| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09293614B2 |
Solar cell
A solar cell including a first conductive type semiconductor substrate; a first intrinsic semiconductor layer on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a first conductive type first semiconductor layer on at least one surface of the first intrinsic semiconductor layer; a second conductive type second semiconductor layer on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second intrinsic semiconductor layer between the second semiconductor layer and the semiconductor substrate; a first conductive type third semiconductor layer on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, the third semiconductor layer being spaced apart from the second semiconductor layer; and a third intrinsic semiconductor layer between the third semiconductor layer and the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09293611B1 |
Solar cell structure and method for fabricating the same
A solar cell structure with a microsphere-roughened antireflection structure comprises a P-type metal contact electrode, a P-type semiconductor layer, a P-type monocrystalline substrate, an N-type semiconductor layer, an N-type metal contact electrode, and a microsphere-roughened antireflection layer. The N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer are respectively arranged on an upper surface and a lower surface of the P-type monocrystalline substrate. The P-type metal contact electrode is arranged below the P-type semiconductor layer. The N-type metal contact electrode has a specified pattern and is connected with the N-type semiconductor layer. The microsphere-roughened antireflection layer is arranged on an upper surface of the N-type semiconductor layer without covering the N-type metal contact electrode. The microsphere-roughened antireflection layer reduces the reflection of sunlight and increases the transmittance of sunlight to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. |
| US09293607B2 |
Collector sheet for solar cell and solar cell module employing same
Provided is a collector sheet for a solar cell, wherein the collector sheet for solar cell can prevent short circuiting between a non-photoreception surface side element and a wiring section, as well as cushioning shocks. This collector sheet (2) for a solar cell has a circuit (22) on the surface of a resin substrate (21). A sealing material layer (23) is stacked on the circuit (22), and in the sealing material layer (23) on the wiring section (221) is formed a conductive recessed part (24) through which the wiring section (221) is exposed, in order to provide conductivity between an electrode (4) on the non-photoreception surface side of the solar cell element (1), and the wiring section (221) corresponding thereto, with the sealing material layer (23) therebetween. |
| US09293603B2 |
Thin film transistor with oxide semiconductor having a portion with increased reflectance
An oxide thin film transistor (TFT) includes an oxide semiconductor layer including a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer on the oxide semiconductor layer; a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer; an interlayer insulating layer on the gate electrode; and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the interlayer insulating layer and contacting the oxide semiconductor layer, wherein a first reflectance of the first semiconductor layer is greater than a second semiconductor layer. |
| US09293601B2 |
Display device
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure with which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be sufficiently reduced. An oxide insulating layer serving as a channel protective layer is formed over part of an oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer. In the same step as formation of the oxide insulating layer, an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is formed. The oxide insulating layer which covers the peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is provided to increase the distance between the gate electrode layer and a wiring layer formed above or in the periphery of the gate electrode layer, whereby parasitic capacitance is reduced. |
| US09293599B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A transistor with stable electric characteristics is provided. A transistor with small variation in electrical characteristics is provided. A miniaturized transistor is provided. A transistor having low off-state current is provided. A transistor having high on-state current is provided. A semiconductor device including the transistor is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including an island-shaped stack including a base insulating film and an oxide semiconductor film over the base insulating film; a protective insulating film facing a side surface of the stack and not facing a top surface of the stack; a first conductive film and a second conductive film which are provided over and in contact with the stack to be apart from each other; an insulating film over the stack, the first conductive film, and the second conductive film; and a third conductive film over the insulating film. |
| US09293592B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
The structure includes a first blocking film over an insulating surface; a base insulating film over the insulating surface and the first blocking film; a first oxide semiconductor film over the base insulating film; a second oxide semiconductor film over the first oxide semiconductor film; source and drain electrodes in contact with side surfaces of the first and second oxide semiconductor films; a first insulating film over the source electrode; a second insulating film over the drain electrode; a third insulating film over the second oxide semiconductor film and the first and second insulating films; a third oxide semiconductor film over the third insulating film; a gate insulating film over the third oxide semiconductor film; and a gate electrode on and in contact with the gate insulating film and covering a top surface and side surfaces of the second oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film provided therebetween. |
| US09293588B1 |
FinFET with a silicon germanium alloy channel and method of fabrication thereof
A gate cavity is formed exposing a portion of a silicon fin by removing a sacrificial gate structure that straddles the silicon fin. An epitaxial silicon germanium alloy layer is formed within the gate cavity and on the exposed portion of the silicon fin. Thermal mixing or thermal condensation is performed to convert the exposed portion of the silicon fin into a silicon germanium alloy channel portion which is laterally surrounded by silicon fin portions. A functional gate structure is formed within the gate cavity providing a finFET structure having a silicon germanium alloy channel portion which is laterally surrounded by silicon fin portions. |
| US09293585B2 |
Semiconductor device structure and method of forming same
An embodiment is a semiconductor device comprising a first gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the semiconductor substrate and the first gate, the first ESL having a curved top surface, and a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on the first ESL, the first ILD having a curved top surface. The semiconductor device further comprises a second ESL on the first ILD, the second ESL having a curved top surface, and a second ILD on the second ESL. |
| US09293583B2 |
Finfet with oxidation-induced stress
A method for inducing stress within the channel of a semiconductor fin structure includes forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate; forming a fin hard mask layer, multiple isolation regions, and multiple spacers, on the semiconductor fin; forming a gate structure on the semiconductor fin; and oxidizing multiple outer regions of the semiconductor fin to create oxidized stressors that induce compressive stress within the channel of the semiconductor fin. A method for inducing tensile stress within the channel of a semiconductor fin by oxidizing a central region of the semiconductor fin is also provided. Structures corresponding to the methods are also provided. |
| US09293577B2 |
LDMOS with no reverse recovery
A transistor includes a source region including a first impurity region implanted into a substrate, a drain region including a second impurity region implanted into the substrate, and a gate including an oxide layer formed over the substrate and a conductive material formed over the oxide layer, the oxide layer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side formed over a portion of the first impurity region and the second side formed over a portion of the second impurity region, the first side having a thickness of less than about 100 Å, and the second side having a thickness equal to or greater than 125 Å. |
| US09293573B2 |
Nitride semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
Provided are a nitride semiconductor device having an excellent boundary between a nitride semiconductor and a gate insulating film, resulting in improved device characteristics, and a manufacturing method therefor. The nitride semiconductor device includes: an electron transport layer made of a nitride semiconductor; an electron supply layer layered on the electron transport layer, the electron supply layer being made of a nitride semiconductor including Al and having an Al composition different from that of the electron transport layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the electron supply layer with a gap therebetween; a gate insulating film covering the surface of the electron supply layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a passivation film covering a surface of the gate insulating film and having an opening between the source electrode and the drain electrode; and a gate electrode having a main gate body in the opening facing the electron supply layer through the gate insulating film. |
| US09293572B2 |
Power semiconductor device
In a high speed switching power semiconductor device having a sense pad, a high voltage is generated during switching operations in well regions under the sense pad due to a displacement current flowing through its flow path with a resistance, whereby the power semiconductor device sometimes breaks down by dielectric breakdown of a thin insulating film such as a gate insulating film. In a power semiconductor device according to the invention, sense-pad well contact holes are provided on well regions positioned under the sense pad and penetrate a field insulating film thicker than the gate insulating film to connect to the source pad, thereby improving reliability. |
| US09293568B2 |
Method of fin patterning
Embodiments of the present invention may include a semiconductor patterning method involving forming a fin on a substrate, where the fin may have a sloped sidewall. The fin may be characterized by an initial height and a first width measured proximate a midpoint of the initial height. The method may include forming a masking layer above the fin, and the method may involve removing a first portion of the masking layer. The method may include decreasing the first width of the fin while maintaining the initial height. |
| US09293566B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. It is another object to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device at lower cost with high productivity. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer having a channel formation region, a source region, and a drain region are formed using an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and reduce impurities such as moisture. Moreover, the oxide semiconductor layer subjected to the heat treatment is slowly cooled under an oxygen atmosphere. |
| US09293565B2 |
Etchant composition and method of manufacturing metal wiring and thin film transistor substrate using the etchant
An etchant composition includes about 0.5 weight % to about 20 weight % of persulfate, about 0.01 weight % to about 2 weight % of a fluoride compound, about 1 weight % to about 10 weight % of an inorganic acid, about 0.5 weight % to about 5 weight % of a cyclic amine compound, about 0.1 weight % to about 10.0 weight % of a compound having an amino group and a sulfonic acid, about 0.1 weight % to about 15.0 weight % of an organic acid or a salt thereof, and water to 100 weight % of the etchant composition. |
| US09293560B2 |
Vertical nanowire transistor with axially engineered semiconductor and gate metallization
Vertically oriented nanowire transistors including semiconductor layers or gate electrodes having compositions that vary over a length of the transistor. In embodiments, transistor channel regions are compositionally graded, or layered along a length of the channel to induce strain, and/or include a high mobility injection layer. In embodiments, a gate electrode stack including a plurality of gate electrode materials is deposited to modulate the gate electrode work function along the gate length. |
| US09293550B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The present invention discloses a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a gate insulating layer formed on an inner wall of a substrate recess, a work function material layer formed on the gate insulating layer so as to apply a tensile stress or a compressive stress to a channel of a MOS field-effect transistor, and a gate metal formed on the work function material layer. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device includes forming a work function material layer on a gate insulating layer so as to apply a tensile stress or a compressive stress to a channel of a MOS field-effect transistor, wherein the gate insulating layer is formed on an inner wall of a substrate recess, and depositing a gate metal on the work function material layer. |
| US09293549B2 |
Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A silicon carbide layer includes a first region having a first conductivity type, a second region provided on the first region and having a second conductivity type, and a third region provided on the second region and having the first conductivity type. A trench having an inner surface is formed in the silicon carbide layer. The trench penetrates the second and third regions. The inner surface of the trench has a first side wall and a second side wall located deeper than the first side wall and having a portion made of the second region. Inclination of the first side wall is smaller than inclination of the second side wall. |
| US09293541B2 |
Semiconductor device
A highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Provided is a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode layer overlapping with the oxide semiconductor layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a first region having a crystal whose size is less than or equal to 10 nm and a second region which overlaps with the insulating layer with the first region provided therebetween and which includes a crystal part whose c-axis is aligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of the surface of the oxide semiconductor layer. |
| US09293527B1 |
Super-junction trench MOSFET structure
A super-junction trench MOSFET is disclosed by applying a first doped column region of first conductivity type between a pair of second doped column regions of second conductivity type adjacent to sidewalls of a pair of deep trenches with buried voids in each unit cell for super-junction. A buffer poly-silicon layer is deposited above the buried void for stress release to prevent wafer crack and silicon defects. |
| US09293526B2 |
Trench-based power semiconductor devices with increased breakdown voltage characteristics
Exemplary power semiconductor devices with features providing increased breakdown voltage and other benefits are disclosed. |
| US09293521B2 |
Concentric capacitor structure
A concentric capacitor structure generally comprising concentric capacitors is disclosed. Each concentric capacitor comprises a first plurality of perimeter plates formed on a first layer of a substrate and a second plurality of perimeter plates formed on a second layer of the substrate. The first plurality of perimeter plates extend in a first direction and the second plurality of perimeter plates extend in a second direction different than the first direction. A first set of the first plurality of perimeter plates is electrically coupled to a first set of the second plurality of perimeter plates and a second set of the first plurality of perimeter plates is electrically coupled to a second set of the second plurality of perimeter plates. A plurality of capacitive cross-plates are formed in the first layer such that each cross-plate overlaps least two of the second plurality of perimeter plates. |
| US09293517B2 |
Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof, and display panel
The present invention provides an array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display panel. The array substrate comprises a base, the base comprises a display region for displaying and a periphery region outside the display region, a plurality of lead wires extending from the display region to the periphery region are provided on a first side of the base, a plurality of conductive via-holes are provided in the periphery region of the base, the conductive via-holes are electrically connected with the respective lead wires and provided with conductive material therein, the lead wires are electrically connected to a second side of the base through the respective conductive via-holes; a back-side structure electrically connected with the conductive via-holes is provided on the second side of the base, and the back-side structure comprises a plurality of lead wire pads electrically connected with the respective conductive via-holes. |
| US09293516B2 |
Display device
A display device comprises a substrate, a first pixel on the substrate, the first pixel comprising a first subpixel, a second subpixel, and a third subpixel, a second pixel on the substrate, the second pixel comprising a fourth subpixel, a fifth subpixel, and a sixth subpixel, first, second, third and fourth power supply lines extending in one direction and respectively coupled to the first, third, fifth, and sixth subpixels, and fifth and sixth power supply lines crossing the first, second, third, and fourth power supply lines and respectively coupled to the fourth and second subpixels. |
| US09293510B1 |
3D variable resistance memory device having junction FET and driving method thereof
A 3D variable resistance memory device having a junction FET and a driving method thereof are provided. The variable resistance memory device includes a semiconductor substrate and a string selection switch formed on the semiconductor substrate. A channel layer is formed on the column string selection switch. A plurality of gates stacked along a length of the channel layer and each of the gates contacts an outer side of the channel layer. A variable resistance layer is formed on an inner side of the channel layer, and contacts the channel layer. |
| US09293508B2 |
Semiconductor storage device and method of fabricating same
A memory cell array having such a structure that can be realized with a simpler process and ideal for realizing a higher density is provided. Memory cells have a structure in which channel layers (88p and 89p) are formed on the side surfaces of each of a plurality of stacked structures which extends in the Y direction and is periodically formed in the X direction with a gate insulator film layer (9) interposed, and a resistance-change material layer (7) is formed so as to be electrically connected to two adjacent channel layers of the channel layers. Due to such a structure, it is not necessary to perform such a very difficult step that processes the resistance-change material and the silicons collectively and it is possible to provide the memory cell array with a simpler process. |
| US09293502B2 |
Semiconductor switching device separated by device isolation
A device including a gate structure formed over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure having extensions, a device isolation structure formed into the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate structure, wherein the extensions are over a portion of the device isolation structure, and source/drain regions on both sides of the gate structure, the source/drain regions being formed in a gap in the device isolation structure and being partially enclosed by the extensions of the gate structure. |
| US09293494B2 |
Image sensors
An image sensor includes a substrate including a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region, and a first device isolation layer disposed in the substrate to define a plurality of unit pixels that are adjacent to each other in a first direction in the pixel region. Each of the plurality of unit pixels includes at least one light sensing element disposed in the substrate. The image sensor includes an interlayer insulating structure on the substrate, and a first blocking structure disposed on the first device isolation layer and penetrating the interlayer insulating structure. The first blocking structure is disposed between the plurality of unit pixels when viewed from a plan view. The first blocking structure extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction when viewed from a plan view. |
| US09293493B2 |
Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image sensing system
A photoelectric conversion apparatus at least includes an insulating film, a plurality of high-refractive-index members provided so as to correspond respectively to individual photoelectric conversion portions, being surrounded by the insulating film and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and a high-refractive-index film provided on the insulating film so as to connect the plurality of high-refractive-index members to one another and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and lens portions lying next to each other from among a plurality of lens portions border each other. |
| US09293489B2 |
CMOS image sensor
An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a storage node region in the semiconductor substrate, an insulating portion on the semiconductor substrate, a via contact extending through the insulating portion, a photo-electric converter in the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the storage node region, an organic photo-electric layer on the insulating portion, and a buffer interposed between and electrically connecting the via contact and the storage node region. |
| US09293488B2 |
Image sensing device
An image sensing device includes: a semiconductor substrate with a photo-sensing element; a passive layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate, having a first refractive index; a color pattern disposed over the passive layer, wherein the color pattern aligns to the photo-sensing element and has a color selected from the group consisting of red (R), green (G), blue (B), and white (W), and a second refractive index; and an electromagnetic wave guiding element disposed in at least one of the color pattern and the passive layer, having a third refractive index, and the third refractive index is greater than the first refractive index or the second refractive index, and a first difference between the third refractive index and the first refractive index is at least 0.2, and a second difference between the third refractive index and the second refractive index is at least 0.2. |
| US09293487B2 |
Image sensors employing sensitized semiconductor diodes
In various example embodiments, the inventive subject matter is an image sensor and methods of formation of image sensors. In an embodiment, the image sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixel regions. Each of the pixel regions includes an optically sensitive material over the substrate with the optically sensitive material positioned to receive light. A pixel circuit for each pixel region is also included in the sensor. Each pixel circuit comprises a charge store formed on the semiconductor substrate and a read out circuit. A non-metallic contact region is between the charge store and the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region, the charge store being in electrical communication with the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region through the non-metallic contact region. |
| US09293486B2 |
Image capturing device
An image capturing device includes an intermediate region located between a pixel circuit region and a peripheral circuit region and forming a boundary with the pixel circuit region and the peripheral circuit region. The pixel circuit region, the peripheral circuit region, and the intermediate region are provided with a semiconductor layer, a first wiring layer on the semiconductor layer, and a second wiring layer located away from the semiconductor layer relative to the first wiring layer. Pixel circuits and a peripheral circuit are connected via one of at least the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer in the intermediate region. The area occupancy of the one wiring layer in the intermediate region relative to a total area thereof is between 0.5 times and 1.5 times the area occupancy of the one wiring layer in the pixel circuit region relative to a total area thereof. |
| US09293485B2 |
Flexible display device and method for manufacturing the same
Discussed is a flexible display device to reduce a width of a bezel. The flexible display device includes a substrate being formed of a flexible material, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other, a plurality of pads formed in a pad area of a non-display area, a plurality of links formed in a link area of the non-display area a plurality of insulation films formed over the entire surface of the substrate, and a first bending hole formed in a bending area of the non-display area, the first bending hole passing through at least one of the insulation films disposed under the link, wherein the bending area is bent such that the pads are disposed on the lower surface of the substrate. |
| US09293484B2 |
Thin film transistor display panel and method of manufacturing the same
A thin film transistor display panel includes a gate electrode on a substrate; a gate insulating layer on the substrate and the gate electrode; a planarization layer on the gate insulating layer and at opposing sides of the gate electrode, where the planarization layer exposes the gate insulating layer; a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer; and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the semiconductor layer and spaced apart from each other. |
| US09293480B2 |
Semiconductor device and display device including the semiconductor device
A semiconductor device including a transistor and a connection portion is provided. The transistor includes a gate electrode, a first insulating film over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film and at a position overlapping with the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film; and the connection portion includes a first wiring on the same surface as a surface on which the gate electrode is formed, a second wiring on the same surface as a surface on which the source and drain electrodes are formed, and a third wiring connecting the first wiring and the second wiring. The distance between an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the second wiring is longer than the distance between an upper end portion and a lower end portion of each of the source and drain electrodes. |
| US09293479B2 |
Oxide semiconductor TFT array substrate and oxide semiconductor TFT display device
A TFT array substrate is disclosed. The substrate includes a TFT having a gate insulation layer, and an active layer partly thereon. The TFT also has a first part of an etch barrier layer on the active layer, and a source and drain on the first part of the etch barrier layer. The substrate also includes a capacitance having a first electrode plate, a second part of the gate insulation layer on the first electrode plate, a second part of the etch barrier layer on the second part of the gate insulation layer, and a second electrode plate on the second part of the etch barrier layer. The second part of the etch barrier layer has a thickness less than the first part of the etch barrier layer, and/or there is no etch barrier layer between the second part of the gate insulation layer and the second electrode plate. |
| US09293477B2 |
Semiconductor device
Semiconductor elements deteriorate or are destroyed due to electrostatic discharge damage. The present invention provides a semiconductor device in which a protecting means is formed in each pixel. The protecting means is provided with one or a plurality of elements selected from the group consisting of resistor elements, capacitor elements, and rectifying elements. Sudden changes in the electric potential of a source electrode or a drain electrode of a transistor due to electric charge that builds up in a pixel electrode is relieved by disposing the protecting means between the pixel electrode of the light-emitting element and the source electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor. Deterioration or destruction of the semiconductor element due to electrostatic discharge damage is thus prevented. |
| US09293476B2 |
Integrating active matrix inorganic light emitting diodes for display devices
A method of forming an active matrix, light emitting diode (LED) array includes removing, from a base substrate, a layer of inorganic LED material originally grown thereupon; and bonding the removed layer of inorganic LED material to an active matrix, thin film transistor (TFT) backplane array. |
| US09293473B2 |
Method for manufacturing a semiconductor on insulator structure having low electrical losses
A manufacturing process for a semiconductor-on-insulator structure having reduced electrical losses and which includes a support substrate made of silicon, an oxide layer and a thin layer of semiconductor material, and a polycrystalline silicon layer interleaved between the support substrate and the oxide layer. The process includes a treatment capable of conferring high resistivity to the support substrate prior to formation of the polycrystalline silicon layer, and then conducting at least one long thermal stabilization on the structure at a temperature not exceeding 950° C. for at least 10 minutes. |
| US09293470B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
Stack structures are arranged in a first direction horizontal to a semiconductor substrate, one of which has a longitudinal direction along a second direction. One stack structure has a plurality of semiconductor layers stacked between interlayer insulating layers. A memory film is formed on side surfaces of the stack structures and includes a charge accumulation film of the memory cell. Conductive films are formed on side surfaces of the stack structures via the memory film. One stack structure has a shape increasing in width from above to below in a cross-section including the first and third directions. One conductive film has a shape increasing in width from above to below in a cross-section including the second and third directions. Predetermined portions in the semiconductor layers have different impurity concentrations between upper and lower semiconductor layers. |
| US09293466B2 |
Embedded SRAM and methods of forming the same
A chip includes a semiconductor substrate, and a first N-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (NMOSFET) at a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first NMOSFET includes a gate stack over the semiconductor substrate, a source/drain region adjacent to the gate stack, and a dislocation plane having a portion in the source/drain region. The chip further includes a second NMOSFET at the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second NMOSFET is free from dislocation planes. |
| US09293464B2 |
Structure to enhance gate induced strain effect in multigate devices
A FinFet device structure provided with a thin layer of polycrystalline silicon having stress containing material, including a high Ge percentage silicon germanium film and/or a high stress W film on top of a polycrystalline silicon film. Space between the fins enables the stressor films to be positioned closer to the transistor channel. The improved proximity of the stress containing material to the transistor channel and the enhanced stress couple the efficiency defines a ratio between the stress level in the stressor film and stress transfer to the channel for mobility enhancement. The stress level is further enhanced by patterning by removal of the n-type workfunction metal from the p-FinFET. Following the stripping off the soft or hard mask, the p-type workfunction metal ends positioned in the n- and p-FinFET regions. The freed space specifically for p-FinFet between the fins achieves an even higher stressor coupling to further boost the carrier mobility. |
| US09293459B1 |
Method and structure for improving finFET with epitaxy source/drain
Isolation structures are formed to laterally surround a gate material block such that each sidewall of the gate material block abuts a corresponding sidewall of the isolation structures. Sidewalls of the gate material bock define ends of gate structures to be subsequently formed. The isolation structures obstruct lateral growth of a semiconductor material during a selective epitaxial grown process in formation of source/drain regions, thereby preventing merging of the source/drain regions at the ends of gate structures. As a result, a lateral distance between each sidewall of the gate material block and a corresponding outermost sidewall of an array of a plurality of semiconductor fins can be made sufficiently small without causing the electrical shorts of the source/drain regions. |
| US09293458B2 |
Semiconductor electronic components and circuits
An electronic component includes a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor and a low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor both encased in a single package. A source electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, and a source electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package. |
| US09293456B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor apparatus divides each of a first area in which a first transistor is formed and a second area in which a second transistor is formed into two or more areas, and alternately arranges the divided areas of the first area and the second area. Further, the semiconductor apparatus according to one embodiment configures the second area to have a total area larger than that of the first area or to have the number of divisions greater than that of the first area. Furthermore, in the semiconductor apparatus according to one embodiment, a gate pad of the first transistor and a gate pad of the second transistor are provided in the second area. |
| US09293454B2 |
Bipolar junction transistor having multi-sided base contact
A Bipolar Junction Transistor with an intrinsic base, wherein the intrinsic base includes a top surface and two side walls orthogonal to the top surface, and a base contact electrically coupled to the side walls of the intrinsic base. In one embodiment an apparatus can include a plurality of Bipolar Junction Transistors, and a base contact electrically coupled to the side walls of the intrinsic bases of each BJT. |
| US09293450B2 |
Synthesis of complex cells
Hierarchical layout synthesis of complex cells. In some embodiments, a method may include partitioning a cell into a plurality of subcells, where the cell represents a set of electronic components in an integrated circuit; identifying, among the plurality of subcells, a most complex subcell; synthesizing a layout of the most complex subcell for each of one or more side-port configurations; selecting a side-port configuration based upon the layout of the most complex subcell; and synthesizing a layout of one or more of the plurality of subcells neighboring the most complex subcell by propagating one or more constraints associated with the selected side-port configuration. |
| US09293448B2 |
Methods of forming three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor systems including photoactive devices and semiconductor-on-insulator substrates
Three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor systems include a photoactive device operationally coupled with a current/voltage converter on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate. An optical interconnect is operatively coupled to the photoactive device. A semiconductor device is bonded over the SeOI substrate, and an electrical pathway extends between the current/voltage converter and the semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate. Methods of forming such systems include forming a photoactive device on an SeOI substrate, and operatively coupling a waveguide with the photoactive device. A current/voltage converter may be formed over the SeOI substrate, and the photoactive device and the current/voltage converter may be operatively coupled with one another. A semiconductor device may be bonded over the SeOI substrate and operatively coupled with the current/voltage converter. |
| US09293440B2 |
Method for interconnecting die and substrate in an electronic package
A method for interconnecting a die on a substrate of an electronic package. The method includes the steps of forming a plurality of free-end wire bonds on the die, wherein the free-end wire bonds are upstanding from the die, and encapsulating the free-end wire bonds in an encapsulation layer. Planarizing the encapsulation layer is performed so that the free-end wire bonds are exposed for electrical connection. Interconnecting the free-end wire bonds is provided by applying an interconnection layer on the encapsulation layer. |
| US09293439B2 |
Electronic module assembly with patterned adhesive array
An improved electronic module assembly and method of fabrication is disclosed. A patterned array of adhesive is deposited on a laminate, to which a chip is attached. Each region of adhesive is referred to as a lid tie. A lid is placed on the laminate, and is in contact with the lid ties. The lid ties serve to add stability to the laminate and reduce flexing during thermal processing and mechanical stress. |
| US09293438B2 |
Method for making electronic device with cover layer with openings and related devices
A method of making an electronic device includes forming an electrically conductive pattern on a substrate, forming a cover layer on the substrate and the electrically conductive pattern, and forming openings in the cover layer and being aligned with the electrically conductive pattern. The method also includes positioning an IC on the cover layer so that bond pads of the IC are aligned with the openings, and heating under pressure the cover layer to both mechanically secure and electrically interconnect the IC. |
| US09293437B2 |
Functional block stacked 3DIC and method of making same
An embodiment device package includes a fan-out redistribution layer (RDL), a device over and bonded to the fan-out RDL, and a molding compound over the fan-out RDL and extending along sidewalls of the device. The device includes a first functional tier having a first metallization layer and a second functional tier having a second metallization layer. The second functional tier is bonded to the first functional tier. The device further includes an interconnect structure electrically connecting the first metallization layer to the second metallization layer. The interconnect structure includes an inter-tier via (ITV) at least partially disposed in both the first functional tier and the second functional tier, and the ITV contacts the first metallization layer. |
| US09293430B2 |
Semiconductor chip and method of manufacturing the same
A chip includes a substrate and a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate. The dielectric layer includes a first dielectric region and a second dielectric region surrounding an outer periphery of the first dielectric region. A top surface of the first dielectric region is disposed below a top surface of the second dielectric region. The chip further includes a metal pad disposed in a through-hole in the first dielectric region and contacting a portion of the substrate. |
| US09293426B2 |
Land side and die side cavities to reduce package Z-height
A package structure including a capacitor mounted within a cavity in the package substrate is disclosed. The package structure may additionally include a die mounted to a die side surface of the package substrate, and the opposing land side surface of the package substrate may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). The capacitor may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate or the land side surface of the package substrate. Mounting a capacitor within a cavity may reduce the form factor of the package. The die may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate. Solder balls connecting the package to the PCB may be mounted within one or more cavities formed in one or both of the package substrate and the PCB. |
| US09293425B2 |
Thin film transistor substrate and method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device using the same
A thin film transistor substrate includes pixels disposed in a display area and connected to gate lines and data lines crossing the gate lines, a gate driver disposed in a non-display area adjacent to the display area and connected to the gate lines, signal pad parts disposed in the non-display area and connected to the gate driver and the data lines, test pad parts disposed in a cutting area adjacent to the non-display area and connected to the signal pad parts, static electricity dispersion parts disposed in the cutting area and connected to the plurality of test pad parts, and a guard line disposed in the cutting area and connected to the static electricity dispersion parts. The static electricity dispersion parts disperse a static electricity inflowing from the signal pad parts and the plurality of test pad parts to the guard line. |
| US09293424B2 |
Semiconductor structure for electrostatic discharge protection
A semiconductor structure is arranged on an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit includes a seal ring arranged at outer periphery of the integrated circuit, a metal ring arranged at an inner side of the seal ring and a power bus arranged at a side of the metal ring. The semiconductor structure includes a first P type electrode area, a second P type electrode area and a first N type electrode area. The first P type electrode area is formed at a position on a P well corresponding to the seal ring, and coupled to the seal ring. The second P type electrode area is formed at a position on the P well corresponding to the metal ring, and coupled to the metal ring. The first N type electrode area is formed at a position corresponding to the power bus, and coupled to the power bus. |
| US09293418B2 |
Backside through vias in a bonded structure
A wafer thinning system and method are disclosed that includes grinding away substrate material from a backside of a semiconductor device. A current change is detected in a grinding device responsive to exposure of a first set of device structures through the substrate material, where the grinding is stopped in response to the detected current change. Polishing repairs the surface and continues to remove an additional amount of the substrate material. Exposure of one or more additional sets of device structures through the substrate material is monitored to determine the additional amount of substrate material to remove, where the additional sets of device structures are located in the semiconductor device at a known depth different than the first set. |
| US09293413B2 |
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an insulating material layer over a workpiece, patterning an upper portion of the insulating material layer with a conductive line pattern, and forming a stop layer comprising a metal oxide or a metal nitride over the patterned insulating material layer. A masking material is formed over the stop layer, and the masking material is patterned with a via pattern. The via pattern of the masking material is transferred to a lower portion of the insulating material layer. |
| US09293412B2 |
Graphene and metal interconnects with reduced contact resistance
A structure including a first metal line in a first interconnect level, the first metal line comprising one or more graphene portions, a second metal line in a second interconnect level above the first interconnect level, the second metal line comprising one or more graphene portions, and a metal via comprising a palladium liner extends vertically and electrically connects the first metal line with the second metal line, the via is at least partially embedded in the first metal line such that the palladium liner is in direct contact with at least an end portion of the one or more graphene portions of the first metal line. |
| US09293408B2 |
Adding symmetrical filling material in an integrated circuit layout
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit has a conductive layer, where the conductive layer has a first set of regions and a second set of fill material regions, and the second set of fill material regions has a line of symmetry. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09293407B2 |
Semiconductor package having a baseplate with a die attach region and a peripheral region
A semiconductor package includes a baseplate having a die attach region and a peripheral region, a transistor die having a first terminal and a second terminal facing away from the baseplate, and a frame including an electrically insulative member having a first side attached to the peripheral region of the baseplate, a second side facing away from the baseplate, a first metallization at the first side of the insulative member and a second metallization at the second side of the insulative member. The insulative member extends outward beyond a lateral sidewall of the baseplate. The first metallization is attached to the part of the first side which extends outward beyond the lateral sidewall of the baseplate. The first and second metallizations are electrically connected at a region of the insulative member spaced apart from the lateral sidewall of the baseplate. |
| US09293406B2 |
Semiconductor package and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor package includes: a semiconductor chip: a first insulating layer, wherein the semiconductor chip is embedded in the first insulating layer such that the first surface and the side surface of the semiconductor chip are covered by the first insulating layer; a wiring structure on the first surface of the first insulating layer and comprising an insulating layer and a wiring layer; an outermost wiring layer on the wiring structure and having: a reinforcing wiring pattern; and a via wiring which penetrates the reinforcing wiring pattern and electrically connected to the reinforcing wiring pattern, wherein the via wiring is formed through the insulating layer of the wiring structure and electrically connected to the wiring layer of the wiring structure; a second insulating layer on the wiring structure to cover the outermost wiring layer. |
| US09293403B2 |
Semiconductor package with improved redistribution layer design and fabricating method thereof
A semiconductor package with improved redistribution layer design and fabricating method thereof are disclosed and may include a semiconductor die comprising bond pads, a first redistribution layer (RDL) formed on the semiconductor die. The first RDL has a first end coupled to a bond pad and a second end coupled to a solder bump via under bump metal layers. A second RDL is formed in a same plane of the semiconductor die as the first RDL and is electrically isolated from the first RDL. A first end of the second RDL may be coupled to a bond pad and the second RDL may pass underneath, but be electrically isolated from, the solder bump. A passivation layer may be formed on the first and second RDLs exposing the second end of the first RDL. The under bump metal layers may be formed on the second end of the first RDL exposed by the passivation layer. |
| US09293402B2 |
Device with pillar-shaped components
A device with pillar-shaped components, includes a substrate; a wiring layer disposed on the substrate; and pillar-shaped components disposed on any of the substrate and the wiring layer, each of the pillar-shaped components having a bottom part connected to the substrate and/or the wiring layer, a top part opposed to the bottom part, and a lateral face part extending from the bottom part and connected to the top part; wherein each of the pillar-shaped components includes a first pillar-shaped part formed by plating, a second pillar-shaped part formed on the first pillar-shaped part by plating, and a ring-like projection part formed on the lateral face part to project outward and extend in a circumferential direction, and to be in a position higher than a joint position between the first pillar-shaped part and the second pillar-shaped part. |
| US09293398B2 |
Land structure for semiconductor package and method therefor
In one embodiment, a method for forming a package substrate includes selectively removing portions of a lead frame to form cavities and filling the cavities with a resin layer to define an adhesion pad and a land structure. Top portions of the lead frame are selectively removed to isolate the adhesion pad and the land structure from each other, to expose a top surface of the resin layer, and to form at least one land having a part with a relatively greater size than the size of a respective lower part. |
| US09293395B2 |
Lead frame with mold lock structure
A lead frame for a semiconductor device includes a die paddle and leads situated on a perimeter of the lead frame. The die paddle has a metal frame and a number of substantially linear metal connecting bars within the frame. The connecting bars interconnect different locations of the frame to form a multiple triangles, where a triangular-shaped cavity is formed within each triangle. An overall area of the cavities is greater than an overall area of the connecting bars. |
| US09293393B2 |
Stacked packaging using reconstituted wafers
An exemplary implementation of the present disclosure includes a stacked package having a top die from a top reconstituted wafer situated over a bottom die from a bottom reconstituted wafer. The top die and the bottom die are insulated from one another by an insulation arrangement. The top die and the bottom die are also interconnected through the insulation arrangement. The insulation arrangement can include a top molding compound that flanks the top die and a bottom molding compound that flanks the bottom die. The top die and the bottom die can be interconnected through at least the top molding compound. Furthermore, the top die and the bottom die can be interconnected through a conductive via that extends within the insulation arrangement. |
| US09293389B2 |
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor package including a surface profile modifier
A semiconductor package includes a circuit board having an inner circuit pattern and a plurality of contact pads connected to the inner circuit pattern, at least one integrated circuit (IC) device on the circuit board and making contact with the contact pads, a mold on the circuit board, the mold fixing the IC device to the circuit board, and a surface profile modifier on a surface of the IC device and a surface of the mold, and the surface profile modifier enlarging a surface area of the IC device and the mold to dissipate heat. |
| US09293387B2 |
Film for flip chip type semiconductor back surface, dicing tape-integrated film for semiconductor back surface, process for producing semiconductor device, and flip chip type semiconductor device
The present invention relates to a film for flip chip type semiconductor back surface to be formed on a back surface of a semiconductor element flip chip-connected onto an adherend, in which the film for flip chip type semiconductor back surface before thermal curing has, at the thermal curing thereof, a volume contraction ratio within a range of 23° C. to 165° C. of 100 ppm/° C. to 400 ppm/° C. |
| US09293383B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
Reading reliability of a code formed in a semiconductor device is improved.A manufacturing method of semiconductor devices according to one embodiment includes a step of forming a sealing body MR in a plurality of device regions DVP with a code (first identification information) MK3 being formed outside the device regions DVP of a wiring substrate. Also, the manufacturing method of semiconductor devices according to one embodiment includes a step of, after forming the sealing body MR, reading the code MK3 and affixing another code (second identification information) to the sealing body MR. Further, before the step of forming the sealing body MR, a dam part DM is formed between a marking region MKR in which the code MK3 is formed and the device regions DVP. |
| US09293379B2 |
Semiconductor structure with layers having different hydrogen contents
A method for forming a structure on a surface of a semiconductor. The method includes: forming the material as a lower layer of the structure using a first deposition process to provide the lower layer with a first etch rate to a predetermined etchant; forming the upper layer of the structure with the material on the lower using a second deposition process to provide the upper layer with a second etch rate to the predetermined etchant higher than the first etch rate; and applying the predetermined etchant to upper layer to selectively remove the upper while leaving the lower layer. |
| US09293377B2 |
Semiconductor device structure and method for manufacturing the same
There are provided a semiconductor device structure and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises: forming at least one continuous gate line on a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate spacer surrounding the gate line; forming source/drain regions in the semiconductor substrate on both sides of the gate line; forming a conductive spacer surrounding the gate spacer; and performing inter-device electrical isolation at a predetermined region, wherein isolated portions of the gate line form gates of respective unit devices, and isolated portions of the conductive spacer form contacts of respective unit devices. Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to manufacture of contacts in integrated circuits. |
| US09293375B2 |
Selectively grown self-aligned fins for deep isolation integration
A trench isolation structure is formed beneath a topmost surface of a semiconductor substrate. A mandrel structure having a bottommost surface that straddles a sidewall edge of the underlying trench isolation structure is then formed. Nitride spacers are formed on sidewalls of the mandrel structure and thereafter the mandrel structure is removed. A dielectric oxide material is then formed having a topmost surface that is coplanar with a topmost surface of each remaining nitride spacer. Each nitride spacer is removed and thereafter a semiconductor fin is epitaxially grown within a cavity in the dielectric oxide material which exposes a topmost surface of the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09293364B2 |
Electroless plating apparatus and electroless plating method
There is provided an electroless plating apparatus which, despite using a high-productivity batch processing method, can reduce the amount of a liquid chemical brought out of a processing tank, thereby reducing the cleaning time in a cleaning step, and can perform flushing easily and quickly. The electroless plating apparatus includes a pre-plating treatment module including a pre-plating treatment tank, a plating module, and an inter-module substrate transport device. The pre-plating treatment tank is provided with a pre-plating treatment solution circulation line having a temperature control function for a pre-plating treatment solution. The plating tank is provided with a plating solution circulation line having a filter and a temperature control function for a plating solution. The plating solution circulation line is connected to a flushing line for flushing the interior of the plating solution circulation line and the interior of the plating tank. |
| US09293362B2 |
Semiconductor device including air gaps and method of fabricating the same
This technology provides a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same, which may reduce parasitic capacitance between adjacent conductive structures. The method of fabricating a semiconductor device may include forming a plurality of bit line structures over a substrate, forming contact holes between the bit line structures, forming sacrificial spacers over sidewalls of the contact holes, forming first plugs recessed into the respective contact holes, forming air gaps by removing the sacrificial spacers, forming capping structures capping the air gaps while exposing top surfaces of the first plugs, and forming second plugs over the first plugs. |
| US09293357B2 |
Sinker with a reduced width
The width of a heavily-doped sinker is substantially reduced by forming the heavily-doped sinker to lie in between a number of closely-spaced trench isolation structures, which have been formed in a semiconductor material. During drive-in, the closely-spaced trench isolation structures significantly limit the lateral diffusion. |
| US09293356B2 |
Parallel single substrate processing system
A system for fluid processing substrate surfaces arrayed in a fluid having a process section with a frame having a plurality of process elements to process the substrate surfaces without contacting the substrate surfaces. A substrate holder assembly having a holder frame and a number of substrate holders, each of which is coupled to the holder frame and is configured for holding a substrate so that each substrate holder holds a different substrate for transport as a unit with the substrate holder assembly to and from the process section. The substrate holder assembly and each substrate holder are removably coupled to the process section frame, and the substrate holders of the substrate holder assembly are movable relative to the holder frame and positionable in repeatable alignment with respect to a predetermined feature of the process section and independent of positioning of the holder frame with respect to the process section. |
| US09293355B2 |
Substrate transfer system and substrate processing system
A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus comprising an opening. The substrate transfer robot includes a hand and an arm. The hand is configured to support a substrate. The arm is configured to move the hand. The arm and the hand supporting the substrate are configured to rotate on a horizontal surface within a minimal rotation area of the substrate transfer robot such that an outer periphery of the minimal rotation area overlaps an inside of the second apparatus through the opening so as to transfer the substrate from a first position in the first apparatus to a second position in the second apparatus through the opening. |
| US09293353B2 |
Faraday shield having plasma density decoupling structure between TCP coil zones
A Faraday shield and a plasma processing chamber incorporating the Faraday shield is are provided. The plasma chamber includes an electrostatic chuck for receiving a substrate, a dielectric window connected to a top portion of the chamber, the dielectric window disposed over the electrostatic chuck, and a Faraday shield. The Faraday shield is disposed inside of the chamber and defined between the electrostatic chuck and the dielectric window. The Faraday shield includes an inner zone having an inner radius range that includes a first and second plurality of slots and an outer zone having an outer radius range that includes a third plurality of slots. The inner zone is adjacent to the outer zone. The Faraday shield also includes a band ring separating the inner zone and the outer zone, such that the first and second plurality of slots do not connect with the third plurality of slots. |
| US09293351B2 |
Integrated circuit packaging system with planarity control and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a leadframe having a partially removed portion including: a conductive pattern having a lower surface on a top frame surface of the leadframe, a contact protrusion and a support lead on the lower surface of the conductive pattern, the support lead for supporting the partially removed portion of the leadframe during an encapsulation process, and a contact pad on a bottom surface of the contact protrusion; mounting an integrated circuit die above the conductive pattern; applying an encapsulation on the integrated circuit die and the conductive pattern, the lower surface of the conductive pattern exposed from the encapsulation; and removing at least a portion of the leadframe to form a contact lead and expose a bottom surface of the encapsulation. |
| US09293345B2 |
Sidewall image transfer with a spin-on hardmask
Semiconductor devices and sidewall image transfer methods with a spin on hardmask. Methods for forming fins include forming a trench through a stack of layers that includes a top and bottom insulator layer, and a layer to be patterned on a substrate; isotropically etching the top and bottom insulator layers; forming a hardmask material in the trench to the level of the bottom insulator layer; isotropically etching the top insulator layer; and etching the bottom insulator layer and the layer to be patterned down to the substrate to form fins from the layer to be patterned. |
| US09293344B2 |
Cmp polishing slurry and method of polishing substrate
The present invention relates to a CMP polishing slurry comprising cerium oxide particles, a dispersant, a water-soluble polymer and water, wherein the water-soluble polymer is a polymer obtained in polymerization of a monomer containing at least one of a carboxylic acid having an unsaturated double bond and the salt thereof by using at least one of a cationic azo compound and the salt thereof as a polymerization initiator. The present invention provides a polishing slurry and a polishing method allowing polishing efficiently uniformly at high speed without scratch and also allowing easy process management in the CMP technology of smoothening an interlayer dielectric film, BPSG film, and insulation film for shallow trench isolation. |
| US09293343B2 |
Method of forming patterns of semiconductor device
A method of forming patterns of a semiconductor device includes forming a material film on a substrate, forming a hard mask on the material film, forming a first mold mask pattern and a second mold mask pattern on the hard mask, forming a pair of first spacers to cover opposite sidewalls of the first mold mask pattern, and a pair of second spacers to cover opposite sidewalls of the second mold mask pattern, forming a first gap and a second gap to expose the hard mask by removing the first mold mask pattern and the second mold mask pattern, the first gap being formed between the pair of first spacers and the second gap being formed between the pair of second spacers, forming a mask pattern on the hard mask to cover the first gap and expose the second gap, forming an auxiliary pattern to cover the second gap, removing the mask pattern; and forming a hard mask pattern by patterning the hard mask using the first spacers, the second spacers and the auxiliary pattern as a mask. |
| US09293342B2 |
Patterned bases, and patterning methods
Some embodiments include methods of patterning a base. First and second masking features are formed over the base. The first and second masking features include pedestals of carbon-containing material capped with silicon oxynitride. A mask is formed over the second masking features, and the silicon oxynitride caps are removed from the first masking features. Spacers are formed along sidewalls of the first masking features. The mask and the carbon-containing material of the first masking features are removed. Patterns of the spacers and second masking features are transferred into one or more materials of the base to pattern said one or more materials. Some embodiments include patterned bases. |
| US09293332B2 |
Selective crystallization method and laser crystallization apparatus used in the selective crystallization method
A selective crystallization method includes placing a first substrate including first crystallization regions on a second substrate including second crystallization regions such that the first crystallization regions and the second crystallization regions are arranged alternately, and crystallizing the alternately-arranged first crystallization regions and the second crystallization regions with a laser beam. A laser crystallization apparatus can be used in the selective crystallization method. |
| US09293331B2 |
Mechanisms for monitoring ion beam in ion implanter system
In accordance with some embodiments, an assembly of an ion implanter system is provided. The assembly includes a control unit, a wafer holder and a detecting device. The wafer holder and the detecting device are respectively positioned at two sides of the control unit. The control unit is configured to drive the wafer holder and the detecting device to rotate about at least one rotation axis. |
| US09293327B2 |
Method for producing semiconductor thin films on foreign substrates
The invention relates to a method by means of which the average single crystal size, in particular the diameter of the single crystals, in a semiconductor thin film applied to a foreign substrate can be increased by an order of magnitude with respect to prior methods. The method is characterized in that a thin semiconductor film is applied to the foreign substrate in a first step. Then the foreign substrate is heated to such an extent that the semiconductor thin film melts. Then the temperature is slowly decreased to below the melting temperature of the semiconductor material. During the cooling process, the foreign substrate is heated in such a way that, proceeding from the surface of the foreign substrate, the temperature continuously decreases in a vertical direction perpendicular through the semiconductor thin film to the surface of the thin film. It is thereby ensured that the thin film crystallizes, or rather solidifies, in the opposite direction during the slow decrease of the temperature to below the melting temperature of the semiconductor thin film. In other words, the atom layers directly at the exposed surface of the thin film crystallize first, then the next deeper atom layers crystallize, etc., until finally the atom layers in the immediate vicinity of the surface of the foreign substrate crystallize. The atom layers directly at the exposed surface of the thin film can freely orient themselves without interference during the crystallization, whereby the formation of extensive single crystals several atom layers thick is promoted. Said extensive single crystals are then used as growth nuclei for the next deeper atom layers in such a way that said extensive single crystals grow in thickness in the direction of the surface of the foreign substrate. Only the atom layers in the immediate vicinity of the surface of the foreign substrate are interfered with during the crystallization and degrade into an amorphous or polycrystalline boundary layer. In order to ensure the aforementioned temperature course perpendicular through the thin film, either a heat source applied to the underside of the foreign substrate in a planar manner or heating of the foreign substrate by means of electric current passage must be selected as the heating type. The method is suitable in particular for producing highly efficient thin film solar cells. The method is also suitable for high-quality annealing of high-temperature semiconductor thin films. |
| US09293326B2 |
Method for producing indium oxide-containing layers
The present invention relates to a fluid phase method for producing indium oxide-containing layers, in which a composition comprising at least one indium oxo-alkoxide of the generic formula MxOy(OR)z[O(R′O)eH]aXbYc[R″OH]d with x=3-25, y=1-10, z=3-50, a=0-25, b=0-20, c=1-20, d=0-25, e=0, 1, M=In, R, R′, R″=organic remainder, X═F, Cl, Br, I, and Y═—NO3, —NO2, where b+c is =1-20 and at least one solvent is applied to a substrate, optionally dried, and converted into an indium oxide-containing layer, to the indium oxo-alkoxides of the indicated generic formula, to coating compositions comprising said indium oxo-alkoxides, to layers that can be produced by means of the method according to the invention, and to the use of said layers. |
| US09293325B2 |
Thin film transistor and method for fabricating thin film transistor
An object of the present invention is to achieve improvement in performance of a thin film transistor including an oxide as a gate insulating layer, or simplification and energy saving in the processes of producing such a thin film transistor. A thin film transistor (100) of the present invention includes a first oxide layer (possibly containing inevitable impurities) (32) consisting of lanthanum (La) and tantalum (Ta), which has a surface (32a) formed after a precursor layer obtained from a precursor solution as a start material including a precursor containing lanthanum (La) and a precursor containing tantalum (Ta) as solutes is exposed to a hydrochloric acid vapor, between a gate electrode (20) and a channel (52). Moreover, in the thin film transistor, the surface (32a) of the first oxide layer (32) is in contact with the channel (52). |
| US09293324B2 |
Methods of forming semiconductor devices including an electrically-decoupled fin
Semiconductor devices including a fin and method of forming the semiconductor devices are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a fin overlying a semiconductor substrate. The fin is formed by epitaxially-growing a semiconductor material over the semiconductor substrate, and the fin has a first portion that is proximal to the semiconductor substrate and a second portion that is spaced from the semiconductor substrate by the first portion. A gate structure is formed over the fin and the semiconductor substrate. The first portion of the fin is etched to form a gap between the second portion and the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09293321B2 |
Method of manufacturing a silicon oxide film
A method of manufacturing a silicon oxide film is provided. In the method, a substrate having a metal film on a surface thereof is loaded in a reaction chamber, and supply of a hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber is started by a hydrogen gas supply unit after the step of loading the substrate in the reaction chamber. Then, supply of an oxidation gas into the reaction chamber is started by an oxidation gas supply unit after the step of starting the supply of the hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber, and supply of a silicon-containing gas into the reaction chamber is started by a silicon-containing gas supply unit after the step of starting the supply of the hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber. |
| US09293320B2 |
Liquid treatment apparatus and method and non-transitory storage medium
A liquid treatment method includes: supplying a first organic solvent to a substrate with the substrate being held horizontally by a substrate holder; and thereafter supplying a second organic solvent to a substrate held by the substrate holder, the second solvent having a higher cleanliness than the first solvent. |
| US09293317B2 |
Method and system related to semiconductor processing equipment
Semiconductor processing equipment. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems including: a front end robot configured to pull individual wafers from at least one wafer carrier; a linear robot in operational relationship to the front end robot, the linear robot configured to move wafers along an extended length path; and a first processing cluster in operational relationship to the linear robot. The first processing cluster may include: a first processing chamber; a second processing chamber; and a first cluster robot disposed between the first and second processing chambers. The first cluster robot is configured to transfer wafers from the linear robot to the processing chambers, and configured to transfer wafers from the processing chambers to the linear robot. |
| US09293314B2 |
Photo-dissociation of proteins and peptides in a mass spectrometer
A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising automatically and repeatedly performing multiple cycles of operation, wherein a cycle of operation comprises the steps of: (i) mass analyzing first ions; (ii) exposing the first ions to a first photo-dissociation device to form a plurality of second ions and mass analyzing the second ions; and (iii) exposing the first ions to a first photo-dissociation device to form a plurality of second ions, fragmenting the second ions to form a plurality of third ions and mass analyzing the third ions. |
| US09293310B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring a charged particle beam
An ionization chamber with spatial distribution electrode for monitor hadron beam currents used for therapeutic treatment. Ionization chamber comprises humidity control, environmental sensing and real-time correction thereof. A flexible hermetic seal provide for ambient pressure equalization. X-Y electrode planes measure Gaussian distribution of incident particle beam. Methods described herein are suitable to fabricate highly accurate, low scattering electrodes with high spatial resolutions. |
| US09293309B2 |
Electron multiplier and photomultiplier including the same
The present invention relates to an electron multiplier and others to effectively suppress luminescence noise, even in compact size, in which each of multistage dynodes has a plurality of columns each having a peripheral surface separated physically, and in which each column is processed in such a shape that an area or a peripheral length of a section parallel to an installation surface on which the electron multiplier is arranged becomes minimum at a certain position on the peripheral surface in the column of interest. |
| US09293308B2 |
Electron tube
In an electron tube, an electrical resistance film having a stacked structure of electrically insulating layers and electrically conductive layers is formed on holding surfaces of bases in insulating substrates. This electrical resistance film is made as a firm and fine film with a desired resistance by use of an atomic layer deposition method, which can suppress electrification of the bases comprised of an insulating material. This makes it feasible to stably maintain withstand voltage characteristics. |
| US09293307B2 |
Discrete dynode detector with dynamic gain control
A novel electron multiplier that regulates in real time the gain of downstream dynodes as the instrument receives input signals is introduced. In particular, the methods, electron multiplier structures, and coupled control circuits of the present invention enable a resultant on the fly control signal to be generated upon receiving a predetermined threshold detection signal so as to enable the voltage regulation of one or more downstream dynodes near the output of the device. Accordingly, such a novel design, as presented herein, prevents the dynodes near the output of the instrument from being exposed to deleterious current pulses that can accelerate the aging process of the dynode structures that are essential to the device. |
| US09293300B2 |
Plasma processing apparatus
There is provided a plasma processing apparatus that can generate uniform plasma without increasing costs per unit electric power even though the discharge area is increased to adapt to samples in given sizes by arranging a plurality of plasma discharge units. A plasma processing apparatus includes an RF power supply having an RF signal circuit and an RF power circuit, a case, and a discharge electrode. A plasma module is configured of the discharge electrode and the RF power circuit provided in the case. A frequency signal from the RF signal circuit is inputted to a plurality of the plasma modules connected in parallel with each other. |
| US09293296B2 |
Electromagnet support frame
The electromagnet support frame is for supporting an electromagnet having a trunnion pair which comprises two trunnions that are formed on mutually opposite side-faces of the electromagnet and whose central axes are matched to each other, and is characterized by including support fixtures whose number is the same as that of the trunnions and in which engaging parts are formed that are engaged with the trunnions so as to cover outer faces thereof, and a mounting frame that holds the support fixtures through vertical adjustment parts that move the fixtures in a vertical direction. |
| US09293292B2 |
Drawing apparatus, and method of manufacturing article
The present invention provides a drawing apparatus for performing drawing on a substrate with a charged particle beam, the apparatus including a controller configured to perform control of the drawing performed by movement of a stage and a blanking function of each of a plurality of charged particle optical systems, wherein the controller is configured to perform, with respect to a first charged particle optical system, of the plurality of charged particle optical systems, from a plurality of charged particle beams reach a first region and a second region, formed on the substrate and adjacent to each other, the control such that the drawing is performed only in one of the first and second regions with a first portion of charged particle beams of the plurality of charged particle beams with the stage moved in a second direction. |
| US09293291B2 |
Flexible display device manufacturing method and carrier substrate for the method
A method of manufacturing a flexible display device and a carrier substrate for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes preparing a first release area and a first attachment area around the first surface area on a first surface, attaching a base substrate to the first surface, and forming a display unit on the base substrate corresponding to the first release area of the carrier substrate. The method also includes cutting the area of the base substrate corresponding to the first release area of the carrier substrate so as to include the display unit, and separating the cut base substrate from the carrier substrate. Thus, the carrier substrate and the base substrate may be smoothly combined with each other and separated from each other without an additional mask deposition process. Also, damage to a product that may occur during combination and separation of the substrates may be much reduced. |
| US09293288B2 |
Method for operating an electrical apparatus and circuit breaker
In order to provide a high impedance between two sensor terminals, for instance for connecting a Rogowski transducer to a circuit breaker, but to prevent the coupling-in of interference signals in the case of a non-connection to the terminals, two auxiliary terminals are connected. In at least one embodiment, they are connected in such a manner that in the basic state, the sensor terminals are short circuited but in the case of a connection, for example of a plug to the sensor terminals and simultaneously to the auxiliary terminals, the short circuit is canceled with external short circuiting of the auxiliary terminals. |
| US09293285B2 |
Safety circuit arrangement for connection or failsafe disconnection of a hazardous installation
A safety circuit arrangement for failsafe connection or disconnection of a hazardous installation has a control device, which is designed to connect or interrupt, in failsafe fashion, a power supply path to the installation. The safety circuit arrangement also has a signaling device, which is connected to the control device via a two-wire line having a first core and a second core. The signaling device has an actuator, which can change between a defined first state and a second state. Between the two cores is a substantially constant voltage when the actuator is in the second state. A pulse generator in the signaling device causes a voltage dip between the first core and the second core in order to generate a defined pulsed signal comprising a plurality of signal pulses on the lines, when the actuator is in the defined first state. |
| US09293284B1 |
Soft-switching gate control
Soft-switching gate control circuitry is disclosed. The circuitry includes a first discharge circuit coupled across a first switching device. A first control circuit, upon a first switch input signal transitioning from a disabled state to an enabled state, is adapted to cause the first discharge circuit to transition from a high impedance state to a discharge impedance state, and when a voltage across the first switching device drops below a first threshold value, cause the first switching device to transition from an off state to an on state. |
| US09293281B2 |
Tank mounting structure for dead tank circuit breaker
Mounting structure is provided for mounting a tank to support structure. The tank has a flange extending from a body thereof. The mounting structure includes at least a pair of first bores extending into the flange in a first direction. At least a pair of second bores. Each second bore extends into the flange in a direction generally transverse with respect to an associated first bore so that each second bore communicates with the associated first bore. A pin is disposed in each of the second bores. Each pin has a threaded pin bore that aligns axially with the associated first bore. A bolt is disposed through a bolt hole in the support structure, into an associated first bore and in threaded engagement with the threaded pin bore of an associated pin so as to secure the tank to the support structure. |
| US09293279B1 |
Coaxial switch
A coaxial switch having a housing and a shaft extending through and rotatably mounted to the housing. The shaft extends from opposite ends of the housing. Connector body members are attached to the housing and a support plate is mounted to the shaft. Conductor members are joined to the support plate. Each conductor member has a conductor and is configured to be inserted into a connector body member. The conductors of the conductor members are electrically connected together. When the coaxial switch is engaged, the conductor members are inserted into the connector body members. The coaxial switch becomes disengaged when a force is exerted on the shaft that causes the conductor members to be withdrawn from the connector body members. An axial force-producing mechanism produces a constant axial force on the shaft to maintain the coaxial switch in the engaged state. |
| US09293278B2 |
Two part key cap for use in keyboard keys and methods for their manufacture
A key assembly is for use in a keyboard of the type including a key guide having a planar translation effecting (PTE) feature. The key assembly includes a key base having a PTE mating feature configured to interact with the PTE feature during a key press, and a key cap configured to be attached to the key base. The key base is made of a first material and the key cap is made of a second material different from the first material. A conductive portion and/or a magnet may be wedged between or secured within the key base or the key cap. |
| US09293277B2 |
RFID actuated breaker coding interlock
The disclosed concept pertains to systems and methods to control the passing or entering of a circuit breaker into a cell. The concept relates to employing a RFID-actuated circuit breaker coding interlock. The interlock includes a circuit breaker having a RFID tag that stores information relating to the circuit breaker and a cell structured to receive the circuit breaker. The cell includes a blocking mechanism moveable between a blocking condition which prevents insertion of the circuit breaker into the cell and a non-blocking condition which permits insertion of the circuit breaker into the cell, and an RFID reader module structured to wirelessly receive the information from the RFID tag and determine whether to move the blocking mechanism from the blocking condition to the non-blocking condition based on the information. |
| US09293274B1 |
Apparatus for using handheld devices
An apparatus for using a hand-held device is disclosed. In a first embodiment, an apparatus for using a hand-held device includes a body configured to conform to a digit, and a member connected to the body adjacent to the digit, wherein bringing the member into contact with the hand-held device transfers force from the digit to the hand-held device. In another embodiment, the member may be movable to a desired position along a slot located on the outer surface of the body. |
| US09293266B2 |
Asphaltene based photovoltaic devices
Photovoltaic devices and methods of making the same, are disclosed herein. The cell comprises a photovoltaic device that comprises a first electrically conductive layer comprising a photo-sensitized electrode; at least one photoelectrochemical layer comprising metal-oxide particles, an electrolyte solution comprising at least one asphaltene fraction, wherein the metal-oxide particles are optionally dispersed in a surfactant; and a second electrically conductive layer comprising a counter-electrode, wherein the second electrically conductive layer comprises one or more conductive elements comprising carbon, graphite, soot, carbon allotropes or any combinations thereof. |
| US09293265B1 |
Method for fabricating a high efficiency bio-photovoltaic cells by using plasmonic silver nanoparticles and natural extracted graminoids
Disclosed is a technique for fabricating a bio-photovoltaic cell which includes coupling graminoids extracted from natural grasses to a semiconductor electron acceptor, on which plasmonic silver nanoparticles are aligned, by using an organic ligand material. More particularly, disclosed is a technique for fabricating a new renewable energy generation device useable for fabrication of high efficiency bio-photovoltaic cells by improving a photo-electron generation rate of graminoids through a surface plasmon effect of silver nanoparticles and increasing an effective photo-electron amount transferred to the electron acceptor due to optimized bonding between a photo sensitizer and an electron acceptor. |
| US09293262B2 |
Digitally tuned capacitors with tapered and reconfigurable quality factors
The present disclosure describes tuning capacitors with tapered and reconfigurable quality factors. Digitally tuned capacitors (DTCs) that provide a variable quality factor (Q) while maintaining a constant or near constant capacitance as well as DTCs that provide one or more Q values in a tapered distribution while maintaining a constant or near constant capacitance are described. The present disclosure also describes DTCs that provide one or more capacitances in a tapered distribution and one or more Q values in a tapered distribution. |
| US09293261B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor
A multilayer ceramic capacitor, whose CR product can be prevented from dropping with certainty even at a thickness of 1.0 μm or less, includes multiple unit capacitors wherein a part constituted by two adjacent internal electrode layers in the laminating direction and one dielectric layer present between the two internal electrode layers is defined as a unit capacitor. The capacitances of the unit capacitors arranged in the laminating direction exhibit a distribution that gradually increases from both ends in the laminating direction toward the inside, while gradually decreasing from the two apexes of increase toward the center in the laminating direction. |
| US09293260B2 |
Dielectric layer for an electrical component, electrical component comprising a dielectric layer and method for producing an electrical component comprising a dielectric layer
An electrical component includes a first electrode layer, an organic insulating layer, which is arranged on the first electrode layer in a monolayer, an organic dielectric layer arranged on the organic insulating layer, and a second electrode layer, which is arranged on the dielectric layer. The electrical component is arranged on a circuit board substrate, a prepreg or a circuit board. The dielectric layer is formed from an ionic liquid, preferably in a polymer matrix. |
| US09293256B2 |
Ceramic material and capacitor comprising the ceramic material
A ceramic material for capacitors uses multilayer technology of the general formula: Pb1−1.5a−0.5b+1.5d+e+0.5f)AaBb(Zr1−xTix)(1−c−d−e−f)LidCeFefSicO3+y.PBO wherein A is selected from the group consisting of La, Nd, Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb; B is selected from the group consisting of Na, K and Ag; C is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Cu, Co and Mn; and 0 |
| US09293247B2 |
Magnetically biased AC inductor with commutator
An AC inductor includes a core, at least one permanent magnet for magnetically biasing the core, an inductor winding on the core, and a circuitry which guides an alternating current which flows through the AC inductor in such a way through the inductor winding that, during each half-wave of the alternating current, the alternating current generates a magnetization of the core which is opposite to the magnetization by the permanent magnet. This circuitry includes a commutator which guides the alternating current flowing between two contacts of the AC inductor through the same part of the inductor winding with a same flow direction during each of the half-wave of the alternating current. |
| US09293243B2 |
Electromagnetic device and switching device using same
An electromagnetic device includes: a fixed iron core; a movable iron core which is disposed to face the fixed iron core and which is displaceable in an axis line direction of the drive shaft; an electromagnetic coil; a permanent magnet which retains the movable iron core at the advanced position; supporting posts which are provided parallel to the axis line direction on both side surfaces of the fixed iron core and support the fixed iron core; an opening-side plate which is provided at one end portion of the supporting post; and a closing-side plate which is provided at the other end portion of the supporting post, wherein the advanced position of the movable iron core is restricted by the fixed iron core and the retreated position is restricted by the opening-side plate. |
| US09293237B2 |
Use of 2-aminoethanol as additive in aqueous suspensions of calcium carbonate comprising materials
Use of 2-aminoethanol as an additive in an aqueous suspension, containing from 25 to 62 vol. % of at least one calcium carbonate-comprising material, wherein the use provides improved stability with regard to the conductivity of the suspension. |
| US09293235B2 |
Lithium titanate particles and process for producing the lithium titanate particles, Mg-containing lithium titanate particles and process for producing the Mg-containing lithium titanate particles, negative electrode active substance particles for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, and non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery
According to the present invention, there are provided lithium titanate particles which exhibit an excellent initial discharge capacity and an enhanced high-efficiency discharge capacity retention rate as an active substance for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries and a process for producing the lithium titanate particles, and Mg-containing lithium titanate particles. |
| US09293233B2 |
Composite cable
A composite conductor is disclosed having an elongate support with an outer surface of a whisker-forming metallic, the conductor further having a carbon nanotube yarn intertwined with the elongate support. The yarn is infiltrated by self-assembled whiskers from the whisker forming metallic. |
| US09293231B2 |
Audio/Video cable
An audio/video cable includes an insulated layer including a copper conductor for transmitting audio/video signals and an insulation layer formed on a periphery thereof. The copper conductor includes a soft dilute copper alloy material containing pure copper, Ti as an additive element and an inevitable impurity as a balance. The soft dilute copper alloy material includes a recrystallized structure having a grain size distribution such that crystal grains in a surface layer are smaller than internal crystal grains. The soft dilute copper alloy material includes not less than 2 and not more than 12 mass ppm of sulfur, more than 2 mass ppm but not more than 30 mass ppm of oxygen, and not less than 4 and not more than 55 mass ppm of Ti. |
| US09293230B2 |
Method for synthesis of nano-crystalline metal oxide powders
A method for synthesis of nanostructured metal oxide powders. The method comprises converting the metallic material into a precipitate of metal hydroxide by an electrochemical reaction and calcinating the metal hydroxide to form the metal oxides. The method of the invention is also used for the development of cermet particulates and topological insulator particles. |
| US09293228B2 |
Advanced first core fuel assembly configuration and method of implementing the same
An advanced initial core fuel configuration is for improving the fuel management efficiency and thus economics for a nuclear reactor. A method of implementing such an initial core involves providing a plurality of fuel assemblies having different average enrichments of uranium 235 and arranging the fuel assemblies in an initial core configuration structured to emulate a known equilibrium reload cycle core at least in terms of spatial reactivity distribution. The resulting average enrichment within the initial core ranges from below about 1.0 percent weight of uranium 235 to about 5.0 percent weight of uranium 235. An advanced lattice design is also disclosed. |
| US09293226B2 |
Memory test device and operating method thereof
A memory test device for testing a memory device is provided. The memory test device includes a sequencer configured to output first and second sequencer outputs that are different from each other in response to a sequencer input. A first pattern generator is configured to output a first test pattern according to the first sequencer output. A second pattern generator is configured to output a second test pattern according to the second sequencer output. A selector is coupled to the first and second pattern generators and configured to output write data according to the first test pattern and the second test pattern. |
| US09293224B1 |
Double data rate in parallel testing
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus to test a semiconductor device comprises a controller configured to perform one or more tests on the semiconductor device, a reduce low pin count (RLPC) circuit configured to write data to the semiconductor device or read data from the semiconductor device at a double data rate (DDR) with respect to a single data rate (SDR), and pad logic to couple to the semiconductor device, the pad logic configured to provide a trimmable data access time from clock (tAC) signal to select different access times of a single data rate (SDR) or a double data rate (DDR) mode of operation, wherein a loading time or an unloading time of the semiconductor device being tested, or a combination thereof, is reduced when a DDR mode is selected. |
| US09293220B2 |
Low-pin-count non-volatile memory interface for 3D IC
A low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory to be provided in an integrated circuit for a 3D IC to repair defects, trim devices, or adjust parameters is presented here. At least one die in a 3D IC can be built with at least one low-pin-count OTP memory. The low-pin-count OTP memory can be built with a serial interface such as I2C-like or SPI-like of interface. The pins of the low-pin-count OTP in at least one die can be coupled together to have only one set of low-pin-count bus for external access. With proper device ID, each die in a 3D IC can be accessed individually for soft programming, programming, erasing, or reading. This technique can improve the manufacture yield, device, circuit, or logic performance or to store configuration parameters for customization after 3D IC are built. |
| US09293218B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having OTP cell array
Provided is a semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor includes a One Time Programmable (OTP) cell array, a converging circuit and a sense amplifier circuit. The OTP cell array includes a plurality of OTP cells connected to a plurality of bit lines, each bit line extending in a first direction. The converging includes a common node contacting a first bit line and a second bit line. The sense amplifier circuit includes a sense amplifier connected to the common node, the sense amplifier configured to amplify a signal of the common node. |
| US09293216B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of searching for erasure count in semiconductor memory
In response to a search start instruction, a read address signal including address sequences for blocks is generated and the read address signal is provided to a block management memory to successively read sequences of erasure count data pieces corresponding to the blocks from the block management memory. Thereafter, when the erasure count data piece read from the block management memory represents an erasure count smaller than a minimum erasure count data piece, the erasure count data piece is imported and retained and outputted as the minimum erasure count data piece. Also, the read address signal is imported and retained and an address indicated by the read address signal is outputted as a minimum erasure count address. |
| US09293207B1 |
Embedded data and code non-volatile memory cell configurations
An integrated circuit including data and code non-volatile memory configuration is provided. The integrated circuit comprises a first non-volatile memory array for storing code and a second non-volatile memory array for storing data. The first non-volatile memory array comprises a plurality of first non-volatile memory cells, the first non-volatile memory cells each having a first channel width. The second non-volatile memory array comprises a plurality of second non-volatile memory cells, the second non-volatile memory cells each having a second channel width. The second channel width of the second non-volatile memory cells is larger than the first channel width of the first non-volatile memory cells. This allows the data non-volatile memory cells to have a higher transconductance than the code non-volatile memory cells. |
| US09293204B2 |
Non-volatile memory cell with self aligned floating and erase gates, and method of making same
A memory device, and method of making the same, in which a trench is formed into a substrate of semiconductor material. The source region is formed under the trench, and the channel region between the source and drain regions includes a first portion that extends substantially along a sidewall of the trench and a second portion that extends substantially along the surface of the substrate. The floating gate is disposed in the trench, and is insulated from the channel region first portion for controlling its conductivity. A control gate is disposed over and insulated from the channel region second portion, for controlling its conductivity. An erase gate is disposed at least partially over and insulated from the floating gate. An electrically conductive coupling gate is disposed in the trench, adjacent to and insulated from the floating gate, and over and insulated from the source region. |
| US09293203B2 |
Method for reading data stored in a flash memory according to a threshold voltage distribution and memory controller and system thereof
A method for reading data stored in a flash memory. The flash memory comprises a plurality of memory cells and each memory cell has a particular threshold voltage. The method includes: obtaining a first threshold voltage distribution representing threshold voltages of a first group of the memory cells; obtaining a second threshold voltage distribution representing threshold voltages of a second group of the memory cells, wherein the second threshold voltage distribution is different from the first threshold voltage distribution, and the first group of the memory cells comprises at least a part of the second group of the memory cells; and controlling the flash memory to perform at least one read operation upon the first group of the memory cells according to the second threshold voltage distribution. |
| US09293201B2 |
Heterojunction oxide non-volatile memory devices
A memory device includes a first metal layer and a first metal oxide layer coupled to the first metal layer. The memory device includes a second metal oxide layer coupled to the first metal oxide layer and a second metal layer coupled to the second metal oxide layer. The formation of the first metal oxide layer has a Gibbs free energy that is lower than the Gibbs free energy for the formation of the second metal oxide layer. |
| US09293197B2 |
Reconfigurable phase change material masks for electro-optical compressive sensing
Variations of the techniques, systems, devices, and methods discussed herein pertain to a pixel-level mask for a photo-detector. Such a mask may have a layer of reconfigurable phase-change material (PCM) configured to vary between a first refractive index and a second refractive index. Such a PCM layer may be divided into individual pixel areas such that each individual pixel area may be set to have the first refractive index or the second refractive index. The PCM layer may be disposed on a photo-detector such that incident radiation detected by the photo-detector must pass through the PCM layer in order to be detected. The mask may also include or otherwise be operably connected to a PCM controller that can control the refractive index of an individual pixel area or a group of pixel areas aggregated into a superpixel. |
| US09293195B2 |
Compact high speed sense amplifier for non-volatile memory
A compact and versatile high speed sense amplifier suitable for use in non-volatile memory circuits is presented. The sense amp includes a latch, which is connected to a data bus, and bit line selection circuitry by which it can selectively be connected to one or more bit lines. The sense amp also includes some intermediate circuitry having a first node connectable to a selected bit line through the bit line selection circuitry and a second node that is connectable to the latch circuit. The sense amp can include switches where the second node can be connected to either the value held in the latch or the inverse of the value held in the latch. The sense amp can also include a switch where an internal node of the sense amp can be connected directly to a voltage supply level. |
| US09293190B2 |
Semiconductor storage device
A semiconductor includes a plurality of memory cell arrays each of which includes a plurality of memory cells. Bitlines extend in one direction in the memory cell arrays to transfer data stored in the memory cells. Wordlines extend perpendicular to the bitlines in the memory cell arrays to select at least one of the memory cells. Local data lines extend parallel to the wordlines outside of the memory cell arrays and convey signals from bitlines. Global data lines convey signals from the local data lines. The global data lines include a part extending parallel to the wordlines and the part is disposed over another one of the memory cell arrays other than a selected memory cell array. |
| US09293189B2 |
Integrated circuits with SRAM cells having additional read stacks
Integrated circuits that include SRAM cells having additional read stacks are provided. In accordance with one embodiment an integrated circuit includes a memory storage array of memory cells. The integrated circuit includes a read stack coupled to each memory cell of the memory storage array. Each read stack includes a read pull-down transistor having a first threshold voltage, and a read pass gate transistor coupled in series with the read pull down transistor and having a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold voltage. |
| US09293188B2 |
Memory and memory controller for high reliability operation and method
In one form, a memory includes a memory bank, a page buffer, and an access circuit. The memory bank has a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns with volatile memory cells at intersections of the plurality of row and the plurality of columns. The page buffer is coupled to the plurality of columns and stores contents of a selected one of the plurality of rows. The access circuit is responsive to an adjacent command and a row address to perform a predetermined operation on the row address, and to refresh first and second addresses adjacent to the row address. In another form, a memory controller is adapted to interface with such a memory to select either a normal command or an adjacent command based on a number of activate commands sent to the row in a predetermined time window. |
| US09293187B2 |
Methods and apparatus for refreshing digital memory circuits
Dynamic memory systems require each memory cell to be continually refreshed. During a memory refresh operation, the refreshed memory cells cannot be accessed by a memory read or write operation. In multi-bank dynamic memory systems, concurrent refresh systems allow memory refresh circuitry to refresh memory banks that are not currently involved in memory access operations. To efficiently refresh memory banks and advanced round robin refresh system refreshes memory banks in a nominal round robin manner but skips memory banks blocked by memory access operations. Skipped memory banks are prioritized and then refreshed when they are no longer blocked. |
| US09293186B2 |
Memory device and semiconductor device
A memory device includes a first memory circuit including a silicon transistor, a selection circuit including a silicon transistor, and a second memory circuit including oxide semiconductor transistors and a storage capacitor, in which one terminal of the storage capacitor is connected to a portion where two oxide semiconductor transistors are connected in series, an output of the second memory circuit is connected to a second input terminal of the selection circuit, and an input of the second memory circuit is connected to a first input terminal of the selection circuit or an output terminal of the first memory circuit. |
| US09293178B1 |
Data output circuit, semiconductor memory apparatus including the same, and operating method thereof
A data output circuit may include a first node, which receives a first strobe signal, a second node, which receives a second strobe signal, an input control unit that is coupled to the first and second nodes, and receives the first strobe signal generated from a single strobe signal transmitted through a first path of a semiconductor memory apparatus and the second strobe signal generated from the single strobe signal transmitted from a second path of the semiconductor memory apparatus in response to a read command, generates a first input control signal based on the first strobe signal and the second strobe signal, and generates a second input control signal based on the second strobe signal. |
| US09293177B2 |
Semiconductor memory device, memory system including the same and operating method thereof
Provided are a semiconductor memory device, a memory system including the same, and an operating method thereof. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, a peripheral circuit suitable for reading least significant bit data and most significant bit data of neighboring memory cells adjacent to selected memory cells out of the plurality of memory cells, and generating pattern flag data using the least significant bit data and the most significant bit data and a control logic suitable for controlling the peripheral circuit to set a read voltage to be applied to the selected memory cells based on the pattern flag data. |
| US09293173B2 |
Non-volatile memory and method with peak current control
A non-volatile memory with multiple memory dice manages simultaneous operations so as to not exceed a system power capacity. A load signal bus is pulled up with a strength proportional to the system power capacity. Each die has a driver to pull down the bus by an amount corresponding to its degree of power need as estimated by a state machine of the die. The bus therefore provides a load signal that serves as arbitration between the system power capacity and the cumulative loads of the individual dice. The load signal is therefore at a high state when the system power capacity is not exceeded; otherwise it is at a low state. When a die wishes to perform an operation and requests a certain amount of power, it drives the bus accordingly and its state machine either proceeds with the operation or not, depending on the load signal. |
| US09293171B2 |
Resistance change memory
According to one embodiment, first normal bit and source lines are connected to a first memory cell. Second normal bit and source lines are connected to a second memory cell. A first column switch connects one of the first and second normal bit lines to a first global bit line. A second column switch connects one of the first and second normal source lines to a first global source line. A first reference bit and source lines are connected to a third memory cell. A third column switch connects the first reference bit line to a second global bit line. A fourth column switch connects the first reference source line to the first global source line. A sense amplifier is connected to the first and second global bit lines, and reads data stored in one of the first and second memory cells. |
| US09293170B2 |
Configurable bandwidth memory devices and methods
Memory devices and methods are described, such as those that include a stack of memory dies and an attached logic die. Method and devices described provide for configuring bandwidth for selected portions of a stack of memory dies. Additional devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. |
| US09293169B2 |
Seal-type label to contain pressurized gas environment
In some embodiments, a data storage device has a housing with a cover and a base to define an interior environment. Fasteners extend through the housing to secure respective shafts that support a rotatable data recording medium and an actuator assembly, respectively. Spaced apart first and second seals contactingly engage and surround the housing to sealingly cover the fasteners. Third and fourth seals contactingly engage the first and second seals and the housing to seal the first and second seals. |
| US09293166B2 |
Sputtering target material for producing intermediate layer film of perpendicular magnetic recording medium and thin film produced by using the same
There is disclosed a sputtering target material for producing an intermediate layer film of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, which is capable of dramatically reducing the crystal grain size of a thin film formed by sputtering. The sputtering target material comprises, in at %, 1 to 20% of W; 0.1 to 10% in total of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of P, Zr, Si and B; and balance Ni. |
| US09293164B2 |
Systems and methods for energy based head contact detection
The present inventions are related to systems and methods for determining contact between two elements, and more particularly to systems and methods for determining contact between a head assembly and a storage medium. |
| US09293152B2 |
Abrasion test methods and devices
A system according to one embodiment includes a carrier for receiving a module; a transport mechanism for running a tape across a tape bearing surface of the module; and a measuring device for measuring an extent of wear of a coating on a tape bearing surface of the module. A module according to one embodiment includes a body having a tape bearing surface, the body having an approximate tape bearing surface profile and dimensions as a module of interest; and a coating on the tape bearing surface. A method according to one embodiment includes measuring an initial coating thickness on a tape bearing surface of a module in a carrier; running a tape across the tape bearing surface; and at intervals, measuring a residual thickness of the coating. |
| US09293151B2 |
Speech signal enhancement using visual information
Visual information is used to alter or set an operating parameter of an audio signal processor, other than a beamformer. A digital camera captures visual information about a scene that includes a human speaker and/or a listener. The visual information is analyzed to ascertain information about acoustics of a room. A distance between the speaker and a microphone may be estimated, and this distance estimate may be used to adjust an overall gain of the system. Distances among, and locations of, the speaker, the listener, the microphone, a loudspeaker and/or a sound-reflecting surface may be estimated. These estimates may be used to estimate reverberations within the room and adjust aggressiveness of an anti-reverberation filter, based on an estimated ratio of direct to indirect (reverberated) sound energy expected to reach the microphone. In addition, orientation of the speaker or the listener, relative to the microphone or the loudspeaker, can also be estimated, and this estimate may be used to adjust frequency-dependent filter weights to compensate for uneven frequency propagation of acoustic signals from a mouth, or to a human ear, about a human head. |
| US09293149B2 |
Time warp activation signal provider, audio signal encoder, method for providing a time warp activation signal, method for encoding an audio signal and computer programs
An audio encoder has a window function controller, a windower, a time warper with a final quality check functionality, a time/frequency converter, a TNS stage or a quantizer encoder, the window function controller, the time warper, the TNS stage or an additional noise filling analyzer are controlled by signal analysis results obtained by a time warp analyzer or a signal classifier. Furthermore, a decoder applies a noise filling operation using a manipulated noise filling estimate depending on a harmonic or speech characteristic of the audio signal. |
| US09293145B2 |
Device and method for postprocessing a decoded multi-channel audio signal or a decoded stereo signal
According to the invention, a device (101, 101′) for postprocessing at least one channel signal of a plurality of channel signals of a multi-channel signal is described, the at least one channel signal being generated from a decoded downmix signal by a low-bit-rate audio coding/decoding system, the device comprising: a receiver (103; 103′) for receiving the at least one channel signal generated from the decoded downmix signal, a time envelope of the decoded downmix signal and a classification indication indicating a transient type of the at least one channel signal, wherein the classification indication is associated to the at least one channel signal, and a postprocessor (105; 105′) for postprocessing the at least one channel signal based on the time envelope of the decoded downmix signal weighted by a respective weighting factor and in dependence on the classification indication. |
| US09293144B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling audio frame loss concealment
Methods and related apparatuses control concealment for a lost audio frame of a received audio signal. A method for a decoder of concealing a lost audio frame includes detecting in a property of the previously received and reconstructed audio signal, or in a statistical property of observed frame losses, a condition for which the substitution of a lost frame provides relatively reduced quality. In case such a condition is detected, the concealment method is modified by selectively adjusting a phase or a spectrum magnitude of a substitution frame spectrum. |
| US09293131B2 |
Voice activity segmentation device, voice activity segmentation method, and voice activity segmentation program
Provided is a noise-robust voice activity segmentation device which updates parameters used in the determination of voice-active segments without burdening the user, and also provided are a voice activity segmentation method and a voice activity segmentation program.The voice activity segmentation device comprises: a first voice activity segmentation means for determining a voice-active segment (first voice-active segment) and a voice-inactive segment (first voice-inactive segment) in a time-series of input sound by comparing a threshold value and a feature value of the time-series of the input sound; a second voice activity segmentation means for determining, after a reference speech acquired from a reference speech storage means has been superimposed on a time-series of the first voice-inactive segment, a voice-active segment and a voice-inactive segment in the time-series of the superimposed first voice-inactive segment by comparing the threshold value and a feature value of the time-series of the superimposed first voice-inactive segment; and a threshold value update means for updating the threshold value in such a way that a discrepancy rate between the determination result of the second voice activity segmentation means and a correct segmentation calculated from the reference speech is decreased. |
| US09293129B2 |
Speech recognition assisted evaluation on text-to-speech pronunciation issue detection
Pronunciation issues for synthesized speech are automatically detected using human recordings as a reference within a Speech Recognition Assisted Evaluation (SRAE) framework including a Text-To-Speech flow and a Speech Recognition (SR) flow. A pronunciation issue detector evaluates results obtained at multiple levels of the TTS flow and the SR flow (e.g. phone, word, and signal level) by using the corresponding human recordings as the reference for the synthesized speech, and outputs possible pronunciation issues. A signal level may be used to determine similarities/differences between the recordings and the TTS output. A model level checker may provide results to the pronunciation issue detector to check the similarities of the TTS and the SR phone set including mapping relations. Results from a comparison of the SR output and the recordings may also be evaluation by the pronunciation issue detector. The pronunciation issue detector outputs a list that lists potential pronunciation issue candidates. |
| US09293124B2 |
Tempo-adaptive pattern velocity synthesis
A method of adjusting the presentation of music is provided. In the method, a sequence of musical notes is presented by a first music presenting device. A critical beat indicator defining a time within the sequence of musical notes for a critical beat point is received. An isolation indicator defining a period for note isolation for the sequence of musical notes is received. A velocity coefficient is calculated by a processor for each note of the sequence of musical notes. The velocity coefficient is calculated as a function of the defined time and the defined period for note isolation. The sequence of musical notes is presented by a second music presenting device using the calculated velocity coefficient. |
| US09293122B1 |
Drum mount providing isolated resonance
Some embodiments provide drum mounts for mounting a drum to supporting bracket arms, stands, or racks in a manner that does not impede drum shell resonance and that shields the drum mount and structure upon which the drum is mounted from absorbing the drum's vibrational energy during play. The drum mount is comprised of an inner mount plate, outer mount bar, and coupling assemblies. Each of the inner mount plate and outer mount bar couple to a drum shell or tension ring using the coupling assemblies. The coupling assemblies also couple the inner mount plate to the outer mount bar. The coupling assemblies include dampeners and endcaps with protrusions for minimizing surface area contact points from which energy can be transferred to the drum mount. |
| US09293121B2 |
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is disclosed which comprises a first tubular member having an inlet end and an outlet end, an interior surface, and an exterior surface and a second tubular member having an inlet end and a closed end having a one-way valve, the second tubular member adapted for receiving the first tubular member for moving the first tubular member relative to the second tubular member, and the second tubular member for receiving a liquid through the one-way valve. |
| US09293120B2 |
Adjustable capo device for fretted stringed instruments
An inventive set of small devices (‘capo elements’) to mechanically secure a string or strings of a guitar or other fretted stringed instrument at selected fret positions in order to selectively vary the string vibrational length and pitch when the string is plucked. This plurality of capo elements comprises a series of individual rectangular shaped blocks having formed on their upper portions a groove running parallel to the strings so shaped as to secure the string using an interference fit, thus preventing vibration at the distal end of the string and changing its pitch when plucked. Said capo elements feature a lip in the underside of the proximal portion of each capo element, so shaped as to overhang the raised fret, to ensure correct positioning of the capo element, and to secure the string at the same length as would otherwise have been achieved by fretting the string in the regular manner. Said capo elements have an adhesive bottom surface to secure them temporarily to the instrument fretboard. Said capo elements are made of a hard plastic so as not to dampen any vibration and deaden the tone, and are so sized as to enable them to be used adjacently on the same fret without impeding the movement of the musician's fretting hand. A plurality of capo elements are provided, one for each of the strings, though the musician has the option to leave desired strings unaltered without fitting capo elements. After use, the elements are removed manually and should not mark the fretboard. |
| US09293119B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing display updates on an interactive display device
A solution is proposed to perform display updates in a lower power user interface. According to one embodiment, the display panel is placed in the lower possible refresh rate that can be supported. Rendered updates are presented to the displays at the fasted possible pixel rates the communication interface between the rendering component to the display panel can support, and a buffer on the receiving end of the display receives and stores updated frames as they are rendered and transmitted. Subsequent display updates (generated in response to subsequent sensor input, for example) may be created and transmitted as soon as the preceding display frames are buffered. In the meantime, as soon as the update frame is transmitted, the timing controller of the display panel is instructed to interrupt the current refresh period and to immediately rescan the frame. |
| US09293116B2 |
Display apparatus for vehicle having two display areas and a pointer image movable between the two display areas
A vehicular display apparatus is disclosed. A display screen has first and second display areas for displaying first and second images generated by first and second drawing units, respectively. The apparatus displays a pointer image on an active area, which is one of the first and second display areas. In response to an input of user movement request for moving the pointer image into an inner edge portion of the active area, the apparatus switches the active area from the one of the first and second to the other, and switches the one into an inactive area, and the second drawing unit starts superimposing the pointer image on the other, and the first drawing unit stops superimposing the pointer image on the one. |
| US09293111B2 |
Flexible display device including a recognition pattern with different color concentration sub-patterns, and calibration method and display method thereof
A display device includes a flexible display panel including a recognition pattern, the recognition pattern having a plurality of sub-patterns with different color concentrations and disposed in a first direction, a housing accommodating the flexible display panel, the flexible display panel being configured to extend out of the housing in the first direction to vary a display area, and a photosensor in the housing, the photosensor corresponding to the recognition pattern and being configured to recognize the recognition pattern and to sense the display area of the flexible display panel. |
| US09293110B2 |
Batch parameter settings in a medical apparatus
Methods for setting mutually dependent parameters of a microprocessor controlled medical apparatus are disclosed. Mutually dependent parameters may be set by displaying mutually dependent parameter settings, displaying possible values for at least one parameter setting, whereby limits of the range of possible values is mutable and is automatically determined based on the current parameter settings, adjusting a parameter setting upon manual selection by an operator, automatically determining and displaying the value of at least one parameter setting depending on the parameter setting that is adjusted by the operator, whereby the determination of the dependent parameter setting is based on a stored relationship between parameter settings, implementing the set of adjusted parameter settings by actuating a batch setting acceptance operation, and operating the medical apparatus based on the set of adjusted parameter settings. |
| US09293109B2 |
Technique for storing shared vertices
A graphics processing unit includes a set of geometry processing units each configured to process graphics primitives in parallel with one another. A given geometry processing unit generates one or more graphics primitives or geometry objects and buffers the associated vertex data locally. The geometry processing unit also buffers different sets of indices to those vertices, where each such set represents a different graphics primitive or geometry object. The geometry processing units may then stream the buffered vertices and indices to global buffers in parallel with one another. A stream output synchronization unit coordinates the parallel streaming of vertices and indices by providing each geometry processing unit with a different base address within a global vertex buffer where vertices may be written. The stream output synchronization unit also provides each geometry processing unit with a different base address within a global index buffer where indices may be written. |
| US09293106B2 |
Display device and driving method thereof
A controller controls the driving frequency and voltages for a display device. If image data corresponds to a moving picture, the controller drives a data driver and a gate driver at a moving picture frequency. If image data corresponds to a still image, drives the data driver and the gate driver at a still image frequency lower frequency than the moving picture frequency. When the still image is to be displayed, the signal controller also controls leakage current of a thin film transistor of a pixel based on a representative value of the image data, such that positive leakage current applied for a positive data voltage is equal to negative leakage current applied for a negative data voltage. |
| US09293105B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and method of driving the same
A first substrate includes a first switching element arranged in a first color pixel and a second switching element arranged in a second color pixel of which color is different from the color of the first color pixel in an active area. A driving unit superimposes DC bias voltages on voltages corresponding to gradations to be displayed in the first color pixel and the second color pixel, and to supply the superimposed voltages to the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, respectively. A first halftone gradation voltage obtained by superimposing a first DC bias voltage on a voltage corresponding to a halftone gradation is supplied to the first pixel electrode. A second halftone gradation voltage obtained by superimposing a second DC bias voltage different from the first DC bias voltage on a voltage corresponding to the halftone gradation is supplied to the second pixel electrode. |
| US09293104B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
The liquid crystal display device includes a pixel portion including first and second regions and light sources. The first and second regions each include a liquid crystal element whose transmissivity is controlled in accordance with a voltage of an image signal and a transistor for controlling holding of the voltage, whose off-state current is extremely low. The light sources perform first and second drivings: lights whose hues are different from each other are sequentially supplied to the first region in a first rotating order and the lights are sequentially supplied to the second region in a second rotating order which is different from the first rotating order in the first driving; and a light having a single hue is supplied consecutively to one or both of the first and second regions in the second driving. The period for holding the voltage is different between the first and second drivings. |
| US09293099B2 |
Display drive circuit, display panel, and display device
A retention circuit (22) corresponding to each stage of a shift register is configured such that, when SROUT(k−1) is active, an input terminal of an inverter (INV1) and an output terminal of an inverter (INV2) are electrically connected to each other and an output terminal of the inverter (INV1) and an input terminal of the inverter (INV2) are connected to each other. This makes it possible to reduce a circuit scale of a display driving circuit without causing any malfunction of the display driving circuit. |
| US09293097B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes gate lines, data lines insulated from the gate lines while crossing the gate lines, and pixels each including sub-pixels in two successive rows by three successive columns. Among the sub-pixels in the two rows by the three columns, the sub-pixels in one of the three columns are respectively connected to a pair of different gate lines among three gate lines, and the sub-pixels in a different one of the three columns are connected to a remaining gate line among the three gate lines. The sub-pixels in the one and the different one of the three columns includes the same color filter and are applied with a gate signal transmitted in the same direction along pixel rows. |
| US09293095B2 |
Method and source driver for driving liquid crystal display
In one aspect of the invention, a source driver for driving a display panel to display an image data in an adaptive column inversion includes a data processing unit having a logic circuit adapted for determining N most-significant bits (MSBs) of image data signals of two neighboring data lines, such that when all of the N MSBs are equal to 1 or 0, the output of the logic circuit is 1, otherwise, the output of the logic circuit is 0, and a MUX coupled to the data processing unit and adapted for receiving a frame polarity control signal, FramePOL, and a pixel polarity control signal, XPOL, and selectively outputting the frame polarity control signal FramePOL when the output of the logic circuit is 1, or the pixel polarity control signal POL when the output of the logic circuit is 0, as a polarity control signal, POL. |
| US09293093B2 |
Gate driver in which each stage thereof drives multiple gate lines and display apparatus having the same
A gate driver circuit includes an N-th stage (‘N’ is a natural number) The N-th stage (‘N’ is a natural number) includes a pull-up part configured to output an N-th gate signal using a first clock signal in response to a node signal of the control node, a carry part configured to output an N-th carry signal using the first clock signal in response to the node signal of the control node, an first output part connected to an n-th gate line and configured to output an n-th gate signal using the N-th gate signal in response to a second clock signal having a period shorter than the first clock signal (‘n’ is a natural number), and a second output part connected to an (n+1)-th gate line and configured to output an (n+1)-th gate signal using the N-th gate signal in response to an second inversion clock signal having a phase opposite to the second clock signal. |
| US09293091B2 |
Display apparatus and method for driving the same
A display apparatus includes: a display panel including first to third sub pixels which receive a first grayscale data, a second grayscale data and a third grayscale data, respectively; a light source part which provides light to the display panel and sequentially turns on first and second light sources, which emit a first light and a second light having a color different from the first light, respectively; and a color conversion layer including a first photoluminescence part which is excited by the first light to emit light having a first primary color, a second photoluminescence part which is excited by the first light to emit light having a second primary color, and a third photoluminescence part which is excited by the first light to emit light having a third primary color, where the first to third photoluminescence parts overlap the first to third sub pixels, respectively. |
| US09293090B2 |
Gate-driving apparatus and display device including the same
A gate driving apparatus includes a first stage which outputs a first gate output signal, and a second stage which outputs a second gate output signal. The first stage includes: a transistor which includes a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; and a dummy transistor which includes a dummy gate electrode, a dummy source electrode and a dummy drain electrode. The gate electrode receives the second gate output signal, and the dummy source electrode is connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor and prevents static electricity from flowing to the first stage. |
| US09293087B2 |
Pixel and organic light emitting display device using the same
There is provided a pixel having an improved display quality. The pixel includes an OLED, a first transistor including a first electrode coupled to a data line and a second electrode coupled to an anode electrode of the OLED, and configured to control a current supplied to the OLED based on a voltage applied to a first node; a second transistor coupled between the data line and a second node; a third transistor coupled between the second node and a first power line for supplying reference power; and a first capacitor coupled between the first node and the second node. |
| US09293083B2 |
Pixel circuit and display
A pixel circuit and a display, wherein the pixel circuit includes: a first pixel sub-circuit and a second pixel sub-circuit, as well as an initialization module and a data voltage writing module connected to the first pixel sub-circuit and the second pixel sub-circuit; wherein the initialization module is connected to a reset signal terminal and a low potential terminal, and is used to initialize the first pixel sub-circuit and the second pixel sub-circuit under a control of a reset signal inputted from the reset signal terminal; the data voltage writing module is connected to a data signal line and a gate signal terminal, and is used to firstly write a first data voltage to the first pixel sub-circuit and the second pixel sub-circuit under a control of a signal inputted from the gate signal terminal and to compensate for a driving module of the second pixel sub-circuit, and then to write a second data voltage to the first pixel sub-circuit and compensate for a driving module of the first pixel sub-circuit. The pixel circuit and the display can reduce a size of pixel circuit, so as to further reduce a pixel pitch, increase the number of the pixels contained in per unit area and improve a picture display quality. |
| US09293082B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode display
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the display includes a display panel, a data driver, an emission control driver, a timing controller, a gate driver, an initialization driver, and a timing controller. The emission control driver is configured to sequentially apply an emission control signal to emission control lines, the emission control signal configured to determine a light emission period and a non-light emission period. The timing controller is configured to output a first start signal and a second start signal. The gate driver is configured to receive the first start signal from the timing controller, sequentially apply a gate initialization signal to gate initialization lines based on the first start signal, and sequentially apply a scan signal to the scan lines. The initialization driver is configured to receive the second start signal and sequentially apply an OLED initialization signal to the OLED initialization lines. |
| US09293074B2 |
Active-matrix substrate, display panel, and display panel manufacturing method including plural testing signal selection circuits
An active-matrix substrate includes: a substrate; gate lines disposed on the substrate; source lines disposed on the substrate in a direction that crosses the gate lines; a first terminal provided for each of data line blocks obtained by grouping every m-lines (m being an integer greater than or equal to 2) of the source lines into a block; a first selection circuit provided for each of the data line blocks, for causing conduction between the first terminal and at least one source line selected from among the m source lines; a second terminal provided for every n-blocks (n being an integer greater than or equal to 2) of the data line blocks; and a second selection terminal provided for every n-blocks of the data line blocks, for causing conduction between the second terminal and at least one source line selected from among the m×n source lines. |
| US09293072B1 |
Bubble generation novelty item
A novelty device for generating bubbles is disclosed. Disclosed is a bubble generation drinking cup that includes a vacuum cavity within a cup sidewall, where the vacuum cavity is partially filled with one or more fluid. The fluid generates bubbles continuously in response to a temperature differential within the vacuum cavity, brought on by a cold or hot liquid being present in the cup. A vial bubble generation ornament is disclosed that includes a tubular vial enclosing a vacuum cavity and a bubble generation capsule. The vacuum cavity is partially filled with a fluid. The bubble generation capsule generates bubbles in response to receiving sunlight. A bubble generation panel is disclosed that includes a vacuum cavity enclosed between two glass panes. The vacuum cavity includes a fluid which generates bubbles in response to receiving heat. The bubbles and fluid in the vacuum cavity create a visually appealing novelty device. |
| US09293070B2 |
Trade show display mount
An apparatus for mounting a flat screen television or monitor to a free standing display frame including a first elongate member and a second elongate member, the second elongate member being coupled to and arranged beside the first elongate member, a hook-shaped upper connector coupled to an upper end of the first elongate member, the upper connector including a first upper groove and a second upper groove, the first upper groove and the second upper grooves opening toward the first elongate member, and a generally foot-shaped lower connector coupled to a lower end of the first elongate member, the lower connector including a first lower groove and a second lower groove, the first lower groove and the second lower groove opening away from the first elongate member. |
| US09293068B1 |
Ambigram coin and kit
An ambigram coin comprises a coin body including a field having an obverse side, a reverse side, bound by a circumferential edge side, a central portion including a cut-out hollow ambigram legend therethrough. The ambigram coin includes two opposing cut-out hollow apertures that provide an opening through which a displaying device is passed therethrough. The ambigram coin includes a cut-out ambigram including the hollow letters “M” and “E”, ambigram “ME” at an obverse display position such that when the ambigram coin is vertically rotated symmetrically 180 degrees the cut-out ambigram “ME” reads as the cut-out ambigram “WE”, at a reverse display position. In another aspect, a kit is provided that includes an ambigram coin kit. In another embodiment, the ambigram coin further comprises a displaying device coupled to a connecting device so that the ambigram coin is used worn as jewelry. |
| US09293065B2 |
Apparatus and method for demonstrating the beneficial effects of elastic arteries
An apparatus for demonstrating the beneficial effects of elastic arteries comprising an input port connected to a one-way valve, the input port having an input cross sectional area; an expandable member having an input and an output, the input of the expandable member communicatively coupled with the input port and the one-way valve for allowing fluid to flow into the expandable member, and the expandable member capable of varying in volume based on a pressure exerted at the input port; and an output port communicatively coupled with the expandable member at the output for allowing fluid to flow out of the expandable member, the output port having an output cross sectional area that is smaller then the input port cross sectional area; and a method of demonstrating the beneficial effects of elastic arteries comprising providing an arterial elasticity simulator and analogizing concepts of cardiovascular physiology with the arterial elastic simulator. |
| US09293063B2 |
Finger position sensing for handheld sports equipment
A training device that includes a receiving surface on its handle, multiple capacitive sensor elements disposed within multiple grip areas on the receiving surface, a sense circuit configured to compare the capacitance measurements with threshold capacitance values and generate a signal when the capacitance measurements indicate a touch on the grip area and an indicator. |
| US09293058B2 |
Vehicle crew training system for ground and air vehicles
A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The Vehicle Crew Training System (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military ground and air vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need. |
| US09293057B2 |
Importing and analyzing external data using a virtual reality welding system
A real-time virtual reality welding system including a programmable processor-based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem, at least one mock welding tool capable of being spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The system is capable of simulating, in virtual reality space, a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. The system is further capable of importing data into the virtual reality welding system and analyzing the data to characterize a student welder's progress and to provide training. |
| US09293055B2 |
Smart electric taxi path control
An aircraft taxi control system may include a motor connected to drive a landing gear wheel of the aircraft. A motor controller may be connected to control speed of the motor. The system may also include an aircraft taxi route database, an aircraft position determination unit; an aircraft performance database and a processor configured to a) integrate signals from the aircraft taxi route database, the aircraft position determination unit and aircraft performance database, and b) produce a motor deceleration signal to the motor controller when the aircraft arrives at a predetermined distance from a predetermined location so that the aircraft arrives at the location traveling at a desired speed. |
| US09293052B2 |
System and method for modulating alerts for an intended runway
A system and method provide an alert to a pilot of an aircraft aurally with a given volume and inflection, and/or visually with a text message which includes color, font, and pitch (size). The alert is rendered in distinct fashion for the expected and unexpected cases, e.g., an intended runway and an unintended runway. In a preferred embodiment, the alert for the intended runway is changed to a confirmation level, or one that is less likely to interfere with other information flow, while the alert for the unintended runway would be provided in a more conspicuous manner. |
| US09293047B2 |
Methods and system for monitoring vehicle movement for use in evaluating possible intersection of paths between vehicle
A method for monitoring vehicle movement for use in a first vehicle includes the steps of determining a lane location at a first point in time, determining a position of a second vehicle at a second point in time, the second point in time being subsequent to the first point in time, and determining a path of the second vehicle based at least in part on the position of the second vehicle and the lane location. |
| US09293043B2 |
Driving support apparatus
A driving support apparatus which performs driving support regarding a traffic signal includes: a communication device which acquires time-series traffic signal information regarding the lighting state of the traffic signal; a time calculating unit which calculates the time remaining until the lighting state changes on the basis of the traffic signal information; and an output device which notifies a driver of lighting time information regarding the time remaining. When the time remaining is equal to or smaller than a threshold value, the output device does not perform notification of the lighting time information so that it can be difficult for the driver to predict the timing at which a red lighting state of the traffic signal will change. Accordingly, it becomes possible to suppress unsafe action by the driver based on the traffic signal information notification received. |
| US09293040B2 |
Data quality assessment and real-time evaluation of GPS probe data
Quality assessment of probe data collected from GPS systems is performed by a system and method of determining a value of data points provided by different vendors of such data. Incoming raw probe data is initially analyzed for removal of extraneous data points, and is then mapped to roadway links and smoothed out. The resulting output is processed to determine the coverage value of data provided by a given vendor and enable a comparison between different vendors. Such a model of probe data processing also enables an evaluation of a contribution of further vendors of raw probe data to an existing dataset. Additionally, a real-time performance evaluation of continually-ingested probe data includes building historical and data count profiles, and generating output data represented by a number of data points for a specific distance within a geo-box representing a geographical area, to project a value of raw probe data for a next incremental time period. |
| US09293036B2 |
Remote device control and energy monitoring by analyzing and applying rules
Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules. |
| US09293034B2 |
Power-saving remote control apparatus and power-saving manual control apparatus
A power-saving remote control apparatus (40) includes a remote control receiving unit (1022) and a main control unit (104). The main control unit (104) is configured to control the power-saving remote control apparatus (40) to enter a working mode when a controlled apparatus (30) needs to be turned on. The main control unit (104) is configured to control the power-saving remote control apparatus (40) to enter a sleeping-power-saving mode when the controlled apparatus (30) stops working, and then for every first predetermined time, the main control unit (104) is turned on to wake up the remote control receiving unit (1022) to scan a plurality of wireless signals (52). The main control unit (104) is configured to control the power-saving remote control apparatus (40) to enter the working mode if the wireless signals (52) include a wireless starting signal (54) for starting the controlled apparatus (30). |
| US09293032B2 |
Two-way communication for control of an entertainment device
Systems and devices for controlling at least one entertainment device include at least one remote in two-way communication with a base device. Memories of the remote and the base device are operable to store substantially the same data as the other such that if the remote or base device fails, data in the memory of the non-failing device is loaded into a memory of a replacement device. A memory of a second remote may also store the same data as the remote memory such that if either the first remote or the base device fails, data in the memory of the second remote is loaded into a memory of a replacement device. |
| US09293031B2 |
System and method for using customer data networks for alarm systems
An alarm system is disclosed for transmitting data over a data network at a monitored site. The alarm system may include at least two alarm panels operatively connected to the data network and connected to one another by an alternate data path. The alarm panels may be configured to communicate with one another via the data network if the data network is able to facilitate such communication. The alarm panels may further be configured to communicate with one another via the alternate data path if the data network is not able to facilitate such communication. A method of operating the disclosed system is also disclosed. |
| US09293026B2 |
Bed exit night light with increased functionality
The invention is an improved Bed Exit Night Light System designed to illuminate a hospital room if a patient leaves his bed, but automatically tracks medical personnel movement within the room and illuminates the room as appropriate to the medical tasks taking place. |
| US09293025B2 |
Emergency detection and alert apparatus with floor elevation learning capabilities
A device that can facilitate monitoring a wearer of the device and alerting emergency personnel of an emergent event can comprise a first sensor configured to generate elevation data that represents an elevation of the device, a second sensor configured to collect vital sign data of the wearer, and a third sensor configured to generate a geographic position of the device. The device also includes a processor configured to determine an elevation of a floor, and a floor location of the device. The processor is also configured to detect an emergent event affecting the wearer based on the first or second sensor. The device also includes a transmitter configured to transmit an initial alert in response to detecting an emergent event. The transmitter also configured to transmit a secondary alert in response to generating the geographic position and determining the floor location of the device within a pre-set time period of the emergent event. |
| US09293024B2 |
Sitting posture detection and reminder mechanism for a toilet
Systems and methods are provided for detecting a sitting posture of a user on toilet and generating notifications for the user based on the detected sitting posture. A sitting posture detection and reminder mechanism measures a distance X between a distance sensor and a body of the user sitting on the toilet. The mechanism calculates an angle α between the user's spine and the user's thighs based on the measured distance X and generates a sitting posture notification for the user based on the calculated angle α. The mechanism may operate a motor coupled to the toilet cover to automatically adjust an angle of the cover and guide the user into a healthy sitting posture. |
| US09293023B2 |
Techniques for emergency detection and emergency alert messaging
A method, apparatus, and/or system for monitoring a user and transmitting an emergency notification is disclosed. The apparatus can monitor a user's overall wellness and adherence to a therapy regimen. The apparatus can also detect a variety of emergency situations affecting the user. For example, the apparatus can detect a fall affecting the user, the activation of an emergency indicator by the user, or an emergency based on vital signs and the overall wellness of the user. The apparatus can generate and transmit an alert notification in response to determining an emergency is affecting the user. The apparatus can select the form of the alert and the network on which to transmit the alert. The apparatus can determine the form of the alert and the network based on the severity of the emergency and the strength of the networks available to the apparatus. The form of the alert and the transmission network selected can optimize the likelihood of the alert notification being successfully transmitted. |
| US09293020B2 |
Electronic article surveillance tag with tamper resistant magnetic lock
Method for operating a magnetically controlled lock in an EAS tag (100) involves the application of a magnetic field to a plunger (322) within a housing (102) of the EAS tag. The applied magnetic field is used to cause a translational movement of the plunger in a first direction. The method can further involve causing a latch (320) to pivot about a pivot axis (807) by using the translational motion (1002) of the plunger to apply a torque (1004) to the latch. Rotation of the latch in this way causes it to move to an unlocked position which releases a locking pin (106). |
| US09293019B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting a closed circuit condition in a security device lanyard
A security device may include a lanyard, a lanyard retention lock, and connectivity detection circuitry. The lanyard may include a first conductor and a second conductor that form an open circuit due to an insulator being electrically disposed therebetween. The lanyard retention lock may be configured to retain one or more ends of the lanyard to secure the security device to a protected object. The connectivity detection circuitry may be electrically connected to the first conductor and the second conductor. The connectivity detection circuitry may be configured to detect an occurrence of a closed circuit connection between the first conductor and the second conductor due to, for example, physical damage to the insulator, and may be configured to generate an alarm trigger signal in response to detecting the occurrence of the closed circuit connection between the first conductor and the second conductor. |
| US09293016B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing sensor data of detected objects
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for detecting, by a system including at least one processor, a presence of an object from sensor data generated by a sensor device, retrieving, by the system, from a memory device a plurality of profiles biometrically descriptive of approved objects, asserting, by the system, an alarm responsive to determining from the sensor data that the detected object is not biometrically correlated to any of the plurality of profiles, classifying, by the system, the detected object as an authorized object responsive to determining from the sensor data that the detected object is biometrically correlated to at least one of the plurality of profiles, and notifying, by the system, at least one neighboring device responsive to asserting the alarm or responsive to classifying the detected object as the authorized object. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09293014B2 |
Gaming device having persistently extending wild symbols
The present disclosure relates broadly to a gaming device operable under control of a processor together with a method of operating a gaming device. The disclosure relates particularly, although not exclusively, to a gaming device and method where a wild symbol is in the course of a plurality of games extends along at least one of a plurality of symbol reels. |
| US09293011B2 |
System and method for providing a community bingo game
A game system and method plays an electronic provides an electronic community bingo game. The electronic community bingo game is initiated on a predetermined periodic time period and has a predetermined qualifying basis. Each player's entry into the electronic community bingo game is normalized as a function of the respective player's wagers and the predetermined qualifying basis. |
| US09293010B2 |
Wagering agent
A gaming machine, such as a video slot or video poker machine, may be configured to execute an interface. The gaming machine may be configured to receive, a plurality of times, player input to play a first wagering game on the gaming machine. The gaming machine may be further configured to generate, each time the player input is received, game results for the first wagering game. The gaming machine may also be configured to generate game results for a second wagering game. The gaming machine may also be configured to present an animation of the wagering agent engaging in wagering activities. |
| US09293009B2 |
System and method for mapping results from sporting events to game inputs
A method of mapping sporting event results to inputs for a game is provided. One or more event results of a particular sporting event having a particular number of participants are received, and a set of rules is selected from a plurality of sets of rules based on the particular number of participants in the particular sporting event. For each of a plurality of bets, one or more inputs for a game are determined by applying the selected set of rules to the received one or more event results of the particular sporting event. The result of the game is then determined for each of the plurality of bets based at least on the one or more determined inputs for that bet. |
| US09292998B2 |
Games and gaming machines having wheel features
Gaming machines and games are configured with one or more wheel events or features. The wheel events or features may comprise main games or bonus games, or may comprise entertaining representations of outcomes of other games or events. The wheel events comprise the selection of one or more segments of a wheel having associated awards. Wheel events may have various entertaining configurations, including use of multiple wheels, concentric wheels and the like. |
| US09292994B2 |
Dual elevator large bottle vending apparatus and method
A combination vending/return apparatus includes a series of stacked counter-sloped, gravity fed track assemblies with radiused transition segments to receive and store empty large-volume bottles and to deliver pre-filled large-volume fluid-containing bottles. The apparatus is configured to accommodate, among other sizes, at least one of three (3) gallon, (4) four gallon, or (5) five gallon size bottles. A. dual elevator subassembly permits filled bottle dispensing and empty bottle receiving from a single door. The apparatus includes a processor-controlled transaction panel to make bottle selections for purchases and returns, and to handle electronic payment, promotional and credit transactions. Also disclosed is a method to vend large-volume fluid-containing bottles and retrieve used and emptied large-volume water bottles. |
| US09292992B2 |
Simplified smartcard personalization method, and corresponding device
The invention relates to a method for personalizing an electronic device using an encryption device adaptable to standard certified apparatuses. The encryption device makes it possible to ensure the confidentiality of the transfer of a secret code from the user to a possible personalization server. |
| US09292991B2 |
Receptacle assembly and a reverse vending machine comprising said receptacle assembly
A receptacle assembly for receiving empty containers includes a set of receptacles and a base. The base includes a guide adapted to control orientation of each receptacle in the set of receptacles when a receptacle is assembled on the base. When assembled on the base, each receptacle includes at least one inner side wall arranged adjacent to a side wall of another receptacle in the set of receptacles, and at least one outer side wall that does not face any side wall of a receptacle in the set of receptacles. The upper edge of a first inner side wall of a first receptacle extends downwards from a first intersection between the first inner side wall and one first outer side wall, to a point where the upper edge has a height which is lower than the height of any upper edge of each outer side wall of the first receptacle. |
| US09292988B2 |
Display and labeled article
A display includes a first optical effect layer including a first interface part, the first interface part being provided with recesses or protrusions arranged two-dimensionally at the minimum center-to-center distance of 200 nm to 500 nm, each of the recesses or protrusions having a forward-tapered shape, a reflective material layer covering at least a part of the first interface part, and a second optical effect layer including, at a position of a first portion of the first interface part that is covered with the reflective material layer, a portion that faces the reflective material layer with the first optical effect layer interposed therebetween or faces the first optical effect layer with the reflective material layer interposed therebetween, the second optical effect layer containing at least one of a cholesteric liquid crystal, a pearl pigment and a multilayer interference film. |
| US09292986B1 |
Secured storage container
A secured storage container for transporting storage devices from a data center to a destruction center for degaussing or other destruction techniques. The secured storage container can include a scanner for reading a barcode on the storage devices for inventory tracking. The container can also include a lid that is opened via a security badge for removing the storage devices from the container. A GPS-based tracking module can be used to ensure the container's location is aligned with a route to the destruction center. Finally, the container can have a moveable floor that moves upward as storage devices are removed so that a technician can easily remove all of the storage devices in the container. |
| US09292985B2 |
Operation communication system
An operation communication system is provided including a server, a mobile device, and a reader device. The server and the reader device communicate data with one another via the mobile device. The mobile device may communicates with the reader device via Bluetooth, for example. The mobile device may communicate with the server via the Internet, for example. Associated methods, devices and apparatuses are also provided. |
| US09292981B2 |
Construction machine controller
A construction machine controller includes: a first board operated by a construction machine embedded operating system; and a second board connected to the first board through a general purpose interface and operated by a general purpose PC operating system, wherein the first board includes a monitoring unit monitoring an operating state of the second board, and when the monitoring unit determines that the operating state of the second board is abnormal, the first board reactivates or stops the second board. |
| US09292971B2 |
Three-dimensional tactical display and method for visualizing data with a probability of uncertainty
A feeder program is utilized for collecting and reading in and maintaining a time synchronization for combat fire solutions which may include threat containment regions. The threat containment regions are defined in terms of a probability of at least one threat being located therein. A three-dimensional viewer program displays bathometry information, an ownship relative position relative to said bathometry information, and determines what portions of said plurality of threat containment regions and said tracking and position information are to be displayed based on an angle of a view. |
| US09292969B2 |
Dimensioning system calibration systems and methods
Systems and methods of determining the volume and dimensions of a three-dimensional object using a dimensioning system are provided. The dimensioning system can include an image sensor, a non-transitory, machine-readable, storage, and a processor. The dimensioning system can select and fit a three-dimensional packaging wireframe model about each three-dimensional object located within a first point of view of the image sensor. Calibration is performed to calibrate between image sensors of the dimensioning system and those of the imaging system. Calibration may occur pre-run time, in a calibration mode or period. Calibration may occur during a routine. Calibration may be automatically triggered on detection of a coupling between the dimensioning and the imaging systems. |
| US09292968B2 |
Mapping processing method and device
A mapping method includes; mapping first and second models, each represented by polygonal elements of meshes and including a same number of regions, to a first and a second spherical surfaces, respectively; approximating boundaries of the regions by curves and moving nodes based on the curve approximation; associating the nodes on the boundary of first sphere with points on the boundary of the second sphere; moving the nodes other than the nodes on the boundary by minimizing changes of shapes and areas of the polygonal elements under a constraint that the nodes on the boundary of the first sphere are placed at positions corresponding to the associated points on the second sphere; and calculating a point in the second model for each of the nodes in the first model, from the corresponding node after the movement on the first sphere and corresponding polygonal elements on the second sphere. |
| US09292966B2 |
Method and system for improved optical modeling of gemstones
Methods of constructing a virtual model of a gemstone are provided. Aspects of the methods include performing measurements of the gemstone to construct a three-dimensional (3D) model of an exterior surface of the gemstone; identifying one or more visible inclusions within an interior volume of the gemstone; capturing at least one image of the inclusion; using the at least one image to determine relevant optical characteristics of the inclusion; and constructing a 3D virtual model of the inclusion. |
| US09292964B2 |
Method and system for accessibility and control of parameters in scenegraphs
A method and system for providing access to and control of parameters within a scenegraph includes redefining components or nodes' semantic within a scenegraph. The set of components or nodes (depending on the scenegraph structure) are required to enable access from the Application User Interface to selected scenegraph information. In one embodiment, a user interface is generated for controlling the scenegraph parameters. In addition, constraints can be implemented that allow or disallow access to certain scenegraph parameters and restrict their range of values. |
| US09292956B2 |
Automated video looping with progressive dynamism
Various technologies described herein pertain to generating a video loop. An input video can be received, where the input video includes values at pixels over a time range. An optimization can be performed to determine a respective input time interval within the time range of the input video for each pixel from the pixels in the input video. The respective input time interval for a particular pixel can include a per-pixel loop period and a per-pixel start time of a loop at the particular pixel within the time range from the input video. Moreover, an output video can be created based upon the values at the pixels over the respective input time intervals for the pixels in the input video. |
| US09292954B1 |
Temporal voxel buffer rendering
Systems and methods can be used to render an animated scene using a temporal voxel buffer. A voxel buffer including a plurality of voxel arrays is received. A voxel array includes at least one time value associated with a voxel and at least one parameter value associated with each time value. For each pixel of an image to rendered, a plurality of rays are cast through the voxel grid. A time value is associated with each ray. A parameter value is sampled at each voxel along a ray at the time associated with the ray. A pixel value is determined based on the sampled parameter values for the plurality of rays. |
| US09292953B1 |
Temporal voxel buffer generation
Systems and methods can be used to generate data to be stored in a temporal voxel buffer. A renderer can receive at least one input primitive and a voxel grid. A sampling lattice can be generated based on the at least one input primitive and the sampling lattice can be shaded. Each voxel of the voxel grid can be sampled at a plurality of sample times and a plurality of sample positions within the voxel. A voxel buffer is generated for the voxel grid. The voxel buffer stores a voxel array in association with each voxel of the voxel grid based on the sampling. |
| US09292951B2 |
Service coverage identification using augmented reality
Facilitating service coverage identification using augmented reality is contemplated. The service coverage information may relate to wireless signaling metrics collected for wireless access points. A reality view captured with a mobile device to reflect an area proximate the access points may augmented with the service coverage information such that the resulting augmented reality view identifies variances or other parameters of the service coverage information relative to the mobile device. |
| US09292949B2 |
System and method for labeling maps
A system and method for label placement is disclosed that achieves the twin goals of practical efficiency and high labeling quality by employing cartographic heuristics. A caller defines map and label properties. Then labels are pulled within a map boundary. Labels are next ordered by priority in descending importance. The order of testing labels is determined. Attempts are made to move overlapping labels. This is an iterative process; therefore there must be criteria that halt the procedure. Upon reaching an acceptable solution, the label properties are adjusted to reflect the new label placements. |
| US09292947B2 |
Image processing apparatus and an image processing method for generating mosaic image(s)
To generate a high-quality mosaic image even in a case where a material image having a shape different from that of a region in which the material image is to be placed is used. A target image is divided into a plurality of different-sized regions. The size of a material image is changed in accordance with the area of corresponding one of the regions, and is placed in the region on the basis of the chromatic component of the region. In the case of overlapping material images that have been placed, control processing is performed so that a smaller one of them is placed on a larger one of them. |
| US09292945B2 |
Projector, image display system, and method of controlling projector
An image display system includes a first projector and a second projector, and makes the first projector and the second projector operate in cooperation with each other to form a single projection image on a common screen. The first projector and the second projector are connected to each other via a signal line. A master control section of the first projector transmits a control signal to a subordinate control section of the second projector. The subordinate control section of the second projector controls a projection section of the second projector based on the control signal. Thus, the controllability of the image display system provided with a plurality of projectors is enhanced. |
| US09292942B2 |
Image signal compensation apparatus and liquid crystal display including the same
Provided are an image signal compensation apparatus and a liquid crystal display (LCD) including the same. The image signal compensation apparatus includes a lookup table (LUT) and an image signal compensation unit. The LUT includes reference data that corresponds to each combination of first and second reference gray levels and is arranged in a matrix. The image signal compensation unit receives first and second image signals, receives reference data corresponding to the first and second image signals from the LUT, and compensates the second image signal using the reference data. The reference data includes diagonal reference data located on a diagonal line in the matrix, and at least one diagonal reference data from among the diagonal reference data has a different value from a corresponding combination of the first and second reference gray levels. |
| US09292938B2 |
Methods and systems for image data processing
Embodiments of the computer-implemented methods, storage mediums, and systems may be configured to determine locations of particles within a first image of the particles. The particles may have fluorescence-material associated therewith. The embodiments may include calculating a transform parameter, and the transform parameter may define an estimated movement in the locations of the particles between the first image of the particles and a second image of the particles. The embodiments may further including applying the transform parameter to the locations of the particles within the first image to determine movement locations of the particles within the second image. |
| US09292935B2 |
Sensor-based evaluation and feedback of exercise performance
Disclosed herein are techniques and systems for evaluating exercise performance of a user by utilizing one or more intelligent sensors, including at least one camera-based sensor configured to detect image data of the user. The at least one camera-based sensor may be mounted on any suitable structure, including a stationary exercise device. A system including the camera-based sensor may further comprise a performance assessment module stored in memory and executable by one or more processors to determine an exercise performance condition of the user based at least in part on the detected image data. An output module may output an evaluation of the exercise performance condition or an instruction to take corrective action. The fitness machine may thereby provide real-time, constructive feedback regarding the user's exercise performance based on the sensed data and utilizing fuzzy logic and other forms of intelligent software. |
| US09292934B2 |
Image processing device
Disclosed is a method for correcting for shimmer due to thermal turbulence, even for moving subjects, on a time smoothed base. The device is provided with: a movement compensation means that, for a correction-targeted block of a correction-targeted image within an input image, uses a temporally proximate correction image to derive movement information about a moving object, performs motion compensation, and outputs a correction block and a cost value; and a shimmer correction means that carries out time averaging processing, in accordance with the cost value, of the correction-targeted block and the correction block, and outputs a corrected block in which shimmer of the moving object has been corrected, and correction information. Through two-stage motion detection, the movement compensation means extracts and compensates for movement of a moving object, in a manner unaffected by thermal turbulence. |
| US09292931B2 |
Apparatus, method for extracting boundary of object in image, and electronic device thereof
The invention provides an apparatus and method for extracting a boundary of an object in an image and an electronic device. The apparatus includes: a position determining unit, configured to determine a start point and an end point of a boundary of an object in an image and to determine a position of a reference point relevant to the start point and the end point; a first direction determining unit, configured to determine a first direction of the boundary; a gradient map obtaining unit, configured to obtain a gradient map of a first region; a gradient attenuating unit, configured to attenuate in the gradient map the gradients of a second region; and an extracting unit, configured to extract a boundary of an object. The technology of the invention can improve the accuracy of boundary extracting, and can be applied in the field of image processing. |
| US09292928B2 |
Depth constrained superpixel-based depth map refinement
A method of forming a refined depth map DR of an image I using a binary depth map DI of the image, said method comprising segmenting (315) the image into a superpixel image SREP, defining (330) a foreground and a background in the superpixel image SREP, to form a superpixel depth map DS, intersecting (450) the respective foreground and the background of the superpixel depth map DS with the binary depth map DI determined independently of the superpixel image SREP, to define a trimap T consisting of a foreground region, a background region and an unknown region, and forming the refined binary depth map DR of the image from the trimap T by reclassifying (355, 365) the pixels in the unknown region as either foreground or background based on a comparison (510) of the pixel values in the unknown region with pixel values in at least one of the other trimap regions. |
| US09292927B2 |
Adaptive support windows for stereoscopic image correlation
Systems, apparatus and methods are described related to adaptive support windows for stereoscopic image correlation. |
| US09292922B2 |
Point cloud assisted photogrammetric rendering method and apparatus
A point cloud assisted photogrammetric restitution method is described. Said method comprises: the simultaneous visualization on a screen (5) of the ensemble of a stereoscopic image (33) and a point cloud (34) acquired on a given area (2), said stereoscopic image deriving from at least a couple of photogrammetric images (11) acquired on said given area (2) and oriented according to the same coordinate system of the point cloud, the real time connection of the collimation mark (S) of the stereoscopic image with the corresponding collimation mark (S′) of the point cloud. |
| US09292917B2 |
Method and system for model-based fusion of computed tomography and non-contrasted C-arm computed tomography
A method and system for model-based fusion of multi-modal volumetric images is disclosed. A first patient-specific model of an anchor anatomical structure is detected in a first medical image acquired using a first imaging modality, and a second patient-specific model of the anchor anatomical structure is detected in a second medical image acquired using a second imaging modality. A weighted mapping function is determined based on the first patient-specific model of the anchor anatomical structure and the second patient-specific model of the anchor anatomical structure using learned weights to minimize mapping error with respect to a target anatomical structure. The target anatomical structure from the first medical image to the second medical image using the weighted mapping function. In an application of this model-based fusion to transcatheter valve therapies, the trachea bifurcation is used as the anchor anatomical structure and the aortic valve is the target anatomical structure. |
| US09292906B1 |
Two-dimensional image processing based on third dimension data
Systems, methods and computer readable media for two-dimensional image processing based on third dimension data are described. Some implementations can include a method comprising obtaining first image data having a plurality of pixel values and obtaining second image data corresponding to each pixel value in the first image data. The method can also include receiving an indication of one or more control points in the first image data. The method can further include selectively filtering the first image data based on a distance from the control point and on one or more data values in the second image data corresponding to the corresponding control point. The method can also include outputting the selectively filtered first image data. |
| US09292905B2 |
Method and device for processing of an image by regularization of total variation
The invention addresses the problem that traditional Total Variation only enforces the horizontal and vertical intensity continuity and thus fails to reconstruct oblique edges well. In an embodiment, Directional Total Variation is defined which supports multiple gradient directions. It first pre-processes the image and determines the direction of edges/texture; Directional TV is calculated based on the gradients along the determined direction and its orthogonal direction. By utilizing adaptive weights to different directions in the regularization, Directional TV is capable of preserving edges independent from their orientation nicely. Thus, Directional TV regularization based image denoising, compression or super resolution tend to obtain better quality. |
| US09292904B2 |
Video image processing with parallel processing
This document discusses systems and methods that track overall time for processing operations such that the processing time can be shared among the resources efficiently. Processing time can be shifted to image processing to provide the most benefit to image quality. Moreover, access time from one process is banked to be used by a subsequent process or on a subsequent group of pixels. This document discusses systems and methods that provide additional processing power on an as needed basis. For example, a processing stage and its controller are outside the normal pixel processing flow path. When it is determined that additional processing is required, the processing stage and its controller are activated to perform the additional processing. This document discusses systems and methods that provide parallel processing in a processing stage such that the data can flow internal to the controller linked to the processing stage and globally. |
| US09292903B2 |
Overlap aware reordering of rendering operations for efficiency
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for rendering using a graphics processing component (GPC). A computing device can receive instructions for a GPC, including an instruction IA associated with a first portion of a canvas. An insertion position in an instruction buffer for instruction IA can be determined by: determining an instruction IB in the instruction buffer that is associated with a second portion of the canvas. If the first and second portions overlap, the insertion position can be based on an overlapping-instruction position of IB in the instruction buffer. Otherwise, if instructions IA and IB are similar, then the insertion position can be based on a second position of IB in the instruction buffer. Otherwise, the insertion position can be determined based on an ending position of the instruction buffer. Instruction IA can be inserted in the instruction buffer at the insertion position. |
| US09292902B1 |
Remote rendering control objects
This disclosure is directed to the control of graphical output of a second computing device by a first computing device. According to these techniques, a first computing device may be configured to generate at least one control object that includes at least one control script. The at least one control script is configured to be executed according to an execution environment (e.g., a graphics processing environment) of the second computing device. Once executed, the at least one control script may be configured to access a native application programming interface (API) of the second computing device to cause graphical data to be presented via an output interface (e.g., a display) communicatively coupled to the second computing device based on a context defined by the at least one control object. |
| US09292899B2 |
Reference frame data prefetching in block processing pipelines
Block processing pipeline methods and apparatus in which pixel data from a reference frame is prefetched into a search window memory. The search window may include two or more overlapping regions of pixels from the reference frame corresponding to blocks from the rows in the input frame that are currently being processed in the pipeline. Thus, the pipeline may process blocks from multiple rows of an input frame using one set of pixel data from a reference frame that is stored in a shared search window memory. The search window may be advanced by one column of blocks by initiating a prefetch for a next column of reference data from a memory. The pipeline may also include a reference data cache that may be used to cache a portion of a reference frame and from which at least a portion of a prefetch for the search window may be satisfied. |
| US09292896B1 |
Watermarking media assets at the network edge
Watermarking techniques are described which can be performed at network edge locations such as a Content Delivery Network (CDN) point-of-presence (POP). An edge server can identify users by request and apply a watermark based on the user to media content stored locally. Performance is improved by moving the watermarking from a central location closer to the user in terms of network proximity. An edge server can receive instructions on what type of watermark to assign and how to assign it. The edge server can use requester's identity to create and apply watermarks at the time of transferring media content to the requester. Individualized watermarking is applied to the bits transmitted to the device, the watermark indicating the specific user downloading the stream, time of transmission, etc. Watermarking can be applied throughout all of the frames of the media content rather than merely attaching it at a specific place. |
| US09292893B2 |
Chaotic watermarking for a digital image
Examples of encoding and decoding a watermark for a digital image and to using the watermark for authenticating the digital image are disclosed. The examples may include embedding a chaotic watermark in a digital image and using parameters associated with source and capture information for the digital image to both generate the chaotic watermark and to authenticate the digital image. |
| US09292891B2 |
Recovery of time due to an unplanned event on a reserved route
Providing reserved routes for a plurality of vehicles, in which the at least a location is monitored and communicated from each of a plurality of vehicles having GPS devices and traveling to destinations on reserved routes with guaranteed arrival times. For a traffic event along one of the reserved routes; determining if any of the plurality of vehicles are affected or will be affected by the traffic event and calculating alternate routes for those vehicles The alternate routes are sent to the GPS devices in the affected or possibly affected vehicles and once the vehicle has reached the destination, comparing an actual arrival time of the vehicle at the destination to the guaranteed arrival time, and if the actual arrival time is later than the guaranteed arrival time, crediting a user of the vehicle for at least a portion of an amount paid for reserving the reserved route. |
| US09292887B2 |
Reducing transmissions of measurements of affective response by identifying actions that imply emotional response
A system, method, and computer product for reducing volume of transmissions of measurements of affective response are described herein. In one embodiment, an interaction analyzer receives a description of an interaction of a user with a media controller that controls presentation of content to the user. The interaction analyzer identifies from the description an action that causes a deviation from a progression of presentation of the content that would have occurred had the action not taken place. A transmitter sends a request to transmit measurements of affective response, taken by a sensor, during a window during which the user likely expressed an affective response related to the action. In some embodiments, the request is received by a transceiver coupled to the sensor with memory sufficient to store measurements of affective response of the user taken since the start of the window, which precedes the time the request is sent. |
| US09292886B2 |
Method and system for providing social media ecosystem classified listings
A method and system for providing social media ecosystem classified listings. Plural classified listings are accepted and displayed by the social media ecosystem in plural different categories for plural different geographic locations. Social index values and social commerce connections for plural user who posted the plural classified listings are created or updated when a classified listing is viewed or a purchase is made for a good or service listed in plural classified listings. Public access is provided to the plural classified listings via plural public search engines and plural social media sites. However, communication with a user who posted a classified listing is private and to communicate a viewer of a classified listing is required to enter information to log into a private system. Public search of classified listings is provided with private communication security and also ensuring the social media index values and social commerce connections of the plural users who have posted classified listings are properly updated in the social media ecosystem. The social media ecosystem classified listing services are provided on a cloud communications network for mobile and non-mobile devices. |
| US09292882B2 |
Social circle based social networking
Systems and methods of the present invention relate to the implementation of a novel social network. In one particular implementation, the invention includes transmitting contact data for displaying graphical representations of contacts for display to a first user, the contacts being contacts of the first user within a private circle in a computer-implemented social networking service; generating a first inner social circle corresponding to the first user, the first inner social circle comprising a first subset of contacts of the first user within the social networking service and defining a first distribution for digital content within that first inner social circle; and creating a sub-account by the first user, the sub-account corresponding to a second user, the sub-account being managed by the first and second users; wherein the second user becomes a member of the first inner social circle. |
| US09292880B1 |
Circle model powered suggestions and activities
The circle model powered suggestions and activities system provides a way to efficiently and effectively manage relationships. The circle model powered suggestions and activities system provides a way to model relationships for a user and assist the user with creating groupings of relevant constituents into context circles, provide suggested activities to members of the modeled relationships as well as facilitate the user with managing the user's relationships. The system analyzes public and private data, and tracks the user's interactions and the interactions of the constituents' of the user in order to generate suggested activities (including conversation starters) for the users and the constituents of the users. The system refines the semantic analysis and learning algorithms used to perform the analysis by analyzing the activities engaged in by the users and the constituents of the users related to suggested activities. |
| US09292877B2 |
Methods and systems for generating concept-based hash tags
Methods for automatically recommending hash tags for use with comments generated by the comment authors comprise analyzing existing comments to determine reach and influence of authors of the existing comment, and hash tags and keywords that are included in the existing comments. The methods further comprise using the comment and linked content of links included in the existing comment to determine concept information associated with the existing comments, where the concept information is determined using a server computing system configured with an Intelligent Data Operating Layer (IDOL) application, and where the concept information, the reach and influence information, the keywords and the hash tags are stored in a hash tag database. The methods further comprise analyzing new comments as they are being generated by authors of the new comments where the new comments and any linked content associated with the new comments are analyzed by the server computing system configured with the IDOL application to determine related concept information, and recommending possible hash tags to the authors of the new comments using the concept information of the new comments and the information stored in the hash tag database. |
| US09292875B1 |
Using CE device record of E-card transactions to reconcile bank record
Transactions using a bank customer's electronic debit or credit card (“e-card”) are monitored by the card owner's consumer electronic (CE) device and reported to a server associated with the financial institution maintaining the e-card records for reconciliation to reveal possible fraud. |
| US09292874B2 |
Method and apparatus for risk management
An integrated risk management tool includes a persistent object database to store information about actors (individuals and/or groups), physical surroundings, historical events and other information. The risk management tool also includes a decision support system that uses data objects from the database and advanced decision theory techniques, such as Bayesian Networks, to infer the relative risk of an undesirable event. As part of the relative risk calculation, the tool uses a simulation and gaming environment in which artificially intelligent actors interact with the environment to determine susceptibility to the undesired event. Preferred embodiments of the tool also include an open “plug-in” architecture that allows the tool to interface with existing consequence calculators. The tool also provides facilities for presenting data in a user-friendly manner as well as report generation facilities. |
| US09292872B2 |
Interactive product configuration
An example product configuration system includes a Configuration Input Manager that receives a selection of configuration parameters from a system user and coordinates obtaining input from the external information sources regarding the selected configuration parameters. Requests for input are transmitted along a plurality of communication channels individually selected for each configuration parameter. The Configuration Builder then assimilates the various input, such as the collective knowledge, opinions, preferences, experience, and other input provided by the external information sources, and compiles that information to generate a plurality of proposed product configurations that are consistent with the information provided. |
| US09292871B2 |
System and method for providing a single input field having multiple processing possibilities
Disclosed herein are methods for providing a buy option to search results. That one location for a search field can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. A buy button can be included a search result to the user input in the input search field. Payment for an item can be processing using a payment account registered with the system with delivery coordinated from a separate merchant. This approach reduces the number of interactions, starting when the user opens a browser or application, to get to a purchase or a search result. |
| US09292866B2 |
Distribution of content
Among other things, publishers of digital content are enabled each to define, for each of one or more digital content items, a style in which the digital content item is to be presented to a user and a condition under which the user may have the digital content item presented. The digital content items are stored in a content library, the styles and conditions associated with the digital content items are stored in a server. Each of the digital content items is enabled to be presented to users within presentation contexts that are accessible to the users and controlled by presentation context providers. The presentation of the digital content items includes obtaining the digital content items from the server and controlling the presentation to occur under the conditions and in the styles defined by the publishers. |
| US09292863B2 |
Representative keyword selection
Systems and methods in clued those for serving one or more advertisements contextually-relevant to an initial web page. Terms are selected from the initial web page that may be used as representative keywords to select advertisements that are contextually relevant to the initial web page. Keyword candidates are filtered via a series of operations that include: querying a network for web pages where the one or more keyword candidates are found, filtering the web pages based on time/date characteristics and a pre-defined number of web pages, analyzing the web pages using the one or more keyword candidates, and selecting certain keyword candidates to be representative keywords based on the analysis. The one or more representative keywords may be used to select one or more advertisements that may then be served with the initial web page. |
| US09292862B2 |
Method and system for sending marketing messages to mobile-device users from a mobile-commerce platform
Methods and systems for sending marketing messages to mobile-device users from a mobile-commerce platform are described. In various illustrative embodiments, a marketing message is transmitted to a mobile-device user before, during, or after a transaction between the mobile-device user's mobile device and the mobile-commerce platform. The marketing message can be generated and timed based on rules input to the mobile-commerce platform by a merchant and can be based on historical transaction data associated with the mobile-device user, transaction parameters associated with a current or a most-recently-completed transaction involving the mobile-device user, a transaction type of a current or a most-recently-completed transaction involving the mobile-device user, or a combination thereof, depending on the particular embodiment. |
| US09292861B2 |
Methods and systems for routing calls
An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier. |
| US09292860B2 |
Clickstream analysis methods and systems related to modifying an offline promotion for a consumer good
Methods and systems are provided herein for the analysis of clickstream data of online users. The analysis methods and systems allow for the creation of new offline business methods based on online consumer behavior. |
| US09292857B2 |
One-click exceptions
A method and system for automatically defining and applying an exception rule to reports created from at least one multi-dimensional database, comprising: defining global exception parameters, displaying at least one report created from a multi-dimensional database, receiving a user command to detect exceptional cells in the displayed report, locating the most relevant time dimension in the semantics of the source database of the report, detecting exceptional cells in the displayed report according to the exception parameters and the most relevant time dimension, calculating an exception quality for each detected exceptional cell, and indicating on the displayed report the exceptional cells, the indication comprising differentiating between different exception qualities, wherein the exception rule is independent of data granularity in the time dimension in the report. |
| US09292853B2 |
Automated market cart
A weighing scale, digital control panel and a laser scanner are mounted on each “Automated Market Cart”, and the operation of purchasing items is based in coordinating a store's main Computer data with the weight of any item by means of the use of a weighing scale, digital control panel and a barcode on each item, scanned by the customer. The “Automated Market Cart” gives the customers the ability to purchase anything with minimal human assistance.The unique weight and the barcode for each item will be transmitted to the stores main computer. The main store's computer function is that once an item is weighted and the barcode is received from the digital control panel microprocessor, it will check against the database of that unique item and calculate the total price and it will also control all auditing, purchasing, receiving, inventory controls, transferring of products to and from other locations. |
| US09292849B2 |
Mobile one-time card number generator for ATM usage
Embodiments are directed to a mobile bank card number generator for digital wallet. Embodiments receive a request from a user to perform an ATM transaction on an account owned by the user; in response to the request to perform an ATM transaction, generate a one-time bank card number associated with the account owned by the user; generate a readable indicia based at least in part on the one-time bank card number; and initiate communication of the readable indicia to an ATM, wherein the ATM receives a user authentication credential from the user, a bank system validates the user authentication credential and in response to validating the user authentication credential, approves the ATM transaction for the user's account. |
| US09292847B2 |
Check cashing with a mobile phone
A card actuated automated banking machine (152, 198, 200) includes a plurality of transaction function devices. The transaction function devices include a card reader (170), a printer (174), a bill dispenser (176), a display (182), a check imaging device (186), and at least one processor (190). The machine is operative, responsive to receiving a check and certification data, to dispense cash in exchange for the check. The person presenting the check to the machine need not provide user identifying inputs through input devices of the machine in order to receive cash for the check. Furthermore, prior to accepting the check as a payment, the person can communicate with at least one computer (204) through at least one consumer interface device (208) to verify that the check is payable for the check amount. |
| US09292845B2 |
Automated opening of electronic wallet function in mobile device
A method includes bringing a mobile device into proximity with an indicium, the indicium adjacent a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC), the RFID IC coupled to an antenna. The method further includes the mobile device reading a message from the RFID IC, where the message is transmitted by the RFID IC via the antenna. The method further includes the mobile device responding to the message by opening an electronic wallet function in the mobile device. |
| US09292841B2 |
System and method for transferring playlists
A method, computer program product and computing device for selecting at least one playlist for transfer, the at least one playlist being stored on a first personal media device. The at least one playlist is converted to a common format, thus generating a first common format playlist. Communication is established with a second personal media device. The first common format playlist is transferred to the second personal media device. |
| US09292838B2 |
Payment link
In one embodiment, an intended recipient of money transmits a payment link created by the recipient to an intended sender of money, where the link contains a locator to a site of a payment provider, information about the recipient (e.g., phone number), and the amount of money to be sent. The link can be sent via email, text, IM, or other means. The sender then accesses the link, such as by clicking or tapping on the link, which launches a checkout or payment page for the sender on the payment provider site. The sender completes the payment page, and the payment is sent to the recipient by the payment provider. |
| US09292836B2 |
Determining communication recipient availability
A method, computer program product, and system for determining communication recipient availability is described. A method may comprise receiving, via one or more computing devices, an indication that there is an intended recipient of a communication. The method may further comprise, in response to receiving the indication that there is the intended recipient of the communication, determining, via the one or more via one or more computing devices, if the intended recipient is available enough to receive the communication based upon, at least in part, one or more registries of availability, a communication type associated with the communication, and one or more user-defined parameters for the communication type. The method may also comprise, in response to determining, via the one or more via one or more computing devices, that the intended recipient is not available enough to receive the communication, suggesting one or more additional recipients to receive the communication. |
| US09292835B2 |
Determining communication recipient availability
A method, computer program product, and system for determining communication recipient availability is described. A method may comprise receiving, via one or more computing devices, an indication that there is an intended recipient of a communication. The method may further comprise, in response to receiving the indication that there is the intended recipient of the communication, determining, via the one or more via one or more computing devices, if the intended recipient is available enough to receive the communication based upon, at least in part, one or more registries of availability, a communication type associated with the communication, and one or more user-defined parameters for the communication type. The method may also comprise, in response to determining, via the one or more via one or more computing devices, that the intended recipient is not available enough to receive the communication, suggesting one or more additional recipients to receive the communication. |
| US09292834B2 |
Messaging system with content-based dynamic menu generation
A unified messaging system for an enterprise includes a messaging module operable to store a message sent by a first user to a second user in a first media type, and to deliver the message to the second user in either the first type or a second media type. A natural language speech parsing (NLSP) module coupled with the messaging module is operable to detect an actionable item contained within the message, the messaging module dynamically modifying a response menu to include an option corresponding to the actionable item, and then presenting the modified response menu to the second user concurrent with or following delivery of the message. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. |
| US09292833B2 |
Batching notifications of activities that occur in a web-based collaboration environment
Systems and methods of batched notifications of activities that occur in a web-based collaboration environment are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for detecting activities occurring in an online collaboration environment, generating a notification event for one or more of the activities, and selecting one or more recipients for each notification event according to criteria determined based on a workspace in which the associated activity was performed in the online collaboration environment. The indications of each notification event are then added to one or more queues associated with the one or more recipients and, upon expiry of a queue timer, the contents of the one or more queues associated with the one or more recipients are sent to the corresponding one or more recipients as batched notifications. |
| US09292830B2 |
Method and apparatus for social media advisor for retention and treatment (SMART)
A method and apparatus are implemented in one or more processors for processing various social media data received over a network for collection, analysis, and application to business logic and/or business applications. Based on personally identifying information of an account holder, social media data regarding the account holder is retrieved from one or more social media sources or a clearing house over the network. The retrieved social media data is processed (i.e., parsed and/or filtered, and validated) via certain criteria. A usefulness score for the social media data is computed based on various factors including at least one of an identity match value, a truth confidence value, and a context data relevance value. The social media data and its computed usefulness score can be presented to a user and business applications for further processing and treatment of the account holder. |
| US09292829B2 |
System and method for updating status information
To avoid the need to access multiple applications and perform multiple corresponding status changes each time a user or device's status or availability changes, multiple status updates can be generated and provided to corresponding systems, according to a detected event. To enable status updates to be provided to multiple systems based on the detected event, a status update module can be used, which is operable to send multiple status updates to multiple systems on behalf of a mobile device. By using a status server or other network-based component to performing such updating, processing can be offloaded from the mobile devices and updates can be performed even when the mobile devices are not communicable with the systems being updated. |
| US09292826B1 |
Adaptive bit rates in multicast communications
A resource such as a server derives multiple streams of data based on particular content. Each of the multiple streams of data is encoded to enable play back of the content according to a different level of quality. The server transmits the multiple streams of data of differing levels of quality on a multicast link downstream to one or more intermediate nodes that, in turn, distribute the streams of data to end users. For example, an intermediate node retrieves a respective stream of data from the multiple streams of data and forwards the selected stream of data over a second portion of the multicast link to a respective client device. The intermediate node can transmit a different stream of data to the respective client device depending on available bandwidth. The client device plays back the transmitted stream of data to produce a rendition of the particular content. |
| US09292822B2 |
Supplemental system for business intelligence systems
In various implementations, a supplemental system may be provided. The supplemental system may be coupled to business intelligence environment(s) to facilitate deployment, version control, testing, and/or other processes. |
| US09292815B2 |
Automation of data storage activities
A system receives data storage workflow activities that include computer-executable instructions for carrying out data storage workflow in a network data storage system. Once the workflow is received, the system deploys the workflow to one or more workflow engines that can execute the various data storage activities related to the workflow. Prior to executing a data storage activity, the system can determine which workflow engine to use based on an allocation scheme. |
| US09292806B2 |
Apparatus, method, and program for managing network instrument connected to network
An information processing apparatus for managing a network instrument connected to a network is disclosed. This apparatus includes a storage device storing setting information of a network instrument as a management target, a receiving device receiving the setting information of the network instrument, a comparing device comparing the setting information stored in the storage device with the setting information received from the network instrument, a setting device overwriting the setting information stored in the storage device on setting of the network instrument if the setting information stored in the storage device is different from the setting information received from the network instrument as a result of comparison by the comparing device, and a priority setting device setting a network instrument which gives priority on the setting information in the storage device and a network instrument which gives no priority on the setting information in the storage device. |
| US09292804B2 |
Energy management system with user interface
An energy management apparatus and a user interface method thereof, an electric device controlled by the energy management apparatus, and an energy management apparatus including the same are disclosed. A user interface that intuitively and simply displays a user input for controlling energy consumption of the electric device and a degree of inconvenience that a user experiences when the electric device operates according to the user input is provided to allow the user to be intuitively aware of the degree of inconvenience due to the user input, thereby enabling more intuitive user interaction. |
| US09292802B2 |
Client apparatus configured to communicate with device and server via network
A client apparatus is configured to communicate with a device and with a server via network. A status-information acquiring portion acquires, from the device, status information indicative of status of the device. A requesting portion makes a predetermined request to the server based on the status information. A request-status-information acquiring portion acquires, from the device, request status information indicative of a request status of the predetermined request. A determining portion determines whether the predetermined request is already made to the server, based on the request status information acquired by the request-status-information acquiring portion. A request controlling portion determines that the predetermined request should be made to the server, if the determining portion determines that the predetermined request is not yet made. An instructing portion instructs the device to set the request status information to a requested state, if the request controlling portion determines that the predetermined request should be made. |
| US09292801B2 |
Sparse variable optimization device, sparse variable optimization method, and sparse variable optimization program
A gradient computation unit computes a gradient of an objective function in a variable to be optimized. An added variable selection unit adds a variable corresponding to a largest absolute value of the computed gradient from among variables included in a variable set, to a nonzero variable set. A variable optimization unit optimizes a value of the variable to be optimized, for each variable included in the nonzero variable set. A deleted variable selection unit deletes a variable that, when deleted, causes a smallest increase of the objective function from among variables included in the nonzero variable set, from the nonzero variable set. An objective function evaluation unit computes a value of the objective function for the variable to be optimized. |
| US09292796B1 |
Harvest advisory modeling using field-level analysis of weather conditions and observations and user input of harvest condition states and tool for supporting management of farm operations in precision agriculture
A modeling framework for evaluating the impact of weather conditions on farming and harvest operations applies real-time, field-level weather data and forecasts of meteorological and climatological conditions together with user-provided and/or observed feedback of a present state of a harvest-related condition to agronomic models and to generate a plurality of harvest advisory outputs for precision agriculture. A harvest advisory model simulates and predicts the impacts of this weather information and user-provided and/or observed feedback in one or more physical, empirical, or artificial intelligence models of precision agriculture to analyze crops, plants, soils, and resulting agricultural commodities, and provides harvest advisory outputs to a diagnostic support tool for users to enhance farming and harvest decision-making, whether by providing pre-, post-, or in situ-harvest operations and crop analyzes. |
| US09292794B2 |
Voltage-based clustering to infer connectivity information in smart grids
Techniques, systems, and articles of manufacture for voltage-based clustering to infer connectivity information in smart grids. A method includes clustering multiple voltage time series measurements into one or more groups, wherein said multiple voltage time series measurements are derived from one or more sensors; determining a connectivity model based on the one or more groups; comparing the determined connectivity model to an existing connectivity model to detect one or more inconsistencies between the determined connectivity model and the existing connectivity model; and updating the existing connectivity model based on said one or more detected inconsistencies. |
| US09292792B1 |
Classification systems and methods using convex hulls
A computerized classifier system that forms convex hulls containing all training experiences for each target class (e.g. threat/non-threat) is disclosed. The intersection of convex hulls for each pair of classes defines a region of ambiguity in feature space. Measurement of feature vector(s) outside an ambiguous region of feature space leads to a class decision while measurement of feature vector(s) within an ambiguous region of feature space defined by convex hulls causes a transition to a new feature space with new features. In particular embodiments, measured feature data includes estimated motion states and electrical lengths of a given object, and range, velocity and acceleration image data from second phase differences for debris mitigation. |
| US09292788B2 |
Event-driven universal neural network circuit
The present invention provides an event-driven universal neural network circuit. The circuit comprises a plurality of neural modules. Each neural module comprises multiple digital neurons such that each neuron in a neural module has a corresponding neuron in another neural module. An interconnection network comprising a plurality of digital synapses interconnects the neural modules. Each synapse interconnects a first neural module to a second neural module by interconnecting a neuron in the first neural module to a corresponding neuron in the second neural module. Corresponding neurons in the first neural module and the second neural module communicate via the synapses. Each synapse comprises a learning rule associating a neuron in the first neural module with a corresponding neuron in the second neural module. A control module generates signals which define a set of time steps for event-driven operation of the neurons and event communication via the interconnection network. |
| US09292787B2 |
Computer-implemented deep tensor neural network
A deep tensor neural network (DTNN) is described herein, wherein the DTNN is suitable for employment in a computer-implemented recognition/classification system. Hidden layers in the DTNN comprise at least one projection layer, which includes a first subspace of hidden units and a second subspace of hidden units. The first subspace of hidden units receives a first nonlinear projection of input data to a projection layer and generates the first set of output data based at least in part thereon, and the second subspace of hidden units receives a second nonlinear projection of the input data to the projection layer and generates the second set of output data based at least in part thereon. A tensor layer, which can converted into a conventional layer of a DNN, generates the third set of output data based upon the first set of output data and the second set of output data. |
| US09292784B2 |
Counter for a fluid or powder dispenser device
A dose counter, the counter having a base body, with a rotary counter element assembled in the base body on a pin forming the axis of rotation. The rotary counter element co-operating with an actuator member adapted to cause the rotary counter element to turn each time the actuator member is actuated. The actuator member including a fastener for fastening to the base body (460) and arranged on a first side of the pin, and a substantially rigid support portion arranged on a second side of said pin. The support portion supporting an actuator element so that, on each actuation, the actuator element is moved in translation. The support portion is connected to the fastener via an elastically-deformable portion that surrounds the pin. The support portion is extended towards the pin by a substantially-rectilinear flexible branch that supports a lug adapted to co-operate with the counter element on each actuation. |
| US09292783B2 |
Radio frequency identification tag having diversion-proof function and manufacturing method thereof
The present invention provides a radio frequency identification electronic tag with diversion-proof function and a process for making the same. The radio frequency identification electronic tag with diversion-proof function is formed of a supporting layer, a release liner, an antenna and a chip, wherein the release liner is bonded to one side of the supporting layer to form an entity, the antenna is bonded to the other side of the release liner, or, the antenna is bonded to the two sides of the entity formed by the supporting layer and the release liner, and is connected via overbridge points on the antenna, the overbridge points run through the supporting layer and the release liner so that antennas at the two sides are switched into conduction; the chip is bonded to the antenna. Once the RFID tag with diversion-proof function is peeled off or transferred, its physical structure will be destroyed and the information contained therein cannot be read, achieving the object of incapable of being reused. At the same time, the thermosetting resins are bonded organically according to the processing technology of the RFID tag, then the bonding points and the overbridge points of the chip have higher bonding fastness with the supporting layer, it is not easy for the chip to peel off with the release liner and better overbridge effect is achieved, which can greatly improve the yield of the finished RFID tag with diversion-proof function. |
| US09292772B2 |
Image processing apparatus for paper-carving art
An image processing apparatus includes a detecting portion, a correspondence setting portion, a piling order determining portion, and a print data generating portion. The detecting portion detects color information based on image data. The correspondence setting portion determines respective colors of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of a material M based on the color information, and associates the determined colors with respective section image regions which are made by the read image being sectioned based on the color information. The piling order determining portion determines a piling order of paper sheets having those colors. The print data generating portion generates print data of an image that includes cutting lines for each of paper sheets composing the material M1. A control portion causes an image forming portion to form line images indicating the cutting lines based on the print data in accordance with the piling order. |
| US09292769B1 |
Iterative calibration omitting first corrections from a next iteration
In an example implementation, a method of iterative calibration includes, in a first iteration, measuring first values of a calibration parameter, and determining first corrections for the measured first values. The method includes, in a next iteration, measuring next values of the calibration parameter that incorporate the first corrections. The first corrections are omitted from the next iteration measurements to provide pseudo iteration measurements, and the first iteration measurements are averaged with the pseudo iteration measurements. Second corrections are then determined based on the averaging. |
| US09292764B2 |
Method and apparatus for selectively providing information on objects in a captured image
A method for providing object information for a scene in a wearable computer is disclosed. In this method, an image of the scene is captured. Further, the method includes determining a current location of the wearable computer and a view direction of an image sensor of the wearable computer and extracting at least one feature from the image indicative of at least one object. Based on the current location, the view direction, and the at least one feature, information on the at least one object is determined. Then, the determined information is output. |
| US09292762B2 |
Region extraction system
Provided is a region extraction system that uses an image data analysis process, which has overcome the problem of false positives in region extraction and assists in more accurate region extraction. A luminance distribution-analyzing unit (105) is used to determine a parameter of unknown quantity for extracting a region of interest. The luminance distribution-analyzing unit (105) searches a luminance distribution management database (106) for a region, which has a luminance distribution similar to the region of interest and is easily extracted, as a similar area. The region of the similar area is extracted using a region extraction pre-processing unit (107) and the value of the parameter of unknown quantity is determined on the basis of an image feature value calculated from the region extraction results. |
| US09292761B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and program
There is provided an image processing device including a feature point extraction unit that extracts feature points from an input image, a feature amount calculation unit that calculates feature amounts of the feature points, an image processing unit that processes the marker image to transform the feature amounts of non-distinguishing feature points into feature amounts of distinguishing feature points when the feature points extracted from a marker image included in the input image are not distinguishing, and a marker image generation unit that generates a new marker image based on the processing result. |
| US09292755B2 |
Shape detection and ellipse fitting of a polygon
A method of shape detection detects a figure with a contouring loop method that extracts at least one iso-contour polygon from a set of pixels in an image using a triangular lattice superimposed over the set of pixels of the image. Then starting from an original triangle, the iso-contour polygon is extracted by selecting an intensity chroma value within the set of pixels between three corners of a triangle to find a directed line segment that represent the crossing of the intensity value within the triangle, and an exit point of the directed line segment and a nearest triangle which contains the next directed line segment of the at least one iso-contour polygon are determined to create a first matrix of points on the at least one iso-contour polygon, until arriving at the original triangle. |
| US09292754B2 |
Method for face recognition
A method for a face recognition by a face recognition service server, includes receiving a face image that is photographed from a face registration terminal or a face recognition terminal; detecting a face area of the received face image; and quantifying at least one quality factor for the detected face area in order to determine whether the received face image is suitable as sample image required for face recognition. Further, the method includes selecting the received face image as the sample image required for the face recognition when the quality factor satisfies a predetermined quality criterion. |
| US09292747B2 |
Methods and systems for automatic and semi-automatic geometric and geographic feature extraction
Methods and systems for facilitating detecting features in sensor data are described. One example method implemented by a computing device includes receiving a first set of sensor data about a geographical region, and generating a second set of sensor data. The first set of sensor data includes data in a plurality of bands. The second set of sensor data is generated by receiving a first input designating a first sub-region of the geographical region, and determining a single band representation of at least a portion of the first set of sensor data associated with the first sub-region. |
| US09292745B2 |
Object detection apparatus and method therefor
An object detection apparatus includes a first detection unit configured to detect a first portion of an object from an input image, a second detection unit configured to detect a second portion different from the first portion of the object, a first estimation unit configured to estimate a third portion of the object based on the first portion, a second estimation unit configured to estimate a third portion of the object based on the second portion, a determination unit configured to determine whether the third portions, which have been respectively estimated by the first and second estimation units, match each other, and an output unit configured to output, if the third portions match each other, a detection result of the object based on at least one of a detection result of the first or second detection unit and an estimation result of the first or second estimation unit. |
| US09292744B2 |
Process for producing and delivering matching color coating and use thereof
The present invention is directed to a process for repairing one or more defects of a target coating of a vehicle. The process can repair target coatings at a repair facility using matching coating compositions provided from a supply center, where the matching coating compositions can be produced according to target repair data transmitted from one or more repair facilities to the supply center. The present invention is also directed to a system for repairing one or more defects of a target coating of a vehicle. The system can comprise one or more supply centers and one or more repair facilities. |
| US09292735B2 |
Living body recognizing device
A living body recognizing device is equipped with a captured image acquiring unit which acquires captured images from infrared cameras having a characteristics that a luminance of an image portion of a target object becomes higher as a temperature of the target object becomes higher than a background, and vice versa, according to a temperature difference between the background and the target object, a living body image extracting unit which executes a first living body image extracting processing of extracting the image portion of the target object assumed as a living body, from a region in the captured image where the luminance is equal to or lower than a first threshold value, and a living body recognizing unit which recognizes an existence of the living body, based on the image portion of the target object extracted by the living body image extracting unit. |
| US09292731B2 |
Gesture-based signature authentication
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, devices, and machine-readable mediums for implementing gesture-based signature authentication. In one embodiment, a method may involve recording a first gesture-based signature and storing the recorded first gesture-based signature. Then the method compares the first gesture-based signature with a second gesture-based signature. Then the method verifies the first gesture-based signature as authentic when the first gesture-based signature is substantially similar to the second gesture-based signature. |
| US09292728B2 |
Electronic device for reallocating finger biometric template nodes in a set memory space and related methods
An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor, a memory, and a processor capable of generating a respective finger biometric template node for each finger positioning adjacent the finger biometric sensor. The processor may also be capable of allocating a set space of the memory to store a total number of finger biometric template nodes based upon a first number of fingers and with each finger having a first number of finger biometric template nodes associated therewith. In addition, the processor may reallocate the set space of the memory to store the total number of finger biometric template nodes but with a second number of finger biometric template nodes associated with at least one finger, with the second number of finger biometric template nodes being different than the first number of finger biometric template nodes. |
| US09292724B1 |
Hand held symbology reader illumination diffuser with aimer optics
An imager defines a field of view and an optical axis. An illuminator directs illumination towards a region of interest, the region of interest being an intended position of the object. A tapered translucent diffuser is concentrically aligned with the optical axis, and has a first distal end proximate to the imager, and a second distal end proximate to the region of interest. The tapered translucent diffuser includes a darkened region, the darkened region to absorb a portion of the illumination to substantially reduce reflection of the portion of the illumination toward the object. A light guide can be positioned proximate the first distal end and the imager, such that a second illuminator can generate an aimer beam that passes through the light guide to produce an aimer pattern on the object. |
| US09292721B2 |
NFC receiver architecture with improved power sensitivity
An electronic communication device includes an antenna configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and generate a differential current signal at a first tag pin and a second tag pin. A first variable resistor is coupled to the first tag pin and a second variable resistor is coupled to the second tag pin. A mixer circuit is coupled across the first variable resistor and the second variable resistor and is configured to generate an output voltage. The output voltage is used for RF signal detection at all RF signal levels. |
| US09292718B2 |
Apparatus for forming and reading an identification feature and method thereof
Embodiments of the invention provide a method of reading and verifying a tag based on inherent disorder during a manufacturing process. The method includes using a first reader to take a first reading of an inherent disorder feature of the tag, and using a second reader to take a second reading of the inherent disorder feature of the tag. The method further includes matching the first reading with the second reading, and determining one or more acceptance criteria, wherein at least one of the acceptance criteria is based on whether the first reading and the second reading match within a predetermined threshold. If the acceptance criteria are met, then the tag is accepted, and a fingerprint for the tag is recorded. The invention further provides a method of testing and characterizing a reader of inherent disorder tags during a manufacturing process. The method includes taking a reading of a known inherent disorder tag, using the reading to measure a characteristic of the reader, and storing the measured characteristic for use when reading inherent disorder tags. |
| US09292715B2 |
Shared secret used between keyboard and application
A system comprises a processor which executes an operating system and an application. The system also comprises a keyboard coupled to the processor. The keyboard and application share a shared secret that is used to encode keyboard data provided from the keyboard to the application. The shared secret is not known or accessible to the operating system. |
| US09292710B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating identification key
Provided is an apparatus for generating an identification key by a probabilistic determination of a short occurring between nodes constituting a circuit, by violating a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process. The identification key generating apparatus may include an identification key generator to generate an identification key based on whether a contact or a via used to electrically connect conductive layers in a semiconductor chip shorts the conductive layers, and an identification key reader to read the identification key by reading whether the contact or the via shorts the conductive layers. |
| US09292702B2 |
Dynamic switching of security configurations
Disclosed is a computer implemented method, computer program product, and apparatus to switch security configurations. A data processing system accesses a first security configuration via a thread of execution, wherein a security configuration comprises at least one security parameter. The thread receives an incoming request. The thread switches to a second security configuration that specifies a resource, based on the incoming request, responsive to receiving the incoming request. The thread stores the second security configuration or a reference to the second security configuration to a stack. The thread authenticates the incoming request based on the second security configuration. The thread grants or denies access to the resource. The thread executes a method referenced in the incoming request. The thread restores to a first security configuration, responsive to completing the method. |
| US09292697B2 |
Matrix code for encryption, storage, and transmission of data
A computing device utilizes matrix codes to securely communicate information with a variety of servers. The computing device receives public user data, and generates a display of a base matrix code for reading by a scanner associated with a first server, wherein the base matrix code includes the public user data in a first mask. Responsive to the display of the base matrix code to the scanner associated with the first server, the computing device receives first private user data from the first server. The computing device generates a display of a first combined matrix code for reading by a scanner associated with a second server, wherein the first combined matrix code includes the public user data in the first mask and includes the first private user data in a second mask. The computing device can receive the public and first private user data in a matrix code. |
| US09292695B1 |
System and method for cyber security analysis and human behavior prediction
A method for analyzing computer network security has been developed. The method first establishes multiple nodes, where each node represents an actor, an event, a condition, or an attribute related to the network security. Next, an estimate is created for each node that reflects the case of realizing the event, condition, or attribute of the node. Attack paths are identified that represent a linkage of nodes that reach a condition of compromise of network security. Next, edge probabilities are calculated for the attack paths. The edge probabilities are based on the estimates for each node along the attack path. Finally, an attack graph is generated that identifies the easiest conditions of compromise of network security and the attack paths to achieving those conditions. |
| US09292692B2 |
System and device for verifying the integrity of a system from its subcomponents
A system and device for verifying the integrity of a system from its components, the system comprising a plurality of components each having a physical state, the system and the device comprising a processor that is connected to each of the components, the processor configured to verify systemic integrity by performing verification on some or all specified components. The verification may be individual (1, 1) or threshold (n, 1), and may be interactive or non-interactive. |
| US09292690B2 |
Anomaly, association and clustering detection
Techniques are provided for anomaly, association and clustering detection. At least one code table is built for each attribute in a set of data. A first code table corresponding to a first attribute and a second code table corresponding to a second attribute are selected. The first code table and the second code table are merged into a merged code table, and a determination is made to accept or reject the merged code table. An anomaly is detected when a total compression cost for a data point is greater than a threshold compression cost inferred from one or more code tables. An association in a data table is detected by merging attribute groups, splitting data groups, and assigning data points to data groups. A cluster is inferred from a matrix of data and code words for each of the one or more code tables. |
| US09292689B1 |
Interactive malicious code detection over a computer network
A file or other data unit may be scanned for malicious code by calculating a hash value of a portion of the file or data unit and transmitting the hash value of the portion over a computer network to a remotely located server computer. In the server computer, the hash value of the portion may be compared to hash values of malicious codes. The server computer may send the result of the comparison over the computer network to the client computer. The client computer may send one or more additional hash values of other portions of the file or data unit when the result indicates that the hash value of the portion matches a hash value of malicious code. Otherwise, the client computer may deem the file or data unit to be free of malicious code. |
| US09292683B2 |
Computing device security
Techniques for providing security for a computing device are described herein. In one example, a maintenance issue for the computing device is detected. Additionally, a maintenance credential proximate the computing device can be detected. Furthermore, an alarm system within the computing device can be disabled in response to detecting an authorized maintenance credential. |
| US09292681B2 |
Password audit system
A password audit system is provided for determining the strength of user passwords in a computer system, application or network to which users have access via a user identification and password. The password audit system may include: an interface for establishing a data connection between the password audit system and the computer system, application or network, configured to retrieve cipher text user passwords stored thereon; a central processing unit, configured to successively generate different plain text passwords, encode them into corresponding cipher text passwords, and compare the encoded cipher text passwords to a given one of the retrieved cipher text passwords, until a match is found or a predetermined time has elapsed; and data storage means for storing data relating to the strength of the user passwords, the strength being dependent on the employed method to generate the different plain text passwords and/or the time needed to find a match. |
| US09292678B2 |
Unlocking a computing device via images
A mechanism is provided for unlocking a locked computing device based on a knowledge of a user. Responsive to detecting an intent to utilize the locked computing device, a subset of the images is randomly selecting in an identified tag category from a plurality of tagged images, the subset of images comprising a plurality of tags in the identified tag category. An order in which the user must gesture to the plurality of tags in the subset of images is randomly selected. The subset of images and the order in which the user must gesture to the plurality of tags in the subset of images to the user is presented to the user. Responsive to the user gesturing to a subset of tags in the subset of images in the selected order, the locked computing device is unlocked. |
| US09292672B2 |
Service providing method, recording medium, and information processing apparatus
A service providing method executed by an information processing apparatus that provides a first service, the method includes receiving role information from a terminal apparatus in use by a user, the role information indicating that a second service provided by another information processing apparatus and a role assigned to the user in the second service; and determining a role assigned to the user in the first service according to the role information and relationship information that indicates a relationship between the local apparatus and the another information processing apparatus, in correspondence to the second service. |
| US09292666B2 |
Methods and apparatus for locating an unauthorized virtual machine
Methods and apparatus of locating an unauthorized virtual machine are disclosed. A virtual machine is registered with a management system. When the virtual machine is requested to start, the system determines whether the virtual machine is in an authorized environment. In an authorized environment, the virtual machine is enabled to operate normally. In an unauthorized environment, the virtual machine is disabled. The disabled virtual machine gathers information about the unauthorized environment and transmits the information to the virtual machine owner. |
| US09292665B2 |
Secure serial number
A serial number for a software product is secured with an authenticator value. The authenticator value and the serial number are evaluated entirely by a remote authentication server such that no cryptographic authentication occurs on a local computer on which the software product is being installed. An abbreviated portion of the authenticator value is used for offline authentication. |
| US09292658B2 |
Evidence based medical record
Various embodiments provide systems, computer program products and computer implemented methods. In some embodiments, a system includes a method of providing a confidence-estimation-based inference, the method includes receiving a query concerning a patient from a user, accessing an electronic health record (EHR) for the patient, the EHR including a first component regarding the patient, querying the user, using a conversational interface, for a second component regarding the patient, the second component being in a natural language information form, receiving the second component regarding the patient in response to the query, calculating a first probability density function using the first component, and a second probability density function using the second component, combining the first and second probability density functions using a Gaussian mixture model, calculating at least one conditional probability table using the Gaussian mixture model and providing the confidence-estimation-based inference based on the at least one conditional probability table. |
| US09292655B2 |
Method and computing system for providing an interface between an imaging system and a reporting system
A method, apparatus and computer program product are disclosed to provide an interface between an imaging system for presenting medical images acquired by various modalities and a reporting system for generating and presenting reports, such as reports relating to the medical images. In the context of a method, the method may include participating in a transfer of information relating to a context of one or more images presented by the imaging system so as to cause a reporting template to be restructured based upon the context of one or more images presented by the imaging system. The method also includes causing an action to be taken in one of the imaging system or the reporting system based upon data provided by another of the imaging system or the reporting system. |
| US09292654B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing diagnostic imaging examinations with tutorial means for the user, both in the preparatory step and in the operative step
Apparatus for performing diagnostic imaging examinations with tutorial means for the user, both in the preparatory step and in the operative step, and method for using the apparatus. The apparatus includes, stored into dedicated memory units, a list of procedural steps, with relevant text explanations and/or example images and/or example videos, reference parameters of setting status of commands and/or of execution sequence relevant to the execution of each procedural step, reference quality parameters of images and/or of reception signals relevant to acquisition of specific types of images, feedback means for detecting steps made by the operator and feedback means for detecting quality parameters of acquired images, and means for comparing procedural steps performed by the operator and quality parameters of acquired images and/or of reception signals with procedural steps and relevant reference quality parameters of images provided into the list stored into the image processing and/or acquisition procedure memory unit. |
| US09292651B2 |
System for partitioning integrated circuit design based on timing slack
A method of physical design of an IC using an EDA tool includes identifying elements of the IC design that have excess positive timing slack. The excess timing slack elements are placed in a separate partition and then parameters of the characteristics of the excess timing slack elements are modified to reduce their excess timing slack, such as reducing the voltage supplied to the separate partition, thereby lowering power consumption of the IC design. |
| US09292648B1 |
Activity-driven capacitance reduction to reduce dynamic power consumption in an integrated circuit
In an embodiment, a methodology for designing an integrated circuit that attempts to improve power efficiency is provided. The methodology includes simulating the design under one or more power stimuli, where the power stimuli are known to cause high power consumption (e.g. in previous designs of the integrated circuit, the power stimuli may have caused power consumption). A set of nets within the integrated circuit may be identified that have the highest activity in the simulation (e.g. the highest amount of switching). The methodology may include providing data to the routing tool that is to route the nets in the integrated circuit. The data may indicate constraints for the set of nets, to help reduce dynamic power on these nets. Power efficiency of the integrated circuit may be improved if the routing tool is able to honor the constraints. |
| US09292646B2 |
Integrated circuit design system with balanced color assignment
A method comprises grouping sub-components based on an association between the sub-components and connections coupled to the sub-components. The method also comprises determining a total ratio area per group based on normalized ratio units of the sub-components. The method further comprises identifying a priority group based on a ranking of the groups, the ranking being based on the total area per group. The method also comprises assigning, by a priority assignment process, a first color scheme or a second color scheme to the sub-components included in the priority group. The method further comprises assigning, by an other assignment process, the first color scheme or the second color scheme to the remainder of the sub-components. At least the other assignment process is based on a balancing of a first total area of sub-components having the first color scheme with a second total area of sub-components having the second color scheme. |
| US09292641B2 |
Timing bottleneck analysis across pipelines to guide optimization with useful skew
Techniques and systems for guiding circuit optimization are described. Some embodiments compute a set of aggregate slacks for a set of chains of logic paths in a circuit design. Each chain of logic paths starts from a primary input or a sequential circuit element that only launches a signal but does not capture a signal and ends at a primary output or a sequential circuit element that only captures a signal but does not launch a signal. Next, the embodiments guide circuit optimization of the circuit design based on the set of aggregate slacks. |
| US09292640B1 |
Method and system for dynamic selection of a memory read port
A method and system of dynamically selecting a memory read port are provided. In one form a method may comprises, in part, processing instructions in the emulation processors of a hardware functional verification system, storing output bits generated by the LUT in a plurality of storage elements, selecting between a plurality of previously-stored LUT output bits and the output port of the data memory, selecting one of the plurality of output bits stored in the storage elements, and sending the current data bit provided at the output port of the data memory to a selection circuit when previously-stored LUT output bits are provided. The disclosed systems and methods provide the ability all inputs to a LUT, even while a memory read port is occupied performing other operations during that emulation step, for example sending a value stored in the memory to another emulation processor using the selection circuit. |
| US09292639B1 |
Method and system for providing additional look-up tables
A method and system of providing additional lookup tables in an emulation processor cluster of an emulation chip of a hardware functional verification system is provided. An indirection table may be used within the processor cluster to provide the commonly-used function tables for the lookup tables (LUTs). The indirection table may be indexed according to a smaller portion of the standard LUT function table provided by an instruction than otherwise needed. The unused function table bits in the instruction may then be used for other purposes, including providing functionality to one or more extra LUTs of the processor cluster, whose function tables may be provided from another indirection table provided for that purpose. Additional processing capacity may thereby be provided for the cluster with a small amount of additional overhead within the emulation chip, while still providing the full range of function tables of the LUTs. |
| US09292637B2 |
Method for simulating polymer material
A computer-implemented method for simulating a polymer material comprising a polymer, a filler and a modifying agent for increasing the affinity of the polymer to the filler is disclosed. A pair of filler models are defined by a pair of parallelly-opposed wall surfaces of a virtual space in which the modified polymer models are disposed, and a molecular dynamics calculation is performed. In order to evaluate the affinity, the number of the particles of the modified polymer models 2 moved into and staying in a nearby-filler area is counted at constant time steps, and the variation of the counted numbers is smoothened by averaging every two or more successive counted numbers. |
| US09292634B2 |
Compensated molds for manufacturing ion exchange strengthened, 3D glass covers
Methods for compensating for the warp exhibited by three-dimensional glass covers as a result of ion exchange strengthening are provided. The methods use a computer-implemented model to predict/estimate changes to a target three-dimensional shape for the 3D glass cover as a result of ion exchange strengthening. The model includes the effects of ion exchange through the edge of the 3D glass cover. In an embodiment, the inverse of the predicted/estimated changes is used to produce a compensated (corrected) mold which produces as-molded parts which when subjected to ion exchange strengthening have shapes closer to the target shape than they would have had if the mold had not been compensated (corrected). |
| US09292633B2 |
Method and system of displaying a graphical representation of hydrocarbon production parameters
Displaying a graphical representation of hydrocarbon production parameters. At least some of the various embodiments are methods including: reading historical values of a production parameter of a hydrocarbon well; calculating a plurality of deviation values with respect to a respective plurality of planned values regarding the production parameter; displaying, on a display device of a computer system, an overhead view of a location of the hydrocarbon well within a hydrocarbon field; and displaying, on the display device proximate the location, a graphical image that depicts each of the plurality of deviation values. |
| US09292632B2 |
Methods and systems for providing detailed rigid wall force summary in a time-marching simulation of a vehicle colliding with a rigid wall
A finite element analysis (FEA) model of a vehicle and a rigid wall definition are received. The FEA model comprises a number of nodes connected by finite elements that are organized in groups. The rigid wall comprises one or more segments each corresponding to a load cell installed thereon. A list of groups that are desired to have a detailed rigid wall force (RWF) summary is defined by user. A contribution weighting factor is calculated for each node in the FEA model. A time-marching simulation of the vehicle colliding with the rigid wall is conducted. At each solution cycle, a nodal force contribution is calculated for each node according to node type. The calculated nodal force contribution modified with the contribution weighting factor is accumulated in the detail RWF summary under respective groups and segments. A full detailed RWF summary is presented. |
| US09292617B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling content portion selection services for visitors to web pages
A method and user interface object for invoking a content selection service to operate with a web page are disclosed. Consistent with one embodiment of the invention, a content selection web portal associated with a content selection service provides a web page for selecting one or more user interface objects to be added to a content provider's web page. Each user interface object is displayed with its associated snippet of code, making it simple for a web author to copy and paste the code into his or her own web page. Once embedded in a web page, the code snippet displays a user interface object (e.g., button) on the web page, and when pressed or selected, invokes a content selection service. Alternatively, the content selection service may be automatically invoked without requiring the selection of a button. |
| US09292616B2 |
Social balancer for indicating the relative priorities of linked objects
A method and system for indicating a priority of a first linked node and a second linked node within a plurality of linked nodes associated with an electronically interactive social relations service. The method may include assigning a weight to the first linked node within the plurality of linked nodes. The method may also include assigning a weight to the second linked node within the plurality of linked nodes. Additionally, the method may include determining an adjustment of the weight of the first linked node within the plurality of linked nodes. The method may further include adjusting the weight of the second linked node based on the determining of the adjustment of the weight of the first linked node, the adjusting of the weight of the second linked node corresponding to a link strength of the second link node relative to the first link node. |
| US09292615B2 |
Method and a system for analysing impact of changes to content of a website
A method and a system for managing a website are disclosed, the website being arranged on a server. According to the method, a website administrator initially performs changes to content of the website. Then the traffic to the website is analysed, including obtaining information regarding value generated for the website owner by the traffic, and the impact on the value generated for the website owner by the traffic, due to the performed changes, is evaluated. In the case that the evaluating step reveals that the performed changes decrease the value generated for the website owner by the traffic, a warning is generated for the website administrator. Thereby the website administrator is alerted if the changed content causes the value generated for the website owner by the visitors visiting the website to decrease, thereby allowing the website administrator to reverse the changes and/or perform further changes to the content in order to once again increase the generated value. |
| US09292612B2 |
Internet profile service
Systems and methods for creating and using a domain profile include identifying a status of a first page associated with a domain. The first page is retrieved and additional pages from the domain are identified based on hyperlinks from the first page. The status of the additional pages is identified and the hyperlinks are prioritized based on the status and/or a comparison with predetermined data. Content is extracted from the first page and selected pages from among the additional pages. The specific additional pages may be selected based on the prioritization. The retrieved content may be processed through a signature marker set to determine a contextual match. A purpose of the domain is determined according to the status of the first page, the status of the additional pages and results of the processing of the content. The domain profile can be displayed, stored, sent and/or searched to identify web sites or attributes of interest. |
| US09292606B1 |
System and method for creating customized IP zones utilizing predictive modeling
A system, method and computer-readable medium provides steps of merging one or more sources of IP addresses to create a merged database comprising a plurality of IP zones, user typing each of the plurality of IP zones, enhancing each of the plurality of IP zones, receiving an input address and selecting one or more of the plurality of IP zones having a predetermined statistical relationship to the input address. |
| US09292603B2 |
Receipt and processing of user-specified queries
Some embodiments of the invention provide techniques for receiving a query from a user of a mobile device, and for conveying to the user not only search results, but also feedback relating to query. For example, the user may be prompted to elicit supplemental information relating to the query, or provided other feedback. The feedback may be conveyed in a manner which minimizes how much of the mobile device's display screen is dedicated to presenting the feedback. |
| US09292601B2 |
Determining a purpose of a document
A method of summarizing a document includes a step of extracting one or more sections of the document. The method also includes a step of separating at least one of the one or more extracted sections into one or more subsections based at least in part on a conjunctive structure of the section, wherein each subsection comprises one or more terms. The method also includes steps of determining whether one or more terms within a designated set of terms are present within at least one of the one or more subsections and, responsive to a determination that one or more terms within the designated set of terms are present within at least one of the one or more subsections, removing the one or more terms from the one or more subsections. The method also includes a step of aggregating at least a portion of the one or more sections into a summary of the document. |
| US09292600B2 |
Message classification and management
Message management and classification techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a message received from a sender for delivery via a user account is examined to extract one or more features of the message. A determination is then made as to whether the message corresponds to one or more categories based on the extracted features, the categories usable to enable features to be applied to the message in a user interface. |
| US09292599B2 |
Decision-tree based quantitative and qualitative record classification
Systems and methods are disclosed for classifying records by sorting records based on both quantitative and qualitative information at a node in a decision tree. Technologies are also disclosed for determining whether records are linked together by applying quantitative and qualitative information at the same nodes in a decision tree. Furthermore, improvements to decision trees are disclosed in terms of the generation and/or training of decision trees that harnesses additional information in the quantitative and qualitative aspects that a unit of data relevant to a single node, and/or the relationships between these aspects, may provide a machine learning algorithm. |
| US09292594B2 |
Harvesting relevancy data, including dynamic relevancy agent based on underlying grouped and differentiated files
Methods and apparatus teach a digital spectrum of a file representing underlying original data. The digital spectrum is used to map a file's position. This position relative to another file's position reveals closest neighbors. When multiple such neighbors are grouped together they can be used to indicate relevance in current data under consideration on a same or different computing device. Also, relevance can be found without traditional notions of needing structured data or users initiating searching for relevance or by examining metadata/administrative information associated with the files. A dynamic relevancy agent is configured for installation on the same or different computing device to monitor events regarding the current data and to initiate the examination of relevancy. It also presents to a user suggestions of data closest to the current data. Various triggering events to undertake a relevancy examination are also described as are predetermined criteria to define relative closeness. |
| US09292592B2 |
Object-based modeling using composite model object having independently updatable component objects
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for object-based modeling using a composite model object having independently updatable component objects. A modeling client can host modeling logic and an application programming interface (API) to create, access, manipulate, and import/export modeling objects used in modeling applications, such as engineering, medical, financial, and other modeling platforms. In aspects, the source data accepted into the modeling client can include consumer or business-level applications, whose spreadsheet, database or other content can be extracted and encapsulated in extensible markup language (XML) or other object-oriented format. Various model objects can be extracted from source data, and aggregated into a composite model object encapsulating the underlying set of component model objects. In aspects, each of the component model objects can be accessed, updated, and stored independently of the other constituent objects. The modeling client can exchange composite or other modeling objects with external platforms on a programmatic basis. |
| US09292588B1 |
Safe storing data for disaster recovery
A computer-implemented method and system for safe storing data is disclosed. A sending queue manager associated with a client computer transmits an asynchronous write of a transaction message containing data to a receiving queue manager associated with a transaction processing computer not collocated with the client computer. The receiving queue manager transmits a synchronous write of the transaction message to a remote queue manager associated with a remote disaster recovery computer to safe store the transaction message before it can be operated upon by the transaction processing computer. |
| US09292587B2 |
Systems and methods for database notification interface to efficiently identify events and changed data
Systems and methods for providing notifications of changes made in a database table to a remote application is presented. The system and methods manage change notification of a table in a database by notifying an application registered to receive notifications of changes made to a database table. A database manager executing on a device may receive a request to register an application to be notified when a first table of a plurality of tables in a database is changed. The database manager may establish a notification table comprising fields of the first table and one or more additional fields for managing notification. The database manager may establish a trigger on the first table to invoke a trigger procedure to copy a changed row of the first table to the notification table. The database manager may create a rule for the notification table to notify registered applications when a new row is inserted into the notification table. |
| US09292585B2 |
Cross-pollination synchronization of data
A technique and mechanism to effect cross-pollination synchronization of PIM (personal information manager) data to multiple sources. Additionally, a novel feature of the subject invention is the ability to effect cross-pollination synchronization with any number of devices and sources in a network. The invention provides for a user to employ a mobile device or set of devices as a central repository for PIM data (e.g., calendar, contacts and tasks) synchronized from multiple sources (e.g., multiple PC's (personal computers), an exchange server). The invention provides for synchronization of PIM data from multiple types of server sources to multiple devices regardless of the synchronization protocol versions and different schemas. |
| US09292584B1 |
Efficient data communication based on lossless reduction of data by deriving data from prime data elements resident in a content-associative sieve
Data communication techniques and systems that are based on lossless data reduction on large and extremely large datasets and that provide high rates of data ingestion and data retrieval are described. Some embodiments can generate a losslessly reduced representation of a data chunk, wherein the losslessly reduced representation includes a reference to one or more prime data elements stored in a prime data store, and optionally a description of a reconstitution program which, when applied to the one or more prime data elements results in the data chunk. The losslessly reduced representation of the data chunk can then be communicated to another computer over a network. |
| US09292580B2 |
User behavior model for contextual personalized recommendation
A user behavior model provides personalized recommendations based in part on time and location, particularly to users of mobile devices. Entity types are ranked according to relevance to the user. Example entity types are restaurant, hotel, etc. The relevance may be based on reference to a large-scale database containing queries from other users. Additionally, entities within each entity type may be ranked based on relevance to the user and the time and location context. A user interface may display a ranked list of entity types, such as restaurant, hotel, etc., wherein each entity type is represented by a highest-ranked entity with the entity type. Thus, the user interface may display a highest-ranked restaurant, a highest-ranked hotel, etc. Upon user selection of one such entity type the user interface is replaced with a second user interface, for example showing a ranked hierarchy of restaurants, headed by the highest-ranked restaurant. |
| US09292578B2 |
Relevancy sorting of user's browser history
Various embodiments provide a Web browser that employs a relevancy algorithm to make an educated guess as to the likelihood of a user's intended destination when the user begins to enter text into a browser's address bar. In one or more embodiments, the relevancy algorithm employs various parameters and assigns weights to the parameters to arrive at a collection of suggestions to provide to the user. By using various rules, associated weightings, and the relevancy algorithm, relevant suggestions can be provided to a user to facilitate their navigation activities. |
| US09292577B2 |
User accessibility to data analytics
A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product performs an appropriate type of data analysis for a user. A preliminary request for a data analysis is received from a user having a user profile. The preliminary request fails to identify an appropriate data source for the data analysis, and fails to identify an appropriate type of data analysis. Thus, a customized request, that identifies the appropriate data source for analysis, is created from the preliminary request based on the user's profile. The customized request is mapped, based on the user's profile, to a specific data constrained analytic algorithm that performs the appropriate type of data analysis. This specific data constrained analytic algorithm performs the appropriate type of data analysis on the appropriate data source in order to generate an analytic result, which is transmitted to the user. |
| US09292576B2 |
Hypothesis-driven, real-time analysis of physiological data streams using textual representations
A method of analyzing physiological data streams. According to the method, physiological data is received into a computerized machine. The physiological data comprises numerical data and medical symptoms of a patient. Features are extracted from the physiological data based on development of the physiological data over a period of time. The features are converted into a textual representation using natural language generation. Input terms for an information retrieval system operating on the computerized machine are automatically generated based on the features. The input terms are input to the information retrieval system. A corpus of data is automatically searched to retrieve results to the input terms using the information retrieval system. |
| US09292569B2 |
Semi-join acceleration
Techniques for processing a query are provided. One or more operations that are required to process a query are performed by a coprocessor that is separate from a general purpose microprocessor that executes query processing software. The query processing software receives a query, determines one or more operations that are required to be executed to fully process the query, and issues one or more commands to one or more coprocessors that are programmed to perform one of the operations, such as a table scan operation and/or a lookup operation. The query processing software obtains results from the coprocessor(s) and performs one or more additional operations thereon to generate a final result of the query. |
| US09292568B2 |
Method and system for dynamically optimizing client queries to read-mostly servers
A system and method of query optimization are disclosed. A complexity measure of a client query received from a client application is compared to a predetermined threshold, which is determined using at least one of system data and query execution data. An optimized query is generated by modifying the client query to reduce the complexity measure of the client query if the complexity measure of the client query exceeds the predetermined threshold. The optimized query is submitted to a server application on a server and a post-processing routine to be applied to the result set is selected. |
| US09292565B2 |
Template-based recognition of food product information
A method for template based recognition of food product information includes capturing an image of food product packaging and extracting an attribute from the image. The attribute is used to find a matching template in a template-database. The matching template is then used to extract food product information from the image. |
| US09292564B2 |
Mirroring, in memory, data from disk to improve query performance
Techniques are provided for maintaining data persistently in one format, but making that data available to a database server in more than one format. For example, one of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is based on the on-disk format, while another of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is independent of the on-disk format. Data that is in the format that is independent of the disk format may be maintained exclusively in volatile memory to reduce the overhead associated with keeping the data in sync with the on-disk format copies of the data. |
| US09292562B2 |
Scatter-gather list usage for a configuration database retrieve and restore function and database blocking and configuration changes during a database restore process
Disclosed is a method of reading and writing data to and from a transactional database using a scatter-gather routine that minimizes the time in which the database is subject to a transaction lock. Data is placed in a scatter-gather list in RAM, which speeds the process of reading and writing data to the database. Further, a process is disclosed for restoring data in a transactional database that is accessed by more than one controller. An alternate controller is held in reset mode and placed offline, so that data in the transactional database cannot be changed during the restoration process. In addition, the database is placed offline and the host is notified that the database is invalid, so that the host cannot access the transactional database. |
| US09292559B2 |
Data distribution/retrieval using multi-dimensional index
A distributed data storage system uses a data distribution and location algorithm based on distance functions and hyper-spheres in a multi-dimensional space. The distributed data storage system uses the algorithm to maintain, over time, a balanced distribution across a number of computers interconnected by a network of a varying set of data items. Each data item includes one or more key fields. The system also includes an efficient partial-match and exact-match search across a whole set of data items using as search criteria the values of any or all of the sought data item's key field(s). |
| US09292556B2 |
Searching a map database via a tree of nodes having multiple search criteria and filter items within a non terminal node
A method and a device are provided for outputting data records on the basis of input data records entered by a user, a set of data records present in a database being structured via a tree structure, and search criteria and filter information items being assigned to nodes in the tree structure which are not terminal nodes. |
| US09292546B2 |
Method, computer system, and physical computer storage medium for organizing data into data structures
Methods, computer systems, and physical computer storage medium for organizing data are provided. A method includes monitoring usage of the data, detecting a pattern in the usage of the data, and assigning a first concrete implementation associated with a first data structure to the data, based, in part, on the detected pattern of usage of the data. The method also includes identifying a change in the pattern of usage of the data, after the step of assigning and switching the first concrete implementation associated with the first data structure to a second concrete implementation, based, in part, on the change in the pattern of usage. |
| US09292544B2 |
XBRL flat table mapping system and method
XBRL data may be automatically mapped back and forth between an XBRL instance an set of automatically generated flat tables, where each table represents the projection of a single hypercube. |
| US09292543B2 |
Real time backup system for computer users
This invention involves tracking and backing all the information that a user generates on its computer devices (including embedded devices) in real time. The local user server records all user actions and gestures (via various means that include TV cameras). All of this information (user actions and saved files in a computer) is then sent to a remote server via the Internet. This remote server has a virtual map of all the embedded devices on a computer that the person uses. The remote server immediately starts to interpret the user's actions (including user gestures). In one implementation, the invention stores user actions that are related to data generation (e.g. actions that called some links where data is stored, or executed some programs that generated data). In another variant the remote server generates and downloads the same files that are downloaded on the local user computer devices. For example, if a person begins to download a program, the server may also download the same program on a remote backup server. This way, if the user loses this program, it can be retrieved automatically through a provided server on the Internet. If user's files are backed up by regular backup periodically, relevant data that were stored by real time backup servers can be eliminated. |
| US09292541B2 |
Method of providing online information using image information
The present invention provides a method of providing online information using image, including separating each of a target image, received from a user terminal, and an original image, received from an information provider apparatus, into a text region and a graphic region; selecting an important text region from the text region; extracting features from the text region, the graphic region, and the important text region, respectively; searching for the original image corresponding to the target image using the features of the text region, the graphic region, and the important text region; and searching for supplementary information related to the retrieved original image and provided the retrieved supplementary information. |
| US09292540B1 |
File location application programming interface
Media, methods and systems are provided for interfacing a mobile device to an application virtual machine via an application programming interface (API). A first set of file connection properties for one or more internal storage locations and a second set of file connection properties for one or more external storage locations are defined at a mobile device. The first and second sets of file connection properties define the file storage locations for a plurality of media types. Requests are received from the application virtual machine for the first and second sets of file connection properties. The application virtual machine identifies a current default storage area that can be selected from the one or more internal storage locations and the one or more external storage locations, and indicates whether the current default storage location is an internal storage location or an external storage location. |
| US09292536B2 |
System and method for the synchronization of a file in a cache
The invention provides a system and method for file synchronization. One embodiment of the system of this invention includes a software program stored on a computer readable medium. The software program can be executed by a computer processor to receive a file from a server; store the file as a cached file in a cache; determine if the cached file has been modified; and if the cached file has been modified, communicate the cached file directly to the database. |
| US09292535B2 |
Protecting data segments in a computing environment
Exemplary system and computer program product embodiments for protecting data segments by a processor device in a computing environment, are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, a history table is configured to accompany data segments for consultation during a replication operation. If the history table indicates an ownership conflict, the replication operation is inhibited. |
| US09292534B2 |
Sharing information between tenants of a multi-tenant database
In a method, system, and computer-readable medium having instructions for sharing information between tenants of a multi-tenant database, information is received on a connection between a first tenant of a multi-tenant database and a second tenant and the connection has information on a scope of data from the first tenant shared with the second tenant, data is allowed for a record of the first tenant to be accessible to the second tenant in accordance with the connection, information is received on a file related to the record of the first tenant, and data is allowed from the file to be accessible to the second tenant in accordance with the connection. |
| US09292532B2 |
Remote data storage
A computer-implemented method for performing remote data storage includes providing, by at least one client, files to be stored on a remote server, evaluating popularity of the files, and storing the files on the server in a form that depends on the popularity of the files. Files with a first level of popularity are stored in a deduplicated form and files with a second level of popularity are stored in an encrypted form, the first level of popularity being higher than the second level of popularity. |
| US09292530B2 |
Object-level identification of duplicate data in a storage system
The technique introduced here includes a system and method for identification of duplicate data directly at a data-object level. The technique illustratively utilizes a hierarchical tree of fingerprints for each data object to compare data objects and identify duplicate data blocks referenced by the data objects. The hierarchical fingerprint trees are constructed in such a manner that a top-level fingerprint (or object-level fingerprint) of the hierarchical tree is representative of all data blocks referenced by a storage system. In embodiments, inline techniques are utilized to generate hierarchical fingerprints for new data objects as they are created, and an object-level fingerprint of the new data object is compared against preexisting object-level fingerprints in the storage system to identify exact or close matches. While exact matches result in complete deduplication of data blocks referenced by the data object, hierarchical comparison methods are used for identifying and mapping duplicate data blocks referenced by closely related data objects. |
| US09292528B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and medium for processing files stored in a storage medium
An information processing apparatus acquires pieces of file information for specifying each of a plurality of files as candidates for which predetermined processing is executed. The apparatus generates a file list for specifying one or more first files as some of the plurality of files, on a memory, based on the pieces of acquired file information. The apparatus newly generates, in a case where the predetermined processing is executed for one or more second files of the plurality of files, a file list corresponding to the one or more second files on an area of the memory in which the file list corresponding to the one or more first files is stored. |
| US09292522B2 |
Method and system for automating the editing of computer files
The present invention is a method and system for automating repetitive user actions during the text editing operations of various computer files. Computer users may commonly perform some repetitive or patterned actions while editing text files such as scripts, or editing markup files like HTML or XML, or editing source code or even regular text files that contain tabular data or lists. The method and system of the present invention determines a pattern transformation, then applies it to any part of the text that matches a “Pattern”. The method thus develops an algorithm that makes the transformation from “Pattern 1” to “Pattern 2”, and formalizes it, by developing a finite-state machine. The pattern transformation is applied to any part of the text that matches “Pattern 1”, and after this transformation has been applied, then the new text will match the user's intentions. |
| US09292521B1 |
Archiving and querying data updates associated with an electronic catalog system
Systems and methods are provided for archiving and querying data updates received or generated by an update processing system associated with an electronic catalog. In some embodiments, item data updates associated with items represented in an electronic catalog are formed into new objects consisting of collections of records of item data updates. The new objects may have keys and versions associated with each record within them. The use of these objects allows item data updates, which are generally on the order of a few kilobytes, to be efficiently stored in archive storage systems, and to be queried without affecting the performance of the system that hosts the electronic catalog. |
| US09292518B2 |
Auto-tagging in geo-social networking system
In one embodiment, a social networking system automatically tags one or more users to an image file by creating a list of potential matches, and selecting a subset of potential matches based on location, asking a first user to confirm the subset of potential matches, and tagging one or more matched users to the image file. |
| US09292509B2 |
Supplementing search results with information of interest
A system may receive a search query. The system may further provide a list of first documents relating to the search query in a first area of a user interface and provide additional information that has been retrieved from the first documents in a second, different area of the user interface. The additional information includes an attribute name and an associated attribute value. |
| US09292508B2 |
Search device, search method and recording medium
A search device comprises a memory device for storing document data containing search target character strings to which delimiting characters are appended at both ends; an acquirer for acquiring keywords; a generator for generating a search character string by appending delimiting characters to both ends of the keywords; a designator for designating appearance positions where those extracted partial strings from the search character string appear in the search target character string of the document data; a determiner for determining the frequency with which partial strings common to the partial strings of the search character string appear with a positional relationship similar to the search character string in the search target character string; an evaluator for evaluating the degree of similarity between the search target character string and the search character string; and an output device for outputting the search target character string. |
| US09292507B2 |
Automated document revision trimming in a collaborative multi-user document store
Methods, systems and techniques for managing revisions of documents in a collaborative, multiuser document store are provided. Example embodiments provide an Automated Document Revision Management Server (“ADRMS”) to automatically cluster and remove revisions of file content for easy navigation and management. Revisions are trimmed when necessary to conserve storage space. The ADRMS creates logical clusters of revisions based upon some measure of their similarities. That is, revisions that are similar and can be represented by the latest revision in the cluster formulate one cluster, and those that are markedly dissimilar are placed in a different cluster. The logic used to cluster revisions accounts for time-based factors, content-based factors, and context-based factors to determine whether a revision is incremental and can be grouped in the same cluster or is significant enough to warrant a new cluster. Revisions may be trimmed based upon age and/or available space by a revision trimming component. |
| US09292506B2 |
Dynamic generation of demonstrative aids for a meeting
A method, computer program product and/or system generate presentation material for a proposed meeting. Synthetic insights of members of an expected audience at the proposed meeting are generated. The synthetic insights describe a preferred style of communication as indicated by the members of the expected meeting audience during a previous commercial interaction. Information documents from a document database are matched to a topic of the proposed meeting and the synthetic insights of the expected meeting audience, in order to retrieve relevant information documents for the proposed meeting. Presentation material for the proposed meeting is then generated from information documents that match the topic of the proposed meeting and the synthetic insights of the expected meeting audience. |
| US09292505B1 |
Graphical user interface for recurring searches
Some embodiments provide a method for generating a graphical user interface (GUI) for a research system that identifies documents relevant to several categories. The method receives a user objective and at least one initial category for a recurring search that identifies documents relevant to several categories for presentation to a user. The method provides for display in the GUI several selectable additional categories related to the received initial category for the user objective. The method receives a selection of a set of categories through the GUI. The method provides for display in the GUI an optimized modifiable set of filters for removing specific types of documents that are relevant to the set of categories from the recurring search. The method generates the recurring search for the user based on the received categories and a modified set of filters. |
| US09292500B2 |
Virtual participant-based real-time translation and transcription system for audio and video teleconferences
The present disclosure describes a teleconferencing system that may use a virtual participant processor to translate language content of the teleconference into each participant's spoken language without additional user inputs. The virtual participant processor may connect to the teleconference as do the other participants. The virtual participant processor may intercept all text or audio data that was previously exchanged between the participants may now be intercepted by the virtual participant processor. Upon obtaining a partial or complete language recognition result or making a language preference determination, the virtual participant processor may call a translation engine appropriate for each of the participants. The virtual participant processor may send the resulting translation to a teleconference management processor. The teleconference management processor may deliver the respective translated text or audio data to the appropriate participant. |
| US09292499B2 |
Automatic translation and interpretation apparatus and method
The present invention relates to an automatic translation and interpretation apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a speech input unit for receiving a speech signal in a first language. A text input unit receives text in the first language. A sentence recognition unit recognizes a sentence in the first language desired to be translated by extracting speech features from the speech signal received from the speech input unit or measuring a similarity of each word of the text received from the text input unit. A translation unit translates the recognized sentence in the first language into a sentence in a second language. A speech output unit outputs uttered sound of the translated sentence in the second language in speech. A text output unit converts the uttered sound of the translated sentence in the second language into text transcribed in the first language and outputs the text. |
| US09292498B2 |
Device orientation based translation system
A method for translating content includes providing a plurality of content on a user device. The plurality of content is associated with a first region display mode. The plurality of content is displayed on the user device in the first region display mode. A predefined orientation is then detected in the user device. The plurality of content is then translated according to a second region display mode to produce a plurality of translated content. The plurality of translated content is then displayed on the user device. In different embodiments, the plurality of content may have been previously provided on the user device, may be retrieved over a network by the user device, or my be received through a user interface on the user device. A specific embodiment allows a user to rotate the user device 180 degrees to quickly and easily translate text displayed on the user device. |
| US09292495B2 |
Contextual updating of existing documents using natural language processing
A method, system, and computer program product for contextual updating of existing documents using natural language processing (NLP) are provided in the illustrative embodiments. Information is received about a subject-matter domain. A portion of the existing document is identified, where the portion corresponds to the subject-matter domain. A search query is formed based on the portion, wherein the search query returns a result set, the result set including current information corresponding to the subject-matter domain, the current information being recent as compared to an age of the portion. A natural language (NL) update content is formed by processing the current information through an NLP application. The existing document is updated using the NL update content. |
| US09292492B2 |
Scaling statistical language understanding systems across domains and intents
A scalable statistical language understanding (SLU) system uses a fixed number of understanding models that scale across domains and intents (i.e. single vs. multiple intents per utterance). For each domain added to the SLU system, the fixed number of existing models is updated to reflect the newly added domain. Information that is already included in the existing models and the corresponding training data may be re-used. The fixed models may include a domain detector model, an intent action detector model, an intent object detector model and a slot/entity tagging model. A domain detector identifies different domains identified within an utterance. All/portion of the detected domains are used to determine associated intent actions. For each determined intent action, one or more intent objects are identified. Slot/entity tagging is performed using the determined domains, intent actions, and intent object detector. |
| US09292487B1 |
Discriminative language model pruning
A language model for speech recognition may be discriminatively pruned. In some embodiments, the language model is discriminatively pruned by computing a discriminative objective function value for one or more n-grams in the language model, and selecting one or more n-grams to prune based at least in part on a threshold value. In some embodiments, the language model is discriminatively pruned to a sufficiently small number of n-grams such that transcription of audio inputs may occur in real time, or such that the pruned language model may be stored on a device with relatively limited electronic storage capacity. |
| US09292482B1 |
System and method for convergent document collaboration
A method is implemented on a server, the method includes storing, on a database of the server, a causal tree structure corresponding to a document, where the causal tree structure includes a sequence of editing instructions and each editing instruction is assigned an identifier unique to such editing instruction. The method further includes receiving, at the server, a user editing instruction for the document, where the user editing instruction is assigned an identifier unique to the user editing instruction. The method includes storing, using a processor of the server, the user editing instruction and the identifier assigned to the user editing instruction as an additional node to the causal tree structure. The method further includes broadcasting, to a plurality of client devices connected to the server, the user editing instruction and the identifier assigned to the user editing instruction. |
| US09292480B2 |
Method for displaying and printing different sizes of SMART Docs
The present invention uses XHTML and XML to output a varied resolution PNG (Portable Network Graphics) representation of a document. The resulting image file is too large to be displayed on a standard computer monitor without forcing the user to scroll the document horizontally and/or vertically. The present invention manually rasterizes the image to an acceptable resolution for viewing on a standard computer monitor and allows the user to electronically sign the presented SMART Doc. |
| US09292479B2 |
Providing an electronic document collection
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a request to access an electronic document collection that integrates a plurality of electronic sub-documents that are each of one of a plurality of defined document types. The method also includes retrieving information that is associated with the document collection, wherein the retrieved information identifies a first sub-document of the plurality of sub-documents using a first non-address identifier, and identifying a first software application that is configured to provide access to the first sub-document. The method additionally includes initiating a first connection with a first server that causes execution of the identified first software application and that, using the first non-address identifier, provides access to the first sub-document. The method further includes integrating access to the first sub-document into the document collection through the initiated first connection with the first server that causes execution of the first software application. |
| US09292478B2 |
Visual editor for editing complex expressions
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing a visual editor allowing graphical editing of expressions in an expression language. A graphical user interface is displayed. A first user input of an expression is received. The expression is defined in a logical or textual form, and each component of the expression is represented by a graphical element on the graphical user interface. A syntax of the first user input is verified and an alert is provided to the user in response to detecting a syntax error or an inconsistency of the first user input when verifying the syntax. |
| US09292476B2 |
Fourier transform computation for distributed processing environments
Fourier transform computation for distributed processing environments is disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein to compute a Fourier transform of an input data sequence include performing first processing on the input data sequence using a plurality of processors, the first processing resulting in an output data sequence having more data elements than the input data sequence Such example methods also include performing second processing on the output data sequence using the plurality of processors, the output data sequence being permutated among the plurality of processors, each of the processors performing the second processing on a respective permutated portion of the output data sequence to determine a respective, ordered segment of the Fourier transform of the input data sequence. |
| US09292474B1 |
Configurable hybrid adder circuitry
Hybrid adder circuitry is provided for integrated circuits such as programmable integrated circuits. The hybrid adder may combine the capabilities of multiple adder architectures. Hybrid adders may include carry select and carry ripple adder circuits. The adder circuits may be combined using a carry look-ahead architecture. Adder functionality may be implemented using the resources of logic regions on the programmable integrated circuits. Each logic region may include combinatorial logic such as look-up table logic and register circuitry. The hybrid adder circuitry may receive input words to be added from the combinatorial circuitry and may produce corresponding arithmetic sum output signals to the register circuitry. |
| US09292468B2 |
Performing frequency coordination in a multiprocessor system based on response timing optimization
In an embodiment, a processor includes a core to execute instructions and a logic to receive memory access requests from the core and to route the memory access requests to a local memory and to route snoop requests corresponding to the memory access requests to a remote processor. The logic is configured to maintain latency information regarding a difference between receipt of responses to the snoop requests from the remote processor and receipt of responses to the memory access requests from the local memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09292466B1 |
Traffic control for prioritized virtual machines
Information about the transmission of packets or other information can be inferred based at least in part upon the state of one or more queues used to transmit that information. In a networking example, a hook can be added to a free buffer API call from a queue of a NIC driver. When a packet is transmitted and a buffer freed, the hook can cause information for that packet to be transmitted to an appropriate location, such as a network traffic control component or control plane component, whereby that information can be compared with packet, source, and other such information to infer which packets have been transmitted, which packets are pending, and other such information. This information can be used for various purposes, such as to dynamically adjust the allocation of a resource (e.g., a NIC) to various sources based at least in part upon the monitored behavior. |
| US09292465B2 |
Dynamic link width adjustment
Embodiments help dynamically configure the width of PCIe links and also determine how to best configure the appropriate link width. This helps avoid situations where PCIe links are almost always active even at very low traffic rates. Embodiments achieve these benefits based on, for example, run-time monitoring of bandwidth requirement for integrated and non-integrated ports located downstream for the PCIe controller. This provides power savings with little impact on performance. Other embodiments are discussed herein. |
| US09292463B2 |
Communication of device presence between boot routine and operating system
Various embodiments are directed to creating multiple device blocks associated with hardware devices, arranging the device blocks in an order indicative of positions of the hardware devices in a hierarchy of buses and bridges, and enabling access to the multiple device blocks from an operating system. An apparatus comprises a processor circuit and storage storing instructions operative on the processor circuit to create a device table comprising multiple device blocks, each device block corresponding to one of multiple hardware devices accessible to the processor circuit, the device blocks arranged in an order indicative of relative positions of the hardware devices in a hierarchy of buses and at least one bridge device; enable access to the device table by an operating system; and execute a second sequence of instructions of the operating system operative on the processor circuit to access the device table. Other embodiments are described and claimed herein. |
| US09292462B2 |
Broadcast for a distributed switch network
Techniques for broadcasting a command in a distributed switch, at a first switch module within the distributed switch. Embodiments receive a request to reset a PCIe link for a first host device, the first host device connected to a plurality of downstream PCIe devices through the distributed switch. A routing table specifying a plurality of downstream switch modules, connected to the first switch modules by one or more ports of the first switch module, is identified. Embodiments suspend PCIe traffic for the first host device on the one or more ports of the first switch module. Broadcast messages are transmitted to the plurality of downstream switch modules, specifying a first reset operation. Upon receiving an acknowledgement message from each of the plurality of downstream switch modules specified in the routing table, embodiments resume PCIe traffic for the first host device on the one or more ports. |
| US09292461B2 |
Management method of computer system, computer system, and program
The system includes a PCI switch connecting a plurality of computers via a PCI interface; and a management server which controls assignment of PCI devices and computers connected to the PCI switch. The PCI switch reports an addition or change of a PCI device to the management server. The management server obtains basic information for the PCI device upon receipt of the report, determines an assignment state of the PCI device to either occupation or sharing, and instructs the PCI switch to assign the PCI device to the management server in the determined assignment state. The management server reads a driver of the PCI device connected through the PCI switch, and obtains detailed information of the PCI device through the driver. |
| US09292457B2 |
Networking cloud and method of using the same
A cloud computing network device is disclosed. The device is configured to generate output data based on input data, wherein the output data is indicative of the input data, cause data indicative of the input data to be stored in a memory, and respond to instructions to access the input data by accessing the data stored in the memory. |
| US09292456B2 |
System and method for data synchronization across digital device interfaces
A system for synchronizing and re-ordering data transmitted between first and second clock domains associated with first and second device interfaces, respectively, includes a splitter, an arbiter, a transaction manager, and a read data buffer. The splitter receives a parent read request from one or more data input ports of the first device interface and splits it into one or more read requests. The arbiter receives the one or more read requests and selects one of the read requests and transmits it to the transaction manager. The transaction manager allocates an entry to the read request and then the read request is transmitted to the read data buffer. Thereafter, the read data buffer transmits the read request to the second device interface and transmits received response data to the first device interface. |
| US09292455B1 |
Interconnection of peripheral devices on different electronic devices
A peripheral device connected to a local electronic device which is connected to at least one communication network can communicate with a peripheral device attached to a remote electronic device as if the remote peripheral device was locally attached. Data designated for the remote peripheral device is received by a local virtual device object and transmitted to the remote electronic device via at least one of the electronic devices communication interfaces or peripheral devices. Data received by the remote electronic device's communication interface or peripheral device is written to the peripheral device at the remote electronic device by a virtual device object. For compensation of different transfer speeds or outages between the peripheral device and the communication interface or another peripheral device the virtual device provides the ability to utilize the virtual devices emulation driver that is attached to the virtual device object as an I/O buffer. |
| US09292452B2 |
Identification of page sharing opportunities within large pages
Memory performance in a computer system that implements large page mapping is improved even when memory is scarce by identifying page sharing opportunities within the large pages at the granularity of small pages and breaking up the large pages so that small pages within the large page can be freed up through page sharing. In addition, the number of small page sharing opportunities within the large pages can be used to estimate the total amount of memory that could be reclaimed through page sharing. |
| US09292450B2 |
Migration of data to register file cache
Methods and migration units for use in out-of-order processors for migrating data to register file caches associated with functional units of the processor to satisfy register read operations. The migration unit receives register read operations to be executed for a particular functional unit. The migration unit reviews entries in a register renaming table to determine if the particular functional unit has recently accessed the source register and thus is likely to comprise an entry for the source register in its register file cache. In particular, the register renaming table comprises entries for physical registers that indicate what functional units have accessed the physical register. If the particular functional unit has not accessed the particular physical register the migration unit migrates data to the register file cache associated with the particular functional unit. |
| US09292448B2 |
Dynamic sizing of memory caches
Disclosed are cache management apparatus and methods. A mobile device can include a global cache manager (GCM), a processor, and a storage medium. The GCM can manage a cache for an application of the mobile device. The storage medium can store instructions that, upon the processor's execution, cause the mobile device to perform functions. The functions can include: receiving an indication of a triggering event related to memory allocated for the application; the GCM responsively determining an amount of memory allocated to the application; the GCM determining whether a memory limit for the application is within a threshold amount of being exceeded by the amount of memory allocated to the application; and responsive to determining that the memory limit for the application is within the threshold amount of being exceeded, instructing the application to cease utilization of a portion of memory allocated to the cache. |
| US09292443B2 |
Multilevel cache system
Fetching a cache line into a plurality of caches of a multilevel cache system. The multilevel cache system includes at least a first cache, a second cache on a next higher level and a memory, the first cache being arranged to hold a subset of information of the second cache, the second cache being arranged to hold a subset of information of a next higher level cache or memory if no higher level cache exists. A fetch request is sent from one cache to the next cache in the multilevel cache system. The cache line is fetched in a particular state into one of the caches, and in another state into at least one of the other caches. |
| US09292442B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving performance of semaphore management sequences across a coherent bus
Techniques are described for a multi-processor having two or more processors that increases the opportunity for a load-exclusive command to take a cache line in an Exclusive state, which results in increased performance when a store-exclusive is executed. A new bus operation read prefer exclusive is used as a hint to other caches that a requesting master is likely to store to the cache line, and, if possible, the other cache should give the line up. In most cases, this will result in the other master giving the line up and the requesting master taking the line Exclusive. In most cases, two or more processors are not performing a semaphore management sequence to the same address at the same time. Thus, a requesting master's load-exclusive is able to take a cache line in the Exclusive state an increased number of times. |
| US09292439B2 |
Method, device and computer program for identifying items having high frequency of occurrence among items included in a text data stream
A method, device and computer program for efficiently identifying items having a high frequency of occurrence among items included in a large-volume text data stream. Identification information for identifying an item and a count of items are stored in a higher level of memory and only identification information is stored in a lower level. Text data stream input is received, the increment of the count of an item is increased in response to storage in the higher level memory of identification information for an item included in a bucket divided from the received text data stream input, identification information for the item is transferred with the initial count to the higher level of memory in response to storage in the lower level and the identification information for the item is newly stored with the initial count in the higher level in response to not being stored on any level. |
| US09292437B2 |
Optimizing virtual memory allocation in a virtual machine based upon a previous usage of the virtual memory blocks
The allocation of virtual memory within a virtual machine based upon the previous mapping of virtual memory blocks to physical memory blocks is optimized. Virtual memory blocks that have been mapped to a corresponding physical memory block over virtual memory blocks that are unmapped when fulfilling an allocation request can be reallocated preferentially. |
| US09292435B2 |
Memory device and method of operation
A memory device includes a data block storing first data, and a log block storing second data that is an updated value of the first data. A spare area of the log block stores a first mapping table including mapping information between the first data and the second data. |
| US09292432B2 |
Garbage collection method for flash memory
A garbage collection method for a flash memory is provided. The flash memory includes a spare block pool and a data block pool, wherein the spare block pool includes spare blocks and the data block pool includes data blocks. The method includes the steps of: receiving target data from a host and writing the target data to a current data block of the data blocks; sorting an erase count of each data block when performing a wear-leveling process to write the target data; sorting a valid page number of each first block when it is determined that at least two first blocks in the data blocks have the smallest erase count; and selecting a second block having a smallest valid page number from the first blocks and writing valid pages of the second block to one of the spare blocks to perform a data cleaning process. |
| US09292429B1 |
Off-chip non-volatile memory access
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to non-volatile memory. A described technique includes iteratively issuing read command sequences to a non-volatile memory device based on a predetermined address, using different probing parameters, until a read result includes an indication of a successful read of the non-volatile memory device; accessing one or more access parameters from the read result; and issuing one or more additional read command sequences to the non-volatile memory device based on the one or more access parameters to retrieve additional data. The different probing parameters can include different address lengths, different command lengths, or both. The non-volatile memory device can be configured to store device information at the predetermined address. |
| US09292423B1 |
Monitoring applications for compatibility issues
A compatibility service monitors programs to detect compatibility issues. The compatibility service provides users, such as developers, with notifications of compatibility issues a program may experience when the program executes on a particular device and/or uses a particular operating system. In some configurations, the compatibility service detects compatibility issues by performing tests on programs using a testing service. The compatibility service may also receive notifications of incompatibilities from different sources. For example, the compatibility service may receive notifications of incompatibilities from other users (e.g., developers), web sites, and the like. The compatibility service may proactively notify developers of compatibility issues for their programs. For example, one developer may request to be notified of all detected compatibility issues, whereas another developer might request to be notified of compatibility issues that are above some specified severity level of incompatibility. |
| US09292420B2 |
Collaborative computer aided test plan generation
Arrangements described herein relate to generation of test plans. A list of test case selection criteria can be presented to each of a plurality of stakeholders. At least one user input is received from each of the plurality of stakeholders selecting at least one test case selection criterion from the list of test case selection criteria and, for each selected test case selection criterion, assigning a criterion priority. Test cases, which correspond to the selected test case selection criteria, can be automatically selected to include in a candidate test plan. A candidate priority can be automatically assigned to each test case selected to be included in the candidate test plan. The processor selects the test cases to include in the candidate test plan and assigns the candidate priorities to the selected test cases based on processing the criterion priorities assigned to the selected test case selection criteria by the stakeholders. |
| US09292419B1 |
Code coverage and confidence determination
A device receives code for a technical computing environment, and receives conditions for executing the code. The device performs a static analysis of the code, based on the conditions, to generate static analysis information for the code, and executes the code in the technical computing environment based on the conditions. The device determines coverage information associated with the executing code, where the coverage information provides a measure of completeness associated with the executing code. The device compares the static analysis information and the coverage information to determine confidence information associated with the coverage information, and outputs or stores the coverage information and the confidence information. |
| US09292418B2 |
Determining the vulnerability of multi-threaded program code to soft errors
The described embodiments include a program code testing system that determines the vulnerability of multi-threaded program code to soft errors. For multi-threaded program code, two to more threads from the program code may access shared architectural structures while the program code is being executed. The program code testing system determines accesses of architectural structures made by the two or more threads of the multi-threaded program code and uses the determined accesses to determine a time for which the program code is exposed to soft errors. From this time, the program code testing system determines a vulnerability of the program code to soft errors. |
| US09292414B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for debugging graphics programs locally utilizing a system with a single GPU
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for debugging graphics programs via a system with a single graphics processing unit. The method includes the steps of storing an initial state of an application programming interface context in a memory, intercepting a stream of API commands associated with the frame, transmitting the stream of API commands to a software layer that implements the API to render the frame, and in response to a breakpoint, storing a graphics processing unit context in the memory. The initial state of the API context corresponds to the start of a frame, and the stream of API commands are generated by a graphics application. |
| US09292412B2 |
Enabling remote debugging of virtual machines running in a cloud environment
Enabling remote debugging of virtual machines, in one aspect, may comprise attaching a debug virtual machine to a target virtual machine deployed in a virtualized environment. Interactions and/or access to the target virtual machine may be performed via the attached debug virtual machine. The debug virtual machine may be created and attached to the target virtual machine in response to receiving a request to debug the target machine, for example, from a remote user of the target virtual machine. |
| US09292411B2 |
Wireless debugging and updating of firmware
A debug control system and method thereof which includes a debug device and a wireless communication module. The debug device is configured to communicate electrical data with a target device via a first signal transmission interface. The wireless communication module is configured to communicate electrical data with the debug device via a second communication interface, and is configured to communicate electrical data with a host device. Electrical data exchanged between the debug control system and the target device is configured to debug or update firmware residing on the target device. |
| US09292399B2 |
Design-Based weighting for logic built-in self-test
Embodiments relate to design-based weighting for logic built-in self-test (LBIST). An aspect includes a computer program product for implementing design-based weighting for LBIST. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes analyzing, by the processing circuit, a plurality of integrated circuit design organizational units to determine preferred weightings of the integrated circuit design organizational units that provide a highest level of failure coverage when applied to a random pattern generator. Based on determining the preferred weightings, the processing circuit creates an integrated circuit layout that includes a plurality of weighted test paths to respectively apply the preferred weightings to the integrated circuit design organizational units. The integrated circuit layout is incorporated in a device under test. |
| US09292397B1 |
Light-weight method and apparatus for testing network devices and infrastructure
The present invention relates generally to networking, and more particularly to techniques and products for verifying, qualifying and/or quantifying the performance of networking devices and infrastructure. According to certain aspects, test equipment according to embodiments of the invention performs stress tests using both client and server emulation with very low overhead, providing a virtually unlimited number of servers and/or clients. According to further aspects, tests include the transfer of real files between clients and servers, not just test patterns. According to further aspects, test equipment includes an easy to use Web GUI interface. According to further aspects, tests are performed using TCP protocol, which is the predominant form of network traffic. |
| US09292392B2 |
Memory module that includes a memory module copy engine for copying data from an active memory die to a spare memory die
A memory module includes a memory module copy engine for copying data from an active memory die to a spare memory die. Access is mapped away from the active memory die to the spare memory die. |
| US09292391B2 |
Interface calibration using configurable on-die terminations
A method includes communicating over an interface between a controller and multiple memory dies, which comprise respective on-die terminations (ODTs) that are each connectable to the interface by the controller. A plurality of termination settings are evaluated, each termination setting specifies a respective subset of the ODTs to be connected to the interface, so as to identify a preferred termination setting in which the communication quality with a given memory die meets a predefined criterion. Subsequent communication with the given memory die is performed while applying the preferred termination setting. |
| US09292390B2 |
Pulsed-latch based razor with 1-cycle error recovery scheme
Systems and methods for error recovery include determining an error in at least one stage of a plurality of stages during a first cycle on a hardware circuit, each of the plurality of stages having a main latch and a shadow latch. A first signal is transmitted to an output stage of the at least one stage to stall the main latch and the shadow latch of the output stage during a second cycle. A second signal is transmitted to an input stage of the at least one stage to stall the main latch of the input stage during the second cycle and to stall the main latch and the shadow latch of the input stage during a third cycle. Data is restored from the shadow latch to the main latch for the at least one stage and the input stage to recover from the error. |
| US09292387B2 |
Medium, control method, and information processing apparatus
A medium stores a control program for an information processing apparatus. The control program causes the information processing apparatus to execute a procedure. The procedure includes obtaining history information on a type of an operation performed to each of a plurality of files, calculating a priority for a file among the files based on the type of the operation in the history information, and selecting a file among the files based on the priority. |
| US09292385B2 |
Transforming data in a distributed storage and task network
A method begins with a computing device dividing data into data partitions. For a data partition of the data partitions, the method continues with the computing device associating indexing information with the data partition. The method continues with the computing device segmenting the data partition into a plurality of data segments. The method continues with the computing device dispersed storage error encoding the plurality of data segments to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the computing device grouping encoded data slices of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to produce a set of groupings of encoded data slices. |
| US09292384B2 |
Storage systems with adaptive erasure code generation
Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with generating erasure codes for data to be stored in a storage system. In embodiments, a method may include launching, by storage system, a plurality of instances of an erasure code generation module, based at least in part on hardware configuration of the storage system. Additionally, the method may further include setting, by the storage system, operational parameters of the plurality of instances of the erasure code generation module, based at least in part on current system load of the storage system. Further, the method may include operating, by the storage system, the plurality of instances of the erasure code generation module to generate erasure codes for data to be stored in the storage system, in accordance with the operational parameters set. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09292380B2 |
Memory access scheme for system on chip
Hardware processors in an SOC integrated circuit logically swapping memories by remapping memory addresses, including tightly coupled and local memories, to enable a sequence of data-processing algorithms to execute more quickly by different hardware processors without having to copy the data between different memories using a relatively slow data crossbar switch. When a memory stores error-correction code (ECC) address information linking stored ECC data with stored user data, the hardware processor dynamically remaps the ECC address information, as needed. |
| US09292376B2 |
Proactive resource reservation for protecting virtual machines
A system for proactive resource reservation for protecting virtual machines. The system includes a cluster of hosts, wherein the cluster of hosts includes a master host, a first slave host, and one or more other slave hosts, and wherein the first slave host executes one or more virtual machines thereon. The first slave host is configured to identify a failure that impacts an ability of the one or more virtual machines to provide service, and calculate a list of impacted virtual machines. The master host is configured to receive a request to reserve resources on another host in the cluster of hosts to enable the impacted one or more virtual machines to failover, calculate a resource capacity among the cluster of hosts, determine whether the calculated resource capacity is sufficient to reserve the resources, and send an indication as to whether the resources are reserved. |
| US09292375B2 |
Memory management method and apparatus for receiving multi channel hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) packet
A memory management method for receiving a multi channel hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) packet may enable smooth communication and reduce costs by maintaining a small memory size of a receiver in a communication system using a HARQ including a plurality of channels. |
| US09292371B1 |
Systems and methods for preventing failures of nodes in clusters
A computer-implemented method for preventing failures of nodes in clusters may include (1) identifying a node that is part of a cluster of nodes and that communicates, via a heartbeat sent at a regular interval to the cluster, that the node is functional and connected to the cluster, (2) calculating a current workload for the node based on a utilization of computing resources on the node, (3) determining, based on the current workload, that the node is functional and connected but is in an excessive load condition and a failure to send the heartbeat within the regular interval is due to the excessive load condition, and (4) setting a new interval for the heartbeat of the node that is longer than the regular interval in response to determining that the node cannot send the heartbeat at the regular interval. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US09292365B2 |
Prioritising events to which a processor is to respond
A computer system comprises a processor (106) configured to respond to events from a plurality of sources, and a prioritisation module (104) implemented in hardware and configured to prioritise the events for the processor. The prioritisation module comprises one or more decision modules (108) comprising multiple, prioritised inputs (110) configured to receive respective event flags relating to events from respective sources. The decision module stores a source identifier of the source corresponding to the highest priority asserted event flag. The processor can read the stored source identifier to identify the source of an event to which the processor is to respond. In this way, the decision as to which event a processor should respond to next is offloaded from the processor and implemented in hardware in the prioritisation module. This can reduce the workload of the processor and thereby result in a more efficient computer system. |
| US09292363B2 |
Predicting application programming interface consumption using social networks
Predicting consumption of APIs is provided. A set of consumed APIs corresponding to a user and software service applications related to APIs associated with the user is determined based on an API consumption history. A set of users related to the set of consumed APIs corresponding to the user and the software service applications related to the APIs associated with the user is retrieved from an API analytics engine. A set of API consumption prediction models corresponding to the user is generated based on the APIs associated with the user, the software service applications related to the APIs associated with the user, the set of consumed APIs corresponding to the user and the software service applications related to the APIs associated with the user based on the API consumption history, the set of users related to the set of consumed APIs, and APIs associated with the set of users. |
| US09292362B2 |
Method and apparatus to protect a processor against excessive power usage
In an embodiment, a processor includes at least a first core. The first core includes execution logic to execute operations, and a first event counter to determine a first event count associated with events of a first type that have occurred since a start of a first defined interval. The first core also includes a second event counter to determine a second event count associated with events of a second type that have occurred since the start of the first defined interval, and stall logic to stall execution of operations including at least first operations associated with events of the first type, until the first defined interval is expired responsive to the first event count exceeding a first combination threshold concurrently with the second event count exceeding a second combination threshold. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09292361B1 |
Application program interface script caching and batching
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for managing application program interface calls. In one aspect, a method includes generating a first API call to an advertising service. The first API call requests first entities corresponding to a campaign management entity. A set of first entities is received in response to the API call. An instruction for a request for second data associated with a particular first entity is processed. A determination is made, in response to the processing, that the second data associated with particular first entity is not stored in the local cache. In response to the determining, the request for second data associated with the particular first entity is expanded to a request for second data associated with each of a multitude of additional first entities in the set of first entities. |
| US09292354B2 |
Self-adjusting framework for managing device capacity
Automatically improving a deployment. A method includes, in a live distributed computing environment, adjusting operating parameters of deployment components. Effects of the adjusted operating parameters are observed. At least a portion of a behavior model function is defined based on the adjusted operating parameters and observed effects. Based on current distributed computing environmental conditions, operating parameters defined in the behavior model function are adjusted to improve the deployment. |
| US09292352B2 |
Systems and methods for cloud management
Systems and methods for cloud management are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of receiving access information for a cloud service provider; receiving configuration information for a cloud instance; receiving a command to create the cloud instance; requesting and receiving a node from the cloud service provider; causing the node to be configured as a cloud node, comprising causing a software package to be installed and configured on the cloud node; configuring the cloud instance and incorporating the node into the cloud instance; and providing access to the cloud instance. |
| US09292348B2 |
System overhead-based automatic adjusting of number of running processors within a system
Data processing system efficiency is improved by automatically determining whether to adjust for a next time interval a number N of processors running within the system for processing a workload. The automatically determining includes obtaining a measure of operating system overhead by evaluating one or more characteristics of processor time of the N processors consumed within the system for a time interval, and obtaining a measure of system utilization of the N processors running within the system for processing the workload for the time interval. The automatically determining further includes automatically ascertaining whether to adjust the number N of processors running within the system for the next time interval to improve system efficiency using the obtained measure of operating system overhead and the obtained measure of system utilization of the N processors. |
| US09292347B2 |
Status tool to expose metadata read and write queues
A method to expose status information is provided. The status information is associated with metadata extracted from multimedia files and stored in a metadata database. The metadata information that is extracted from the multimedia files is stored in a read queue to allow a background thread to process the metadata and populate the metadata database. Additionally, the metadata database may be updated to include user-define metadata, which is written back to the multimedia files. The user-defined metadata is included in a write queue and is written to the multimedia files associated with the user-defined metadata. The status of the read and write queues are exposed to a user through a graphical user interface. The status may include the list of multimedia files included in the read and write queues, the priorities of each multimedia file, and the number of remaining multimedia files. |
| US09292345B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer program products for processing sets of instructions for mobile devices
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for managing processes. A command is received to process one or more workflows, each of the one or more workflows including a set of instructions. A request for identification of one or more devices meeting predefined criteria is issued. A device identifier (ID) and data corresponding to each of the one or more devices meeting the predefined criteria are stored in a database. The one or more workflows are processed for each of the one or more devices meeting the predefined criteria by executing the set of instructions included in the one or more workflows. Executing the set of instructions included in the one or more workflows includes calling one or more functions to be performed by one or more communicatively coupled systems. |
| US09292342B2 |
Schedule based execution with extensible continuation based actions
Generally in a computing environment, executing work based on time (i.e. according to a predetermined schedule) is a common need. However, in cloud based systems, scheduled work may be expensive to customers as generally customers rent system resources. Thus, having a processor dedicated to performing actions that have been pre-scheduled can be expensive. This application describes using a continuation-based runtime for scheduling time-bound and/or periodic work in a distributed (i.e. cloud) system. A system architecture and computer-implemented method are described that deploy an environment-independent action to a remote-based system (such as a cloud computing system, for example). The action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-cpu intensive orchestrations of network calls. A schedule is defined for the action, and the action is then called in a processor-independent fashion (for example, by using a continuation based runtime) such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor on which the action is being executed. |
| US09292340B2 |
Applicaton interface on multiple processors
A method and an apparatus that execute a parallel computing program in a programming language for a parallel computing architecture are described. The parallel computing program is stored in memory in a system with parallel processors. The parallel computing program is stored in a memory to allocate threads between a host processor and a GPU. The programming language includes an API to allow an application to make calls using the API to allocate execution of the threads between the host processor and the GPU. The programming language includes host function data tokens for host functions performed in the host processor and kernel function data tokens for compute kernel functions performed in one or more compute processors, e.g GPUs or CPUs, separate from the host processor. |
| US09292335B2 |
Information processing device and program
An information-processing device includes: a storage unit that stores parameter types used in executing application proms, each parameter type associated with an identifier of an application program; a setting unit that sets a value for a parameter used in executing a first application; a determination unit that determines, based on an association between the identifiers and parameter types, which association is stored in the storage unit, at least one second application program that uses a parameter of a parameter type the same as a parameter type for which a value is set by the setting unit; and an incorporating unit that incorporates the value for the parameter set by the setting unit into a value for a parameter used in executing the at least one second application program determined by the determination unit. |
| US09292333B2 |
Image instance mapping
A method and system for image instance mapping is provided. The method includes receiving from change agents on virtual machine instances periodic monitoring data indicating changes for each virtual machine instance. The periodic monitoring data is analyzed and unique updates are applied to the virtual machine instances. High level semantic updates to the virtual machine instances are identified and updates associated with a golden master image are tracked. High level semantic updates to the golden master image are identified and in response, a version tree configured to track drift of each virtual machine instance with respect to golden master image is maintained. |
| US09292332B1 |
Live updates for virtual machine monitor
Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to a live update process of the virtual machine monitor during the operation of the virtual machine instances. An update to a virtual machine monitor can be a difficult process to execute because of the operation of the virtual machine instances. Generally, in order to update the virtual machine monitor, the physical computing device needs to be rebooted, which interrupts operation of the virtual machine instances. The live update process provides for a method of updating the virtual machine monitor without rebooting the physical computing device. |
| US09292326B2 |
Synchronizing multicast groups
Embodiments of the invention relate to synchronizing multicast groups of a virtual machine during migration of the virtual machine. A first list and a second list, indicating multicast groups corresponding to the first port and second port respectively, are obtained in response to detection of migration of the virtual machine from a first port to a second port of a same switch. The second list is updated so that the second list contains the multicast groups in the first list. An undesired multicast group is aged. Multicast groups of a virtual machine may be synchronized in the process of migration of the virtual machine, thereby reducing or removing the time during which the virtual machine multicast service is disrupted. |
| US09292325B2 |
Managing a virtual computer resource
Managing a virtual computer resource on at least one virtual machine. The managing of the virtual computer resource on the at least one virtual machine is by controlling execution of the virtual computer resource on the at least one virtual machine by a virtual machine instance, such as a firmware facility, of a trusted part of a computer system. The virtual machine instance is unique in the computer system. |
| US09292321B2 |
System, method and computer-readable recording medium for synchronous script lazy loading
A synchronous script lazy loader generates a plurality of virtual functions. Each one of the plurality of virtual functions corresponds to one of a plurality of script modules. The plurality of script modules may be associated with a script. The synchronous script lazy loader loads each of the plurality of virtual functions into a storage space. The synchronous script lazy loader loads a desired one of the plurality of script modules into a memory from the storage space. The synchronous script lazy loader executes the desired script module from the memory when a corresponding one of the plurality of virtual functions is requested for initial execution. |
| US09292314B2 |
Method and system for controlling system settings of a computing device
Methods and devices for controlling system settings of a computing device are described herein. One example embodiment comprises: determining configuration data associated with a software application, wherein the configuration data identifies one or more new system settings to be temporarily enforced on the computing device during an execution of the software application, and wherein the configuration data is digitally signed; and in response to an initiation of the execution of the software application, reconfiguring system settings on the computing device; wherein the reconfiguring comprises verifying at least one digital signature associated with the digitally signed configuration data; wherein if the at least one digital signature associated with the digitally signed configuration data successfully verifies, then the reconfiguring further comprises temporarily enforcing new system settings for the duration of the execution of the software application. |
| US09292312B2 |
Simulated network boot environment for bootstrap redirection
Mechanisms are provided, in a bare metal computing device, for executing a network based boot operation for booting the bare metal computing device. In response to powering-on the bare metal computing device, firmware is executed that executes a stub from a virtual media image accessible by the bare metal computing device. The configuration information of the bare metal computing device indicates that the bare metal computing device is being booted from a local media. The stub configures the firmware environment and a network boot program to utilize a network connection by modifying the configuration information of the bare metal computing device to indicate that the bare metal computing device is being booted from a network device. A control program is obtained from a remotely located boot server using the network boot program and is executed to complete the booting of the bare metal computing device. |
| US09292311B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing software problem solutions
In one embodiment, a method for providing software problem solutions includes: obtaining a software problem of a questioning user; obtaining from other users multiple solutions for solving the software problem, each of the multiple solutions being provided as a recording script, and each of the recording scripts includes a user operation sequence and a corresponding semantic node sequence, wherein one or more semantic nodes in each of the semantic node sequences describes meanings of user operations; analyzing, by a computer processor, semantic node sequences in the recording scripts of the multiple solutions to determine recommendation degree information for the multiple solutions; and outputting the multiple solutions and the associated recommendation degree information. |
| US09292310B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying notifications received from multiple applications
Systems and methods are disclosed for displaying notifications received from multiple applications. In some embodiments, an electronic device can monitor notifications that are received from the multiple applications. Responsive to receiving the notifications, the electronic device can control the manner in which the notifications are displayed while the device is operating in a locked or an unlocked state. In some embodiments, the electronic device can allow users to customize how notifications are to be displayed while the device is in the locked and/or unlocked states. |
| US09292308B2 |
Information-processing device and program
The window display application controls a display position of a window (an image). The Java Runtime Environment controls processing associated with the window (e.g., displaying of the window). Operation information on an operation of a display position of a window is supplied to the window display application. Operation information on an operation of processing details of an application corresponding to a window (a widget) is supplied to the Java Runtime Environment. |
| US09292307B2 |
User interface generation apparatus
A user interface generation apparatus 1 has a memory unit 50 for storing an application program and a control unit 10 for controlling to display a stand-alone user interface object group when instructed to generate a single user interface and for controlling to perform compound processing on user interface objects extracted from the stand-alone user interface object groups and to display a compound user interface object group. The control unit 10, when instructed to generate the plurality of user interfaces, displays a user interface object for switching to display of a stand-alone user interface object group displayed when instructed to generate each of the plurality of user interfaces alone. |
| US09292301B1 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling the power-on or boot sequence of an integrated circuit based on power harvesting conditions
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit such as a system on chip that operates in part from harvested power and that uses information about power harvesting conditions to alter a power-on sequence or boot sequence based on that information. In some embodiments, a method uses information about power harvesting and energy harvesting conditions to alter a power-on sequence or boot sequence. |
| US09292298B2 |
Data processing apparatus having SIMD processing circuitry
A data processing apparatus has permutation circuitry for performing a permutation operation for changing a data element size or data element positioning of at least one source operand to generate first and second SIMD operands, and SIMD processing circuitry for performing a SIMD operation on the first and second SIMD operands. In response to a first SIMD instruction requiring a permutation operation, the instruction decoder controls the permutation circuitry to perform the permutation operation to generate the first and second SIMD operands and then controls the SIMD processing circuitry to perform the SIMD operation using these operands. In response to a second SIMD instruction not requiring a permutation operation, the instruction decoder controls the SIMD processing circuitry to perform the SIMD operation using the first and second SIMD operands identified by the instruction, without passing them via the permutation circuitry. |
| US09292297B2 |
Method and apparatus to process 4-operand SIMD integer multiply-accumulate instruction
According to one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction decoder to receive an instruction to process a multiply-accumulate operation, the instruction having a first operand, a second operand, a third operand, and a fourth operand. The first operand is to specify a first storage location to store an accumulated value; the second operand is to specify a second storage location to store a first value and a second value; and the third operand is to specify a third storage location to store a third value. The processor further includes an execution unit coupled to the instruction decoder to perform the multiply-accumulate operation to multiply the first value with the second value to generate a multiply result and to accumulate the multiply result and at least a portion of a third value to an accumulated value based on the fourth operand. |
| US09292294B2 |
Detection of memory address aliasing and violations of data dependency relationships
Method and apparatus to efficiently detect violations of data dependency relationships. A memory address associated with a computer instruction may be obtained. A current state of the memory address may be identified. The current state may include whether the memory address is associated with a read or a store instruction, and whether the memory address is associated with a set or a check. A previously accumulated state associated with the memory address may be retrieved from a data structure. The previously accumulated state may include whether the memory address was previously associated with a read or a store instruction, and whether the memory address was previously associated with a set or a check. If a transition from the previously accumulated state to the current state is invalid, a failure condition may be signaled. |
| US09292292B2 |
Stack access tracking
A processor employs a prediction table at a front end of its instruction pipeline, whereby the prediction table stores address register and offset information for store instructions; and stack offset information for stack access instructions. The stack offset information for a corresponding instruction indicates the entry of the stack accessed by the instruction stack relative to a base entry. The processor uses pattern matching to identify predicted dependencies between load/store instructions and predicted dependencies between stack access instructions. A scheduler unit of the instruction pipeline uses the predicted dependencies to perform store-to-load forwarding or other operations that increase efficiency and reduce power consumption at the processing system. |
| US09292291B2 |
Instruction merging optimization
A computer system for optimizing instructions is configured to identify two or more machine instructions as being eligible for optimization, to merge the two or more machine instructions into a single optimized internal instruction that is configured to perform functions of the two or more machine instructions, and to execute the single optimized internal instruction to perform the functions of the two or more machine instructions. Being eligible includes determining that the two or more machine instructions include a first instruction specifying a first target register and a second instruction specifying the first target register as a source register and a target register. The second instruction is a next sequential instruction of the first instruction in program order, wherein the first instruction specifies a first function to be performed, and the second instruction specifies a second function to be performed. |
| US09292289B2 |
Enhancing reliability of transaction execution by using transaction digests
Performing a transaction in a transactional memory environment for performing transactional executions, the transactional memory environment including a digest-generating transaction to generate a computed digest and a digest-checking transaction to compare computed digests is provided. Included is identifying, by a computer system, a first indicator signaling a beginning instruction of a digest-generating transaction including a plurality of instructions; suppressing committing memory store data of the digest-generating transaction to memory; generating a computed digest based on the execution of at least one of the plurality of instructions; identifying a second indicator associated with the plurality of instructions signaling an ending instruction of the digest-generating transaction, the computed digest is replicable for an error-free execution of the plurality of instructions; and saving the computed digest, as a reliability digest, based on completing the digest-generating transaction and not save the first computed digest based on an abort of the digest-generating transaction. |
| US09292287B2 |
Method of scheduling loops for processor having a plurality of functional units
Provided is a loop scheduling method including scheduling a first loop using execution units, and scheduling a second loop using execution units available as a result of the scheduling of the first loop. An n-th loop (n>2) may be scheduled using a result of scheduling an (n−1)-th loop, similar to the (n−1)-th loop. The first loop may be a higher priority loop than the second loop. |
| US09292284B2 |
Parallel arithmetic device, data processing system with parallel arithmetic device, and data processing program
A parallel arithmetic device includes a status management section, a plurality of processor elements, and a plurality of switch elements for determining the relation of coupling of each of the processor elements. Each of the processor elements includes an instruction memory for memorizing a plurality of operation instructions corresponding respectively to a plurality of contexts so that an operation instruction corresponding to the context selected by the status management section is read out, and a plurality of arithmetic units for performing arithmetic processes in parallel on a plurality of sets of input data in a manner compliant with the operation instruction read out from the instruction memory. |
| US09292279B2 |
Method and system for creating and managing a dynamic route topography for service oriented software environments
A system, method, and computer-readable medium are provided for managing a route topography in a software environment. The system includes a dashboard user interface for allowing a user to manage the services that are part of a software application. The dashboard allows the user to add and delete services for a software application, to establish a communication identifier of each service, and to clone a first route topography to create a second route topography. A routing service manages the route topography by storing a route identifier and the associated services for the route. When a user modifies an existing route topography or creates a new route topography, the information is managed by the routing service which provides the route information to requesting services upon demand. In one embodiment, each service of the software application includes a route cache with routing information that may be updated periodically by the routing service. |
| US09292276B1 |
Method and system for utilizing change packages
Systems and methods described herein may generate a change package comprising one or more changes to a configuration of a segment. The change package may comprise a separate entry for each segment. Each entry may comprise each change associated with the respective segment. |
| US09292266B2 |
Preprocessor for file updating
A method for updating a computer the includes converting a first computer the to executable byte code and receiving a second computer the that includes a change that distinguishes the second computer file from the first computer file. The method also includes converting the second computer the to executable byte code and comparing at least a portion of the executable byte code of the second computer file with at least a portion of the executable byte code of the first computer file. The method further includes inserting, into the executable byte code the first computer file, a modification that causes at least a portion of the executable byte code of the first computer the to resemble the executable byte code of the second computer file. |
| US09292262B2 |
Dynamically evolving cognitive architecture system based on contributions from third-party developers
A dynamically evolving cognitive architecture system based on contributions from third-party developers is described. A system receives a span of natural language annotated with an object from a first third-party developer. The system forms an intent based on a user input, which includes a natural language span which corresponds to an action object, a first concept object, and/or a second concept object. The action object, the first concept object, and/or the second concept object is provided by a second third-party developer. The annotating object is the action object, the first concept object, or the second concept object. Forming the intent enables executing the action object to transform the first concept object into the second concept object based on the annotated span of natural language, and also enables outputting a value associated with the second concept object associated with a goal of the intent. |
| US09292261B1 |
Revision management tools for a multi-user CAx environment
A system for collaborating on a component includes a computing device having a memory and a processor, the computing device configured to execute a first multi-user CAx environment, a data module configured to access data corresponding to a component design having at least one feature corresponding to a group of feature types from at least one current state database in a memory storage device, and a time stamp tool included in the multi-user CAx environment and configured to cause at least one computing device executing the multi-user CAx environment to apply a timestamp to each revision of a part model and save each revision including the timestamp to a revision database. |
| US09292256B2 |
Shift significand of decimal floating point data
A decimal floating point finite number in a decimal floating point format is composed from the number in a different format. A decimal floating point format includes fields to hold information relating to the sign, exponent and significand of the decimal floating point finite number. Other decimal floating point data, including infinities and NaNs (not a number), are also composed. Decimal floating point data are also decomposed from the decimal floating point format to a different format. For composition and decomposition, one or more instructions may be employed, including a shift significand instruction. |
| US09292255B2 |
Multi-stage crest factor reduction (CFR) for multi-channel multi-standard radio
Multi-stage crest factor reduction (CFR) techniques are provided for multi-channel multi-standard radio (MSR). A multi-stage crest factor reduction method comprises applying one or more data samples associated with at least one channel of a first technology type to a first individual crest factor reduction block; applying one or more data samples associated with at least one channel of a second technology type to a second individual crest factor reduction block; aggregating outputs of the first and second individual crest factor reduction blocks to generate an aggregated output; and applying the aggregated output to a composite crest factor reduction block. The individual crest factor reduction blocks can be implemented using a sampling rate appropriate for the corresponding technology type. The composite crest factor reduction block operates at a higher sampling rate than the individual crest factor reduction blocks. |
| US09292254B2 |
Interactive user interface for an intelligent assistant
A system, method and computer program for performing voice commands on a mobile device and presenting the results on an interactive timeline is disclosed. A user may utter a voice command into the microphone of their mobile device while an application is running. The voice command is processed to derive the intention of the user, specifically by determining the domain, at least one task and at least one parameter for the task from the voice command. A services component performs the task identified and presents the results on the mobile device screen. In various embodiments, the results are presented on a timeline and may be grouped together by domains and sorted by the time that the results were obtained. A search history view may also be viewed that includes search results sorted chronologically each of which is represented graphically by an icon that represents the category of each search. When a user utters a voice command, the text representation is displayed together with an edit button, a resay button, and a progress bar. A user may modify the text representation at any time while the natural language processing is being performed. |
| US09292253B2 |
Methods and apparatus for voiced-enabling a web application
Methods and apparatus for voice-enabling a web application, wherein the web application includes one or more web pages rendered by a web browser on a computer. At least one information source external to the web application is queried to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, and in response to determining that the information is available, the information is retrieved from the at least one information source. Voice input for the web application is then enabled based on the retrieved information. |
| US09292250B2 |
Devices, methods, and systems for providing interactivity with digital signs
A device, method, and system for providing interactivity with a digital sign includes an interactive digital sign configured to display information in response to interactions by a viewer. The viewer may interact with the digital sign using sensors of the digital sign or via use of a mobile communication device carried by the viewer. User data may be used by the interactive digital sign to select the information, which may include advertisements, coupons, directions, and other information. The information may be transmitted to the viewer's mobile communication device. |
| US09292249B2 |
System with content display management
A method performed by a processing system with content display management includes identifying a first added content in a set of added contents that overlap and forming a display image to include the first added content such that a first portion of the first added content is partially transparent with respect to remote content captured by a remote system and a second portion of the first added content is opaque with respect to at least a portion of second added content in the set of added contents. |
| US09292242B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A wireless communication unit includes a low-speed communication IF and a high-speed communication IF. A controller includes a low-speed communication IF and a high-speed communication IF. The low-speed communication IFs are SDIO communication IFs and the high-speed communication IFs are USB communication IFs. The controller switches SDIO and USB according to a state of an image forming apparatus. |
| US09292241B2 |
Printing apparatus and printing system
To provide a printing apparatus where printing is possible by easily and rapidly acquiring a desired image, a multi-functional tablet device is provided with an imaging section which acquires an image, a display section which displays the image, an designating section for designating using a fingertip with regard to the displayed image, a printing section which prints an imaging image on a medium, and a control section which creates the imaging image, which is based on the image, based on designation from the designating section and which prints the created imaging image in the printing section, where the control section determines the printing range with regard to the image which is captured by the imaging section based on the designation from the designating section, creates the imaging image by editing the image in the printing range, and determines a printing position where the imaging image is printed on the medium. |
| US09292240B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and computer-readable storage medium
An information processing device includes a storage unit; a multiple programs executing unit configured to execute multiple programs; a log file recording unit configured to record pieces of log information output by the respective multiple programs as multiple log files, respectively, in the storage unit; and a collected log file recording unit configured to integrate the multiple log files into one collected log file and record the collected log file in the storage unit in a chronological order. |
| US09292238B2 |
Method and apparatus for preventing leakage of printout using security paper
A method for preventing leakage of a printout using security paper includes registering, by an export registration device, information about a printout of an electronic document by generating the information about the printout and transmitting the information about the printout to an export management server, outputting, by a security printer, a security printout by printing content and a security identifier of the electronic document on paper including a security substance, and determining whether or not to export the security printout, by a leakage detection device, by inspecting whether or not the security printout includes the security substance and detecting the security identifier. The security identifier includes security information about the printout of the electronic document, and the information about the printout of the electronic document includes information about a unique value allowing the printout to be uniquely identified. |
| US09292231B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and recording medium
An image forming system comprises an external terminal and an image forming apparatus. The external terminal has a position information detection part for detecting terminal position information which is position information of the external terminal and a transmitting part capable of transmitting the terminal position information. The image forming apparatus has a communication part for receiving the terminal position information which is position information of the external terminal from the external terminal and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of the image forming apparatus on the basis of the terminal position information. |
| US09292229B2 |
Information processing system, and control method
A control method for a control device which connects, via a connecting device, each of a plurality of processors that each executes processing to at least one of a plurality of memory devices that each stores data, the control method comprises controlling the connecting device so that a second memory device, which is one of the plurality of memory devices, is connected to the first processor in response to a connect request issued by a first processor, which is one of the plurality of processors, since a predetermined amount of data has been written into a first memory device, which is one of the plurality of memory devices, the control device; and controlling the connecting device so that the first memory device is disconnected from the first processor in response to a disconnect request issued by the first processor after starting to write data into the second memory device. |
| US09292225B2 |
Methods for frame order control and devices in storage area network
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and device that sends an outgoing storage device frame to a storage device, the outgoing storage device frame converted from an incoming storage device frame received from a host device based on a protocol supported by the storage device. An incoming host device frame is received from the storage device in response to the outgoing storage device frame. Whether an outgoing host device frame has been sent to the host device is determined, the outgoing host device frame converted from the incoming host device frame based on a protocol supported by the host device, wherein the protocol supported by the host device requires a different frame sequencing than the protocol supported by the storage device. A next incoming storage device frame received from the host device is retrieved when the outgoing host device frame is determined to have been sent to the host device. |
| US09292219B2 |
Computer system, virtualization mechanism, and control method for computer system
Computer system is provided with a first physical computer and a second physical computer. The first physical computer is provided with a control device and a storage device coupled to the control device. The control device of the first physical computer constructs a virtual computer and can execute a predetermined guest program on the virtual computer. A part of a region of the storage device is used as a virtual storage device that is a storage device for the virtual computer. In the case in which the control device executes a live migration which is to migrate the virtual computer of the first physical computer to the second physical computer while executing the guest program in a substantial way, the control device executes a control for reducing a data writing amount in a certain period of time to a virtual storage device that has been allocated to the virtual computer. |
| US09292215B2 |
Managing virtual hard disk snapshots
A method, system or computer usable program product for managing virtual disk snapshots including utilizing a processor to create multiple disk containers containing multiple snapshots on a host machine persistent memory, and combining the multiple snapshots on a guest operating system to produce a final snapshot utilized by the guest OS as a virtual disk. |
| US09292214B2 |
Systems and methods for migrating data
Various embodiments provide systems and methods for migrating data. One system includes a small computer system interface logical unit number (SCSI LUN) configured to store protected data, a processor, and memory configured to store a peer-to-peer remote copy (PPRC) application. The processor is configured to check a block cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for the protected data when the processor receives a request to read the protected data. One method includes receiving unprotected data, utilizing, by a second processor, a peer-to-peer remote copy (PPRC) application to add protection to the data to generate protected data, checking a CRC for the protected data when a request to migrate the protected data is received, and storing the protected data in a protected SCSI LUN. |
| US09292209B2 |
Multiple I/O request processing in a storage system
A mechanism is provided to optimize performance of a storage system. A plurality of I/O requests is received. A subset of the plurality of I/O requests is selected. The size of each I/O request of the subset of the plurality of I/O requests is less than a predetermined size, but the combined size of the subset of the plurality of I/O requests is greater than the predetermined size. Furthermore, the subset of the plurality of I/O requests is associated with a single logical unit number. A data transfer command which includes the subset of the plurality of I/O requests is generated. The data transfer command is transmitted. |
| US09292208B2 |
Processing input/output requests using proxy and owner storage systems
A first storage system is configured as a proxy for a logical volume stored on a second storage system. A probe request verifying availability of the logical volume is conveyed to an identified port, and upon receiving a response from a second storage system verifying the availability of the logical volume for an I/O request, the I/O request is conveyed to the identified port, a result of the I/O request is received from the identified port, the result is conveyed to the host computer. |
| US09292207B2 |
Queuing received write blocks for reducing file fragmentation
A method and apparatus for queuing FBNs of received write blocks for a file to a queuing data structure for assigning LBNs to the FBNs is described herein. A queuing data structure may comprise a modified binary search tree, such as a modified red-black search tree. Each node of a queuing data structure may comprise a base field for storing a base FBN and a range field for storing a range value comprising X bits. The range field of a single node may represent a range of two or more FBNs (“FBN range”), the FBN range being based on the base FBN. Each FBN in the FBN range may have a corresponding bit in the range field, the base FBN corresponding to a “base bit” in the range field. The value of the corresponding bit in the range field may indicate whether the FBN has been received. |
| US09292204B2 |
System and method of rebuilding READ cache for a rebooted node of a multiple-node storage cluster
A system and method for managing cache memory of at least one node of a multiple-node storage cluster. A first cache data and a first cache metadata are stored for data transfers between a respective node and regions of a storage cluster receiving at least a first selected number of data transfer requests. When the node is rebooted, a second (new) cache data is stored to replace the first (old) cache data. The second cache data is compiled utilizing the first cache metadata to identify previously cached regions of the storage cluster receiving at least a second selected number of data transfer requests after the node is rebooted. The second selected number of data transfer requests is less than the first selected number of data transfer requests to enable a rapid build of the second cache data. |
| US09292203B2 |
Providing a vertical candidate bar with an on-screen keyboard
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing a vertical candidate bar with an on-screen keyboard are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may display a keyboard on a touch-sensitive display screen. The keyboard may be a split keyboard that includes two panels of keys displayed on opposite sides of the display screen. The device also may display a candidate bar on the display screen, and the candidate bar may be vertically aligned with the keyboard. As character input is received via the keyboard, the device may update the candidate bar to include various candidate characters that are determined based on the received character input. |
| US09292202B2 |
Client device, operating method, and recording medium
A touch input device that includes a touch panel stacked with a display or integrally disposed with a display, and a controller. During a state of the display displaying a designated image, upon detecting that a specific location in the image has been touched with the touch panel, the controller detects a velocity by which a touch position changes and a direction in which the touch position changes while the touch continues, and determines an input instruction. |
| US09292196B2 |
Modifying the presentation of clustered application windows in a user interface
Providing a bridge interface for managing virtual workspaces is disclosed. A plurality of workspace images is presented in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of a computer system. A plurality of application windows associated with one of the virtual workspaces is presented. The presented application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, at least one cluster including a set of application windows, and at least a first of the application windows in the set of application windows visually overlaps a second application window in the set of application windows. User input indicating a movement of the application windows in the at least one cluster is received. The presentation of the at least one cluster is modified to make the second application window appear more visible to the user. |
| US09292195B2 |
Device, method, and graphical user interface for configuring and implementing restricted interactions for applications
An electronic device, while in an interaction configuration mode for a first application, concurrently displays: a first user interface, one or more interaction control user interface objects, and an application restriction controls display user interface object for the first application. The device detects a first gesture, and in response, displays application restriction control user interface objects for the first application. A respective application restriction control user interface object indicates whether a corresponding feature of the first application is configured to be enabled in a restricted interaction mode. The device detects a second gesture, and changes display of a setting in the first application restriction control user interface object for the first application. The device detects a second input, and in response, enters the restricted interaction mode for the first application. The corresponding feature is restricted in accordance with the setting in the first application restriction control user interface object. |
| US09292191B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining user input pattern in portable terminal
An apparatus and method for determining a user input pattern in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a sensing unit, a pattern management unit, and an output management unit. The sensing unit includes a sensor for sensing light, and measuring a sensed value for light. The pattern management unit determines an input pattern of a user based on a measured value of the sensing unit. The output management unit performs an operation corresponding to the input pattern determined by the pattern management unit. |
| US09292190B2 |
Methods and apparatus for displaying thumbnails while copying and pasting
A system provides for a clipboard manager for showing thumbnails in a clipboard while editing a document via a clipboard manager. The clipboard manager allows a user to select data from a second document. Upon selection, the clipboard manager generates a thumbnail that distinctly represents the data and stores the thumbnail and data in a clipboard. The thumbnail contains a miniaturized view of the data. The clipboard manager further allows the user to identify a paste location in the document that is to be edited. The clipboard manager displays the thumbnail in the clipboard in response to the user selecting a paste command. The user can employ the clipboard manager to insert the data at the paste location by selecting the thumbnail from the clipboard. |
| US09292189B2 |
Techniques to display location-based information
Techniques to display location-based information are described. An apparatus may comprise a screen management component and an interface component. The screen management component may be operative to display in a first screen area location-based information on a map according to geographic location, to display in a second screen area a list comprising the location-based information, and to adjust a relative size of the first screen area and the second screen area in response to a received interaction with one of the first screen area and second screen area. The interface component may be operative to receive the interaction with one of the first screen area and second screen area. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09292187B2 |
System, method and graphical user interface for displaying and controlling vision system operating parameters
A graphical user interface (GUI) display and GUI-based system for displaying and controlling vision system operating parameters of a contour sensor comprises an automated region of interest graphic image applied to a discrete region of a selected image in response to a single click by a user at the discrete region of the selected image, the selected image selected from a window on the GUI display containing a plurality of captured images of the object. At least one automated operating parameter is generated automatically in response to the single click by the user at the discrete region of the selected image to determine whether a contour of interest is in the automated ROI graphic image. The GUI also provides a contour graphic image that outlines the contour of interest to demonstrate whether the contour of interest is in (present or at the correct position within) the automated ROI graphic image. |
| US09292186B2 |
Note capture and recognition with manual assist
At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature a computing device configured to receive an input image of an environment having a plurality of physical notes. The computing device automatically processes the input image to identify at least some of the plurality of the physical notes in the input image and displays the input image and indications indicative of the identified physical notes on a user interface. The computing device receives a user input indicating a position within the input image via a user interface and, responsive to the user input, recognizes proximate to the position a missed one of the physical notes that was not identified by the computing device when initially processing the input image. |
| US09292185B2 |
Display device and display method
Provided are a display device, and a display method which improve operability of a proximity operation and a contact operation by using an interface display such as a magnification adjustment-use interface. Provided is a display unit that includes a control unit, a storage unit, a display unit, a display processing unit, a sensor unit, a coordinate acquisition unit, a reference position determining unit, and a defined region determining unit. A user approximates an instruction medium to the display unit and closely holds the instruction medium, for example, in a portion to be enlarged on a map displayed on the display unit. The display processing unit which received detection signals by the sensor unit displays an interface in which enlargement is performed on the map in a proximity of an instruction medium based on the obtained position coordinates. |
| US09292182B2 |
Business intelligence dashboard assembly tool with indications of relationships among content elements
In one example, a method comprises rendering a dashboard assembly user interface comprising a canvas section and a resource section, the resource section comprising one or more resource content elements, and the canvas section comprising one or more dashboard content elements. The dashboard assembly user interface enables resource content elements to be selectably added to the canvas section as dashboard content elements in response to user inputs, thereby configuring a business intelligence dashboard. The method further comprises searching for relationships between information associated with the one or more resource content elements and information associated with the one or more dashboard content elements; and, for a first resource content element from among the resource content elements that has a relationship with a first dashboard content element from among the dashboard content elements, rendering a visual indication of the relationship between the first resource content element and the first dashboard content element. |
| US09292181B2 |
Filtering objects in a multi-tenant environment
Various techniques and procedures related to filtering objects in a virtual application within a multi-tenant system are provided. One approach involves providing a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first filtering criterion and a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of a second filtering criterion within the virtual application being accessed over a network from a client device. After indication of the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion, a filtered set of objects is identified based on the first filtering criterion and the second filtering criterion. At least a portion of the filtered set of objects may then be presented within the virtual application on a client device. |
| US09292180B2 |
Locator system for three-dimensional visualization
A method and apparatus for locating a part in an aircraft. A part is identified in the aircraft. A series of views is generated from a model of the aircraft with graphical indicators in the series of views configured to provide guidance to a position of the part in the aircraft. The series of views is displayed on a display device. |
| US09292179B2 |
System and method for identifying music content in a P2P real time recommendation network
A method for media recommendations is provided, including storing, on a peer device, a pre-existing list of media presentations including a plurality of pre-existing media presentations. A plurality of media recommendations are received from a plurality of recommending peer devices in response to a media presentation being played. Each of the plurality of media recommendations comprises an identifier that identifies a recommended media presentation. Each recommended media presentation is automatically added to the list of media presentations in a position determined based user preferences to form an updated list of media presentations. Based on the position of each of the media presentations, a media presentation is selected to play on the peer device from the updated list of media presentations. The selected media presentation is then played on the peer device. |
| US09292178B2 |
Information display apparatus for a vehicle
An information display apparatus for a vehicle which is advantageous in displaying an energy flow in an easy-to-understand way to the driver is provided. A battery icon represents a driving battery. An engine icon represents an engine. A front-wheel icon and a rear-wheel icon represent front wheels and rear wheels, respectively. An energy transmission state displaying portion indicates the transmission state of energy and is displayed while being directly bridged between the battery icon, the engine icon, the front-wheel icon, and the rear-wheel icon. The energy transmission state displaying portion indicates the presence or absence and the direction of transmission of energy between the driving battery, the engine, the front wheels, and the rear wheels. |
| US09292169B2 |
Method and device for displaying interface
A method for displaying an interface is provided. The method includes displaying an icon of at least one first object in a first area of a display interface, displaying an icon of a second object in a second area of the display interface if the second object exists, the second object and the first object belong to a same level and different categories, wherein if one of the at least one first object is selected, the method further includes: hiding an icon of a first object which is not selected in the first area, displaying an icon of each sub-object of the selected first object in the second area, displaying an icon of a first object in the first area which is not selected in a third area of the display interface and displaying the icon of the second object in a fourth area of the display interface. |
| US09292168B2 |
Graphic-based electronic signature management system and method
A computer-implemented system for managing an electronic signature is provided. A data collector receives one or more contact information items. A signature builder builds a graphic-based electronic signature based on at least one of the contact information items. The graphic-based electronic signature includes a set of icons. Individual icons in the set of icons are respectively associated with at least one of the contact information items. Individual icons in the set of icons are configured to initiate a communication application when one of the icons is selected in order to communication via the communication application using the contact information item associated with the selected icon. |
| US09292167B2 |
Content control apparatus and method thereof
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a display unit including a touch screen; and a controller configured to enter the touch screen into a locked state, to display a lock screen and an application program icon for executing an application program on the lock screen when entering the locked state. |
| US09292159B2 |
Method for the temporal display of the mission of an aircraft
The general field of the invention is that of methods for displaying the steps of a mission or of a flight plan of an aircraft on a screen of a display device. The different steps of the method are displayed in a first graphical window comprising a time scale or “timeline”, the different steps being displayed opposite the schedule corresponding to their accomplishment. This window can be associated with a cartographic view of the flight plan. It can comprise a “magnifier” function. |
| US09292158B2 |
Method, system, apparatus, and tangible portable interactive electronic device storage medium; that processes custom programs and data for a user by creating, displaying, storing, modifying, performing adaptive learning routines, and multitasking; utilizing cascade windows on an electronic screen display in a mobile electronic interactive device GUI (graphical user interface) system
The instant invention comprises an apparatus, system, method, and tangible interactive mobile device storage medium, for creating, displaying, storing, modifying, performing adaptive learning routines, and multitasking; utilizing Cascade Windows™ on a display in an interactive mobile device GUI (Graphical User Interface) system; where the Cascade Windows created and displayed by The Cascade Software™ Technology Invention arranges the active interface of various mobile smartphone/device systems into adjustable dimension windows opened on the mobile device screen simultaneously so that multitasking is more efficient and effortless. This process and option of cascading various system and/or application windows simultaneously, creates a powerful tool for the user and a culminating technical effect that allows the user to go back in time, and view on the display various screen configurations ranked high in importance by the user and the machine, which occurred over a specific time interval in the past. |