride device
A high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device comprises a support substrate including a first silicon body, an insulator body over the first silicon body, and a second silicon body over the insulator body. The high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device further comprises a III-nitride semiconductor body characterized by a majority charge carrier conductivity type, formed over the second silicon body. The second silicon body has a conductivity type opposite the majority charge carrier conductivity type. In one embodiment, the high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) comprising a support substrate including a <100> silicon layer, an insulator layer over the <100> silicon layer, and a P type conductivity <111> silicon layer over the insulator layer. The high voltage durability HEMT also comprises a III-nitride semiconductor body formed over the P type conductivity <111> silicon layer, the III-nitride semiconductor body forming a heterojunction of the HEMT.
US09281384B2 Ultraviolet blocking structure and method for semiconductor device
Structures and methods for blocking ultraviolet rays during a film depositing process for semiconductor device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode formed on the ONO film, a lower layer insulation film formed on the ONO film and the gate electrode, and a ultraviolet (UV) blocking layer based on a plurality of granular particles scattered in at least one insulation film formed on lower layer insulation film, where the UV blocking layer suppresses UV rays generated during an additional film deposition from reaching the ONO film.
US09281380B2 Transistor structure and manufacturing method thereof
A transistor structure including a gate, an insulation layer, a patterned semiconductor layer, a source, a drain and a light absorption layer and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The gate is disposed on a substrate. An area of the gate overlaps an area of the patterned semiconductor layer. The insulation layer is disposed between the gate and the patterned semiconductor layer. The source and the drain are separated from each other and in contact with the patterned semiconductor layer. The patterned semiconductor layer is disposed between the light absorption layer and the substrate. An area of the light absorption layer overlaps an area of the patterned semiconductor layer. An absorption spectrum of the light absorption layer overlaps an absorption spectrum of the patterned semiconductor layer.
US09281378B2 Fin recess last process for FinFET fabrication
A method includes forming isolation regions extending from a top surface of a semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate, and forming a hard mask strip over the isolation regions and a semiconductor strip. The semiconductor strip is between two neighboring ones of the isolation regions. A dummy gate strip is formed over the hard mask strip. A lengthwise direction of the dummy gate strip is perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the semiconductor strip, and a portion of the dummy gate strip is aligned to a portion of the semiconductor strip. The method further includes removing the dummy gate strip, removing the hard mask strip, and recessing first portions of the isolation regions that are overlapped by the removed hard mask strip. A portion of the semiconductor strip between and contacting the removed first portions of the isolation regions forms a semiconductor fin.
US09281375B2 Methods of producing bipolar transistors having emitter-base junctions of varying depths and/or doping concentrations
Methods for producing bipolar transistors are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes producing a bipolar transistor including first and second connected emitter-base (EB) junctions of varying different depths. A buried layer (BL) collector is further produced to have a third depth greater than the depths of the EB junctions. The emitters and bases corresponding to the different EB junctions are provided during a chain implant. An isolation region may overlie the second EB junction location. The BL collector is laterally spaced from the first EB junction by a variable amount to facilitate adjustment of the transistor properties. The BL collector may or may not underlie at least a portion of the second EB junction. Regions of opposite conductivity type overlie and underlie the BL collector to preserve breakdown voltage. The transistor can be readily “tuned” by mask adjustments alone to meet various device requirements.
US09281373B2 Semiconductor device having tungsten gate electrode and method for fabricating the same
The present invention provides a semiconductor device in which the threshold voltage of NMOS and the threshold voltage of PMOS are independently controllable, and a method for fabricating the same. The method includes: forming a gate insulating film over an NMOS region and a PMOS region of a semiconductor substrate; forming a carbon-containing tungsten over the gate insulating film formed over one of the NMOS region and the PMOS region; forming a carbon-containing tungsten nitride over the gate insulating film formed over the other one of the PMOS region or the NMOS region; forming a tungsten film over the carbon-containing tungsten and the carbon-containing tungsten nitride; post-annealing the carbon-containing tungsten and the carbon-containing tungsten nitride; and etching the tungsten film, the carbon-containing tungsten, and the carbon-containing tungsten nitride, to form a gate electrode in the NMOS region and the PMOS region.
US09281369B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, which can form a gate electrode material only in a recess of a buried gate cell structure, improve a Gate Induced Drain Leakage (GIDL) of a gate electrode material and a junction (i.e., drain region), prevent the gate electrode material from overlapping with the junction (i.e., drain region), and adjust the depth of junction, thereby improving channel resistance. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a device isolation region defining an active region over a semiconductor substrate, burying a gate electrode material in the semiconductor substrate, forming a gate electrode pattern by etching the gate electrode material, wherein the gate electrode pattern is formed at sidewalls of the active region including a source region, and forming a capping layer in the exposed active region.
US09281368B1 Split-gate trench power MOSFET with protected shield oxide
A plurality of gate trenches is formed into a semiconductor substrate in an active cell region. One or more other trenches are formed in a different region. Each gate trench has a first conductive material in lower portions and a second conductive material in upper portions. In the gate trenches, a first insulating layer separates the first conductive material from the substrate, a second insulating layer separates the second conductive material from the substrate and a third insulating material separates the first and second conductive materials. The other trenches contain part of the first conductive material in a half-U shape in lower portions and part of the second conductive material in upper portions. In the other trenches, the third insulating layer separates the first and second conductive materials. The first insulating layer is thicker than the third insulating layer, and the third insulating layer is thicker than the second.
US09281362B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
According to an example embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate having a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region. The substrate includes first active regions defined by a first trench isolation region in the cell array region, a second active region defined by a second trench isolation region in the peripheral circuit region, and at least one deep trench isolation region. The first active regions may be aligned to extend longitudinally in a first direction in the cell array region. The at least one deep trench isolation region is recessed in the substrate to a level lower than those of other points of a bottom surface of the second trench isolation region in the peripheral circuit region. The at least one deep trench isolation region includes at least one point that is spaced apart in the first direction from a corresponding one of the first active regions.
US09281361B2 Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of gate structures on a substrate, the plurality of gate structures including a gate metal pattern and delimiting air gaps formed therebetween, an insulating layer on the plurality of gate structures, and a porous insulating layer between the plurality of gate structures and the insulating layer, the porous insulating layer configured to cross the plurality of gate structures to delimit the air gaps.
US09281360B1 Semiconductor device with a shielding structure
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body including opposing bottom and top sides, a surface surrounding the semiconductor body, an active semiconductor region formed in the semiconductor body, an edge region surrounding the active semiconductor region, a first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type formed in the edge region, an edge termination structure formed in the edge region at the top side, and a shielding structure arranged on that side of the edge termination structure facing away from the bottom side. The shielding structure has a number of N1≧2 first segments and a number of N2≧1 second segments. Each of the first segments is electrically connected to each of the other first segments and to each of the second segments, and each of the second segments has an electric resistivity higher than an electric resistivity of each of the first segments.
US09281359B2 Semiconductor device comprising contact trenches
One embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The semiconductor device further includes a first contact trench extending into the semiconductor body at the first side. The first contact trench includes a first conductive material electrically coupled to the semiconductor body adjoining the first contact trench. The semiconductor further includes a second contact trench extending into the semiconductor body at the second side. The second contact trench includes a second conductive material electrically coupled to the semiconductor body adjoining the second contact trench.
US09281358B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A highly reliable semiconductor device is manufactured by giving stable electric characteristics to a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a channel. An oxide semiconductor film which can have a first crystal structure by heat treatment and an oxide semiconductor film which can have a second crystal structure by heat treatment are formed so as to be stacked, and then heat treatment is performed; accordingly, crystal growth occurs with the use of an oxide semiconductor film having the second crystal structure as a seed, so that an oxide semiconductor film having the first crystal structure is formed. An oxide semiconductor film formed in this manner is used for an active layer of the transistor.
US09281355B2 Integrated thinfilm resistor and MIM capacitor with a low serial resistance
An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having a back end capacitor and a back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart portions of the same thin film layer. The bottom plate further includes a conductive layer overlying the thin film layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer of the bottom plate of the capacitor. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
US09281354B2 Composite reconstituted wafer structures
A reconstituted electronic device comprising at least one die and at least one passive component. A functional material is incorporated in the substrate of the device to modify the electrical behavior of the passive component. The passive component may be formed in redistribution layers of the device. Composite functional materials may be used in the substrate to forms part of or all of the passive component. A metal carrier may form part of the substrate and part of the at least one passive component.
US09281333B2 Solid-state imaging devices having light shielding partitions with variable dimensions
A solid-state imaging device is provided. The solid-state imaging device includes a substrate containing a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. A color filter layer is disposed above the photoelectric conversion elements. A light shielding layer is disposed between the color filter layer and substrate. The light-shielding layer has a plurality of first light shielding partitions extended along a first direction and a plurality of second light shielding partitions extended along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first light shielding partitions have different dimensions along the second direction and the second light shielding partitions have different dimensions along the first direction.
US09281332B2 Package process of backside illumination image sensor
In a package process of backside illumination image sensor, a wafer including a plurality of pads is provided. A first carrier is processed to form a plurality of blind vias therein. The first carrier is adhered to the wafer so that the blind vias face to the pads correspondingly. A spacing layer is formed and a plurality of sensing components are disposed. A second carrier is adhered on the spacing layer. Subsequently, a carrier thinning process is performed so that the blind vias become the through holes. An insulating layer is formed on the first carrier. An electrically conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer and filled in the though holes to electrically connect to the pads. The package process can achieve the exact alignment of the through holes and the pads, thereby increasing the package efficiency and improving the package quality.
US09281331B2 High dielectric constant structure for the vertical transfer gates of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor
A vertical-gate transfer transistor of an active pixel sensor (APS) is provided. The transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, a vertical trench extending into the semiconductor substrate, a dielectric lining the vertical trench, and a vertical gate filling the lined vertical trench. The dielectric includes a dielectric constant exceeding 3.9 (i.e., the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide). A method of manufacturing the vertical-gate transfer transistor, an APS including the vertical-gate transfer transistor, a method of manufacturing the APS, and an image sensor including a plurality of the APSs are also provided.
US09281330B2 Sensor pixels, arrays and array systems and methods therefor
One sensor pixel includes amplifying transistor, coupled between first bias line and data line; switch transistor, operated by control line and coupled between data line and gate of amplifying transistor; storage capacitor, coupled to second bias line; and sensor being coupled to gate of amplifying transistor. Another sensor pixel includes first amplifying transistor coupled between first bias line and data line; second amplifying transistor being coupled between second bias line and data line; switch transistor being operated by control line and being coupled between data line and gates of first and second amplifying transistors; storage capacitor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors; and sensor coupled to gates of first and second amplifying transistors. Trap-assisted absorption, variable capacitor described for sensor pixels, and also biasing to reduce flicker and aging, and to compensate for aging, described for sensor pixels.
US09281327B2 Image sensor, imaging apparatus, and apparatus and method for manufacturing image sensor
There is provided an apparatus including an image sensor of a back-illuminated type using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), including a light receiving unit, formed in a semiconductor substrate, which receives incident light, an anti-reflection film formed on a back-surface side of the semiconductor substrate in which the light receiving unit is formed, and a silicon oxide film, formed on a back-surface side of the anti-reflection film, which has a refractive index lower than a silicon nitride film and has a higher density in a back-surface side than in a front-surface side thereof.
US09281325B2 Array substrate, manufacturing method thereof and display device
An array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device are provided. As for the method of manufacturing the array substrate, the common electrode and the pixel electrode are formed by a single process simultaneously. Therefore, the problems of process complexity and the higher costs in the existing manufacturing process of array substrate can be solved.
US09281324B2 Array substrate, fabrication method thereof and display device
Embodiments of the present invention provide an array substrate and a fabrication method thereof, and a display device, the array substrate comprises gate lines, data lines, and pixel units defined by the gate lines and the data lines crossing with each other, and each pixel unit comprises a first TFT, whose gate is electrically connected with the gate line, wherein each pixel unit further comprises an auxiliary turn-on structure for forming a turn-on voltage at a channel of the first TFT when the first TFT is switched into conduction. In the embodiments of the present invention, a dual-drive voltage for the first TFT is formed by the auxiliary turn-on structure together with the gate of the first TFT, so that when the turn-on voltage provided by the gate lines is relatively low, the channel of the first TFT can also be turned on, therefore lowering power consumption.
US09281319B2 Thin film transistor and organic light-emitting display
A thin film transistor including: a substrate; an active layer formed over the substrate; a gate insulating layer formed over the active layer; a gate electrode formed over the gate insulating layer; an interlayer insulating layer formed over the gate electrode; and source and drain electrodes that contact the active layer via the interlayer insulating layer. The source and drain electrodes may have a structure including an aluminum (Al) layer, an aluminum-nickel alloy (AlNiX) layer, and an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, which are sequentially stacked.
US09281316B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes stacked groups each including interlayer insulating patterns and conductive patterns and stacked in at least two tiers, wherein the insulating patterns and the conductive patterns are alternately stacked over a substrate and separated by slits, and a support body including holes and formed between the stacked groups.
US09281312B2 Non-volatile memory with a single gate-source common terminal and operation method thereof
A non-volatile memory with a single gate-source common terminal and an operation method thereof are provided. The non-volatile memory includes a transistor and a capacitor structure both embedded in a semiconductor substrate. The transistor includes a first dielectric layer, a first electric-conduction gate and several first ion-doped regions. The capacitor structure includes a second dielectric layer, a second electric-conduction gate and a second ion-doped region. The memory may further include a third ion-doped region below the second dielectric layer. The first and second electric-conduction gates are electrically connected to form a single floating gate of the memory cell. The source and second ion-doped region are electrically connected to form a single gate-source common terminal.
US09281306B2 Multi-transistor exposed conductive clip for semiconductor packages
One exemplary disclosed embodiment comprises a semiconductor package including multiple transistors coupled to an exposed conductive clip. A driver integrated circuit (IC) may control the transistors to implement a buck converter. By exposing a top surface of the exposed conductive clip outside of a mold compound of the package, enhanced thermal performance is provided. Additionally, the conductive clip provides a short distance, high current carrying route between transistors of the package, providing higher electrical performance and reduced form factor compared to conventional designs with individually packaged transistors.
US09281301B2 Optoelectronic device and method for producing optoelectronic devices
An optoelectronic device includes an optoelectronic component that receives or generates radiation, a frame having a cavity, the optoelectronic component being arranged in said cavity, a connection carrier to which the optoelectronic component is fixed, and a cover covering the cavity and forming a radiation passage area for the radiation, wherein a beam path from the optoelectronic component to the radiation passage area is free of an encapsulation material for the optoelectronic component.
US09281300B2 Chip scale module package in BGA semiconductor package
A semiconductor package includes a ball grid array (BGA) substrate having integrated metal layer circuitry, a flip chip chip scale module package (CSMP) having a first integrated passive device (IPD), the flip chip chip scale module package attached to the BGA substrate, and an application die attached to the IPD. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor package includes providing a BGA substrate having integrated metal layer circuitry, attaching a flip chip CSMP having a first IPD to the BGA substrate, and attaching an application die to the IPD.
US09281297B2 Solution for reducing poor contact in info packages
A package includes a first package including a device die, a molding compound molding the device die therein, a through-via penetrating through the molding compound, and a first plurality of Redistribution Lines (RDLs) and a second plurality of RDLs on opposite sides of the molding compound. The through-via electrically couples one of the first plurality of RDLs to one of the second plurality of RDLs. The package further includes a second package bonded to the first package, a spacer disposed in a gap between the first package and the second package, and a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector on opposite sides of the spacer. The first electrical connector and the second electrically couple the first package to the second package. The spacer is spaced apart from the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.
US09281291B2 Semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same
To provide a technique capable of positioning of a semiconductor chip and a mounting substrate with high precision by improving visibility of an alignment mark. In a semiconductor chip constituting an LCD driver, a mark is formed in an alignment mark formation region over a semiconductor substrate. The mark is formed in the same layer as that of an uppermost layer wiring (third layer wiring) in an integrated circuit formation region. Then, in the lower layer of the mark and a background region surrounding the mark, patterns are formed. At this time, the pattern P1a is formed in the same layer as that of a second layer wiring and the pattern P1b is formed in the same layer as that of a first layer wiring. Further, the pattern P2 is formed in the same layer as that of a gate electrode, and the pattern P3 is formed in the same layer as that of an element isolation region.
US09281288B2 System and method for fine pitch PoP structure
A fine pitch package-on-package (PoP), and a method of forming, are provided. The PoP may be formed by placing connections, e.g., solder balls, on a first substrate having a semiconductor die attached thereto. A first reflow process is performed to elongate the solder balls. Thereafter, a second substrate having another semiconductor die attached thereto is connected to the solder balls. A second reflow process is performed to form an hourglass connection.
US09281287B2 Semiconductor bonding structure and process
A system and method for bonding semiconductor devices is provided. An embodiment comprises halting the flow of a eutectic bonding material by providing additional material of one of the reactants in a grid pattern, such that, as the eutectic material flows into the additional material, the additional material will change the composition of the flowing eutectic material and solidify the material, thereby stopping the flow. Other embodiments provide for additional layouts to put the additional material into the path of the flowing eutectic material.
US09281278B2 Interconnects with improved TDDB
A method for forming a semiconductor device is presented. A substrate prepared with a dielectric layer formed thereon is provided. A first upper etch stop layer is formed on the dielectric layer. The first upper etch stop layer includes a first dielectric material. The dielectric layer and first upper etch stop layer are patterned to form an interconnect opening. The interconnect opening is filled with a conductive material to form an interconnect. The interconnect and first upper etch stop layer have coplanar top surfaces. A second upper etch stop layer is formed over the coplanar top surfaces. The second upper etch stop layer includes a second material having sufficient adhesion with the first material to reduce diffusion of the conductive material.
US09281277B2 Methods of forming wiring structures
A wiring structure includes a first insulation layer, a plurality of wiring patterns, a protection layer pattern and a second insulation layer. The first insulation layer may be formed on a substrate. A plurality of wiring patterns may be formed on the first insulation layer, and each of the wiring patterns may include a metal layer pattern and a barrier layer pattern covering a sidewall and a bottom surface of the metal layer pattern. The protection layer pattern may cover a top surface of each of the wiring patterns and including a material having a high reactivity with respect to oxygen. The protection layer pattern may cover a top surface of each of the wiring patterns and including a material having a high reactivity with respect to oxygen.
US09281276B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
A semiconductor device includes an interlayer insulating film INS2, adjacent Cu wirings M1W formed in the interlayer insulating film INS2, and an insulating barrier film BR1 which is in contact with a surface of the interlayer insulating film INS2 and surfaces of the Cu wirings M1W and covers the interlayer insulating film INS2 and the Cu wirings M1W. Between the adjacent Cu wirings M1W, the interlayer insulating film INS2 has a damage layer DM1 on its surface, and has an electric field relaxation layer ER1 having a higher nitrogen concentration than a nitrogen concentration of the damage layer DM1 at a position deeper than the damage layer DM1.
US09281269B2 Integrated circuit package and method of manufacture
An integrated circuit (IC) package, device, including a substrate having a top surface with an IC die mounting area and a peripheral area surrounding the mounting area, a plurality of parallel conductor layers, a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of plated through holes (PTHs) extending through the conductor layers and insulating layers. Various substrate structures in which certain of the PTHs and/or conductor layers and/or insulating layers have different CTE's than the others is disclosed. The various structures may reduce circuit failures due to substrate warpage and/or solder joint damage associated with a CTE mismatch between the substrate and the IC die.
US09281266B2 Stacked chip-on-board module with edge connector
A module can include a module card and first and second microelectronic elements having front surfaces facing a first surface of the module card. The module card can also have a second surface and a plurality of parallel exposed edge contacts adjacent an edge of at least one of the first and second surfaces for mating with corresponding contacts of a socket when the module is inserted in the socket. Each microelectronic element can be electrically connected to the module card. The front surface of the second microelectronic element can partially overlie a rear surface of the first microelectronic element and can be attached thereto.
US09281263B2 Interconnect structure including a continuous conductive body
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an interconnect structure for connecting devices of a semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a dielectric layer over the substrate and a continuous conductive body passing through the dielectric layer. The continuous conductive body is made up of a lower body region and an upper body region. The lower body region has a first width defined between opposing lower sidewalls of the continuous conductive body, and the upper body region has a second width defined between opposing upper sidewalls of the continuous conductive body. The second width is less than the first width. A barrier layer separates the continuous conductive body from the dielectric layer.
US09281260B2 Semiconductor packages and methods of forming the same
In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a semiconductor package includes forming a first plurality of die openings on a laminate substrate. The laminate substrate has a front side and an opposite back side. A plurality of first dies is placed within the first plurality of die openings. An integrated spacer is formed around each die of the plurality of first dies. The integrated spacer is disposed in gaps between the laminate substrate and an outer sidewall of each die of the plurality of first dies. The integrated spacer holds the die within the laminate substrate by partially extending over a portion of a top surface of each die of the plurality of first dies. Front side contacts are formed over the front side of the laminate substrate.
US09281259B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming thick encapsulant for stiffness with recesses for stress relief in FO-WLCSP
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die mounted to a carrier. A first encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and carrier. A stiffening support member can be disposed over the carrier around the semiconductor die. A plurality of channels or recesses is formed in the first encapsulant. The recesses can be formed by removing a portion of the first encapsulant. Alternatively, the recesses are formed in a chase mold having a plurality of extended surfaces. A second encapsulant can be deposited into the recesses of the first encapsulant. The carrier is removed and an interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die and first encapsulant. The thickness of the first encapsulant provides sufficient stiffness to reduce warpage while the recesses provide stress relief during formation of the interconnect structure. A portion of the first encapsulant and recesses are removed to reduce thickness of the semiconductor device.
US09281258B1 Chip scale packages and related methods
A chip scale package (CSP) includes a die and a first lead mechanically and electrically coupled to a first surface of the die at a first surface of the first lead. The first surface of the first lead forms a first plane. A second lead is mechanically coupled to a second surface of the die at a first surface of the second lead. The first surface of the second lead forms a second plane. A mold compound at least partially encapsulates the die, forming a CSP. The first plane and the second plane are oriented substantially perpendicularly to a third plane formed by a motherboard surface when the CSP is coupled to the motherboard surface. The CSP includes no wirebonds and the first lead and second lead are on opposing surfaces of the CSP. The third plane of the motherboard may be a largest planar surface of the motherboard.
US09281254B2 Methods of forming integrated circuit package
A method for forming integrated circuit packages is presented. A first plurality of first tier stacks are mounted to the substrate, wherein the substrate has one or more contact pads corresponding to each of the first tier stacks and has one or more probing pads associated with each of the first tier stacks. Each of the first tier stacks is electrically tested to identify known good first tier stacks and known bad first tier stacks. A first plurality of stacking substrates are mounted to the known good first tier stacks, thereby forming a plurality of second tier stacks. Each of the second tier stacks is electrically tested to identify known good second tier stacks and known bad second tier stacks.
US09281248B1 CMOS gate stack structures and processes
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a semiconducting surface having formed therein a first active region and a second active region, where the first active region consists of a substantially undoped layer at the surface and a highly doped screening layer of a first conductivity type beneath the first substantially undoped layer, and the second active region consists of a second substantially undoped layer at the surface and a second highly doped screening layer of a second conductivity type beneath the second substantially undoped layer. The semiconductor device also includes a gate stack formed in each of the first active region and the second active region consists of at least one gate dielectric layer and a layer of a metal, where the metal has a workfunction that is substantially midgap with respect to the semiconducting surface.
US09281247B2 Strained silicon and strained silicon germanium on insulator field-effect transistor
A structure includes a tensilely strained NFET region including a strained silicon layer of a silicon on insulator wafer. A relaxed NFET region includes one of an ion implanted silicon and an ion implanted silicon dioxide interface layer of a tensilely strained silicon layer of the silicon on insulator wafer. A compressively strained PFET region includes a SiGe layer which was converted from a tensilely strained silicon layer of the silicon on insulator wafer. A relaxed PFET region includes one of an ion implanted silicon and an ion implanted silicon dioxide interface layer of a tensilely strained silicon layer of the silicon on insulator wafer.
US09281246B2 Strain adjustment in the formation of MOS devices
A method includes forming a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a gate spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack. After the step of forming the gate spacer, the gate spacer is etched to reduce a thickness of the gate spacer. A strained layer is then formed. The strained layer includes a portion on an outer sidewall of the gate spacer, and a portion over the gate stack.
US09281245B2 Latchup reduction by grown orthogonal substrates
An integrated circuit is formed by providing a heavily doped substrate of a first conductivity type, forming a lightly doped lower epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type over the substrate, implanting dopants of the first conductivity type into the lower epitaxial layer in an area for a shallow component and blocking the dopants from an area for a deep component, forming a lightly doped upper epitaxial layer over the lower epitaxial layer and activating the implanted dopants to form a heavily doped region. The shallow component is formed over the heavily doped region, and the deep component is formed outside the heavily doped region, extending through the upper epitaxial layer into the lower epitaxial layer.
US09281244B1 Hybrid wafer dicing approach using an adaptive optics-controlled laser scribing process and plasma etch process
Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with an adaptive optics-controlled laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.
US09281243B2 Chip scale package structure and manufacturing method thereof
A chip scale package structure includes a chip, a dam unit, a board body, a plurality of first conductors, an encapsulating glue, a plurality of first conductive layers, an isolation layer, and a plurality of first electrodes. The dam unit is disposed on the surface of the chip. The board body is located on the dam unit. The first conductors are respectively in electrical contact with the conductive pads of the chip. The encapsulating glue covers the surface of the chip, and the board body and the first conductors are packaged in the encapsulating glue. The first conductive layers are located on the surface of the encapsulating glue opposite to the chip and respectively in electrical contact with the first conductors. The isolation layer is located on the encapsulating glue and the first conductive layers. The first electrodes are respectively in electrical contact with the first conductive layers.
US09281237B2 Transistor having reduced channel length
A transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor and can operate at high speed is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device including the transistor is provided. An oxide semiconductor layer including a pair of low-resistance regions and a channel formation region is provided over an electrode layer formed in a groove of a base insulating layer. The channel formation region is embedded in a position overlapping with a gate electrode which has a side surface provided with a sidewall. The groove includes a deep region and a shallow region. The sidewall overlaps with the shallow region, and a connection portion between a wiring and the electrode layer overlaps with the deep region.
US09281233B2 Method for low temperature layer transfer in the preparation of multilayer semiconductor devices
A method of preparing a monocrystalline donor substrate, the method comprising (a) implanting helium ions through the front surface of the monocrystalline donor substrate to an average depth D1 as measured from the front surface toward the central plane; (b) implanting hydrogen ions through the front surface of the monocrystalline donor substrate to an average depth D2 as measured from the front surface toward the central plane; and (c) annealing the monocrystalline donor substrate at a temperature sufficient to form a cleave plane in the monocrystalline donor substrate. The average depth D1 and the average depth D2 are within about 1000 angstroms.
US09281232B2 Device having improved radiation hardness and high breakdown voltages
Radiation hardened NMOS devices suitable for application in NMOS, CMOS, or BiCMOS integrated circuits, and methods for fabricating them. A device includes a p-type silicon substrate, a field oxide surrounding a moat region on the substrate tapering through a Bird's Beak region to a gate oxide within the moat region, a heavily-doped p-type guard region underlying at least a portion of the Bird's Beak region and terminating at the inner edge of the Bird's Beak region, a gate included in the moat region, and n-type source and drain regions spaced by a gap from the inner edge of the Bird's Beak and guard regions. A variation of minor alterations to the conventional moat and n-type source/drain masks. The resulting devices have improved radiation tolerance while having a high breakdown voltage and minimal impact on circuit density.
US09281228B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming thermal interface material and heat spreader over semiconductor die
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die mounted to a substrate. A recess is formed in a back surface of the semiconductor die to an edge of the semiconductor die with sidewalls on at least two sides of the semiconductor die. The sidewalls are formed by removing a portion of the back surface of the die, or by forming a barrier layer on at least two sides of the die. A channel can be formed in the back surface of the semiconductor die to contain the TIM. A TIM is formed in the recess. A heat spreader is mounted in the recess over the TIM with a down leg portion of the heat spreader thermally connected to the substrate. The sidewalls contain the TIM to maintain uniform coverage of the TIM between the heat spreader and back surface of the semiconductor die.
US09281222B2 Wafer handling systems and methods
A wafer handling system may include upper and lower linked robot arms that may move a wafer along a nonlinear trajectory between chambers of a semiconductor processing system. These features may result in a smaller footprint in which the semiconductor processing system may operate, smaller transfer chambers, smaller openings in process chambers, and smaller slit valves, while maintaining high wafer throughput. In some embodiments, simultaneous fast wafer swaps between two separate chambers, such as load locks and ALD (atomic layer deposition) carousels, may be provided. Methods of wafer handling are also provided, as are other aspects.
US09281219B2 Molecular receptor-based chemical field-effect transistor (CHEMFET) devices, systems, and methods for in-situ nitrate monitoring in field soils
Embodiments include a method for securing a membrane material to a gate of a molecular receptor-based chemical field-effect transistor (CHEMFET). The method can include casting a membrane material onto an exposed region of the gate, curing the membrane material, placing the CHEMFET into a mold, inserting a single application of impervious electrically insulative resin into the mold, and securing edges of the membrane material by the single application of the impervious electrically insulative resin, thereby physically preventing lifting off of the membrane material from the gate. Embodiments include a sensor module. The sensor module can include a CHEMFET, an amplifier circuit, one or more sensor pins for contacting field ground soil, a data logger, and a wireless transceiver, among other components.
US09281218B2 Method of producing a semiconductor package
A method of manufacturing a lead frame includes providing an electrically conductive layer having a plurality of holes at a top surface. The plurality of holes form a structure of leads and a die pad on the electrically conductive layer. The plurality of holes are filled with a non-conductive material. Next; an electrically conductive foil is attached on the top surface of the electrically conductive layer and the non-conductive epoxy material. Then, the electrically conductive foil is etched to create a network of leads, die pad, bus lines, dam bars and tie lines, wherein the bus lines connect the leads to the dam bar, the dam bar is connected to the tie line and the tie line is connected to the die pad.
US09281216B2 Manufacturing method of epitaxial silicon wafer
A manufacturing method of an epitaxial silicon wafer includes: an epitaxial-film-growth step in which an epitaxial film is grown on a silicon wafer in a reaction container, and a temperature reduction step in which a temperature of the epitaxial silicon wafer is reduced from a temperature at which the epitaxial film is grown. In the temperature reduction step, a temperature reduction rate of the epitaxial silicon wafer is controlled to satisfy a relationship represented by R≦2.0×10-4X−2.9, where X (Ω·cm) represents a resistivity of the silicon wafer, and R (degrees C./min) represents the temperature reduction rate for lowing the temperature of the epitaxial silicon wafer from 500 degrees C. to 400 degrees C.
US09281215B2 Mechanism for forming gate
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes an isolation structure in the semiconductor substrate and surrounding an active region of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device includes a gate over the semiconductor substrate. The gate has an intermediate portion over the active region and two end portions connected to the intermediate portion. Each of the end portions has a first gate length longer than a second gate length of the intermediate portion and is located over the isolation structure.
US09281207B2 Solution processible hardmasks for high resolution lithography
Solution processible hardmasks are described that can be formed from aqueous precursor solutions comprising polyoxometal clusters and anions, such as polyatomic anions. The solution processible metal oxide layers are generally placed under relatively thin etch resist layers to provide desired etch contrast with underlying substrates and/or antireflective properties. In some embodiments, the metal oxide hardmasks can be used along with an additional hardmask and/or antireflective layers. The metal oxide hardmasks can be etched with wet or dry etching. Desirable processing improvements can be obtained with the solution processible hardmasks.
US09281205B2 Method for etching an ultra thin film
A method for etching an ultra thin film is provided which includes providing a substrate having the ultra thin film formed thereon, patterning a photosensitive layer formed over the ultra thin film, etching the ultra thin film using the patterned photosensitive layer, and removing the patterned photosensitive layer. The etching process includes utilizing an etch material with a diffusion resistant carrier such that the etch material is prevented from diffusing to a region underneath the photosensitive layer and removing portions of the ultra thin film underneath the photosensitive layer.
US09281204B2 Method for improving E-beam lithography gate metal profile for enhanced field control
A semiconductor device is provided which includes a GaN-on-SiC substrate (50-51) and a multi-layer passivation stack (52-54) in which patterned step openings (76) are defined and filled with gate metal layers using a lift-off gate metal process to form a T-gate electrode (74) as a stepped gate electrode having sidewall extensions and a contact base portion with one or more gate ledges.
US09281203B2 Silicon dot formation by direct self-assembly method for flash memory
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method that achieves a substantially uniform pattern of discrete storage elements comprising a substantially equal size within a memory cell. A copolymer solution comprising first and second polymer species is spin-coated onto a surface of a substrate and subjected to self-assembly into a phase-separated material comprising a regular pattern of micro-domains of the second polymer species within a polymer matrix comprising the first polymer species. The first or second polymer species is then removed resulting with a pattern of micro-domains or the polymer matrix with a pattern of holes, which may be utilized as a hard-mask to form a substantially identical pattern of discrete storage elements through an etch, ion implant technique, or a combination thereof.
US09281196B2 Method to reduce etch variation using ion implantation
The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a transistor device. In this method, first and second well regions are formed within a semiconductor substrate. The first and second well regions have first and second etch rates, respectively, which are different from one another. Dopants are selectively implanted into the first well region to alter the first etch rate to make the first etch rate substantially equal to the second etch rate. The first, selectively implanted well region and the second well region are etched to form channel recesses having equal recess depths. An epitaxial growth process is performed to form one or more epitaxial layers within the channel recesses.
US09281194B2 Fabrication method of silicon carbide semiconductor apparatus
An ohmic electrode (6) of a silicon carbide semiconductor apparatus is fabricated by forming an ohmic metal film on a silicon carbide substrate (1) by sputtering a target including a mixture or an alloy having therein nickel, and a metal(s) reducing the magnetic permeability of nickel and producing a carbide, where compositional ratios of the mixture or alloy are adjusted to predetermined compositional ratios, and by executing heat treatment for the ohmic metal film to calcinate the ohmic metal film. Thus, the ohmic electrode (6) that is for the silicon carbide semiconductor apparatus and capable of improving the use efficiency of the target can be manufactured, whose film thickness is even and that does not peel off.
US09281193B2 Patterning method for semiconductor device fabrication
A method includes forming a first pattern having a first feature of a first material on a semiconductor substrate. A second pattern with a second feature and third feature of a second material, interposed by the first feature, is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Spacer elements then are formed on sidewalls of the first feature, the second feature, and the third feature. After forming the spacer elements, the second material comprising the second and third features is selectively removed to form a first opening and a second opening. The first feature, the first opening and the second opening are used as a masking element to etch the target layer.
US09281190B2 Local and global reduction of critical dimension (CD) asymmetry in etch processing
Local and global reduction of critical dimension (CD) asymmetry in etch processing is described. In an example, a method of etching a wafer of to form a plurality of staircase structures with reduced local and global asymmetry involves forming a photoresist layer on a plurality of micron-scale semiconductor structures. The photoresist layer is then trimmed with a high pressure and pulsed plasma etch process performed in a reverse MESA mode.
US09281184B2 Fabrication method of nitride forming on silicon substrate
The invention is directed to a method for forming a nitride on a silicon substrate. In the method of the present invention, a silicon substrate is provided and a buffer layer is formed on the silicon substrate. The formation of the buffer layer includes a multi-level temperature modulation process having a plurality temperature levels and a plurality of temperature modulations. For each of the temperature modulations, the temperature is gradually decreased. A nitride is formed on the buffer layer.
US09281180B2 Method for producing gallium trichloride gas and method for producing nitride semiconductor crystal
According to the invention, there is provided a method for producing a gallium trichloride gas, the method including: a first step of reacting a metallic gallium and a chlorine gas to produce a gallium monochloride gas; and a second step of reacting the produced gallium monochloride gas and a chlorine gas to produce a gallium trichloride gas.
US09281173B2 Ion processing utilizing segmented vacuum manifold
An ion processing device includes electrically conductive vacuum manifold segments serially positioned and enclosing a volume along an axis. The segments are electrically isolated from each other and independently addressable by a voltage source. An ion optics device is positioned in the volume. A voltage differential between each manifold segment and the ion optics device is maintained below a maximum value by applying different voltages to respective manifold segments. The voltage differential may be controlled to avoid voltage breakdown in a low-pressure, high-voltage gas environment. The ion optics device may in some cases be an ion mobility drift cell.
US09281171B2 Mass spectrometer
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a mass selective ion trap or mass analyzer arranged upstream of an ion guide. Ions are scanned out of the mass selective ion trap or mass analyzer and are received in one or more axial potential wells created or formed within the ion guide. One or more transient DC voltages or potentials are preferably applied to the ion guide in order to create a plurality of axial potential wells which are translated along the length of the ion guide. Ions are released in packets from the exit of the ion guide and are orthogonally acceleration into a drift or flight region of an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyzer with a relatively high duty cycle.
US09281170B2 Selective ion mobility spectrometer formed from two consecutive mass selective filters
Ions with a predetermined range of ion mobilities are produced by filtering input ions with at least two consecutive ion mobility high pass and/or low pass filters. Each ion mobility filter is formed by entraining ions in a moving gas and applying a DC electric field to the ions which causes the ions to move in a direction opposite to the gas flow. An ion mobility high pass filter is formed when the DC electric field drives the ions against the flow of gas, whereas an ion mobility low pass filter is formed when a the gas flow drives entrained ions against an DC electric field barrier.
US09281169B2 Mass spectrometer
Provided is a mass spectrometer capable of easy exchange of a measurement sample and suppressing a carryover. The mass spectrometer includes a mass spectrometry section, an ion source the internal pressure of which is reduced by a differential pumping from the mass spectrometry section and the ion source ionizes the sample gas, a sample container in which the sample gas is generated by vaporizing the measurement sample, a thin pipe that introduces the sample gas generated in the sample container into the ion source, an elastic tube of openable and closable that connects the sample container and the thin pipe, a pair of weirs that closes or opens the elastic tube so as to sandwich the elastic tube, and a cartridge that integrates the sample container, the thin pipe, and the elastic tube, and is detachable in a lump from a main body of the mass spectrometer.
US09281166B2 Plasma processing chamber for bevel edge processing
A process chamber includes a wafer support to mount a wafer to be processed in the process chamber, with the wafer having an annular edge exclusion area. A first electrically grounded ring extends in an annular path radially outward of the edge exclusion area and is electrically isolated from the wafer support. A second electrode is configured with a center area opposite to the wafer support. A second electrically grounded ring extends in an annular path radially outward of the second electrode and the edge exclusion area. The second electrically grounded ring is electrically isolated from the center area. An annular mount section has a DC bias ring, and the DC bias ring opposes the edge exclusion area when the wafer is present. A DC control circuit is provided for applying a DC voltage to the DC bias ring.
US09281159B2 Radiation generating apparatus and radiographing system using the same
In a radiation generating apparatus of the invention, a radiation tube having a cathode for emitting an electron and an anode for generating a radiation by an irradiation of the electron emitted from the cathode is enclosed in a housing container filled with an insulating liquid. The apparatus has a mechanism in which a voltage for allowing the insulating liquid to flow can be applied between the cathode and the anode in a state where the cathode does not emit any electron. Even when the generation of the radiation is stopped, the insulating liquid can be efficiently sufficiently cooled without providing mechanical stirring means, and a high reliability is obtained even for intermittent use.
US09281157B2 Radiation generating apparatus and radiography system including the radiation generating apparatus
A radiation generating apparatus includes a cathode array including a plurality of electron emitting portions, and an anode array including a plurality of targets and a chained connection unit that connects the targets. The chained connection unit includes a plurality of shielding members and a thermal transfer member, the shielding members being arranged at locations corresponding to the locations of the respective targets, and the thermal transfer member having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the shielding members. The thermal transfer member has a portion that is continuous in a direction in which the targets are arranged.
US09281156B2 Volumetrically efficient miniature X-ray system
A device for producing x-rays includes: a housing that includes a folded high-voltage multiplier coupled to a filament transformer, the transformer coupled to an x-ray tube for producing the x-rays. A method of fabrication and an x-ray source are disclosed.
US09281149B2 Arc shield
A circuit breaker includes a shielding component having an external portion which defines a space external to the circuit breaker housing and covers a vent in the circuit breaker housing to direct gasses and debris from the vent to an outlet. The external portion also prevents insertion of the circuit breaker into a breaker box closer than the distances defining the space. This can have the advantage of preventing arcing from the breaker contacts to the breaker box. The external portion may also prevent insertion of the circuit breaker into a breaker box such that a vent in the circuit breaker housing is blocked. In some implementations, the shielding component contains an internal portion which extends into the circuit breaker housing and is disposed to impede debris generated by contact arcing, or other debris, from entering the mechanism of the circuit breaker.
US09281148B2 Contact device
An electromagnet device is configured to generate a magnetic attractive force between a stationary core and a movable core when electricity is applied to a coil, so that the movable core is moved in a direction for coming into contact with the stationary core, and a movable shaft is moved in a direction in which a first end face of the movable shaft separates from a movable terminal. After the movable contact comes in contact with the fixed contact, the movable core moves further in a direction for coming into contact with the stationary core. A yoke made of a magnetic body is disposed between the movable terminal and the first end of the movable shaft.
US09281141B2 Modular keyboard assembly
A key-board assembly (10) is described that has a key-mat and a keyboard PCB (3) aligned with respect to each other instead of first to a housing of an input device. First, such alignment is achieved by adding pins (6) to the key-mat that fit tightly in holes (5) of the PCB. Secondly the key-mat has hooks (14) that can be clicked around the PCB and/or ribs (4) around the edges/carve-outs of the PCB that hold to the PCB with tight tolerances.
US09281137B2 Switch
A switch has a base having a frame portion disposed integrally with an outer peripheral portion of an upper surface of the base, a common fixed contact disposed at a corner of inside surfaces of the frame portion, and a fixed contact disposed on an inside surface of the base opposite to the common fixed contact, a spring member having elastic arm portions extending respectively from both ends of a bellows-like spring portion, wherein a free end portion of one of the elastic arm portions serves as a sliding movable contact, wherein a free end portion of another of the elastic arm portions serves as a rotationally movable contact, and wherein the rotationally movable contact is positioned so as to be in contact with the common fixed contact of the base, and an operation lever including an operation rib.
US09281136B2 Method for producing electrode material for vacuum circuit breaker, electrode material for vacuum circuit breaker and electrode for vacuum circuit breaker
The electrode material for a vacuum circuit breaker is produced by a method comprising a mixing step, a press sintering step, and a Cu infiltration step. In the mixing step, an Mo powder having a particle diameter of 0.8 to 6 μm is homogeneously mixed with a thermite Cr powder having a particle diameter of 40 to 300 μm in such a manner as giving a mixing ratio (Mo:Cr) of 1:1 to 9:1 and satisfying the weight relation Mo≧Cr. In the press sintering step, the resultant mixture is pressure molded under a press pressure of 1 to 4 t/cm2 to give a molded article. Next, said molded article is sintered by maintaining the same at a temperature of 1100 to 1200° C. for 1 to 2 hours in an heating furnace to give a partially sintered article. In the Cu infiltration step, a thin Cu plate is placed on said partially sintered article and maintained at a temperature of 1100 to 1200° C. for 1-2 hours in a heating furnace so that Cu is liquid-phase sintered and infiltrated into the partially sintered article. A contact material of an electrode for a vacuum circuit breaker has an integral structure consisting of a central member and a Cu—Cr outer peripheral member, said central member having been produced as described above and comprising 30 to 50 wt % of Cu of a particle diameter of 20 to 150 μm and 50 to 70 wt % of Mo—Cr of a particle diameter of 1 to 5 μm, while said outer peripheral member being formed of a material, which is highly compatible with the central member, shows excellent interruption performance and has high withstand voltage, and being provided outside the central member and fixed thereto.
US09281126B2 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 capacitor part formed in the ceramic body and including a first internal electrode exposed to the first and second end surfaces and a second internal electrode having a lead-out portion exposed to the first main surface, an internal connection conductor formed in the ceramic body and exposed to the first and second main surfaces, and first to fourth external electrodes formed on outer surfaces of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes and the internal connection conductor, wherein the internal connection conductor is connected to the capacitor part in series.
US09281124B2 Multilayer ceramic capacitor and board having the same mounted thereon
A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include a ceramic body having a plurality of dielectric layers stacked therein; an active part including a plurality of first and second internal electrodes alternately exposed through both end surfaces of the ceramic body; upper and lower cover layers; and first and second external electrodes covering both end surfaces of the ceramic body. When a thickness of the upper or lower cover layer is defined as C, a margin between the active part and a side surface of the ceramic body in a width direction is defined as M, a cross-sectional area of the ceramic body in a width-thickness direction is defined as Ac, and a cross-sectional area of the active part in the width-thickness direction, in which the internal electrodes are overlapped in a thickness direction, is defined as Aa, 1.826≦C/M≦4.686, and 0.2142≦Aa/Ac≦0.4911.
US09281118B2 Cascaded coils for multi-surface coverage in near field communication
Described herein are techniques related to near field coupling and wireless power transfers. A device may include a cascaded coil antenna to include a first coil antenna that is connected in series with a second coil antenna. The first and second coil antennas are independent antennas prior to cascading and are located in different surfaces of the device to establish near field coupling through front side, top side, bottom side, or corner side of the portable device. Furthermore, a flux guide may be placed in the cascaded coil antenna to facilitate magnetic flux at the first coil antenna and the second coil antenna to induce current of the same phase during receive mode. During transmit mode, the flux guide facilitates the magnetic flux at the first coil antenna and the second coil antenna to generate magnetic fields of the same direction.
US09281115B2 Multi-turn inductors
A multi-winding inductor includes a first foil winding and a second foil winding. One end of the first foil winding extends from a first side of the core and wraps under the core to form a solder tab under the core. One end of the second foil winding extends from a second side of the core and wraps under the core to form another solder tab under the core. Respective portions of each solder tab are laterally adjacent under the magnetic core. A coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first and a second end magnetic element and a plurality of connecting magnetic elements disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. A respective first and second single turn foil winding is wound at least partially around each connecting magnetic element. Each foil winding has two ends forming respective solder tabs.
US09281111B2 Electromagnetic actuator
There is provided an electromagnetic actuator which can secure a sufficient thrust force at least at a certain level over a wide range of displacement. The electromagnetic actuator 1 having a point of amplified displacement includes: a displacement amplification mechanism 1A made of a magnetic material and having two surfaces 2as, 2bs that form a gap 5 therebetween; and a coil 6 provided in the displacement amplification mechanism 1A. A magnetic flux is generated by passing an electric current through the coil 6, thereby generating an attraction force between the surfaces 2as, 2bs. The attraction force displaces the point of amplified displacement.
US09281108B2 Clamp assembly including permanent magnets and coils for selectively magnetizing and demagnetizing the magnets
A clamp assembly comprises a first clamp including a plurality of magnet devices. Each magnet device includes a permanent magnet and a coil surrounding the permanent magnet. The clamp assembly further comprises a controller for pulsing the coils to selectively magnetize and demagnetize the permanent magnets.
US09281106B2 Material for anisotropic magnet and method of manufacturing the same
A material for anisotropic magnet, comprising, (1) a Pr-T-B—Ga-based composition containing Pr: 12.5 to 15.0 atomic percent, B: 4.5 to 6.5 atomic percent, Ga: 0.1 to 0.7 atomic percent, and the balance of T and inevitable impurities, wherein T is Fe or obtained by substituting Co for a portion of the Fe; and having, (2) a degree of magnetic alignment of 0.92 or more, wherein the degree of magnetic alignment is defined by remanence (Br)/saturation magnetization (Js); and (3) a crystal grain diameter of 1 μm or less.
US09281102B2 Electric power cable for medium or high voltage
An electric power cable for medium or high voltage without lead sheath is provided having at least one diffusion barrier (7) based on a metallized layer or a layer of polymer (HDPE). In addition there is a polymer (PUR) layer (6) for absorbing limited amounts of water that might after all pass through the diffusion barrier layer.
US09281101B2 Electric wire with terminal and method for producing the same
An electric wire with a terminal may include an insulated electric wire that may include an insulating coating of polyolefin based resin, an adhesive layer that may be formed over an entire circumference of a surface of the insulating coating, and a waterproofing resin portion that may be formed by insert molding. The waterproofing resin portion may cover a region between the adhesive layer of the insulated electric wire and a portion where the metal terminal is connected to a core wire. The adhesive layer may include a composition of a copolymer of ethylene and glycidyl methacrylate and a phenol based curing agent. The waterproofing resin portion may include aromatic nylon.
US09281099B2 Electric wire holding structure and electric wire holding method
An electric wire holding structure includes a plurality of electric wires each including a conductive part provided with a plurality of core wires and an insulating part covering the conductive part. The conductive part includes a rectangular conductive part which is formed at an end of the conductive part to have a rectangular outer shape in a section perpendicular to an extending direction of the electric wires. The rectangular conductive parts of the respective electric wires are bonded together by welding with ultrasonic vibration. The rectangular conductive parts of a plurality of the electric wires are piled in a brick laying manner to be bonded by welding.
US09281096B2 Anisotropic conductive material and process for production thereof, and mounting body and process for production thereof
A process margin is improved and high connection reliability is obtained. Disclosed is an anisotropic conductive material including an adhesive composite and conductive particles dispersed in the adhesive composite, the adhesive composite containing a film forming resin, an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, a radical polymerizable resin, and a radical polymerization initiator, wherein the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer to be used has a melt flow rate of not less than 400 g/10 min.
US09281089B2 Parent radionuclide container
A method and apparatus for using a parent radionuclide. The apparatus includes a radiation impervious case, a vial disposed within the case, a stopper with a central bore, the central bore aligned at an oblique angle with respect to the case so that a straight line through the central bore does not pass through any part of the vial and a curved tube that connects the central bore of the stopper and a cap of the vial.
US09281088B2 Instrument for nuclear power facility
In a nuclear installation, an instrument includes a sensor module connected to a process flange. The sensor module includes a support conduit with support conduit threads. An electronic circuit is wired to a connector that includes a key that is aligned with field circuit contacts of the connector. A thermal and nuclear radiation shield encloses the electronic circuit and includes a shock protection annulus. The connector is secured inside the shock protection annulus. The thermal and nuclear radiation shield includes shield threads that rotatably engage the support conduit threads to rotate an alignment of the key relative to the process flange.
US09281087B2 Mobile boration system
A mobile boration system (60) has a number of components that are mobile and include a water source (10), H2BO3 powder supply (14), a mixer to mix the solution (20) capable of providing a boric acid solution (30) with minimal air entrainment and optional heat exchanger(s) (12), and wherein the system (60) is capable of transport to a nuclear power plant facility by land, sea or air, rather than being in place in a large vulnerable footprint.
US09281085B2 Method of providing and evaluating a mid-wall repair
A method of repairing a connection between a first nozzle and a closed vessel includes cutting through an entire thickness of the first nozzle at a location adjacent to the mid-wall of the vessel. A portion of the first nozzle is removed. A replacement nozzle is disposed in a void formed by removal of the portion of the first nozzle. A weld is formed between the replacement nozzle and a surface of the mid-wall of the vessel.
US09281082B1 Semiconductor memory device including redundancy circuit and fuse circuit
Disclosed herein is a fuse circuit including a storage unit capable of storing defective address information corresponding to mat information when a boot-up operation is performed, a driving control unit coupled between the storage unit and a first power source terminal, and capable of forming a current path between the storage unit and the first power source terminal in response to the defective address information transferred through a first data line and the mat information transferred through a second data line while blocking the current path between the storage unit and the first power source terminal when a normal operation is performed, and an output unit capable of outputting the defective address information stored in the storage unit when the normal operation is performed.
US09281081B1 Built-in test circuit of semiconductor apparatus
A semiconductor apparatus includes first and second address buffer groups. The first address buffer group receives first address signals from an external source and outputs the first address signals to a first internal circuit, in first and second operation modes. The second address buffer group receives second address signals from the external source and outputs the second address signals to the first internal circuit, in the first operation mode, and receives third address signals which are generated in a second internal circuit and outputs the third address signals to the first internal circuit, in the second operation mode.
US09281080B2 Staged buffer caching in a system for testing a device under test
A system for testing a device under test (DUT) includes a test controller unit that includes a first memory operable to store a data pattern; a bridge circuit that includes a second memory that is smaller than the first memory, and a functional unit that includes a third memory that is smaller than the second memory. Portions of the data pattern are selectively transferred from the first memory to the second memory during and for DUT testing operations. The functional circuit interfaces with the DUT for testing. Portions of the data pattern are selectively transferred from the second memory to the third memory for application to the DUT.
US09281078B2 Program operations with embedded leak checks
Methods of operating a memory device having embedded leak checks may mitigate data loss events due to access line defects, and may facilitate improved power consumption characteristics. Such methods might include applying a program pulse to a selected access line coupled to a memory cell selected for programming, verifying whether the selected memory cell has reached a desired data state, bringing the selected access line to a first voltage, applying a second voltage to an unselected access line, applying a reference current to the selected access line, and determining if a current flow between the selected access line and the unselected access line is greater than the reference current.
US09281076B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device has an antifuse element and a measurement unit. The antifuse element stores information according to whether the antifuse element is in the broken or unbroken state. The measurement unit determines a resistance value related to the resistance value of the broken antifuse element.
US09281066B2 Dynamically configurable MLC state assignment
Memory devices facilitating a data conditioning scheme for multilevel memory cells. For example, one such memory device is capable of inverting the lower page bit values of a complete page of MLC memory cells when a count of the lower page data values is equal to or greater than a particular value or a comparison of current levels compared with a reference current level is equal to or exceeds some threshold condition.
US09281060B1 Device and method for storing or switching
A device is disclosed, comprising: a first layer including a first molecular network having a first 2D lattice structure, a second layer including a second molecular network having a second 2D lattice structure, wherein the first layer and the second layer are arranged at a distance from each other such that the first and the second molecular network interact electronically via molecular orbital interactions, and a rotation device implemented to rotate the first layer relative to the second layer by a rotation angle, wherein an electrical resistance between the first molecular network and the second molecular network changes as a function of the rotation angle.
US09281052B2 Semiconductor device having data terminal supplied with plural write data in serial
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device that includes: a frequency dividing circuit dividing a frequency of a first clock signal to generate second clock signals that are different in phase from one another; a multiplier circuit multiplying the second clock signals to generate a third clock signal; a data input/output terminal; data buses; and a data input/output circuit coupled between the data input/output terminal and the data buses. The data input/output circuit includes a data output circuit and a data input circuit. The data output circuit outputs read data supplied in parallel from the data buses to the data input/output terminal in serial in synchronism with the third clock signal. The data input circuit outputs write data supplied in serial from the data input/output terminal to the data buses in parallel in synchronism with a predetermined one of the second clock signals.
US09281048B2 Semiconductor memory device capable of preventing negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) using self refresh information
A semiconductor memory device that includes a command decoder, a refresh controller, an oscillator and a delay unit. The command decoder generates a self refresh command, and the oscillator generates an oscillation signal. The refresh controller generates a refresh control signal and a recovery signal in response to the self refresh command and the oscillation signal. The delay unit transitions internal nodes included in the delay unit that are not transitioned during a refresh period in response to the refresh control signal and the recovery signal.
US09281045B1 Refresh hidden eDRAM memory
A first data access request to a first row of a first memory array of the DRAM is received while a refresh operation in the first memory array is executing. The refresh operation is paused. The first data access request is executed, and simultaneously, the bits of the first row of the first memory array, including any updates indicated in the first data access request, are latched to a transfer register. The bits latched to the transfer register are written to a corresponding first row in a second memory array of the DRAM. A bank select logic is updated to indicate that subsequent data access requests to the first row in the first memory array will be executed from the second memory array. The refresh operation is then resumed.
US09281038B2 Low-pin-count non-volatile memory interface
A low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory to be provided in an integrated circuit. The low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory can use only one external control signal and one internal clock signal to generate start, stop, device ID, read/program/erase pattern, starting address, and actual read/program/erase cycles. When programming or erasing begins, toggling of the control signal increments/decrements a program or erase address and a pulse width of the control signal determines the actual program or erase time. A data out of the low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory can be multiplexed with the control signal. In some applications where only the integrated circuit can read the data, a second control signal internal to the integrated circuit generates start, stop, device ID, read pattern, starting address, and actual read cycles, while the first control signal external to the integrated circuit can do the same for the program or erase path. Since the clock signal can be derived and shared from the system clock of the integrated circuit, the NVM memory need only have one external control pin for I/O transactions to realize a low-pin-count interface.
US09281035B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit capable of controlling read command
The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a command decoder, a shift register unit and a command address latch unit. The command decoder is responsive to an external command defining write and read modes and configured to provide a write command or a read command according to the external command using a rising or falling clock. The shift register unit is configured to shift an external address and the write command by a write latency in response to the write command. The column address latch unit is configured to latch and provide the external address as a column address in the read mode, and to latch a write address, which is provided from the shift register unit, and provide the write address as the column address in the write mode.
US09281025B2 Write/read priority blocking scheme using parallel static address decode path
A method of implementing a write block read function for a memory device includes configuring a dynamic read address decoder to receive static read address bits as inputs thereto and to generate an output used to implement a read operation of a memory location corresponding to the read address bits; configuring a dynamic write address decoder to receive static write address bits as inputs thereto and to generate an output used to implement a write operation of a memory location corresponding to the write address bits; and configuring a static write address decoder, in parallel with the dynamic write address decoder, to receive a portion of the static write address bits as inputs thereto, and coupling the static write address decoder to the dynamic read address decoder so as to block the read operation upon an address conflict with the write operation.
US09281021B2 Method and apparatus for reduced read latency for consecutive read operations of memory of an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit with memory can operate with reduced latency between consecutive operations such as read operations. At a first time, a first operation command is finished on a memory array on an integrated circuit. At a second time, a second operation command is begun on the memory array. A regulated output voltage from the charge pump is coupled to word lines in the memory array. From the first time to the second time, a regulated output voltage is maintained at about a word line operation voltage such as a read voltage.
US09281020B2 Storage medium and accessing system utilizing the same
A storage medium communicating with a memory controller sent a read command is disclosed. The storage medium includes a plurality of memory units. Each memory unit includes at least sixteen memory cells coupled to a word line and a plurality of bit lines. A controlling unit receives first address information according to the read command and generates a row read signal and a column read signal according to the first address information. A row decoding unit activates the word line according to the row read signal. A column decoding unit activates the bit lines according to the column read signal to output a plurality of storing bits stored in the sixteen memory cells. A read-out unit processes the storing bits to generate a plurality of reading bits. The controlling unit outputs the reading bits to the memory controller in serial.
US09281012B2 Metadata role-based view generation in multimedia editing systems and methods therefor
Systems and methods for automatic transformation the overall metadata associated with the multimedia content (MMC) at the global media hub (GMH) into unique role-and-client-based views via the network for review through the media access node (MAN) associated with the client, wherein those views of the metadata, general or temporal or subset, are unique and specific to each user in the context of that user's role within the client.
US09281008B1 Multiple track pitches for SMR
Systems and methods are disclosed for improving performance in data storage devices, particularly devices employing shingled magnetic recording. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a data storage medium having multiple tracks with multiple track pitches. In another embodiment, a method may comprise formatting a data storage memory with a first track having a first track pitch, and formatting the data storage memory with a second track having a second track pitch. The method may further comprise formatting the computer readable data storage memory with a set of tracks including the first track arranged to store data in a shingled manner where one track at least partially overlaps an adjacent track, and the second track separating the set of tracks from a third track.
US09281006B2 Systems and methods for ATI characterization
Systems, methods, devices, circuits for data processing, and more particularly to data processing including adjacent track interference detection and/or characterization.
US09281005B2 Multiplexed communication in a storage device
A method is provided, for example, to implement multiplexed communication on an analog bus between a recording channel and a preamplifier in a storage device. A first input of read data circuitry within the recording channel is switchably connected to a first analog line of the analog bus to receive read data transmitted from the preamplifier to the recording channel over the first analog line during a read operation. In addition, a write data output of write data circuitry within the recording channel is switchably connected to the first analog line of the analog bus to transmit write data from the recording channel to the preamplifier over the first analog line during a write operation.
US09281000B2 Photopolymer formulation for producing visible holograms
The present invention relates to a photopolymer formulation containing chemically crosslinked matrix polymers, writing monomers and a photoinitiator system, wherein the photoinitiator system contains a HABI, a dye attuned to the HABI and having an absorption maximum in the range of 400-800 nm and a hydrogen donor. The present invention further relates to a process for producing exposed holographic media with the above photopolymer formulation.
US09280999B2 Recording apparatus, recording method and recording medium
A recording apparatus includes a recording unit that performs a recording operation to each layer by performing laser light illumination to a recording medium which has (n+1) or more layers as a recording layer and in which a test writing area of each layer is formed between at least n consecutive layers and at a position in which the test writing areas are not overlapped with each other when seen from a laser light incident surface side, and a controller that sets the n consecutive layers to be a recording target layer in the recording operation including a test writing for laser power adjustment and causes the recording unit to execute the recording operation to the n recording target layers, wherein n≧2.
US09280996B2 All-optical magnetic recording system using FeMnPt media
An “all optical switching” (AOS) magnetic recording system, i.e., one that does not require a magnetic field to reverse the magnetization in the magnetic recording media, uses a FeMnPt L10 alloy as the magnetic media. A FeMnPt alloy, with appropriate amounts of Mn, will have high magneto-crystalline anisotropy, but also ferrimagnetic spin alignment for triggering AOS. The combination of high magneto-crystalline anisotropy and ferrimagnetic spin configuration enables the FeMnPt media to function as magnetic media whose magnetization can be switched solely by polarized laser pulses. The FeMnPt media for may be a single layer with or without any segregants. Alternatively, the FeMnPt media may be a multilayered recording layer comprising alternating layers of FePt and MnPt L10 ordered alloys. The segregant-free embodiments of the FeMnPt material may be patterned to form bit-patterned-media (BPM).
US09280991B1 TMR head design with insulative layers for shorting mitigation
An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a transducer structure having: a lower shield having recesses in an upper surface thereof; an upper shield formed above the lower shield; a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor between the upper and lower shields, the recesses being positioned on opposite sides of the sensor; and a first insulating layer in the recesses in the upper surface of the lower shield. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a transducer structure having: a lower shield; an upper shield formed above the lower shield, the upper shield having recesses in a lower surface thereof; a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor between the upper and lower shields, the recesses being positioned on opposite sides of the sensor; and a first insulating layer in the recesses in the lower surface of the upper shield.
US09280987B1 Methods and apparatus for selecting data density and track density values for magnetic recording media having variable bit aspect ratios
An exemplary method for selecting data density values (e.g., bits per inch) and track density values (e.g., tracks per inch) for magnetic recording media having variable bit aspect ratios comprises obtaining a plurality of data density values and a plurality of track density values as a function of a corresponding plurality of bit error rates; determining a data density/track density correlation between the plurality of data density values and the plurality of track density values for at least one Sector Error Rate; and determining a data density capability value and a track density capability value that provides an areal density capability value that satisfies one or more predefined criteria (e.g., a substantially maximum areal density capability value) using the data density/track density correlation. A selected data density value and a selected track density value are optionally determined for a given target areal density capability using the data density/track density correlation and the determined data density capability value.
US09280975B2 Frame error concealment method and apparatus, and audio decoding method and apparatus
Disclosed are a frame error concealment method and apparatus and an audio decoding method and apparatus. The frame error concealment (FEC) method includes: selecting an FEC mode based on at least one of a state of at least one frame and a phase matching flag, with regard to a time domain signal generated after time-frequency inverse transform processing; and performing corresponding time domain error concealment processing on the current frame based on the selected FEC mode, wherein the current frame is an error frame or the current frame is a normal frame when the previous frame is an error frame.
US09280973B1 Navigating content utilizing speech-based user-selectable elements
In a content browsing environment, a system analyzes content to identify audio commands to be made available to users. The audio commands may be chosen so that they are easily differentiable from each other when using machine-based speech recognition techniques. When the content is displayed, the system monitors a user's speech to detect user utterances corresponding to the audio commands and performs content navigation in response to the user utterances.
US09280969B2 Model training for automatic speech recognition from imperfect transcription data
Techniques and systems for training an acoustic model are described. In an embodiment, a technique for training an acoustic model includes dividing a corpus of training data that includes transcription errors into N parts, and on each part, decoding an utterance with an incremental acoustic model and an incremental language model to produce a decoded transcription. The technique may further include inserting silence between a pair of words into the decoded transcription and aligning an original transcription corresponding to the utterance with the decoded transcription according to time for each part. The technique may further include selecting a segment from the utterance having at least Q contiguous matching aligned words, and training the incremental acoustic model with the selected segment. The trained incremental acoustic model may then be used on a subsequent part of the training data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09280957B1 Systems and methods for practicing stringed instruments
A practice system for a stringed instrument is disclosed. The practice system includes a rigid body having proximal end unto which one or more tuning pegs are disposed for attaching a first end of a cord, and a distal end until which a first rigid plate is disposed having one or more apertures therein configured for attaching a second end of said cord. The practice system further includes a second rigid plate fixedly attached to said proximal end having a first slot therein, and a second slot substantially matching said first slot disposed in said first rigid plate, wherein said first and said second slots cooperate to allow said practice system to be worn on a person by passing a fastening device therethrough.
US09280956B2 Graphics memory load mask for graphics processing
Systems and methods are described including creating a mask that indicates which pixel groups do not need to be loaded from Graphics Memory (GMEM). The mask indicates a pixel group does not need to be loaded from GMEM. The systems and methods may further include rendering a tile on a screen. This may include loading the GMEM based on the indication from the mask and skipping a load from the GMEM based on the indication from the mask.
US09280954B2 Display device with touch detection, drive circuit, driving method, and electronic unit
A display device includes: a plurality of drive electrodes; a plurality of detection electrodes intersecting the plurality of drive electrodes; and a scan driving unit performing a first scan drive and a second scan drive. The first scan drive allows a display drive signal for driving the display elements to be applied to each of the plurality of common drive electrodes, and the second scan drive allows a touch detection drive signal for detecting an external proximity object to be applied to each of the plurality of common drive electrodes.
US09280951B2 Stereoscopic image display device, image processing device, and stereoscopic image processing method
A stereoscopic image display device, with which the influence of a CT-image by the 3D crosstalk is lightened so that a sense of discomfort is not felt by the observer even when the observing position of the observer is shifted, includes an image processing unit including: a relative position calculating unit which calculates a relative position of a stereoscopic display panel with respect to the observing position of the observer; an image filter value calculating unit which calculates an image filter value for adjusting an image blurring amount according to the relative position; and an image filtering processing unit which performs image filtering processing on image data according to the image filter value.
US09280949B2 Color selection interface
Displaying colors in a color selection interface is disclosed. Displaying includes identifying a first plurality of colors associated with a color selection interface, mapping each color in the first plurality of colors to an allowed color in an allowed color set of one or more colors to obtain a second plurality of colors, wherein mapping is performed based at least in part on a color lookup table, and visually displaying the second plurality of colors in the color selection interface, wherein the color selection interface is configured to receive a color selection from the second plurality of colors.
US09280947B2 Display device
A display device includes a display panel and a data driver. The display panel includes at least one gate line, at least two data lines, a display area including a pixel connected to the at least one gate line and the at least two data lines, and a peripheral area outside the display area, the peripheral area including a pair of fan-out wiring structures. The data driver is configured to apply data voltage to the at least two data lines. Each of the pair of fan-out wiring structures includes a bent structure, the bent structure of one of the pair of fan-out wiring structures includes the same material as the at least one gate line, and the bent structure of the remaining one of the pair of fan-out wiring structures includes the same material as the at least two data lines.
US09280944B2 Display device and electronic apparatus
According to an aspect, a display device includes an image display panel, data lines, and scan lines. The image display panel includes arrays of pixels including a plurality of sub-pixels. The arrays of pixels include cyclically arranged columns of first columns each of which includes first sub-pixels, second columns that include second sub-pixels, and third columns. Third sub-pixels and fourth sub-pixels are alternately arranged in the third columns in the direction along the third columns, and are alternately arranged in a direction along the row in the same row of the third columns. Each of the scan lines is coupled to either of the third sub-pixels adjacent thereto or the fourth sub-pixels adjacent thereto, as sub-pixels to be selected thereby.
US09280942B2 Electro-optical device, shift register circuit, and semiconductor device
An electro-optical device is configured to be capable of using a region of a gate line drive circuit efficiently and preventing rising speed of a gate line selection signal from decreasing (rising delay), and a shift register circuit is composed of a single conductivity type transistor which is suitable for the device. The gate line drive circuit including an odd driver to drive odd rows of a plurality of gate lines, and an even driver to drive even rows thereof. Each unit shift register in the odd and even drivers receives a selection signal in the second previous row and activates its own selection signal two horizontal periods later. A start pulse of the even driver is delayed in phase by one horizontal period with respect to a start pulse of the odd driver.
US09280936B2 Image display unit, mobile phone and method with image adjustment according to detected ambient light
An image display unit for displaying still or moving images, this unit having at least one ambient light sensor which is configured to detect a color and an intensity of an ambient light in the surroundings of the image display unit and this unit also having an intensity control device which is configured to adjust the intensity of each individual image point in the images displayed by the image display unit based on the detected color and intensity of the ambient light. Also described is a related mobile phone and a related method.
US09280932B2 Organic light emitting display and method for driving the same
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a method for driving the same, which can display an image with more uniform luminance is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; a data driver supplying second data signals corresponding to a second data obtained by converting a first data, in response to first data signals corresponding to the first data or a data control signal; and a compensator converting output currents output from the pixels, corresponding to the first data signals into a output voltages, and supplying, to the data driver, the data control signal for converting the first data into the second data, corresponding to the output voltages and the first data based on the output voltages and the first data.
US09280926B2 Control board and display device using the same
A control board in a display device includes terminals and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to output a control signal an image signal through the terminals and to generate a drive voltage in response to a feedback signal, which is fed back to a second terminal of the terminals when a source voltage is applied to a first terminal of the terminals.
US09280925B2 Method for power-on sequence and device with low current power source
A method for power-on sequence and a device with a low current power source are provided in the present invention. The method is used for enabling a device including a low current power source, a first circuit module and a second circuit module, wherein the low current power source is used for providing a power voltage. The method includes: switching a low voltage reset signal from a first logic voltage to a second logic voltage when the power voltage rise to a threshold voltage; enabling the first circuit module after a first preset time from the time when the low voltage reset signal switches from the first logic voltage to the second logic voltage; and enabling the second circuit module after a second preset time from the time when the first circuit module is enabled.
US09280921B2 Display device for displaying information, commercials, and traffic signs
A display device for displaying information comprises a display body having a front side and rear side and comprising at least one cavity between them. The cavity is connected in a closed fluid circuit comprising supply fluid lines, return fluid lines and a fluid reservoir and the circuit is suitable to contain a colored fluid. There is also arranged a pump for circulating colored fluid in the fluid circuit. The cavity is shaped to form symbols representing the information to be displayed when filled with colored fluid.
US09280918B2 Machine that simulates the movement produced during transport
The invention relates to a machine that simulates movement during transport, for the testing of packaging elements. The machine comprises: a load platform (1), the lower part of said platform having attached thereto a plurality of upper ball joints (3, 61,71) with a ±30° rotation angle, coplanar with the axis of rotation of a rotating support (5, 5′, 5″); and a lower platform (6) which is located opposite the load platform (1) and which is provided with anchors for attaching same to a vertical vibration table (25,26). Additionally, a central support (7) is located between the load platform (1) and the lower platform (6). Furthermore, a plurality of mutually independent hydraulic servo-actuators (8,8′,8″) are attached between the upper spherical ball joints (3) and the lower ball joints (4), said servo-actuators (8,8′,8″) being placed along two perpendicular planes that pass through the center of the rotating support (5, 5′, 5″), forming a 90° angle.
US09280917B2 Simulant with vascular element mechanically responsive to a tourniquet
A medical simulant applicable to training personnel in the treatment of a traumatic injury is presented. The simulant replicates the appearance of a body part and is mechanically responsive to externally applied pressure so as to mimic the response of a vascular element when a tourniquet or the like is applied to the body part. The simulant includes a compressible body, a structure, a compressible tube, and a pair of plates. The compressible body replicates an arm, a leg, or another body region. The structure replicates an injury, either penetrating or non-penetrating, and is disposed along the compressible body. The compressible tube replicates a vascular element. The plates are separately disposed within the compressible body about the compressible tube. The plates are configured to deform the compressible tube so as to interrupt flow of a liquid simulating blood therein when a compressive force is applied onto the compressible body by a tourniquet or the like.
US09280913B2 Systems and methods providing enhanced education and training in a virtual reality environment
Virtual reality arc welding systems that provide virtual reality simulations for training purposes. Virtual reality welding systems to aid in training welding students may provide intelligent connections to web sites on the internet, overlays of ideal weld puddles, recommended corrective actions based on virtual testing results, simulations of virtual environments with safety hazards, and simulations of relationships between improperly set welding parameters and weld defects and discontinuities.
US09280912B2 Nose blow training apparatus
A training apparatus for training a child how to blow his or her nose includes a tapered chute having proximal and distal ends. The tapered chute defines an internal passageway connecting the proximal and distal ends. The proximal end includes a proximal opening that is sufficiently wide to fit over a child's nose. The distal end includes a distal opening that is smaller than the proximal opening. The internal passageway includes a narrow portion, adjoining the distal opening, and sized to snugly accommodate a projectile lodged therein. When air is exhaled into the proximal opening, the exhaled air passes through the internal passageway and builds pressure behind the projectile such that the projectile is forcefully ejectable from the distal opening.
US09280910B2 System and method for improved human learning through multi-sensory stimulus
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for improving human learning by providing multi-sensory stimulus. A system narrates a text to a user at a narration pace, while determining a focal point of the user's gaze using both a camera and eye tracking analysis. The system determines a user pace based on a shift in the gaze focal point during narration of the text, then adjusts the narration pace based on the user pace. The adjustment is performed based on a selection of a retention mode and a development mode. The retention mode maintains the narration pace with the user pace for maximal user retention of the text. The development mode increases the narration pace with respect to the user pace for user reading rate acceleration.
US09280902B2 Facilities management
A system for facilities management can include a tag device having a transceiver and a facilities management process. The facilities management process can include an application service for receiving the location of the tag device from the transceiver, at least one geographical work zone, and a tracking module configured for recording a time period the tag device is within each geographical work zone.
US09280901B2 Method for displaying the vehicle safety distance
A method for displaying the vehicle safety distance, which is executed under the basic structure of a vehicle safety warning device, the vehicle safety warning device at least includes a display module and an image recognition module. The method displays various virtual icons of different situations on the road, to display in advance and warn the lane departure situation, to thereby ensure traffic safety.
US09280898B1 Object detection assembly
A object detection assembly for remotely sensing an underground object includes a mount that is operationally coupled to an excavator bucket. An upper plate is coupled to the mount. A transceiver is coupled to the upper plate. The transceiver may detect an object when the excavator bucket excavates Earth. The transceiver is operationally coupled to a vehicle. The transceiver alerts a driver of the vehicle to the presence of the object. A lower plate is coupled to the mount.
US09280890B2 Security system access detection
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for access and control of networked devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for access to a security system device; determining whether the device is set to a first mode or a second mode; and in response to determining that the device is in the second mode, generating one or more notifications to authorized users identifying the access to the security device.
US09280887B2 Systems and methods for detection and management of viewing conditions using distance and other factors
Implementations relate to systems and methods for detection and management of viewing conditions. One or more sensor devices can be provided for a user to monitor, manage, and adjust viewing conditions to promote the health and the user's health and vision. The sensor device(s) can include a distance detection device, and others. The sensor device(s) can be or include one or more detachable devices which can be attached or affixed to eyeglasses or other wearable articles. Viewing conditions such as viewing an object or source for too long and/or at too close a distance can trigger various responses, such as a vibrating or other signal to break the concentration of focus to refresh the eyes. The sensor device(s) can also or instead be configured with user profiles to regulate the type or nature of content the user is viewing, for example to restrict television viewing by children using parental controls.
US09280885B2 Integrated alarm device
An integrated alarm device for a proximity detection system that is based on use of low frequency magnetic fields, to avoid conflicts in crowded work sites. A proximity detection system includes a magnetic field generator, and a personal alarm device. The personal alarm device includes an antenna configured to detect a magnetic field, a controller electrically coupled to the antenna, and a warning device electrically coupled to the controller. The warning device includes a sounder device and a shield, and the shield is adapted to attenuate EMI emitted from the sounder from reaching the antenna and/or from inducing current in electrical components in the personal alarm device.
US09280882B2 Terminal device for providing haptic effect using haptic engine and controlling method therefor
A terminal device controlling method that provides a haptic effect using a haptic engine is provided, which includes sensing a haptic event, executing a non-physical parameter-based haptic function in a haptic engine so as to determine a vibration pattern corresponding to the haptic event, transferring the vibration pattern from the haptic engine to a device driver, and driving, through the device driver, a vibrator based on the vibration pattern so as to embody a haptic effect.
US09280879B2 Wagering game providing a progressive award having an actual value determined by follow-up game play
A gaming system includes an input device for receiving wagers to lay a wagering game in which the player is eligible to win first and second progressive award levels. At least one display device is configured to display a monetary value for the first progressive award level and a number of free spins for the second progressive award level. The gaming system includes two sets of reels, each set being associated with a respective mathematical model. A controller increments the monetary value and the number of free spins based on plays of the wagering game, and awards current values of the monetary value and the number of free spins in response to respective triggering events.
US09280870B2 Gaming system having passive player participation in secondary wagering games
A gaming system comprises a wager input device for receiving a primary wager from a player, the player associated with a player account, and at least one display for displaying a primary wagering game and a secondary wagering game. Secondary wagering game outcomes are independent of the primary wagering game. The system further comprises a controller operative to cause the at least one display to display a randomly selected outcome of the primary wagering game; upon the occurrence of a first triggering event, enter a player into the secondary wagering game, wherein the player is represented in the secondary wagering game by a player avatar; upon the occurrence of a second triggering event, end the player's participation in the secondary wagering game; award the player any awards collected by the player avatar in the secondary wagering game; and credit the player account by the amount of the collected awards.
US09280868B2 Systems and methods for carrying out an uninterrupted game
A mobile gaming device may be a player's own personal tablet, smartphone, PDA, etc., with an application program installed via the internet for carrying out a remote gaming session. All gaming functions are carried out by a stationary gaming terminal communicating with the mobile device, such as by using WiFi. The mobile device operates as a user interface. If the communications link is temporarily broken during a game, the mobile device will create the appearance that the game is continuous, such as by continuing to spin reels, until communications are re-established. The reels will stop once the mobile device receives the final outcome from the gaming terminal. The player may pause the game to temporarily suspend the minimum game frequency rules. The mobile device may switch between gaming terminals. For 3D video, the original format may be adjusted for the mobile device. The gaming terminal may be a gaming machine.
US09280867B2 Systems and methods for adjusting 3D gaming images for mobile gaming
A mobile gaming device may be a player's own personal tablet, smartphone, PDA, etc., with an application program installed via the internet for carrying out a remote gaming session. All gaming functions are carried out by a stationary gaming terminal communicating with the mobile device, such as by using WiFi. The mobile device operates as a user interface. For 3D images, the original format may be adjusted for the mobile device.
US09280860B2 Fingerprint sensors and systems incorporating fingerprint sensors
Various embodiments of access control systems and fingerprint sensing systems are disclosed. One or more fingerprints of an authorized person are recorded in a fingerprint database together with a sequence of angular positions. The authorized person may subsequently gain access to a secured item by scanning the authorized person's finger or fingers in accordance with the sequence of angular positions. Various embodiments of fingerprint sensors for determining the angular position of a finger on the sensor are also disclosed.
US09280858B2 Systems and methods for built in test equipment for a brake control system
A method is disclosed that comprises severing an I/O channel between an EMAC and an aircraft component; sending a test signal to the brake system controller; receiving, from the brake system controller, a feedback signal to the test signal; and determining an appropriateness of the feedback signal.
US09280856B2 Method and apparatus for estimating replacement of vehicle engine oil
A method generates a useful life indication of a lubricating fluid in an engine. Initially, a quantity of use of an engine and a time of use of the engine are measured. A useful life indication of a lubricating fluid in the engine is generated based upon a first relationship between the quantity of use of an engine and the time of use of the engine when an operating characteristic is at or below a predetermined amount, such as the average speed of a vehicle containing the engine. The useful life indication of the lubricating fluid in the engine is generated based upon a second relationship between the quantity of use of an engine and the time of use of the engine when the operating characteristic is above the predetermined amount.
US09280847B2 Image composition apparatus, image retrieval method, and storage medium storing program
There is provided an image retrieval method including obtaining a parallax that exists in a material image which is viewed as an object in a three-dimensional manner, retrieving a three-dimensional image that satisfies a predetermined condition as a selectable candidate image from a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed in a three-dimensional manner, and executing image composition by superposing the material image on the three-dimensional image that is retrieved as the selectable candidate image in the retrieving of the three-dimensional image.
US09280845B2 Optimized multi-pass rendering on tiled base architectures
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for multi-path rendering on tile based architectures including executing, with a graphics processing unit (GPU), a query pass, executing, with the GPU, a condition true pass based on the query pass without executing a flush operation, executing, with the GPU, a condition false pass based on the query pass without executing a flush operation, and responsive to executing the condition true pass and the condition false pass, executing, with the GPU, a flush operation.
US09280838B2 Computer product, search apparatus, and search method
A search apparatus includes a storage device storing for particle data, positional information and a deformation gradient tensor; and a processor configured to generate based on the positional information, circumscribing shape data that circumscribes an influence region of the particle data; set, as a deformation object, the circumscribing shape data or region data; deform the deformation object by the deformation gradient tensor; judge whether an overlap exists between the deformed deformation object and a deformation-exempt object that is among the circumscribing shape data and the region data, and not set as the deformation object; determine particle data in the region data, as a neighbor particle data candidate of the object particle data, upon judging that an overlap exists between the deformed deformation object and the deformation-exempt object; and store to the storage device, a determination result.
US09280836B1 Techniques for rendering images in a tiled view
A computer-implemented technique includes determining whether to first render an image at a first quality or a second quality based on whether a viewable portion of the image is moving within an image space, a second quality being less than the first quality. The technique further includes first rasterizing the image at the first or second quality based on the determination and first rendering the image at the first or second quality based on the determination. Additionally, the technique includes second rasterizing the image at the other of the first or second quality based on the determination and second rendering the image at the other of the first or second quality based on the determination.
US09280834B2 Method and a processor for texture compression
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and arrangement for texture compression. An image block is divided into two half-blocks which are either living, also referred to as flipped configuration, or standing, also referred to as the non-flipped configuration. An estimate is generated for whether the flipped or the non-flipped configuration provides the best result for compressing a block. Compression is only executed for the configuration that is estimated to give the best result for the block.
US09280832B2 Methods, systems, and computer readable media for visual odometry using rigid structures identified by antipodal transform
The subject matter described herein includes methods for visual odometry using rigid structures identified by an antipodal transform. One exemplary method includes receiving a sequence of images captured by a camera. The method further includes identifying rigid structures in the images using an antipodal transform. The method further includes identifying correspondence between rigid structures in different image frames. The method further includes estimating motion of the camera based on motion of corresponding rigid structures among the different image frames.
US09280831B1 Image segmentation
A method comprising using at least one hardware processor for: applying an edge detection algorithm to an image of a document to receive a map of edges from which multiple optional contours of the document in the image are identified; splitting the multiple optional contours into line segments; sorting the line segments into equivalence classes of collinearity representing distinct line segments of the line segments, wherein each one of the classes of collinearity represents a distinct line segment of the distinct line segments; deriving a connectivity graph based on the equivalence classes of collinearity; identifying four vertex polygons in said connectivity graph; evaluating each one of the identified four vertex polygons according to one or more segmentation criterions; and segmenting the document in the image according to the most highly evaluated four vertex polygon of the four vertex polygons.
US09280825B2 Image processing system with registration mechanism and method of operation thereof
An image processing system, and a method of operation thereof, including: a feature selection module for determining subsets of point clouds, the subsets selected based on key points of a three-dimensional object; a feature matching module, coupled to the feature selection module, for generating matched results based on a matching transformation of the subsets; and a point registration module, coupled to the feature matching module, for refining the matched results based on a refinement transformation to optionally align different data sets of the point clouds for displaying the aligned data sets on a device, wherein the refinement transformation includes a refinement error less than a matching error of the matching transformation.
US09280822B2 Method, system, apparatus, and computer program product for interactive hepatic vascular and biliary system assessment
A procedure for image segmentation on three-dimensional (3D) medical images, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure includes generating a projection including an anatomic structure, tracing a curve corresponding to the anatomic structure, extracting a curved volume of interest based on the curve and the projection, and extracting a segmentation of the anatomic structure. Also provided is a procedure for aligning anatomic structures in images, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure includes determining part of a biliary system in a first image, determining part of a hepatic portal vein or a hepatic artery in a second image, determining a gallbladder in the images, determining a cost function, and aligning the biliary system and the hepatic portal vein or hepatic artery by maximizing the cost function.
US09280818B2 Medical report writing support system, medical report writing unit, and medical image observation unit
According to one embodiment, a medical report writing support system comprises an analyzing unit which analyzes a difference regarding at least one of a change in key images between a first report and a second report regarding a predetermined patient and a change in hyperlinks, and acquires an analyzed result, and a difference information generation unit which generates difference information based on the analyzed result.
US09280815B2 Comparison workflow automation by registration
A method for a rapid automated presentation of at least two radiological data sets of a patient, comprising, (a) automatically registering the data sets in 3D space; and (b) concurrently presenting substantially matching anatomical regions in each data set.
US09280811B2 Multi-scale large radius edge-preserving low-pass filtering
A method of large-radius edge-preserving low-pass filtering a digital signal having data points, including computing weighted averages of a signal layer at vertices in at least two grids, the vertices in each grid being a different subset of the data points such that in each grid an amount of the vertices is less than an amount of the data points; and producing, for each of the data points, a large-radius edge-preserving low-pass filtered signal based on the weighted averages of the signal layer at vertices in the at least two grids neighboring the data point.
US09280810B2 Method and system for correcting a distorted input image
A method for correcting a distorted input image comprises determining a local region of an image to be displayed and dividing said region into an array of rectangular tiles, each tile corresponding to a distorted tile with a non-rectangular boundary within said input image. For each tile of the local region, maximum and minimum memory address locations of successive rows of said input image sufficient to span said boundary of said distorted tile are determined. Successive rows of the distorted input from between said maximum and minimum addresses are read. Distortion of the non-rectangular portion of said distorted input image is corrected to provide a tile of a corrected output image which is stored.
US09280809B2 Image display apparatus and image adjustment method of image display apparatus
An image display apparatus includes an OSD processing section that displays a test pattern, which includes a plurality of index lines arranged in one of horizontal and vertical directions with respect to a pixel area of a liquid crystal light valve at regular intervals, in the pixel area, an input operation section that sets at least one of the plurality of index lines as a reference index line, and adjusts the intervals of the index lines of the test pattern so as to increase or decrease as a distance from the reference index line increases with respect to the direction of the arrangement of the index lines taking the reference index line as a reference, and an image correction section that corrects linearity of the image based on the intervals of the index lines adjusted by the input operation section.
US09280807B2 Degradation restoration system, degradation restoration method and program
For each pixel of an input image, a direction toward which variation in pixel value between the relevant pixel and its peripheral pixels is largest and an amount of the variation in pixel value are computed, where a direction unit vector that indicates the direction toward which the variation is largest and a variation vector that represents the amount of the largest variation in the pixel value are computed. For each pixel, a regularization strength is computed utilizing the direction unit vector, the variation vector, and a regularization strength computing formula so that the larger the amount of the variation in pixel value toward a direction indicated by the direction unit vector, the less the regularization strength. An optimization function is determined based on the input image and the regularization strength for each pixel thereof and assigns a value for each pixel, by which the determined optimization function has the minimum value, to the corresponding pixel of a restored image to be generated.
US09280800B2 Flexible pixel-neighborhood-based reconfigurable computation device
A reconfigurable computation device for image processing, the device including a neighborhood-based computation matrix, generating pairing sub-scores between pairs of pixels resulting from a first series of operations configurable via a configuration register; a flexible reduction tree, carrying out a second series of operations configurable via the configuration register, on neighborhoods of pixels configurable via the configuration register; and an analysis matrix, carrying out computations configurable via the configuration register on the results arising from the flexible reduction tree.
US09280799B1 Systems and methods for providing leads and appointments
Methods disclosed for lead generation relate to matching prospective applicants with educational institutions. Prospective applicants provide personal information and educational background information which are used to find matching educational institutions. Methods include enhancing connections between education institutions and prospective applicants by setting up mutually agree appointments. Systems and apparatuses are also disclosed to implement the disclosed methods.
US09280797B2 System and method to minimize grid spinning reserve losses by pre-emptively sequencing power generation equipment to offset solar generation capacity based on geospatial regional solar and cloud conditions
A system and method to preemptively adjust power generation of one or more non-solar power generators based on near term solar generation capability, spinning reserve margin, and/or power grid spinning reserve forecast requirements to offset solar power generation based on geospatial regional solar conditions.
US09280796B2 System and method for resource management
A system uses an intelligent load controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load. The controller has a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period and a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load. The controller also has a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.
US09280795B2 Dynamically creating a social networking check-in location
In a method for creating a social networking check-in location for social networking applications, a computer receives a geographic location for each user computing device in a plurality of user computing devices. The computer determines a portion of the plurality of user computing devices that exhibit an area density exceeding a threshold. The area density is defined as a number of user computing devices per unit area. The computer receives two or more social networking messages from the portion of the plurality of user computing devices. The computer determines a common subject between the two or more social networking messages. The computer creates a social networking check-in location.
US09280793B2 System and method for insurance data processing using registration and operational data of IP-addressable devices
A system and method are disclosed herein for maintaining an inventory of assets located at an insured property covered under an insurance policy based on data received from IP-addressable devices located at the property. The system includes an inventory database for storing inventory information about assets located at an insured property, a communication interface for receiving registration and operational data associated with an IP-addressable device, and a business logic computer. The business logic computer creates a data structure for storing inventory information about assets located at the insured property in the inventory database for each insured property. The business logic computer determines, for the insured property, the inventory information about the insured property's assets based on registration and operational data received from its IP-addressable devices located at the property. The business logic computer stores the insured property's inventory information in its associated data structure in the inventory database.
US09280790B2 System and method for displaying market data in an electronic trading environment
A trading interface is provided for displaying market data related to a tradeable object being traded at an electronic exchange. According to one example embodiment, market data related to a tradeable object is displayed in relation to a value axis, such as a price axis. As new market data is received, the displayed market data is updated and may be repositioned so that a trader can view current market conditions in a viewable portion of the interface. The interface also includes a number of market movement indicators that assist a trader in tracking market movement. These viewable references allow a trader to navigate and immediately understand the “real” direction of the market activity despite any underlying adjustment of the viewable area of the trading interface.
US09280787B2 System and method for substituting a media article with alternative media
A method of substituting digital alternative media for a physical media article at an article dispensing machine to a customer is provided. The method includes receiving a request related to the media article through a user interface from the customer, identifying an associated content provider, and determining the alternative media selection at the associated content provider that corresponds to the media article. The method also includes receiving a unique customer identifier and identifying the associated content provider based on the unique customer identifier. The method further includes mapping the media article to the alternative media selection based on metadata. The media article may be available at the article dispensing machine or may be unavailable due to being out-of-stock or reserved to another customer. The associated content provider may be linked to the customer based on a subscription. The digital alternative media selection may be accessed by an audio/visual display interface.
US09280785B1 Allocating offline advertising inventory
A computer-implemented method of allocating offline advertising, the method including receiving an offer price for audience-member responses for an offline advertising campaign and campaign information describing the offline advertising campaign, comparing the received campaign information to one or more other advertising campaigns to determine a portion of offline advertising inventory to allocate to the offline advertising campaign, and allocating the determined portion of advertising inventory to the offline advertising campaign.
US09280780B2 Systems and methods of generating and using a bitmap index
Systems and methods of generating and using a bitmap index are disclosed. The bitmap index stores bit strings. In a particular implementation, each bit string in the bitmap index corresponds to an attribute of an audience. Each location in each bit string corresponds to the same audience member. The bitmap index supports parallelized and distributed execution of queries with respect to data indexed by the bitmap index. For example, the described bitmap index can be used to index advertising data, healthcare data, financial data, etc.
US09280779B2 Method and system for displaying online advertisements
A system and method for increasing displaying time of online advertisements. Upon receiving a search request, a search engine identifies a list of search results and displays them on one side of a result page. The search engine also obtains a list of advertisements and displays them on the other side of the result page. When a user scrolls down to look at search results at a lower portion of the result page, the list of advertisements are moved down, following the movement of the screen. Thus, at least a part of the list of advertisements continue to be displayed on the current screen. Since online advertisements are visible to the user for a longer time, there are more opportunities for the online advertisements to get the user's attention, and consequently more opportunities for the user to click on an advertisement. Thus, the efficiency of online advertising may be improved.
US09280778B2 Location logging and location and time based filtering
Techniques for performing location logging and location and time based filtering are described. In one design of location logging, a terminal periodically determines its location, e.g., during its paging slots. The terminal determines whether there is a change in its location and stores its location if a change in location is detected. In one design of location and time based filtering, the terminal obtains a location and time criterion with a target area and a time period. The terminal determines its location during the time period, e.g., based on the location log. The terminal evaluates the location and time criterion based on the target area and its location during the time period, e.g., based on at least one sector ID for the target area and one or more sector IDs for its location. The terminal determines whether to download and/or present broadcast information based on the result of the evaluation.
US09280777B2 Operations dashboard
An operations dashboard may be used to present recommended solutions to various challenges faced by a retail store that is part of an enterprise. In some implementations, a metrics engine may be used to track and diagnose challenges related to various performance metrics, such as inventory, pricing, customer satisfaction, and the like at one or more of the enterprise's retail store locations. The operations dashboard may, in certain embodiments, display one or more of the retail stores along with their corresponding diagnosed business challenges. A knowledge engine may be used to identify one or more solutions to the diagnosed business challenges, and the solutions may also be displayed on the dashboard. In some implementations, each of these solutions may have a corresponding recommendation score relating to the expected efficacy of the solution to solve the challenge.
US09280774B1 System and method for investigating fraudulent activity
According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprising a memory and a processor is provided. The memory is operable to store information associated with a user account. The processor can receive a message indicating that a transaction associated with a card has occurred and receive a first input indicating that the transaction is fraudulent. The processor can receive a second input indicating that a report should be filed and present, on a display, a plurality of questions to determine whether the card has been stolen. The processor can receive a third input indicating an answer to each of the plurality of questions and present, on the display, an affidavit. The processor can receive a fourth input indicating the affidavit has been electronically signed and present, on the display, a confirmation message indicating that the report has been filed.
US09280773B1 System and method for managing first party rights to content captured by third parties
A DRM compliance system can include one or more DRM servers, capture devices capable of continuously encrypting content at capture, and one or more rights compliance software applications. Methods of ensuring DRM compliance can include registering and verifying capture devices prior to the presentation of protectable content. Unique IDs associated with the capture devices may be stored as DRM liens in a DRM server along with particular time periods an identified DRM policy is in effect. The rights compliance software application can consult a DRM server to determine if encrypted content captured by a device is subject to a DRM policy. The server can make such a determination based on attempting to match data identifying the capture device and time of capture to one or more DRM liens. When matches are found, applicable DRM policies are applied by decrypting the content and then rendering the content in a DRM-compatible form.
US09280767B2 System and method for linking point of sale devices within a virtual network
A system and method for interconnecting multiple point of sale devices creating a mesh-like network structure which reduces connectivity costs while providing greater reliability due to multiple network paths is disclosed. By linking point of sale devices within a virtual network, the need for individual connections to a point of sale controller is eliminated and alternative network paths are provided, thereby ensuring maximum up-time and optimal connection speeds.
US09280765B2 Multiple tokenization for authentication
Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to systems, methods, and apparatuses for authenticating a cardholder using multiple tokenization authentication. Embodiments of the invention are directed at a method. The method includes receiving at a first entity a first token from a consumer and determining a second token associated with the first token. Once the second token is determined, the second token is sent to a server computer at a second entity. The server computer then determines an account identifier associated with the second token and processes a transaction using the account identifier.
US09280764B2 Gateway service platform
A gateway service platform is disclosed that provides access to a payment processing system via an open network such as the internet. The gateway service platform also provides access to service systems that provide a variety of services and applications offered by or affiliated with the payment processing system. The gateway service platform allows the payment processing system to reach users and to facilitate transactions on a wide variety of devices that may not otherwise be able to connect to payment processing system. Other devices, such as payment terminal devices, can also interact with a payment processing system through the gateway service platform using the same network and protocol. Embodiments of the invention allow devices on these open networks to connect with the payment processing system without having to change the existing infrastructure of the payment processing system.
US09280762B2 Electric mail processing apparatus
An electric mail processing apparatus includes a communication control unit for receiving a mail from the mail server; a main storage unit for storing the mail; a determining unit for determining process contents of the mail; a process performing unit for performing the process contents on the mail; and a mail deletion instructing unit for sending a deletion instruction to the mail server to delete the mail. The determining unit determines whether a first received mail is a subsequently received mail. The communication control unit deletes the subsequently received mail when the determining unit determines that the first received mail is the subsequently received mail. The communication control unit controls the mail deletion instructing unit to send the deletion instruction to the mail server to delete the subsequently received mail.
US09280760B2 Integrated online workspaces
Systems and methods for providing a workspace are disclosed. In some aspects, a server provides, to a client computing device, access to a workspace, the workspace including one or more members and one or more content items, in response to verifying that the client computing device is associated with one of the one or more members of the workspace. The server provides, to the client computing device, within a display associated with the workspace, a first user interface element to initiate an online meeting with a first portion of the one or more members of the workspace or a second user interface element to join an ongoing online meeting with a second portion of the one or more members.
US09280759B2 Method and system for displaying plural notifications from plural sources
A system for displaying at least one notification from at least one source includes a processor configured to access the at least one notification from the at least one source, the at least one notification comprising content and geographical information. The processor is further configured to display the notification on a map based on the geographical information of the notification. A method for displaying at least one notification from at least one source is also provided.
US09280758B2 Method and apparatus for managing membership of dynamic virtual groups
A method and system is provided that may be used to dynamically modify membership of a collaboration group participating in a collaboration session using dynamic situational information associated with collaboration session and/or collaboration group member candidates. The dynamic situational information may include collaboration session information, environmental information and context information. A change in collaboration session purpose may trigger a modification of group membership in accordance with a concomitant change in group membership criteria. A change of situational information associated with any group member candidate may trigger the modification of group membership, to add or delete the candidate from the group. The method and apparatus of the present invention may advantageously be embodied in a service that is used by existing communication and collaboration systems to enhance workflow efficiency by exploiting system knowledge to improve the use of resources, reduce the incidence of errors and eliminate redundancy.
US09280755B2 System for managing product inventory counts
A system for managing product inventory includes an Internet-connected server and software executing on the server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing establishment of a first association of at least one stock keeping unit (SKU) and any associated metadata including product availability counts to at least one point in time and or at least one time range identified within an interactive shopping media presentation, establishment of a second association of at least one potential consumer to the interactive shopping media presentation, monitoring for and tracking of interaction sequences initiated by the at least one potential consumer, the interaction sequences enabled from within the interactive shopping media presentation or from within an interactive display associated thereto, and adjustment of the SKU-based product availability counts in the SKU metadata relative to the latest interaction results.
US09280748B2 Methods and systems for Anti-Hebbian and Hebbian (AHaH) feature extraction of surface manifolds using
Methods and systems for feature extraction of LIDAR surface manifolds. LIDAR point data with respect to one or more LIDAR surface manifolds can be generated. An AHAH-based feature extraction operation can be automatically performed on the point data for compression and processing thereof. The results of the AHAH-based feature extraction operation can be output as a compressed binary label representative of the at least one surface manifold rather than the point data to afford a high-degree of compression for transmission or further processing thereof. Additionally, one or more voxels of a LIDAR point cloud composed of the point data can be scanned in order to recover the compressed binary label, which represents prototypical surface patches with respect to the LIDAR surface manifold(s).
US09280747B1 Normalizing electronic communications using feature sets
Electronic communications can be normalized using feature sets. For example, an electronic representation of a noncanonical communication can be received, and multiple candidate canonical versions of the noncanonical communication can be determined. A first feature set representative of the noncanonical communication can be determined by splitting the noncanonical communication into at least one n-gram and at least one k-skip-n-gram. Multiple comparison feature sets can be determined by splitting multiple terms in training data into respective comparison feature sets. Multiple Jaccard index values can be determined using the first feature set and the multiple comparison feature sets. A subset of the multiple terms in the training data in which an associated Jaccard index value exceeds a threshold can be selected. The subset of the multiple terms can be included in the multiple candidate canonical versions. A normalized version of the noncanonical communication can be selected from the multiple candidate canonical versions.
US09280745B1 Artificial intelligence expert system for screening
An artificial intelligence expert system for screening provides characteristic profiles to candidates to perform a particular task. The profiles have individual screening items within them that are expected to be related to whether or not a person is suitable for the task. The responses from the persons to the items are received by a computer implemented expert system. The expert system applies a combined model to the responses to generate a forecasted performance of the person to the task. The combined model is a linear combination of two or more path dependent regressions performed on data from a set of N training persons with known abilities to do the task. The number of parameters in each path dependent model is limited to a fraction of the number N so that the path dependent models are not over fit to the data. A suitable fraction is ⅕.
US09280743B2 Data based truth maintenance
A truth maintenance method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor, health event data associated with heath care records for patients. The computer processor associates portions of the health event data with associated patients and related records in a truth maintenance system database. The computer processor derives first health related assumption data and retrieves previous health related assumption data derived from and associated with previous portions of previous health event data. The computer processor executes non monotonic logic with respect to the first health related assumption data and the previous health related assumption data. In response, the computer processor generates and stores updated first updated health related assumption data associated with the first health related assumption data and the previous health related assumption data.
US09280742B1 Conceptual enhancement of automatic multimedia annotations
Methods and systems for suggesting one or more semantic tags for a media clip are disclosed. In one aspect, a media clip provided by a user is identified, and a first set of semantic tags is generated for the media clip based on a feature vector associated with the media clip. The first set of semantic tags is then provided to a classifier that is trained based on user selection of semantic tags. Further, a second set of semantic tags is obtained from the classifier and is suggested to the user for the media clip.
US09280739B2 Computer implemented system for automating the generation of a business decision analytic model
The present invention envisages a system and method for automating the generation of business decision analytic models. The system uses a plurality of predictor variables stored in a plurality of data sets, to automatically create a business decision analytic model. The system includes a processor configured to process the data sets and determine the total number of records present in each of the data sets and the number of columns containing only numerical values. The processor selects a column containing only numerical values, from a dataset under consideration, and counts the number of unique numerical values in the selected column, and the total number of records present in the selected column. The two counts are compared and the selected column is transformed using a non-linear transformation to obtain a column of transformed values. The transformed values and corresponding time stamps are utilized for the purpose of model generation.
US09280736B2 Method and apparatus for a radio frequency identification repeater which is coupled to a radio frequency identification tag
The present method enables an RFID repeater to be used in conjunction with an RFID tag to allow data in the RFID tag to be read using wireless packet switched technologies. For example, the present method enables an RFID repeater to be coupled with an RFID tag. The RFID repeater reads and records the data from the RFID tag and then transmits the retrieved data from the RFID tag over a wireless packet network.
US09280731B2 Image forming system, image forming apparatus, and storage medium having printing control program stored thereon
An image forming system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a user registration portion, a user detection portion, and a printing control portion. The user registration portion is configured to register a user so as to associate the user with a print setting. The user detection portion is configured to detect that the user registered by the user registration portion has entered a specific area. The printing control portion is configured to cause an image forming apparatus to print a specific document with the print setting registered by the user registration portion so as to be associated with the user, when entry of the user into the area is detected by the user detection portion.
US09280729B2 Method of creating sample page, program, and image forming system
A method of creating a sample page in an image system, the method includes: a step of holding a color measurement result of a colorimeter, with respect to an output image of a special color, as a history color measurement result; a step of determining whether a creation condition of the sample page is satisfied; and a step of creating the sample page having a first color sample image and a second color sample image formed on a recording medium, the first color sample image being according to printer device values calculated based on the history color measurement result of the special color, and the second color sample image being according to printer device values of the special color determined from a special color table, when the creation condition of the sample page is determined to be satisfied.
US09280728B2 Image forming apparatus, control method, and program
While calibration is being executed in an image forming apparatus, it is not possible to execute printing until the calibration is completed, and therefore, usability of a user is poor. An image forming apparatus including Media Direct Print function to print data stored in a portable storage medium. The image forming apparatus includes a connection detection unit configured to detect connection of the portable storage medium and a control unit configured to control calibration from being executed in response to the connection detection unit detecting the connection of the portable storage medium.
US09280726B2 On-line macrocontaminant analyser and method
An on-line automated analyzer of macrocontaminants is described. The analyzer is for a pulp and/or a white water stream, the analyzer comprises: a pulp classifier separating a sample from the stream into a fraction of macrocontaminants; a contaminant chamber enclosing a contaminant cell receiving the fraction; an optical chamber comprising an optical detector connected to the cell capturing at least one detected image; and a control chamber taking the at least one detected image and conducting an image analysis to determine type and quantity of at least one macrocontaminant in the fraction. The method of analysis of macrocontaminants is also described herein, the method comprises: separating a sample from the stream into a fraction of macrocontaminants; producing at least one detected image by optical measurement of the fraction; and analyzing the at least one detected image and determining the quantity and type of at least one macrocontaminant in the fraction.
US09280722B2 Accelerating bitmap remoting by identifying and extracting 2D patterns from source bitmaps
Systems, methods and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for accelerating bitmap remoting by extracting non-grid tiles from source bitmaps. A server takes a source image, identifies possibly repetitive features, and tiles the image. For each tile that contains part of a possibly repetitive feature, the server replaces that part with the dominant color of the tile. The system then sends to a client a combination of new tiles and features, and indications to tiles and features that the client has previously received and stored, along with an indication of how to recreate the image based on the tiles and features.
US09280721B2 Method for optically scanning an edge in or on a surface region
A method for ascertaining the position of an edge in or on an object surface region of interest by optical scanning. The reflectivity of the object surface region is evaluated. Light is emitted onto the object surface region under different illumination conditions, in particular different light incidence directions, and in each illumination condition a sequence S1 to Sn of camera images B is recorded. Each camera image B of a sequence S1 to Sn is recorded at another illumination intensity I. Subsequently in each case one reflectivity image R1 to Rn is produced from a plurality of or from all camera images B of a sequence S1 to Sn. Thereafter, a resulting reflectivity image E is produced from a plurality of or from all reflectivity images R1 to Rn by weighted addition, in which resulting reflectivity image E the position of an edge is determined.
US09280720B2 Apparatus, method, and computer-readable storage medium
A method includes a state determination step of determining the quality of an object in image data, an extraction step of extracting feature information from the object, and a registration step of registering, in a dictionary, the feature information extracted in the extraction step. In the registration step, when the quality of the object determined in the determination step is lower than a predetermined reference, registration of the feature information of the object in the dictionary by the registration step is not performed.
US09280717B2 Operating a computing device by detecting rounded objects in an image
A method is disclosed for operating a computing device. One or more images of a scene captured by an image capturing device of the computing device is processed. The scene includes an object of interest that is in motion and that has a rounded shape. The one or more images are processed by detecting a rounded object that corresponds to the object of interest. Position information is determined based on a relative position of the rounded object in the one or more images. One or more processes are implemented that utilize the position information determined from the relative position of the rounded object.
US09280716B2 Apparatus for sensing user condition to assist handwritten entry and a method therefor
In an entry assistance apparatus, when the user makes handwritten entry on a medium, a detector detects person condition information on a condition regarding the body of the user. The person condition information may include either or both of positional information on the position of the user and postural information on the posture of the user. Based on the person condition information, a condition estimator estimates one or more conditions of the user. Based on the condition of the user, a presentation information selector selects presentation information on one or more information contents to be presented to the user. The information content indicated by the presentation information will be presented to the user by an information presenter.
US09280715B2 Biometric database collaborator
A biometric database corroborator is disclosed. In one embodiment, a biometric digital representation receiver receives a biometric digital representation representative of an individual. A biometric information gatherer collects biometric data from a first biometric database and at least a second different biometric database. A biometric comparator compares the biometric digital representation representative of the individual with the biometric data gathered from the first biometric database and at least the second different biometric database, the biometric comparator utilizing a predefined match percentage threshold to determine a match. A result provider provides a result from the biometric comparator in a tangible user output.
US09280713B2 Apparatus and method for processing image mounted in vehicle
An apparatus and a method for processing an image mounted in a vehicle include a camera mounted in the vehicle to acquire image data around the vehicle. A controller is configured to analyze the image data to extract at least one light region having an elliptical shape or a closed surface shape formed of a free curve, separates the light region into a point source and reflected light, and then corrects and outputs the image data of a location at which the reflected light is confirmed.
US09280711B2 Barrier and guardrail detection using a single camera
Driver assistance systems for detecting a structural barrier extending along a road. The driver assistance system may be mountable in a host vehicle. The camera may capture multiple image frames in the forward field of view of the camera. A processor may process motion of images of the barrier in the image frames. The camera may be a single camera. The motion of the images may be responsive to forward motion of the host vehicle and/or the motion of the images may be responsive to lateral motion of the host vehicle.
US09280702B2 Image processing device and image processing method
An image processing device includes a processor; and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute: obtaining a first image in which a user is included, a second image which is imaged in an imaging condition different from that of the first image, a third image which is continuously imaged at a different point of time from that of the first image, and in the same imaging condition as that of the first image, and a fourth image which is continuously imaged at a different point of time from that of the second image, and in the same imaging condition as that of the second image; extracting a first feature amount of a user which is included in the first image, a second feature amount of the user which is included in the second image, a third feature amount.
US09280701B2 Grouping face images using statistic distribution estimate
A computer-implemented method for sorting face images of different individuals into different groups includes obtaining face images comprising faces of unknown individuals by a computer processor; calculating similarity functions between pairs of face images by the computer processor; joining face images that have values of the similarity functions above a predetermined threshold into a hypothetical face group, wherein the face images in the hypothetical face group hypothetically belong to a same person; conducting non-negative matrix factorization on values of the similarity functions in the hypothetical face group to test truthfulness of the hypothetical face group; and identifying the hypothetical face group as a true face group if a percentage of the associated similarity functions being true is above a threshold based on the non-negative matrix factorization.
US09280696B1 Authentication method and system
A method for authenticating an object, comprising determining a physical dispersion pattern of a set of elements, determining a physical characteristic of the set of elements which is distinct from a physical characteristic producible by a transfer printing technology, determining a digital code associated with the object defining the physical dispersion pattern, and authenticating the object by verifying a correspondence of the digital code with the physical dispersion pattern, and verifying the physical characteristic.
US09280695B2 Apparatus and method for determining sequencing of fingers in images to a two-finger scanner of fingerprint images
An apparatus (10) for capturing fingerprint images having a platen (21) sized for at most two fingers of a hand, and an imaging system for enabling capture of fingerprint images presented to the platen (21), in which images of two different finger pairs are captured for each hand of a subject when presented to the platen. At least one processor (27) which determines for each of the images captured a difference in height of at least one characteristic of the fingers in the image. Using said difference in height of the fingers in each of the images, the processor (27) verifies that the correct sequence of specific ones of finger pair was provided by the subject to the platen when images were captured. Fingerprint images acquired from the images may be stored in an electronic record along with thumb prints and subject information, and optionally the height differences for the images.
US09280693B2 Indicia-reader housing with an integrated optical structure
An imaging engine for an indicia reader that includes a dual-purposed housing is disclosed. The housing is configured to provide support and alignment for the imaging engine's optical modules. In addition, the housing includes an integrated optical structure to focus or project light to or from the various optical modules.
US09280691B2 System for determining alignment of a user-marked document and method thereof
A system for evaluating a user-marked document including a user-marked response sheet having a response area and at least one image marker, a means for obtaining a digital image of the user-marked response sheet, a computer having programming to perform steps which include identifying three-dimensional position information of the at least one image marker in an obtained digital image, calculating position information of the response area in an obtained digital image using the three-dimensional position information of the at least one image marker, identifying position information of a user created mark within the response area using the calculated position information of the response area, and evaluating whether the position information of the user created mark corresponds with position information of a first predefined mark or a second predefined mark.
US09280687B2 Pre-boot authentication using a cryptographic processor
An apparatus for cryptographic pre-boot authentication includes a cryptographic processor configured to perform cryptographic operations. The cryptographic processor includes a portion dedicated to the boot interface. The apparatus also includes a storage device storing machine readable code and a processor executing the machine readable code. The machine readable code includes a storage module storing a first cryptographic key on the cryptographic processor. The machine readable code further includes an encryption module encrypting an electronic message with a second cryptographic key. The machine readable code also includes a decryption module decrypting the electronic message with the first cryptographic key where an authorized user is granted access to a device upon successful decryption of the electronic message.
US09280685B2 System and method for portable medical records
The system and method for portable medical records provides an electronic medical record that is stored in a key fob-sized portable device. A user can purchase the portable device and upload his/her medical record to the device over the Internet, after which the device is sent to the user. The user accesses the device for information in the portable electronic medical record and adds information when necessary. An encryption system controls health provider access to the information stored in the device. The ability to read, write or modify information can be made specific to a particular group of health care providers. Access to the portable electronic medical record can be limited to an individual patient and his/her designated authorized healthcare provider(s). Medical record information transfer is done via secure communication between a computer and the portable electronic device to assure compliance with applicable medical record privacy laws.
US09280682B2 Automated management of private information
A private information management apparatus, a method, and a program that allows individual users to easily set and apply their privacy rules. A private information management apparatus receives setting data from a user terminal and creates a privacy rule that defines a condition for restricting disclosure of private information and a restriction method. If undisclosed image data contains private information of a user, the private information management apparatus extracts metadata contained in this undisclosed image data, and determines whether or not the metadata satisfies the condition for restricting disclosure of the private information. If it is determined that the condition is satisfied, the private information management apparatus executes the restriction method defined by the privacy rule.
US09280679B2 Tiered application permissions
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for granting application permissions and providing notifications of API activity are provided. An example method may include processing a request to install an application that requires API calls by the application. The method may further include determining an authoring entity of the application, and determining whether the authoring entity is certified by one or more trusted entities. In addition, the method may include allowing an installation of the application when the authoring entity is certified by at least one trusted entity. An example system may include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to process a request to install an application that requires access to one or more APIs, determine a sensitivity level of each of the required APIs, and when the determined sensitivity level of at least one API of the required APIs is associated with a restricted API classification, require that code of the application be delivered using a secure mechanism.
US09280678B2 Secure cloud storage distribution and aggregation
Methods and systems for vendor independent and secure cloud storage distribution and aggregation are provided. According to one embodiment, an application programming interface (API) is provided by a cloud storage gateway device logically interposed between third-party cloud storage platforms and users of an enterprise. The API facilitates storing of files, issuing of search requests against the files and retrieval of content of the files. A file storage policy is assigned to each user, which defines access rights, storage diversity requirements and a type of encryption to be applied to files. Responsive to receiving a request to store a file, (i) searchable encrypted data is created relating to content and/or metadata of the file based on the assigned file storage policy; and (ii) the searchable encrypted data is distributed among the third-party cloud storage platforms based on the storage diversity requirements defined by the assigned file storage policy.
US09280676B2 Development of business applications
In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a system and methods are provided for managing development of business applications. The system and methods may be provided for defining security relevance for data types associated with business objects, defining security rules for the data types associated with the business objects, and defining validation and test fulfillment of the security rules by providing one or more security runtime modules for each security rule defined by the security rules handler to ensure validation and test fulfillment of each security rule.
US09280672B2 Method for secure production printing
A method for printing a composite document creates a fixed data unit for a composite document, the fixed data unit being a portion of an individual document which is consistent in each individual document within the composite document. A variable data unit is created for each individual document to be represented by the composite document, a variable data unit being a portion of the individual document which is unique to that individual document. The data within each created variable data unit is analyzed to determine a set of rights for each created variable data unit, and the determined set of rights are embedded into the appropriated created variable data unit. A composite document is created by bundling the fixed data unit with the embedded variable data units and submitted for printing. A plurality of individual documents for printing is created, each individual document being a merger of the fixed data unit with an embedded variable data unit wherein each individual document is printed based upon the set of rights embedded in the corresponding variable data unit.
US09280670B2 Siftsort
The present invention relates generally to information processing, and more particularly to techniques for securely organizing, sharing, accessing and storing valuable information related to a family or individual in conjunction with a computer-based platform. Users will have the ability to organize, share, access, send and receive information online using a plurality of personal devices. A computer web browser, mobile device web browser, facsimile machine, scanning device can send and receive information over a communication link with the system using standard software applications such as email, mobile messaging, scanning software and facsimile software. The present invention provides a user friendly web based platform that allows individuals to instantly setup a secure account and store important information, as well as, establish a seamless and effective contingency plan to organizing highly sensitive and personal information.
US09280668B2 Methods and systems of detecting and analyzing correlated operations in a common storage
A method of detecting correlated operations in a common storage. The method comprises providing at least one input operation, each the input operation being designated to write uniquely identifiable data on a memory unit of an application, monitoring a plurality of output operations of the application, each the output operation includes data read from the memory unit, comparing between the at least one input operation and the plurality of output operations to identify at least one matching group of input and output operations wherein each member of the at least one matching group has correlated written or read data in a common correlated target address in the memory unit, and outputting an indication of the at least one matching group.
US09280667B1 Persistent host determination
A system comprises a security manager to scan a network for host instances representing hosts on the network at that time, and record characteristics of the host instances in a host record. The security manager subsequently scans the network for host instances in order to identify persistent hosts. A host profiling module takes snapshots of the network to generate host instances based on characteristics such as an IP address, a NetBIOS name, a DNS name, a MAC address. A host matching module correlates host instances from different snapshots using weighted rules (predetermined or customized) to discriminate between multiple potential matching host instances. Also, security logic makes security decisions based on data including persistent host information.
US09280666B2 Method and electronic device for protecting data
A method and an electronic device for protecting data for a first electronic device with a data transmission interface are provided. A basic I/O system of the first electronic device is provided with a verification program for verifying a second electronic device. The method includes: loading the verification program into a memory of the first electronic device; verifying the second electronic device to acquire a verification result by the memory running the verification program via the memory; disabling the data transmission interface to cause the second electronic device to be unable to perform data transmission with the first electronic device by the data transmission interface in a case that the verification result indicates that the second electronic device is not a valid device.
US09280660B2 Mobile information management methods and systems
A system and method are disclosed for mobile information management using a code injection approach. The method for information management of applications includes the steps of: receiving, by a computer, one or more compiled applications, and receiving, by a computer, one or more security policies, wherein each security policy indicates one or more use cases and one or more security actions associated with each use case. The method also includes the step of associating the received applications with the one or more received security policies. Additionally, the method includes the step of automatically wrapping the received applications with the associated security policy using a code injection script.
US09280659B2 Methods and apparatus for remeasuring a virtual machine monitor
A data processing system supports remeasurement of a virtual machine monitor (VMM). In one example process, the VMM may obtain a secret value from a trusted platform module (TPM) of the processing system. The VMM may provide the secret value from the VMM to a measurement agent executing in system management mode (SMM) of the processing system. The measurement agent may be a system management interrupt (SMI) transfer monitor (STM) that can create virtual machines to execute in SMM, for example. However, the VMM may verify the measurement agent before providing the secret value to the measurement agent. The measurement agent may generate a remeasurement value for the VMM, use the secret value that was obtained from the TPM to certify the remeasurement value, and communicate the remeasurement value to a requesting program, via the VMM. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09280658B2 System and method for systematic detection of fraud rings
The present invention provides, in at least one embodiment, a system, and method for detecting fraud rings. The system gathers a small group of highly likely fraudsters. The system then looks for groups of these likely fraudsters who are interconnected. When the interconnections are strong, these groups are likely to be fraud rings. Once fraud rings are detected, the links can be applied to better prevent fraud and to help in criminal investigations.
US09280654B1 Battery authentication circuit
Various embodiments of modular battery authentication circuits are described. The various modular battery authentication circuits are intended to be utilized with electrically powered devices that do not comprise existing battery authentication capabilities. In one embodiment, a modular battery authentication adapter is described. The adapter comprises a housing in which a modular battery authentication circuit resides. One end of the adapter is positioned within a power input port of a device and a modular battery is positioned within the opposing end of the adapter. The authentication circuit within the adapter communicates with the modular battery to determine its authenticity before allowing the battery to power the device. A modular battery comprising an internal authentication circuit is also described. The modular battery is designed to interact with firmware stored within the device to determine whether the modular battery meets certain operational criteria.
US09280651B2 Securely handling server certificate errors in synchronization communication
An invalid digital certificate can be saved and subsequently compared to an incoming digital certificate when performing a security check. If a subsequently provided digital certificate does not match the saved digital certificate, an error condition can be generated. Because a digital certificate can be invalid for non-malicious reasons, such technologies can be useful for improving software security.
US09280650B2 Authenticate a fingerprint image
A computing machine including a sensor to capture a fingerprint image from a user and generate a password in response to the user accessing the sensor, a component to create a package of the fingerprint image and the password, and a processor to authenticate the fingerprint image from the package before decrypting an encryption of the password if a request for the password has been received before a predefined time has elapsed.
US09280645B1 Local and remote verification
A method includes receiving a verification request in a verification agent running on a given device and determining whether the verification agent is able to invoke a verification platform application programming interface (API). The method also includes, in the event that the verification agent is able to invoke the verification platform API, performing remote verification of the verification request via the verification platform. The method further includes, in the event that the verification agent is unable to invoke the verification platform API, starting an internal timer and performing local verification of the verification request at the given device. The method further includes granting the verification request responsive to one of a successful remote verification and a successful local verification within a given time period specified by the internal timer, otherwise denying the verification request.
US09280640B2 Mobile computing weight, diet, nutrition, and exercise management system with enhanced feedback and goal achieving functionality
An illustrative mobile computing device executing weight, nutrition, health, behavior and exercise application software serves as a simulated combination personal trainer and dietician/nutritionist for the user using comprehensive databases storing personalized health, nutrition and exercise information. A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, executing such software monitors, tracks and/or adjusts caloric intake, energy expenditure taking into account nutritional information and behavioral factors. The mobile computing device receives food consumption, exercise-related, behavior and other input using speech input and the device's GPS subsystem to ease data entry burden on users and to promote continued long-term usage. The system rewards user goal achievement in an automatic, seamless manner, through, for example, downloading music, books, or other media. In illustrative implementations, the system assists users to make healthy food and exercise choices by using a comprehensive color code system to identify good choices, bad choices and those in between.
US09280639B2 Systems and methods for treatment planning based on plaque progression and regression curves
Systems and methods are disclosed for evaluating a patient with vascular disease. One method includes receiving patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's vasculature; creating an anatomic model representing at least a portion of a location of disease in the patient's vasculature based on the received patient-specific data; identifying one or more changes in geometry of the anatomic model based on a modeled progression or regression of disease at the location; calculating one or more values of a blood flow characteristic within the patient's vasculature using a computational model based on the identified one or more changes in geometry of the anatomic model; and generating an electronic graphical display of a relationship between the one or more values of the calculated blood flow characteristic and the identified one or more changes in geometry of the anatomic model.
US09280634B1 Regularization method for quantizing lithography masks
In an electronic design automation technique for optical proximity correction, an optimized mask function that has values other than those allowed for a particular mask type, such as 0 and 1 for a chrome-on-glass binary mask, evolves it to a solution restricted to these values or narrow intervals near them. The technique “regularizes” the solution by mixing in a new cost functional that encourages the mask to assume the desired values. The mixing in may be done over one or more steps or even “quasistatically,” in which the total cost functional and the mask is brought from pure goodness-of-fit to the printed layout for given conditions to pure manufacturability by keeping the total cost functional minimized step-by-step. A goal of this gradual mixing-in is to do thermodynamically optimal work on the mask function to bring it to manufacturable values.
US09280632B2 Methods and apparatuses for circuit design and optimization
In one aspect of an embodiment, a method implemented on a data processing system for circuit design, includes identifying one or more first portions of a design of a circuit, each of the one or more first portions containing a set of elements interconnected via timing nets and generating weights for the timing critical nets, the weights being generated after identifying the one or more first portions and executing a placer algorithm which uses the weights for the timing critical nets to place the set of elements on a representation of the design. In this method, in one embodiment, the weights for the timing critical nets can be generated to have values that differ from weights for non-critical nets. The placer algorithm can be any one of a variety of conventional placer algorithms such as a weighted wire length driven placer algorithm or a force directed timing driven placer algorithm or a min-cut placer algorithm.
US09280631B2 Performing OPC on hardware or software platforms with GPU
Optical proximity correction techniques performed on one or more graphics processors improve the masks used for the printing of microelectronic circuit designs. Execution of OPC techniques on hardware or software platforms utilizing graphics processing units. GPUs may share the computation load with the system CPUs to efficiently and effectively execute the OPC method steps.
US09280619B2 Integrated simulation technology
Virtual material handling systems can be used to drive the operation of real material handling systems for purposes such as testing and validation of the components of the real material handling systems. The real material handling system, in turn, can provide data regarding system operation which may be fed back to the virtual material handling system to control its function.
US09280616B2 Printing a three dimensional object about a preformed structure
A method includes obtaining a data file that includes print instructions for causing a three dimensional printer to print a three dimensional object, wherein the data file describes external surfaces of the object, and providing user instructions for positioning a preformed structure so that the three dimensional printer can print the object around the preformed structure, wherein the preformed structure has a size and a shape to be subsumed within the external surfaces of the object. The method further comprises modifying the print instructions so that the printer will print the object around the preformed structure, and printing material around the preformed structure using the modified print instructions to form the object.
US09280615B2 Flow rack design systems and methods
A method of providing a flow rack system design using a flow rack design application is provided. The method includes selecting a first tier menu item from a plurality of first tier menu items saved in memory using a computer. A second tier menu item is selected, wherein the second tier menu item has project level standards information associated with the second tier menu item saved in memory. A virtual flow rack system is generated using the computer, the project level standards information and parts information saved in memory.
US09280613B2 Metadata enabled third-party application access of content at a cloud-based platform via a native client to the cloud-based platform
Techniques are disclosed for methods, architectures and security mechanisms for a third-party application to access content in a cloud-based platform. In one embodiment, a method includes, receiving, at the third-party application, metadata that identifies the file. The method further includes transmitting the metadata to a server which is associated with the third-party application. The metadata enables the server to request the file from the cloud-based environment.
US09280612B2 Visualizing a relationship of attributes using a relevance determination process to select from candidate attribute values
For plural categorical values of a first attribute, more relevant categorical values of a second attribute are selected from among candidate categorical values of the second attribute, where the selecting uses a relevance determination process that considers frequencies of occurrence of respective pairs of the categorical values of the first and second attributes. A visualization that includes groups of cells corresponding to the respective pairs of categorical values of the first and second attributes is generated. At least one of the groups includes cells assigned visual indicators based on values of a third attribute.
US09280608B2 Group bookmarks
Group bookmarks are provided. A uniform resource locator (URL) is received and parsed to identify a URL domain, a parameter, and a first parameter value. Multiple bookmarks are examined to determine whether a pattern match is found for a bookmark including the URL domain and the parameter. The bookmark has a second parameter value. The first parameter value is stored with the bookmark as a group bookmark. The group bookmark includes: the URL domain, the parameter, and entries for the first parameter value and the second parameter value.
US09280607B2 Method and a device for frequency counting
A memory efficient method and electronic device for counting frequencies of various events. The structure for storing frequency data comprises primary (204) and secondary (206) storages which contain frequency data (208, 210, 214) in different levels of detail. The primary storage (204) is a detailed storage comprising both event type and count information units in a fully restorable form. The secondary storage (206) is targeted for more infrequent events with lower level of detail and constructed as an array of count values addressed by a hash function using event type as an input. Another option is to derive a shortened ID from the event type by utilizing a hash function and exploit the ID as an addressing key for the corresponding count. Events are moved between primary (204) and secondary (206) storages depending on the detected event type frequencies. The invention is utilized in a recommendation engine for grading and sorting bookmarks stored in browsers for accessing the Internet.
US09280605B2 Systems and methods for itinerary messaging service
Messages are targeted to travelers based on travel itineraries. Targeting may also be based on real-time travel status information. The targeted messages communicate their purpose and priority to respective travelers within the context of the travel itineraries. A disclosed method includes accessing a travel itinerary database including a plurality of travel itineraries. Each travel itinerary is associated with a traveler and defines itinerary segments of a corresponding travel schedule. A message is associated with a set of targeting rules used to identify a subset of itineraries in the travel itinerary database. The targeting rules may be used with real-time travel status information to identify the subset of itineraries.
US09280603B2 Generating descriptions of matching resources based on the kind, quality, and relevance of available sources of information about the matching resources
Techniques are provided for generating descriptions of matching resources in a manner that takes into account the kind, quality, and relevance of the available sources of information about the matching resources. For example, after the search engine identifies matching resources based on the query terms, the search engine determines the kinds of available sources of information about each matching resource. For each matching resource, based on the kinds of available sources of information about the matching resource, one of a plurality of processes is selected to generate a description for the matching resource. Using the content-sensitive description generation techniques described herein, a single result set may include abstracts that were generated using several different processes, where the difference in process corresponds to a difference in the kind, quality, and relevance of the available sources of information about each matching resource.
US09280601B1 Modifying search results
Systems and methods for generating search results are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving a query, obtaining a search result that is responsive to the query, obtaining content from a social networking service that is responsive to the query and related to the search result, modifying the search result to include a first portion associated with the content from the social networking service, providing for display the modified search result and an interface component for receiving a request for interacting with the content, and modifying the search result to include a second portion of the content and to provide an interface to facilitate an interaction, in response to receiving a request for interacting with the content.
US09280600B2 Method and system for decompression-free inspection of shared dictionary compressed traffic over HTTP
A system and a method for decompression-free inspection of compressed data are provided herein. The method includes the following stages: obtaining a dictionary file comprising a string of symbols, each associated with a respective index; obtaining at least one delta file associated with said dictionary file, wherein said delta file comprises a sequence of instructions that include at least one copy instruction pointing to an index within said dictionary and a length of a copy substring to be copied; scanning said dictionary using a pattern matching algorithm associated with a plurality of patterns and implemented as a Deterministic Finite Automaton (DFA), to yield DFA execution data; scanning said at least one delta file, using said pattern matching algorithm, wherein said DFA execution data is used to skip at least part of the scanning of the copy substrings for at least one of the copy instructions.
US09280597B2 System and method for customizing search results from user's perspective
A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to generate customized subjective search results from the perspective of a user who conducts the search or any other subject entity of chosen by the user. A scored subject list is created from the user's network of sources/subjects/contacts, where each element on the list is a subject/source and the score reflects the subject's potential influence or closeness of its connection/relation with the user. Once created, the subject list is then used as a bias filter on the list of citations from search results. With such influence-weighted citation scores, objects and/or subjects from citations of subjects that have big influence on or enjoy high respect from the user will be ranked prominently in the search result presented to the user, thus biasing the search results from the user's perspective.
US09280593B1 Centroid detection for clustering
A method of categorizing data points is described which, when combined with a clustering algorithm, provides groupings of data points that have an improved confidence interval. The method can be used to find an optimal number of groupings for a dataset, which in turn allows a user to categorize a group of data points for processing. In some examples, a dataset containing a number of data points may be accessed. Additionally, in some aspects, groupings of data points within the dataset may be grouped based at least in part on similarities between the data. Further, a number of groupings of data points may be adjusted so that the distance between the data points within one or more groupings of data points may fit within a confidence level.
US09280589B2 Virtual business desktop for arrangement of objects
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for user interfaces. In one aspect, there is provided a method. The method may include generating a virtual desktop including a plurality of objects organized in accordance with at least one of a theme and a structure; providing a navigation pane on the virtual desktop to navigate through the plurality of objects; and providing a controller to enable a multi-level zoom on at least one of the plurality of objects on the virtual desktop. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09280584B2 Finding optimal query plans
Systems and methods for optimizing a query, and more particularly, systems and methods for finding optimal plans for graph queries by casting the task of finding the optimal plan as an integer programming (ILP) problem. A method for optimizing a query, comprises building a data structure for a query, the data structure including a plurality of components, wherein each of the plurality of components corresponds to at least one graph pattern, determining a plurality of flows of query variables between the plurality of components, and determining a combination of the plurality of flows between the plurality of components that results in a minimum cost to execute the query.
US09280583B2 Scalable multi-query optimization for SPARQL
Multiquery optimization is performed in the context of RDF/SPARQL. Heuristic algorithms partition an input batch of queries into groups such that each group of queries can be optimized together. The optimization incorporates an efficient algorithm to discover the common sub-structures of multiple SPARQL queries and an effective cost model to compare candidate execution plans. No assumptions are made about the underlying SPARQL query engine. This provides portability across different RDF stores.
US09280581B1 Method and system for determination of data completeness for analytic data calculations
A system, method and computer program product capable of determining data completeness associated with an analysis based on a data model at the same time that the data in the data model is being analyzed. A root node may be determined, and all paths from the root node discovered. Each path is decomposed into steps, and a ratio is calculated for each step. The ratios may be multiplied for each path, and the aggregate of the paths may determine a measure of the data completeness corresponding to the analysis and return the results of the analysis and the measure of data completeness at the same time.
US09280578B1 Combining transactions in a metadata transaction log
Techniques are provided involving combining several concurrent changes into one consistent condensed transaction within a metadata transaction log using an accumulation list that can be processed to generate a single transaction which may be quickly stored in the metadata transaction log. The improved techniques thus reduce latencies for later concurrent changes and save space within the metadata transaction log.
US09280577B1 Method for normalizing media metadata
In a computer-implemented method for normalizing media metadata, a directory containing media (e.g., music) files, which have metadata, is accessed. The metadata associated with the music files is accessed. The metadata for the music files is checked for an artist name in a “last name, first name” format, for a mixed up track title and artist name, and for artists that appear in multiple genres. Using approximate string matching, the metadata is checked to identify potential matches for known artists with other known artists in a database, and to identify approximate matches for a combination of the artist name and an album. In the event an operation identifies an error or inconsistency in the metadata, a report is generated. Further, a report of all unique artists and albums found in the metadata is generated.
US09280576B2 Managing large datasets obtained through a survey-data-acquisition process
The invention generally relates to enabling the management of survey data. One embodiment includes providing an upload description that describes characteristics of survey data to be uploaded, assigning a thread to process a group of files that store aspects of the survey data, dividing the file into data chunks, deriving from a given data chunk a corresponding data-integrity value and respectively associating the same with the given data chunk, communicating the data chunks to a remote storage device, utilizing the corresponding data-integrity values to ensure successful communication of the data chunk, and spatially storing the survey data such that it is retrievable upon a request that describes a geographic area of interest.
US09280574B2 Relative classification of data objects
Systems and methods for use in presenting a plurality of data nodes that include one or more data sets and one or more data objects, wherein each data set includes zero or more data objects and zero or more other data sets. The method includes determining, by a computing device, a data node of interest from the plurality of data nodes, wherein the data node of interest is included in one or more data sets. The computing device depicts the data node of interest as a primary node and depicts at least one of the data sets that includes the data node of interest as a secondary node that is subordinate to the primary node. The computing device also depicts an edge between the primary node and the secondary node.
US09280571B2 Systems, methods, and computer program products for scheduling processing to achieve space savings
A method performed in a system that has a plurality of volumes stored to storage hardware, the method including generating, for each of the volumes, a respective space saving potential iteratively over time and scheduling space saving operations among the plurality of volumes by analyzing each of the volumes for space saving potential and assigning priority of resources based at least in part on space saving potential.
US09280570B2 System and method for deletion compactor for large static data in NoSQL database
System and method to compact a NoSQL database, the method including: receiving, by a receiver coupled to a processor, an indication of a record to delete in the NoSQL database; for each file in the NoSQL database, perform the steps of: if said file does not contain the record to delete, placing said file in a first memory; if said file contains the record to delete: placing said file in a second memory; searching whether the record to delete from said file in the second memory matches a record in one or more files in the first memory; and if a searched files in the first memory contain the record to delete from said file in the second memory, compacting said file in the second memory with the files in the first memory that contain the record to delete.
US09280564B2 Information processing device, information processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium
An information processing device includes a memory, a receiving unit, a decision unit, and a concealment unit. The memory stores a history of performing, on an image having an attribute, a process that conceals an area within the image. The receiving unit receives an image. The decision unit extracts from the memory a history of a process performed on an image having an attribute that matches an attribute of the received image, and on the basis of the extracted history of a process, decides a concealment area within the received image. The concealment unit conceals the concealment area decided by the decision unit.
US09280562B1 System and method for multimedia ranking and multi-modal image retrieval using probabilistic semantic models and expectation-maximization (EM) learning
Systems and Methods for multi-modal or multimedia image retrieval are provided. Automatic image annotation is achieved based on a probabilistic semantic model in which visual features and textual words are connected via a hidden layer comprising the semantic concepts to be discovered, to explicitly exploit the synergy between the two modalities. The association of visual features and textual words is determined in a Bayesian framework to provide confidence of the association. A hidden concept layer which connects the visual feature(s) and the words is discovered by fitting a generative model to the training image and annotation words. An Expectation-Maximization (EM) based iterative learning procedure determines the conditional probabilities of the visual features and the textual words given a hidden concept class. Based on the discovered hidden concept layer and the corresponding conditional probabilities, the image annotation and the text-to-image retrieval are performed using the Bayesian framework.
US09280560B1 Scalable image matching
Various embodiments may increase scalability of image representations stored in a database for use in image matching and retrieval. For example, a system providing image matching can obtain images of a number of inventory items, extract features from each image using a feature extraction algorithm, and transform the same into their feature descriptor representations. These feature descriptor representations can be subsequently stored and used to compare against query images submitted by users. Though the size of each feature descriptor representation isn't particularly large, the total number of these descriptors requires a substantial amount of storage space. Accordingly, feature descriptor representations are compressed to minimize storage and, in one example, machine learning can be used to compensate for information lost as a result of the compression.
US09280559B1 Registrar mapping toolkit for geofences
Systems and methods for creating a database of geofences and registering geofences, with each geofence in the database being associated with an IP address, preferably an IPV6 address. Each geofence is defined using at least one geographic designator, preferably real property boundaries. Entitlements can be associated with geofences relating to permissive and prohibitive activities within the geofences.
US09280558B1 Revising a map area based on user feedback data
Revising a map area based on user feedback data is disclosed. In some embodiments, an initial map area corresponding to a prescribed location identifier is obtained from a third-party mapping service, and a revised map area corresponding to the location identifier is determined based on the initial map area and user feedback data associated with the location identifier.
US09280557B2 Virtual node subpool management
Virtual file system virtual nodes are grouped in subpools in response to identified resource components and managed as a function of their subpool groupings. Virtual nodes are decomposed into individual components linked to each other within each node. The components that have repetitive accesses by applications within the virtual file system and their respective frequencies of repetitive access are identified. Modules of linked occurrences of the repetitive components within each of the plurality of virtual nodes are formed, and subsets of the virtual nodes sharing common modules are grouped into subpools. Accordingly, in response to an application of the virtual file system requesting a service that is satisfied by a subpool common module, selection of a virtual node for reinitiating for reuse by the application is restricted to virtual nodes within the subpool associated with the common module.
US09280555B1 Unified data protection for block and file objects
A technique for protecting host data using, for example, snaps, asynchronous replication, and/or synchronous replication, includes storing both block-based objects and file-based objects in a common form—as files. With both block-based objects and file-based objects represented as the same type of underlying objects, data protection of both block-based and file-based objects is accomplished using a single set of data protection technologies, which are configured to perform data protection operations on files.
US09280550B1 Efficient storage tiering
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for transferring data from a source tier to a target tier. In some embodiments, this may include dividing an object stored in the source tier into a plurality of segments, determining if the target tier is missing at least one of the segments, writing the missing segments to the target tier, and deleting the object from the source tier. In some embodiments, the object's metadata is updated to indicate that the object is in the target tier.
US09280549B2 Compressing tuples in a streaming application
A method, system, and computer program product to process data in a streaming application are disclosed. The method, system, and computer program product may include receiving a stream of tuples to be processed by a plurality of processing elements operating on a plurality of compute nodes. The method, system, and computer program product may determine whether a first processing element has additional processing capacity. In some embodiments, the method, system, and computer program product determine whether a second processing element, which receives its input from the first processing element, also has additional processing capacity. The method, system, and computer program product may employ compression at the first processing element if one of the first and the second processing element has additional processing capacity.
US09280548B2 Storage manager
A method may include identifying a media file to be retrieved from storage, transmitting a request for information identifying a location of the media file and identifying the location of the media file. The method may also include forwarding the identified location, transmitting a request for the media file and receiving the request for the media file. The method may further include creating a copy of the media file, storing a first virtual location corresponding to a location of the copy and forwarding a message indicating that the identified media file is available for processing.
US09280546B2 System and method for accessing digital content using a location-independent name
A content-presenting system present digital content for a local user, and facilitates sharing a presentation state for digital content with remote devices. During operation, the system can detect a presentation-controlling event, which alters the presentation of the digital content at the content-presenting device. In response to detecting the presentation-controlling event, the system generates content-control information for the digital content. This content-control information can include a location-independent structured name associated with the digital content, and includes a presentation state for the digital content.
US09280543B2 Content recommendations based on communal preferences
A method and system for recommending multimedia content includes collecting consumption information for a plurality of consumers. The consumption information may be used to generate collections of recommended multimedia content, including obtainable multimedia assets. The collections may be offered to a consumer for purchase. The consumer may be provided access to the multimedia assets. A unified storefront application, providing access to multimedia content via an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, and a mobile portal, may be used to offer and provide access to the multimedia assets.
US09280538B2 Sentence hiding and displaying system and method
Provided herein is a sentence hiding and displaying system comprising: an image creating interface receiving an input of information on an original image, a plurality of sentences corresponding to the original image, and a language that needs to be hidden; an image creator configured to determine a sentence that needs to be hidden based on the plurality of sentences and the language that needs to be hidden, and to create on the original image an image where the sentence that needs to be hidden is hidden; a sentence display interface configured to receive an input of information on a language selected by a user; and a sentence extractor and displayer configured to parse a sentence expressed in the selected language of among sentences that need to be hidden based on the hidden image and the selected language, and to display the sentence expressed in the selected language.
US09280537B2 Techniques for automatically selecting a natural language for configuring an input method editor at a computing device
A computer-implemented method can include initializing, at a computing device including one or more processors, an input method editor for composing an electronic message. The method can include receiving, at the computing device, an input from a user identifying a recipient for the electronic message. The method can include obtaining, at the computing device, language information corresponding to the recipient, the language information indicating one or more suggested natural languages for composing the electronic message. The method can include selecting, at the computing device, a natural language for composing the electronic message based on the language information to obtain a selected natural language. The method can also include configuring, at the computing device, the input method editor based on the selected natural language.
US09280533B2 Collaborative online spreadsheet application
A distributed spreadsheet application executes at a server and a client in a network. The networked spreadsheet application can generally be used without requiring a user to install any specific spreadsheet software prior to using the application. In one implementation, the spreadsheet application may include a client engine that executes within browser programs of a plurality of client computing devices and server logic. The server logic may be configured to distribute the client engines to the plurality of client computing devices of the spreadsheet application when requested through the browser programs of each of the plurality of client computing devices. The server logic synchronizes a single spreadsheet document that is simultaneously open at the plurality of client computing devices.
US09280530B2 Display of user comments to timed presentation
A method and system to dynamically display a presentation of a time duration are described. The system includes a processor to receive comments associated with the presentation, the comments arranged in a first ordering, to identify a time reference comment among the comments, the time reference comment including a time reference referencing a time instant within the time duration of the presentation, and to dynamically change an ordering of the comments from the first ordering to a second ordering at the time instant. The system also includes a display device to display the presentation with the comments, the comments arranged according to the ordering.
US09280529B2 Collaborative cursors in a hosted word processor
A computer-implemented collaborative editing method includes receiving input from a user of a browser-based document editing application on a document displayed by the application; identifying a current location in the document for a cursor of a first user executing the application; receiving from a central server system data that reflects changes made to the document by one or more users other than the first user and current positions in the document of cursors for the one or more other user; updating a document model stored on a computing device that is executing the browser-based application and rendering at least a portion of the model to the browser; and rendering the current positions of the cursors for the one or more other users to the browser.
US09280528B2 Method and system for processing and learning rules for extracting information from incoming web pages
An example of a method includes determining features of a first type for a web page of a plurality of web pages. The method also includes electronically determining a plurality of rules for an attribute of the first web page, wherein the plurality of rules are determined based on features of the first type. The method also includes electronically identifying a first rule, from the plurality of rules, which satisfies a first predefined criterion. The first predefined criteria include at least one of a first threshold for a precision parameter, a second threshold for a support parameter, a third threshold for a distance parameter and a fourth threshold for a recall parameter. The method further includes storing the first rule to enable extraction of value of the attribute from a second web page.
US09280527B2 Method and system for directly mapping web services interfaces and Java interfaces
A method and system for directly mapping web services interfaces and Java interfaces. In one embodiment, default mapping information is identified, the default mapping information having default interface mapping information and default schema to Java mapping information. The default mapping information is then update and a mapping descriptor having the updated mapping information is generated. The updated information contains updated interface mapping information and updated schema to Java mapping information.
US09280526B1 Mobile application utilizing accelerometer-based control
A resident mobile application for application and mobile web navigation on a mobile communication device is disclosed herein. The resident mobile application interfaces with a motion sensor of a mobile communication device.
US09280525B2 Method and apparatus for forming a structured document from unstructured information
Illustrative embodiments improve upon prior machine learning techniques by introducing an additional classification layer that mimics human visual pattern recognition. Building upon classification passes that extract contextual information, illustrative embodiments look for hints of high-level semantic categorization that manifest as visual artifacts in the document, such as font family, font weight, text color, text justification, white space, or CSS class name. An improved lightweight markup language enables display of machine-categorized tokens on a screen for human correction, thereby providing ground truths for further machine classification.
US09280522B2 Highlighting of document elements
A system may aggregate highlighting information associated with a document that includes a number of elements. The highlighting information may identify one or more of the elements that have been highlighted by a group of users. The system may determine weight values for the one or more elements, generate information associated with the document based on the weight values, and provide the information.
US09280520B2 Systems and methods for semantic information retrieval
A semantic tagging method may add context to a sentence in order to increase search efficiency. Regardless of an author's writing style, translating semantic concepts into tags may increase search efficiency. Automatic semantic tagging of documents may allow semantic search and reasoning. Text for semantic tagging may include an email, a website chat room, an internet forum, or a text message. Additional texts may include aggregating general consensus of an emailed topic across multiple emails, whether in the same email chain or separate emails. To increase search efficiency, the analysis of prior communications within the body of text may comprise analyzing structured contextual information to facilitate with homophora resolution. The structured contextual information may include at least one of a sender email address, one or more recipient email addresses, a subject field, a message date and time stamp, and an attachment title.
US09280518B2 Public key cryptography computing device
According to an embodiment, a computing device includes a receiving unit, a calculating unit, a solving unit, a selecting unit, and a determining unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive pieces of input data indicative of elements of a subgroup of a multiplicative group in a finite field and pieces of first additional data for identifying conjugates of the respective pieces of input data. The elements are represented by traces. The calculating unit is configured to calculate a coefficient of an equation based on the pieces of input data. The solving unit is configured to obtain solutions of the equation. The selecting unit is configured to select one of the solutions as a result of computation, based on the first additional data. The determining unit is configured to determine second additional data for identifying a conjugate of the selected result of computation based on the first additional data.
US09280516B2 Method and system to validate wired sensors
The present invention provides a method and system using wireless sensors to validate wired sensors used in applications where the requirements on the reliability of wired sensors are stringent. A computing means periodically collects measurements for each variable from the wired and wireless sensors and compares them against an expected value. The expected value is a weighted average of all the measurements for a variable, in which the weight assigned to the measurement from each sensor is determined according to both its reliability and accuracy. As such, measurements are compared with the corresponding expected value for a particular variable. If the difference between a measurement and its corresponding expected value is found to be unacceptable, the validation computer will generate a corresponding alert. Application examples include 1) validating wired sensors used in safety shutdown systems for industrial facilities and 2) validating wired sensors used to monitor storage tanks.
US09280513B1 Matrix processor proxy systems and methods
Processor-to-processor (P-P) and/or broadcast proxies may be designated in a microprocessor matrix comprising a plurality of mesh-interconnected matrix processors when default processor-to-processor or broadcast routing algorithms used by data switches within the matrix to route messages would not deliver the messages to all intended recipients. The broadcast proxies broadcast messages within individual non-overlapping broadcast domains of the matrix. P-to-P and broadcast proxies may be designated as part of a boot-time testing/initialization sequence. Improving system fault tolerance allows improving semiconductor processing yields, which may be of particular significance in relatively large integrated circuits including large numbers of relatively-complex matrix processors.
US09280511B1 Sharing digital items
A user may make a digital item available to other users of a computer network, such as an instant messaging system, a chat environment, or a subscription-based computer network. Examples of digital items that may be shared with other users include digital representations of graphic images, photographs, audio segments, songs, video segments, movies, and text (such as lists of favorites (e.g., a list of favorite books, a list of favorite movies, and a list of favorite places to visit)). On-line presence information is provided to indicate the on-line presence of users with whom a digital item has been shared, may be shared or is being shared. For instance, an indication of the on-line or offline status of a user with whom an item has been shared or is being shared may be presented.
US09280510B2 Inter-chip communications with link layer interface and protocol adaptor
An interface for low power, high bandwidth communications between units in a device in provided herein. The interface comprises a USB 3.0 system interface and a SuperSpeed inter-chip (SSIC) protocol adaptor configured to facilitate communications between the USB 3.0 system interface and an M-PHY interface.
US09280509B2 Data interface sleep mode logic
In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a rising edge detector to detect a rising edge in a signal. The apparatus may also include a counter to perform a count to a first value based on an input clock signal. The apparatus may also include an output unit to generate a sleep signal after the first value is reached if the rising edge detector does not detect the rising edge in the signal.
US09280508B1 Apparatus and method for interoperability between SAS and PCI express
Provided is an apparatus and method for enabling interoperability between a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) protocol with a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) protocol. A SAS-PCIe bridge includes a SAS component configured to communicate with a SAS device in a SAS domain and a PCIe component configured to communicate with a PCIe switch in a PCIe domain. The SAS component and the PCIe component are configured to convert data between the SAS protocol and the PCIe protocol.
US09280507B2 High performance interconnect physical layer
A reset of a synchronization counter is synchronized to an external deterministic signal. Entry into the link transmitting state is further synchronized with the deterministic signal. A target latency is identified for a serial data link. A data sequence is received synchronized with a synchronization counter associated with the data link. Target latency can be maintained using the data sequence.
US09280504B2 Methods and apparatus for sharing a network interface controller
Methods, apparatus, and systems for enhancing communication between compute resources and networks in a micro-server environment. Micro-server modules configured to be installed in a server chassis include a plurality of processor subsystems coupled in communication to a shared Network Interface Controller (NIC) via PCIe links. The shared NIC includes at least one Ethernet port and a PCIe block including a shared PCIe interface having a first number of lanes. The PCIe lines between the processor sub-systems and the shared PCIe interface employ a number of lanes that is less than the first number of lanes, and during operation of the micro-server module, the shared NIC is configured to enable each processor sub-system to access the at least one Ethernet port using the PCIe link between that processor sub-system and the shared PCIe block on the shared NIC.
US09280502B1 Minimal-cost pseudo-round-robin arbiter
An apparatus including a first register, a second register, and a control logic. The first register may be configured to store requests from a plurality of clients for a current cycle. The second register may be configured to store an indicator value indicating which of the plurality of clients received a grant in a previous cycle. The control logic may be configured to determine which of the plurality of clients having a request in the current cycle receives a grant based upon (i) a pointer value and (ii) the indicator value.
US09280501B2 Compatible network node, in particular, for can bus systems
A network node is provided, including a device, in particular, an error detection logic, which is deactivated if it is detected that a signal according to a first protocol or a first version of a first protocol is received, and which is not deactivated if it is detected that a signal according to a second, different protocol or a second, different version of the first protocol is received.
US09280495B2 Conversion device, peripheral device and programmable logic controller
An A/D conversion device includes an input-data storage unit storing therein a plurality of digital values obtained after A/D conversion so that each of the digital values is positioned at a fixed address according to a delay amount, a coefficient-data storage unit, a coefficient-data computation unit that, when a digital-filter process performing request is inputted, calculates an order and a filter coefficient based on a filter characteristic set beforehand, arranges calculated filter coefficients in order of delay amount, respectively, and stores the filter coefficients in the coefficient-data storage unit so that each filter coefficient is positioned at a fixed address according to the corresponding delay amount, and a digital-filter computation unit respectively reading a digital value from the input-data storage unit and a filter coefficient from the coefficient-data storage unit for each delay amount and performing a filter computation based on the read values for each delay amount.
US09280490B2 Secure computing
Techniques and logic are presented for encrypting and decrypting programs and related data within a multi-processor system to prevent tampering. The decryption and encryption may be performed either between a system bus and a processor's individual L1 cache memory or between a processor's instruction and execution unit and their respective L1 caches. The logic may include one or more linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) that may be used for generation of unique sequential address related codes to perform the decryption of instructions and transformation logic that may be used for generation of equivalent offset address related codes to perform decryption and encryption of data. The logic may also be programmable and may be used for test purposes.
US09280487B2 Methods and apparatus for data processing using data compression, linked lists and de-duplication techniques
Data processing methods and apparatus for efficiently storing and retrieving data, e.g., blocks of data, to and from memory. The data processing includes, e.g., techniques such as using linked lists and/or tables for tracking duplicate data blocks received for storage, the use of lossless data compression, and de-duplication based on comparing hash values, compressed data block sizes, and/or bit by bit comparisons of the block of data to be stored and previously stored blocks of data.
US09280484B2 Caching and deduplication of data blocks in cache memory
A storage system comprises a cache for caching data blocks and storage devices for storing blocks. A storage operating system may deduplicate sets of redundant blocks on the storage devices based on a deduplication requirement. Blocks in cache are typically deduplicated based on the deduplication on the storage devices. Sets of redundant blocks that have not met the deduplication requirement for storage devices and have not been deduplicated on the storage devices and cache are targeted for further deduplication processing. Sets of redundant blocks may be further deduplicated based on their popularity (number of accesses) in cache. If a set of redundant blocks in cache is determined to have a combined number of accesses being greater than a predetermined threshold number of accesses, the set of redundant blocks is determined to be “popular.” Popular sets of redundant blocks are selected for deduplication in cache and the storage devices.
US09280482B2 Methods and systems for provisioning a bootable image on to an external drive
The present invention relates to a method of optimizing the provisioning of a bootable image onto a storage device. In some embodiments, a host device executes a provisioning application to image a storage drive as a bootable drive. During the provisioning process, the storage device is configured to disguise its use of write caching during the provisioning process. In one embodiment, the storage device is configured to suppress forced unit access commands and cache flush commands for the provisioning application. In another embodiment, the storage device is configured to reject forced unit access commands. The storage device may disguise its use of write caching based on various criteria, such as a length of time, a counter, and the like.
US09280481B1 System and method for managing an object cache
In order to optimize efficiency of deserialization, a serialization cache is maintained at an object server. The serialization cache is maintained in conjunction with an object cache and stores serialized forms of objects cached within the object cache. When an inbound request is received, a serialized object received in the request is compared to the serialization cache. If the serialized byte stream is present in the serialization cache, then the equivalent object is retrieved from the object cache, thereby avoiding deserialization of the received serialized object. If the serialized byte stream is not present in the serialization cache, then the serialized byte stream is deserialized, the deserialized object is cached in the object cache, and the serialized object is cached in the serialization cache.
US09280472B1 Caching data in a high performance zone of a data storage system
A combination of a host system and a storage system is disclosed that facilitates improved responsiveness of the host system to user requests. In one embodiment, the host system includes a cache management module, a partitioning module, and a driver. The cache management module determines write data to cache to a dedicated zone of a hard disk media of the storage system. The partitioning module partitions the hard disk media into one partition including the dedicated zone and another partition not including the dedicated zone. The driver transmits storage access commands to the storage system to cache data in and retrieve cached data from the one partition. Thereby, the host system can access the write data from the hard disk media more quickly than if the write data were cached in and accessed from another zone of the hard disk media.
US09280469B1 Accelerating synchronization of certain types of cached data
A technique manages data within a data storage apparatus having a cache of volatile memory and non-volatile storage. The technique involves receiving a set of write commands to write data to the non-volatile storage. The technique further involves acknowledging, in a write-back caching manner, completion of the set of write commands after the data reaches the cache of volatile memory and prior to the data reaching the non-volatile storage. The data includes host data as well as critical metadata. The technique further involves saving, after acknowledging completion of the set of write commands, the data from the cache of volatile memory to the non-volatile storage, the critical metadata being saved from the cache of volatile memory to the non-volatile storage at a quicker rate than that of the host data (i.e., accelerated synchronization of the critical metadata).
US09280462B2 Nonvolatile storage device and operating system (OS) image program method thereof
A nonvolatile storage device in accordance with the inventive concepts includes a nonvolatile memory device comprising a first memory area, a second memory area, and a memory controller. The memory controller includes a first register configured to store reliable mode information, and a second register configured to store operating system (OS) image information. The memory controller is configured to receive a command from a host based on the reliable mode information; determine whether the command is a write request for an OS image and whether OS image information accompanying the command matches the OS image information stored in the second register; write the OS image to the first memory area if the OS image information accompanying the command matches the OS image information stored in the second register, and block data migration of the OS image from the first memory area to the second memory area.
US09280461B2 Memory system with selective access to first and second memories
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of nonvolatile memory chips incorporated therein, a control circuit that controls the nonvolatile memory, an MPU that controls the control circuit, and an interface circuit that communicates with a host, all of which are mounted on a board of the memory system, and the memory system further includes a bus switch that switches connection of a signal line between the control circuit and the nonvolatile memory chips.
US09280457B2 System and method for volume block number to disk block number mapping
The present invention provides a system and method for virtual block numbers (VBNs) to disk block number (DBN) mapping that may be utilized for both single and/or multiple parity based redundancy systems. Following parity redistribution, new VBNs are assigned to disk blocks in the newly added disk and disk blocks previously occupied by parity may be moved to the new disk.
US09280450B2 Method and apparatus for producing regulatory-compliant software
A method for producing regulatory-compliant software includes validating a software application and freezing the validated software application in a validation portal, proving-in an infrastructure on which the software application operates, and providing evidence of operational change management for a regulatory agency, which evidence comprises documentation that satisfies the agency's compliance rules. A regulatory-compliant software package is also described.
US09280449B2 HIT testing of visual objects
Various embodiments for hit testing of visual objects are described herein. Data of visual objects is generated in a two-dimensional clip space. The data of visual objects includes two-dimensional projections of the visual objects. Cursor coordinates are transformed into the clip space and bounding box calculations are performed using the transformed cursor coordinates and the generated data. Hit testing is performed when there is a hit on a bounding box of at least one of the visual objects in the clip space. The hit testing is performed in a three-dimensional space. A result is then presented on a user interface based on the hit testing.
US09280447B2 Modifying run-time-instrumentation controls from a lesser-privileged state
Embodiments of the invention relate to modifying run-time-instrumentation controls (MRIC) from a lesser-privileged state. The MRIC instruction is fetched. The MRIC instruction includes the address of a run-time-instrumentation control block (RICCB). The RICCB is fetched based on the address included in the MRIC instruction. The RICCB includes values for modifying a subset of the processor's run-time-instrumentation controls. The subset of run-time-instrumentation controls includes a runtime instrumentation program buffer current address (RCA) of a runtime instrumentation program buffer (RIB) location. The RIB holds run-time-instrumentation information of the events recognized by the processor during program execution. The values of the RICCB are loaded into the run-time-instrumentation controls. Event information is provided to the RIB based on the values that were loaded in the run-time-instrumentation control.
US09280446B2 Method for finding all valid interprocedural execution paths on COBOL in polynomial time
Disclosed are methods for finding all valid paths in a COBOL program. These methods are performed in polynomial time, allowing them to be scaled to accommodate large COBOL programs. As the methods find all valid paths in COBOL program code, by traversing and marking the nodes of the program upon being traversed. Accordingly, all usable and reachable code is indicated and marked. This increases safety when working with the code, as removal or alteration of such valid code is indicated, and thus, made unlikely.
US09280445B2 Logging code generation and distribution
A method for diagnosing an error associated with a software is provided. The method may include receiving a stack trace associated with the error. The method may also include fetching a source code associated with the received stack trace. The method may further include parsing the fetched source code associated with the received stack trace. The method may also include generating an abstract syntax tree (AST) based on the parsed fetched source code. Additionally, the method may include inserting at least one logging call into the generated abstract tree. The method may include recompiling the captured code based on the generated abstract tree with the at least one inserted logging call. The method may also include uploading the recompiled code onto at least one deployment server.
US09280441B2 Detection and correction of race conditions in workflows
A race condition in a workflow representation is detected and corrected. First and second contracts are retrieved for respective first and second analytics of the workflow representation, wherein the contracts specify input types and output types of their analytics. Both contracts include information required to execute their respective analytics by a workflow executor. It is determined that the output type of the first analytic matches the input type of the second analytic based on a comparison of the first contract and the second contract, and that the workflow representation does not include a directed edge connecting the first analytic to the second analytic. The inclusion of a directed edge in the workflow representation connecting the first analytic to the second analytic will correct the race condition in the workflow representation.
US09280439B2 Usage analysis of productive environment to establish new data source for process optimization and project planning
Systems and methods to provide usage analysis of a productive environment are provided. In example embodiments, a logging module links to a compiler to obtain information on a program as the program is being executed by the compiler. One or more procedures of the program may be determined and a count for each of the one or more determined procedures maintained. The determined one or more procedures and the count for each of the one or more determined procedures are stored in a buffer as log data. The log data is compiled, using one or more processors, into a detailed data source for further analysis.
US09280438B2 Autonomic hotspot profiling using paired performance sampling
A processor performance profiler is enabled to for identify specific instructions causing performance issues within a program being executed by a microprocessor through random sampling to find the worst-case offenders of a particular event type such as a cache miss or a branch mis-prediction. Tracking all instructions causing a particular event generates large data logs, creates performance penalties, and makes code analysis more difficult. However, by identifying and tracking the worst offenders within a random sample of events without having to hash all events results in smaller memory requirements for the performance profiler, lower performance impact while profiling, and decreased complexity to analyze the program to identify major performance issues, which, in turn, enables better optimization of the program in shorter developer time.
US09280436B2 Modeling a computing entity
To model a computing entity, information relating to transactions associated with the computing entity is received. The received information forms a collection of information. The collection is segmented into a plurality of segments, and at least one anomalous segment is identified. A model of the computing entity is built.
US09280425B2 Simplified copy offload
Methods and apparatuses for performing simplified copy offload operations are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes creating a persistent point-in-time image of a data set of a source storage device in response to receiving a token request for a copy offload operation from a host. Creating the persistent point-in-time image includes generating pointers to data blocks of the data set, but does not include duplicating the data blocks. The method also includes transmitting a token that is a representation of the persistent point-in-time image to the host in response to the request.
US09280419B2 Dynamic adjustment of data protection schemes in flash storage systems based on temperature, power off duration and flash age
A data retention methodology for use in electrically rewritable nonvolatile storage systems is disclosed. The methodology collects characterization data of the storage system (e.g., time stamps, program/erase cycles, sensed temperature over time, and others) and uses at least a portion of that data to associate various data retention schemes with the collected characterization data. At power-on, the methodology determines a duration of a time during which power was not supplied to the storage system. The methodology also uses the power-on time to trigger the selection of an appropriate data protection scheme (e.g., enhanced ECC and/or read/scrub frequency). Dynamic selection and adjustment of the applied protection scheme may be based on the predetermined and/or calculated association between various protection schemes and the collected characterization data of the storage system.
US09280417B2 Message storage in memory blocks using codewords
A codeword is generated from a message. One or more anchor values are appended to the codeword at predetermined anchor positions. Before the codeword is stored in a memory block, the locations and values of stuck cells in the memory block are determined. Based on the values and positions of the stuck cells, the values of the codeword are remapped so that values of the codeword that are the same as the values of the stuck cells are placed at the positions of the stuck cells. The remapped codeword is stored in the memory block. When the message is later read, the original codeword can be recovered from the remapped codeword based on the locations of the anchor values in the remapped codeword.
US09280416B1 Selection of erasure code parameters for no data repair
An improved data storage technique achieves a desired level of reliability by providing sufficient redundancy in erasure coded data to maintain the data, without repair, for a prescribed period of time. The improved technique employs a newly devised, continuous-time Markov chain model. The model can be applied in computerized systems to establish erasure coding parameters for storing and reliably maintaining data for a designated period of time, without any need to repair the data to reestablish an original or previous level of erasure coding redundancy.
US09280413B2 Redundant encoding
Error events are tracked. The error events are classified based on a number of errors included in each event. A desired level of error event to be able to be corrected in order to maintain an acceptable rate of uncorrected errors is determined. A redundancy level is selected so that new error events corresponding to the desired level of error event or a lower level of error event are corrected.
US09280407B2 Program development in a distributed server environment
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for processing a computer program for a distributed server environment executes the computer program in the distributed server environment in accordance with a configuration for the computer program. The computer program is generated within a development environment. The configuration indicates a type of server environment and is associated with one or more data sets for processing by the computer program. The system monitors execution of the computer program within the distributed server environment and provides a program status to the development environment. The system displays results produced by the computer program within the distributed server environment via the development environment. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for processing a computer program in substantially the same manners described above.
US09280404B2 Listening for externally initiated requests
Processing a request from a sending computer that is a co-member of a message group of a sysplex coupled together using a signaling service includes the steps of: determining, by a receiving computer, that a signaling service message has been received from the sending computer, wherein the signaling service message relates to a data transfer between the sending computer and the receiving computer and wherein the data transfer relates to an exchange of one or more files between the sending and receiving computers using a communications channel other than the signaling service. This processing also includes decoding, by the receiving computer, a control block data structure associated with the signaling service message to determine contents of the control block data structure; and performing, by the receiving computer, an action related to the data transfer based on the contents of the control block data structure associated with the signaling service message.
US09280400B2 App system platform
Embodiments illustrated and described herein provide systems, methods, and software of an app system platform that enables apps to provide rich user experiences in accessing and utilizing functionality of an enterprise-class computing system, such as an ERP system. Some such embodiments include groups of mapper objects in a web framework for each supported app that handle specific data types communicated between the app and a web platform. The mapper objects transform data between app consumable formats and formats of connector objects. The connector objects operate to transform data between the respective connector object formats and data formats of consumable by an enterprise-class computing system via interfaces. These and other embodiments are illustrated and described herein.
US09280394B2 Automatic cloud provisioning based on related internet news and social network trends
An embodiment of the invention provides a system and method for managing computing resources in a cloud computing environment, wherein the system includes a data analysis module connected to a processor. The data analysis module predicts the demand for the computing resources, wherein the demand is predicted based on internet user activity. The internet user activity includes: the number of web pages that include at least one select term a predetermined amount of times, the number of times the web pages that include the at least one select term a predetermined amount of times are viewed, and the number of times the select term is entered into an internet search engine. The processor increases resource capacity in the cloud computing environment when the predicted demand is above a first threshold. The processor decreases resource capacity in the cloud computing environment when the predicted demand is below a second threshold.
US09280392B1 Resource substitution and reallocation in a virtual computing environment
A host system reallocates resources in a virtual computing environment by first receiving a request to reallocate a first quantity of a first resource type. Next, potential trade-off groups are evaluated and a trade-off group is selected based on the evaluation. The selected trade-off group includes a set of applications running in the virtual computing environment that can use one or more alternate resource types as a substitute for the first quantity of the first resource type. After the selection, the host system reallocates the first quantity of the first resource type from the trade-off group. This reallocation may be made from the trade-off group to either a first application running in the virtual computing environment or the host system itself. If the reallocation is to the host system, then the total quantity of the first resource type allocated to applications running in the virtual computing environment is thereby reduced.
US09280391B2 Systems and methods for improving performance of computer systems
Priorities of an application and/or processes associated with an application executing on a computer is determined according to user-specific usage patterns of the application and stored for subsequent use, analysis and distribution.
US09280390B2 Dynamic scaling of a cluster of computing nodes
Techniques are described for managing distributed execution of programs, including by dynamically scaling a cluster of multiple computing nodes performing ongoing distributed execution of a program, such as to increase and/or decrease computing node quantity. An architecture may be used that has core nodes that each participate in a distributed storage system for the distributed program execution, and that has one or more other auxiliary nodes that do not participate in the distributed storage system. Furthermore, as part of performing the dynamic scaling of a cluster, computing nodes that are only temporarily available may be selected and used, such as computing nodes that might be removed from the cluster during the ongoing program execution to be put to other uses and that may also be available for a different fee (e.g., a lower fee) than other computing nodes that are available throughout the ongoing use of the cluster.
US09280388B2 Method and apparatus for efficient scheduling of multithreaded programs
In general, the invention relates to a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor perform a method. The method includes obtaining lock overhead times for a plurality of threads, generating a set of thread groups, wherein each of the plurality of threads is assigned to one of the plurality of thread groups based on the lock overhead times, allocating at least one core of a multi-core system to each of the plurality of thread groups, and assigning a time-quantum for each of the plurality of thread groups, wherein the time-quantum for each of the plurality of thread groups corresponds to an amount of time that threads in each of the plurality of thread groups can execute on the at least one allocated core.
US09280380B2 Management of I/O reqeusts in virtual machine migration
Management of input/output (I/O) requests in virtual machine (VM) migration is provided. More specifically, tracking of I/O requests associated with a VM selected for migration from an origin host machine to a destination host machine may be provided. A data record providing a listing of tracked I/O requests may be generated and stored. When a determination is made that a migrated VM is ready for operation at the destination host machine, processing of I/O requests associated with the migrated VM may be canceled on the origin host machine. The stored data record providing the listing of tracked I/O requests may then be retrieved when the migrated VM is resumed at the destination host machine to determine the completion status of the I/O requests canceled on the origin host machine and complete processing of the same on the destination host machine.
US09280379B2 Hibernation via paravirtualization
A system and method for hibernating virtual machines (VMs) are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a computer system that executes a hypervisor and a virtual machine (VM) receives a request from a first virtual processor of the VM to put the VM to sleep. In response, the hypervisor stops a second virtual processor of the VM.
US09280375B1 Dynamically adjustable virtual machine
A system including a collection of local data processing devices and a collection of remote data processing devices. At least one local data processing device executes instructions configuring the at least one local data processing device to implement a resource manager, a virtual machine, and a virtual machine manager. The resource manager associates application threads of a software application executing on a data processing device with local processors. The virtual machine includes a plurality of virtual processors, and each virtual processor emulates a data processing device. The virtual machine associates local processors with virtual processors. Finally, the virtual machine manager associates at least one virtual processor with a local data processing device and at least one virtual processor with a remote data processing device.
US09280374B2 Virtual machine asynchronous patch management
Drone virtual machines are leveraged to support asynchronous patch management by initiating a drone virtual machine in a maintenance environment to perform a patch management update, saving the updated virtual machine and then initiating the updated virtual machine in an operational environment accessible to clients. A drone is initiated in a maintenance environment for checking patch compliance in response to a request to initiate a virtual machine so that patch updates are performed before the virtual machine initiates in an operational environment accessible to operational clients.
US09280372B2 Request processing techniques
A computer system implements a hypervisor which, in turn, implements one or more computer system instances and a controller. The controller and a computer system instance share a memory. A request is processed using facilities of both the computer system instance and the controller. As part of request processing, information is passed between the computer system instance and the controller via the shared memory.
US09280369B1 Systems and methods of analyzing a software component
A particular method includes executing a software component on a virtual machine executing at a computing device. The method also includes monitoring kernel level events of an operating system executing on the virtual machine and monitoring application level events of the operating system. The method further includes analyzing effects of executing the software component on the virtual machine based on the kernel level events and the application level events.
US09280360B2 Bootstrapping from a remote disk image via a network
A method of bootstrapping from a remote image file comprising loading, by a processor, an initial bootloader, employing the initial bootloader to download a final bootloader from the remote image file via a network, employing the final bootloader to mount the remote image file as a block device, downloading a kernel and root file system mounting data from the remote image, and executing the kernel to bootstrap the processor based on the root file system mounting data.
US09280349B2 Decode time instruction optimization for load reserve and store conditional sequences
A technique is provided for replacing an atomic sequence. A processing circuit receives the atomic sequence. The processing circuit detects the atomic sequence. The processing circuit generates an internal atomic operation to replace the atomic sequence.
US09280347B2 Transforming non-contiguous instruction specifiers to contiguous instruction specifiers
Emulation of instructions that include non-contiguous specifiers is facilitated. A non-contiguous specifier specifies a resource of an instruction, such as a register, using multiple fields of the instruction. For example, multiple fields of the instruction (e.g., two fields) include bits that together designate a particular register to be used by the instruction. Non-contiguous specifiers of instructions defined in one computer system architecture are transformed to contiguous specifiers usable by instructions defined in another computer system architecture. The instructions defined in the another computer system architecture emulate the instructions defined for the one computer system architecture.
US09280345B2 Pipeline processor including last instruction
There is provided a processor comprising a plurality of registers, an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, a pipeline register, and a storage unit, wherein in a case in which a register indicated by source register information included in a second instruction and a register indicated by destination register information included in a first instruction match, and the second instruction or an instruction that precedes to the second instruction designates the second instruction as the last instruction that uses the calculated value obtained in accordance with the first instruction, the storage unit does not store the calculated value stored in the pipeline register in a register indicated by destination register information included in the first instruction, and stores, in other cases, the calculated value stored in the pipeline register in the register indicated by the destination register information included in the first instruction.
US09280343B2 Store queue with token to facilitate efficient thread synchronization
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system for operating a store queue, wherein the store queue buffers stores that are waiting to be committed to a memory system in a processor. During operation, the system examines an entry at the head of the store queue. If the entry contains a membar token, the system examines an unacknowledged counter that keeps track of the number of store operations that have been sent from the store queue to the memory system but have not been acknowledged as being committed to the memory system. If the unacknowledged counter is non-zero, the system waits until the unacknowledged counter equals zero, and then removes the membar token from the store queue.
US09280339B1 Class replacer during application installation
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related to online advertisement campaign recommendations. An archive file may be received from a server. The archive file may include one or more compiled code files and a manifest file. The archive file may be unpackaged. The one or more compiled code files may be optimized based at least in part on the manifest file. The optimizing the one or more compiled code files may include identifying a first sequence of bytes and a second sequence of bytes from one or more sources; formatting the second sequence of bytes based at least in part on one or more rules; searching the one or more compiled code files to identify one or more sequence of bytes matching the first sequence of bytes; and replacing the identified one or more sequence of bytes with the formatted second sequence of bytes. The optimized compiled code files may be stored.
US09280337B2 Secured distribution of software updates
In some embodiments, a system includes a signature server comprising a signature unit to receive an update to a software application. The signature server also includes a first machine-readable medium to store a mapping between an identification of the software application and an address of a location of a private key. The system includes a cryptographic device coupled to an external port of the signature server. The cryptographic device includes a second machine-readable medium to store the private key. The cryptographic device also includes a cryptographic unit to generate a signature of the update based on the private key.
US09280333B1 Selection of an entry point of a function having multiple entry points
An object has an unresolved symbol corresponding with a direct first function call in a first module of the object. A loader receives a request to resolve the symbol and identifies a callee function called by the first function call, identifies a second module in which the callee function is located, and determines whether the function call corresponds with one or more properties of two or more properties. The loader returns a first callee function entry point associated with a first property when the first function call has the first property. The loader returns a second callee function entry point associated with a second property when the first function call has the second property. The first and second callee function entry points are for storing in a program linkage table. The request can be received when the first function call is first invoked or when the first module is loaded.
US09280332B2 Code converting method, program, and system
A computer-implemented method, system, and article of manufacture for processing a programming language, which is able to describe data conversion of data input by an iterator. The method includes: converting iterator code of the programming language to a generator code in an intermediate language that includes a generator as an operator; reading a consumer side code; and overwriting code by inline substitution between the consumer side code and the generator code.
US09280331B2 Hash-based change tracking for software make tools
A request handler may receive a request for a make operation for generating executable code from a plurality of source files and associated dependences there between, the source files and associated dependences having been previously utilized to generate a previous version of the executable code. A hash comparator may then determine, for a selected source file, that a current hash value corresponding to current content of the selected source file is different from a previous hash value corresponding to previous content of the selected source file during the previous utilization, whereupon the hash comparator may proceed to initiate execution of the make operation using the current content of the selected source file, based on the difference between the current hash value and the previous hash value.
US09280326B1 Compiler retargeting based on instruction semantic models
Generating a description of compiler code selector rules from an architecture description. A method comprises accessing a target architecture model written in an architecture description language (ADL) and extracting semantic information therefrom to generate a plurality of semantic statements. Rules that map from source code operations to semantic patterns are accessed. The semantic statements are searched for matches for the semantic patterns to generate mappings that serve as a description of compiler code selector rules.
US09280324B1 Traceability in a modeling environment
Exemplary embodiments employ a mapping among entities that are related to each other. The entities may include a graphical model, generated code, a generated report, a requirements document and/or an intermediate representation. The mapping may facilitate graphical identifications between parts of one entity that maps to part of another entity. The graphical identification may occur based on a selection of a part in one of the entities.
US09280321B2 Distributing UI control events from a single event producer across multiple systems event consumers
A method, system, and/or computer program product distributes a user interface (UI) initiated system event, from a single producer of the UI-initiated system event, across multiple systems event consumers on multiple execution environments. An operating system (OS) event receiver in a server receives a user interface (UI) initiated system event on the server. In response to the OS event receiver receiving the UI-initiated system event, the UI-initiated system event is recorded and published, via messages, to multiple systems event consumers on multiple execution environments, where each message directs a receiving execution environment adapter to locally replicate and execute the UI-initiated system event from the server on each of the multiple execution environments.
US09280320B2 Software design sharing systems and methods
A system, method and software product shares a software design. A design sharer having machine readable instructions stored within memory of a development server and executable by a processor of the development server interacts with a first user to select a first portion of a first hierarchical software design. The design sharer saves the first portion within a public workspace. The design sharer interacts with a second user having access to the public workspace to select the first portion and inserts the first portion into a second hierarchical software design.
US09280319B2 Integrated visualization for modeled customizations
An integrated view is generated for a model element being customized. The integrated view shows an integrated visualization of the model element in the base system as well as a plurality of different extensions to the model element. The integrated view also facilitates editing of an extension document that represents a customization currently being made.
US09280317B2 Semiconductor memory device and random number generator
According to one embodiment, semiconductor memory device and a random number generator includes A semiconductor memory device includes: a semiconductor memory 30, a random number generator 10 generating a random number sequence, and a data writing unit 20 storing data in the semiconductor memory 30 using the random number sequence. The random number generator 10 includes: a random number generating unit generating an M-bit random number sequence; a coefficient selecting unit outputs a first coefficient or a second coefficient to the random number generating unit; and a bit selecting unit which outputs the random number sequence obtained by selecting N bits from M-bit random number sequence output from the random number generating unit.
US09280308B2 Three-dimensional object preview device, three-dimensional printing apparatus, and three-dimensional object preview method
A three-dimensional object preview device includes a cross-sectional image data generation section configured to generate cross-sectional image data representing a cross-sectional shape of each layer of a three-dimensional object, a two-dimensional coordinate data acquisition section configured to acquire first two-dimensional coordinate data from the cross-sectional image data, a two-dimensional coordinate data conversion section configured to convert, using triangulation, the first two-dimensional coordinate data into second two-dimensional coordinate data, a three-dimensional coordinate data generation section configured to add Z-axis coordinate information to the second two-dimensional coordinate data to generate three-dimensional coordinate data, a layer image data generation section configured to add layer thickness information to the three-dimensional coordinate data, thus generating layer image data, a printing image data generation section configured to generate, using the layer image data, printing image data representing a three-dimensional model, and a display section configured to cause a display device to display the three-dimensional model.
US09280305B2 Client device using a markup language to control a periphery device via a printer
A device control system has a terminal 3 with an application 31, and a printer 5 that controls a device. The terminal 3 sends a request written in XML generated by the application 31. The printer 5 receives the XML request, the terminal 3 sends an XML response, and if the terminal 3 requested control of the device in the XML request, controls the device.
US09280300B2 Techniques for dynamically relocating virtual disk file blocks between flash storage and HDD-based storage
Techniques for dynamically managing the placement of blocks of a logical file between a flash storage tier and an HDD storage tier are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can collect I/O statistics pertaining to the logical file, where a first subset of blocks of the logical file are stored on the flash storage tier and where a second subset of blocks of the logical file are stored on the HDD storage tier. The computer system can further generate a heat map for the logical file based on the I/O statistics, where the heat map indicates, for each block of the logical file, the number of times the block has been accessed. The computer system can then identify, using the heat map, one or more blocks of the logical file as being performance-critical blocks, and can move data between the flash and HDD storage tiers such that the performance-critical blocks are placed on the flash storage tier.
US09280298B2 Storage device and storage system
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a first memory, an interface that includes first physical layers and connects a host and the first memory, a second memory that temporarily stores the data transferred between the host and the first memory, a controller that controls operation of the interface. When the data is transferred from the first memory to the host, the controller reads the data corresponding to the data transfer request into the second memory, the controller selects the physical layer to transfer the data from the second memory to the host based on a first period until the data is ready for transmission after data transfer is requested.
US09280297B1 Transactional memory that supports a put with low priority ring command
A transactional memory (TM) includes a control circuit pipeline and an associated memory unit. The memory unit stores a plurality of rings. The pipeline maintains, for each ring, a head pointer and a tail pointer. A ring operation stage of the pipeline maintains the pointers as values are put onto and are taken off the rings. A put command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring is not full. A get command causes the TM to take a value off a ring, provided the ring is not empty. A put with low priority command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring has at least a predetermined amount of free buffer space. A get from a set of rings command causes the TM to get a value from the highest priority non-empty ring (of a specified set of rings).
US09280296B2 Recovery from failure of primary storage volumes by using mirrored data maintained with host timestamps
A primary storage controller receives an input/output (I/O) command from a host, wherein a host timestamp is associated with the I/O command. During a mirroring of storage volumes to a secondary storage controller, the primary storage controller communicates the host timestamp associated with the I/O command to the secondary storage controller, wherein mirrored copies of the storage volumes are timestamped based on at least the host timestamp and an elapsed time since a last host I/O command. A recovery is made from a failure of one or more of the storage volumes in the primary storage controller, by using the timestamped mirrored copies of the storage volumes.
US09280281B2 System and method for providing gesture-based user identification
A mechanism for allowing a user to prove their identity on touch-based devices employing the use of a touch surface in firmware-controlled environments is discussed. The user may prove his or her identity by entering a series of strokes on the touch-based device to form a word or image. Characteristics of the entered strokes such as stroke order and stroke direction are compared to stored stroke characteristics that were gathered from a drawing of the same word or image during a user enrollment process. If the stroke characteristics comparison is acceptable, the user identity is verified.
US09280280B2 Method, apparatus and computer program product for presenting designated information on a display operating in a restricted mode
A method is provided for presenting information on a display to a user when the display is operating, at least in part, in a locked or low-power mode. In particular, an example method may include providing for operation of a device in an unrestricted mode, and receiving an indication that an area presented on a display of the device is a designated area, where another area of the display that is not the designated area is an undesignated area. The designated area may include designated information while the undesignated area may include undesignated information. The method may further include providing for operation of the device in a restricted mode, where the designated information is presented in the restricted mode and the undesignated information is not presented in the restricted mode.
US09280271B2 Device and method for interactive programming of a beverage brewing apparatus
An interactive programmable beverage brewing apparatus providing audible setup and control instructions for ease of use is presented. The beverage brewing apparatus includes the ability to audibly instruct a user in the steps for setup of the beverage flavor characteristics when a beverage is to be brewed, and provide audible instructions in the use of the machine during normal brewing operations. The beverage brewing apparatus also provides a visual display to present phrases and icons to assist the user in performing setup and brew operations in conjunction with the audible instructions. Visual phrases and icons presented to a user also provide instruction in how to setup and control timers and how to turn on and off one or more warming plates to keep a beverage hot during and after brewing.
US09280268B2 Identifying equivalent javascript events
Identifying equivalent JavaScript events includes receiving source code containing two JavaScript events for equivalency analysis, extracting an HTML element containing an event from each JavaScript event and analyzing the extracted HTML elements. Responsive to a determination that the HTML elements are of a same type according to equivalency criteria B, and responsive to a determination that the HTML elements have a same number of attributes according to equivalency criteria C, a determination is made whether JavaScript function calls of each JavaScript event are similar according to equivalency criteria A. Responsive to a determination that the JavaScript function calls are similar according to equivalency criteria A, and responsive to a determination that the other attributes of the HTML elements satisfy equivalency criteria D, the JavaScript events are identified as equivalent.
US09280263B2 Mobile terminal and control method thereof
A mobile terminal capable of sensing a touch input, and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a display unit configured to display screen information; a sensing unit configured to sense a touch input applied to the display unit; and a controller configured to display an indicator bar including at least one icon together with the screen information, and select any one of icons displayed in the indicator bar.
US09280258B1 Displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system and applications thereof
Embodiments of the present invention relate to displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method displays a photographic image within geographic information in a geographic information system. The photographic image is displayed at a location within the geographic information when the photographic image is located within a field of view of a virtual camera of the geographic information system. In response to a computer input event, the photographic image is displayed in greater detail.
US09280253B2 Application coordinating system, application coordinating method, and application coordinating program
An application coordinating system may be provided with coordination rule storage device that stores coordination rule(s) pertaining to coordination source application(s) and coordination target application(s); item value acquirer that acquires item value(s) at coordination acquisition item(s) within coordination item acquisition window(s) of coordination source application(s) displayed at display device(s) during coordination; coordinated launch command generator that generates coordinated launch command(s) which include, as launch parameter(s), item value(s) acquired by item value acquirer based on coordinated launch command format(s) during coordination; and coordinated transfer protocol generator that generates coordinated transfer protocol(s) which include, as transferred data, item value(s) acquired by item value acquirer based on coordinated transfer protocol format(s) during coordination.
US09280252B1 Configuring an application task list of an application based on previous selections of application tasks
An insurance application operating at a mobile computing device may request a set of recommended insurance tasks for a recommendation engine. The request may identify a user associated with the insurance application, and the recommendation engine may associate the user with a user group based on user profile attributes associated with the user. The recommendation engine may determine which tasks available for selection at the insurance application to include in the set of recommended insurance tasks based on selection trend data associated with the user group. The recommendation engine may provide the set of recommended insurance tasks to the insurance application, and the insurance application may configure an insurance task list that includes insurance tasks of the set of recommended insurance tasks.
US09280251B2 Funneled touch sensor routing
A touch sensor panel. In some examples, a first touch pixel can be coupled to a first sense connection, and a second touch pixel can be coupled to a second sense connection. In some examples, a first portion of the first sense connection can be disposed in a first region of the touch sensor panel, a second portion of the second sense connection can be disposed in the first region, and a third portion of the second sense connection can be disposed in a second region of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, a width of the third portion of the second sense connection can be larger than a width of the second portion of the second sense connection.
US09280248B2 Touch pad with force sensors and actuator feedback
Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.
US09280247B2 Display device with touch panel having X, Y and dummy electrodes
A display device includes a display panel, and an electrostatic capacitive type touch panel which is formed in an overlapping manner with the display panel. A plurality of X electrodes and a plurality of Y electrodes intersecting with the X electrodes. A first signal line supplies signals to the X electrodes, a second signal line supplies signals to the Y electrodes, and the first signal line and the second signal line are formed on a flexible printed circuit board. A dummy electrode is formed adjacent to an electrode portion of each X electrode and electrode portion of each Y electrode, the dummy electrode does not overlap the X electrode and the Y electrode, and the dummy electrode does not electrically connect with the first and second signal lines.
US09280245B2 Touch panel sensor having dual-mode capacitive sensing for detecting an object
An apparatus configured to determine an approximate position of an object utilizing mutual-capacitance sensing capabilities during a first mode of operation and determining one or more attributes of the object utilizing self-capacitance sensing capabilities during a second mode of operation is disclosed. The apparatus includes a touch panel controller configured to operatively couple to a touch panel sensor. The touch panel sensor includes a plurality of drive electrodes and at least one sense electrode. A plurality of nodes are formed at the intersections of the plurality of drive electrodes and the at least one sense electrode. The touch panel controller is configured to determine an approximate position of an object performing a touch event over the touch panel sensor during the first mode of operation and to determine one or more attributes of the object during the second mode of operation.
US09280243B2 Sensing method using self-capacitance and mutual-capacitance alternatively to reduce touch noises
In a sensing method using self-capacitance and mutual-capacitance alternatively to reduce touch noises, a control device configures a first driving and sensing device and a second driving and sensing device to perform an initialization. The control device configures the first and second driving and sensing devices to perform at least one self-capacitance sensing for producing a first possible touch point range during a first work mode. Then, the control device configures the first and second driving and sensing devices to perform at least one mutual-capacitance sensing for producing a second possible touch point range during a second work mode. The control device determines if there is range conjunction between the first and second possible touch point ranges. The control device produces a possible touch point range conjunction and calculates coordinates of touch points based on the possible touch point range conjunction.
US09280238B2 Electrical touch screen sensor
Apparatus, systems including an electrical touch screen sensor and methods for implementing an electrical touch screen sensor are disclosed. For example, an apparatus is disclosed including a display having an array of display pixels and a plurality of sensors distributed amongst the display pixels and embedded within the display, where the sensors act to detect changes in capacitance associated with objects placed in proximity to the display pixels. Other implementations are also disclosed.
US09280237B2 Apparatus and method for receiving a touch input
Infrared-style touch screens are described having light emission means and light detection means along only two opposing sides of a touch input area, which are nevertheless able to detect and locate a touch object in two dimensions. Certain embodiments use an edge-blurring algorithm to determine the second coordinate, while other embodiments use a form of stereo-scopic vision to determine both coordinates by triangulation. These touch screens have minimal bezel width along two opposing sides of the touch input area, and also offer cost reductions associated with components and product assembly and manufacturing.
US09280236B2 Display driving circuit with photo detecting input
A display driving circuit with photo detecting input includes pixel regions, pixel electrodes, gate lines, data lines, at least one photo detecting unit and at least one readout line. The gate lines cross the data lines. The data lines include a first data line and a second data line disposed adjacently to each other. There is no data line disposed between the first data line and the second data line. The photo detecting unit is electrically connected to one of the gate lines. The readout line is electrically connected to the photo detecting unit and disposed between the first data line and the second data line. A first spacing between first data line and the readout line is wider than or equal to a second spacing between the second data line and the readout line, and the first spacing is smaller than or equal to triple the second spacing.
US09280228B1 Patient-actuated control device for controlling an audio-visual display and ancillary functions in a hospital room
A hand-held control device includes a housing including first and second housing pieces and a touch pad attached to an exterior surface of the first housing piece. The second housing piece defines a coupler well containing an electrical header. A speaker retention structure on an interior surface of the second housing piece includes an annular wall extending from an interior surface of the first housing piece and including a plurality of gaps at spaced intervals, and a resilient speaker retention finger extending from the interior surface of the first housing piece in each of the gaps. A cable connector assembly includes a coupler containing a socket, and a control cable electrically connected to the socket within the coupler. The coupler is sized and shaped to fill a coupler well in the housing so that the socket is connectable to the electrical header in the coupler well.
US09280225B2 Electrode structure for touchscreen
An electrode structure for a touchscreen is provided. The electrode structure includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of electrode lines, wherein the electrode line includes a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, a conductive layer, a first resist layer and a second resist layer. Through the configuration above, the electrode structure of the present application adheres the flexible substrate strongly by the first adhesive layer, and the second adhesive layer strengthen the adhesion between the first adhesive layer and the conductive layer, so that the conductive layer may be firmly adhered to the flexible substrate, even change the shape of the substrate, the electrode lines are not easy to fall off. The present invention also provides an electrode structure for scattering the reflective metallic luster to make observer imperceptible and reduce the backlight interference.
US09280223B2 Imaging apparatus and continuous shooting imaging methods using a continuous touch user input
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging part for capturing a subject image, a touch panel for acquiring a touch position input by a user, and a control part for controlling an imaging operation performed by the imaging part. The control part acquires the touch position to cause the imaging part to perform the imaging operation each time the touch position is displaced on the touch panel by a predetermined amount repeatedly during a continuous touch user input.
US09280217B2 Capacitive pointer
A capacitive pointer is disclosed. The capacitive pointer comprises a refill, a refill holder, a spring, a control board, a force sensor, an upper shielding, a lower shielding, a tip cover and a battery. The refill comprises a conductor and penetrates through the refill holder. The spring surrounds one end of the refill holder. The refill holder and the spring electrically connect the control board. The force sensor is located on one end of the control board. The refill and the refill holder press the spring to contact the force sensor to detect the pressure force against the refill. The upper shielding and the lower shielding combine to cover the refill, the refill holder and the spring. The tip cover surrounds one end of the refill and the upper shielding and the lower shielding and electrically connects to the control board. The battery provides the capacitive pointer with electrical power.
US09280215B2 Position tracing system using ultrasonic wave
Provided is a position tracing system using ultrasonic wave, where a distance between ultrasonic wave reception sensors can be adjusted. A distance between ultrasonic wave reception sensors can be freely adjusted by user's manipulation, so that a position of a signal generation device implemented by an input pen can be more accurately traced by adjusting the distance between the ultrasonic wave reception sensors according to a size of a moving area of the signal generation device.
US09280213B2 Optical navigation chip used in an optical mouse
An optical navigation chip cooperated with a light source for being used in a mouse is provided. The mouse transmits a mouse signal to a computer for navigation control. The optical navigation chip includes an optical sensing array and a circuitry. The optical sensing array is utilized for receiving a reflected light from a surface indicating features of the surface for generating a digital frame corresponding to intensity variation caused by the reflected light. The circuitry is coupled to the optical sensing array, and utilized for generating a digital displacement signal by monitoring the intensity variation of two different digital frames, wherein the two digital frames are captured by the optical sensing array at two different times. Additionally, the mouse suspends the mouse signal to the computer if the intensity variation is flat.
US09280211B2 Remote controller
A remote controller is provided. The remote controller includes an input interface and an angle sensor. The input interface is used for receiving an input of a user. The angle sensor is used for detecting a rotation angle of the remote controller. In response to a first rotation angle of the remote controller, the input interface is enabled by the remote controller. Consequently, the input interface may be triggered by the user to generate an input signal. After the input interface is enabled, if the input interface has not been triggered for a predetermined time period, the remote controller is operated in a power-saving mode. In response to a second rotation angle of the remote controller, the remote controller is operated in the power-saving mode.
US09280210B2 Optical input apparatus wherein light sources selectively emit light as the apparatus is inclined
An optical input apparatus is provided. The optical input apparatus includes a body having an image sensor; a plurality of light sources provided in the body to emit light; and a controller configured to control emission of light by the plurality of light sources as a function of a pattern received by the image sensor, wherein the plurality of light sources selectively emit light according to a location of a local saturation of light received by the image sensor.
US09280208B2 Process for determining the activation of at least one key of a multi-key device
The invention relates to a process for determining the activation of at least one key of a multi-key device. The multi-key device comprises a plurality of keys K1 to Kn and a plurality of force sensors C1 to Cn, each force sensor C1 to Cn being associated respectively with a key K1 to Kn and able to provide a value representing a force which is applied to it. The process is characterized by the fact that it comprises the steps: obtaining values F′1 to F′n representing the force applied to each of the force sensors C1 to Cn; providing transmission rate values of a pressing force between the keys; removing the contribution of each of the force values F′1 to F′n from the pressing force transmitted between the keys using the transmission rate values provided; and determining values F1 to Fn representing the pressing force which has been applied by the user to the keys K1 to Kn.
US09280207B2 Methods and systems for typing
Methods, systems, and apparatus for selecting symbols based on actuation of one or more keys or switches associated with a vehicle. One or more processors may interpret signals generated from the one or more keys or switches to ascertain symbols associated with the same.
US09280197B1 Battery level presentation
In one embodiment, a method implemented on a first computing device includes: receiving video conference data for a video conference session; receiving battery level information for at least one other computing device participating in the video conference session, where the at least one other computing device is a mobile computing device; presenting the video conference session on the first computing device, where the presenting comprises presenting a representation of the battery level information associated with at least one the mobile computing device.
US09280191B2 Systems and methods for power supply configuration and control
Systems and methods are disclosed that may be used for controlling information handling system power supply based on current system power policy such as current system load power need and/or based on current system load power capping information. The disclosed systems and methods may be so implemented to improve power use efficiency for information handling system applications in which a power supply unit (PSU) has a power delivery capability that is overprovisioned relative to the power-consuming system load component/s of an information handling system.
US09280189B2 Computer system with a UID light control, power indication, and reset
A computer system is disclosed. When a user conducts different operations on a switch module, a switch module generates different clicking indication signal, and a logic control module generates a corresponding signal according to clicking indication signals so that a management control module processes a signal generated by a logic control module. As such, a single switch may be used to trigger multiple functions, whereby achieving in the efficacy of saving a design cost of a server panel.
US09280186B2 Modularized server
A modularized server includes a main housing, a first block unit, a second block unit, and a removable module. The main housing has a first inserting groove and a second inserting groove, and the removable module has a guide channel. When the removable module is disposed in the first inserting groove along a sliding direction, the first block unit is located in the guide channel. Moreover, the second block unit blocks the removable module from being installed to the second inserting groove.
US09280181B2 Electronic apparatus
There is provided an electronic apparatus, including a first housing, a second housing which has a display section and a support member supporting the display section, and a housing connection section which rotatably connects the second housing with respect to the first housing. The support member includes a first support section connected to the housing connection section, a second support section which fixedly supports the display section, and a support connection section, positioned between the first support section and the second support section, which has a flexibility to rotatably connect the second support section with respect to the first support section.
US09280180B2 Information handling system display panel having offset supporting electronic components
An information handling system provides connectors along a housing periphery with a reduced vertical footprint by adjusting a display circuit portion relative to a display panel portion to provide vertical space for the connectors. For example, the circuit portion aligns with the display panel portion along one side of the display to provide space for connectors at that side of the display, and the circuit portion extends past the perimeter of the display panel portion at an opposing side of the display. In one embodiment, the circuit portion extending outside the perimeter of the display panel portion includes circuits for powering a backlight disposed in the circuit portion.
US09280178B2 Portable electronic apparatus and expanding platform thereof
An expanding platform for a portable electronic apparatus is disclosed. The expanding platform includes a base, a moving element, an elastic element and a magnetic element. The moving element and the magnetic element are respectively and movably combined with the base. When the moving element is at an initial position, the moving element limits the movement of the magnetic element by a blocking portion. When the moving element moves to an unlocking position with respect to the base, the magnetic element disengages from the blocking portion and is attracted to move by a corresponding magnetic element of a main device combined with the base, so that the moving element is fixed at the unlocking position by the magnetic element blocking the blocking portion. After the magnetic element returns to its original position, the moving element returns to the initial position by the elastic element.
US09280177B2 Portable computing device
The present application describes various embodiments regarding systems and methods for providing a lightweight and durable portable computing device having a thin profile. The portable computing device can take the form of a laptop computer. The laptop computer can include a uni-body top case having an integrated support system formed therein, the integrated support system providing structural support that distributes applied loads through the top case preventing warping and bowing.
US09280174B2 Data storage device enclosure and module
An electronics module for a data storage device enclosure, and, data storage device enclosures. The module comprises an enclosure connector for connecting to the enclosure, at least one bay constructed and arranged to receive a data storage device, and a controller arranged to selectively provide access to storage devices to which it is connected. The module has a communications path between the controller and the enclosure connector by which the controller can communicate with storage devices in the enclosure. The module also has a first communications path to the data storage device when received in the bay by which the controller can communicate with that data storage device. The module also has a second communications path to the data storage device when received in the bay by which that data storage device can be accessed from outside the module.
US09280171B2 Rocker fulcrum assembly for use with hand trucks or dollies
A Rocker Fulcrum Assembly for use with hand-trucks or dollies includes an outside flange, and an inside flange and at least two rocker plates. The outside flange comprises a first side and a second side. The inside flange comprises a connecting side and a planar side. The rocker plates are disposed underneath the flanges. The wheels are disposed at a point above the ground as the planar member rests flat on the ground.
US09280162B2 Method and apparatus for minimizing within-die variations in performance parameters of a processor
Described herein are a method and an apparatus for minimizing within-die variations in performance parameters of a processor. The apparatus comprising: a reference generator to generate an adjustable compensated reference signal; a bias generator to generate a bias signal based on the adjustable compensated reference signal; a transmitter coupled with the bias generator to transmit an output signal; and a feedback mechanism to sample the output signal from the transmitter and to provide the sampled output signal to the bias generator.
US09280161B2 Multiflex coupling
A compact, easily manufactured, axisymmetric mechanism can be configured to change the magnitude of a short-movement linear motion, or also reverse the movement direction, of an actuator for control of movable elements. The mechanism is bidirectional and reversible, functioning symmetrically, and does not contain any gears nor lead screw threads. It is constantly loaded, so that force change is achieved without mechanical backlash, introducing hysteresis. The movement conversion is generally proportional and suitable for use in actuating a fluid control valve intended for modulating the control of fluids.