| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09318711B2 |
Organic electroluminescence materials comprising substituted carbazoles and organic electroluminescence devices having the same
The organic EL material is represented by Formula (1): where X1 to X4 are each independently a nitrogen (N) atom or a carbon atom that is monovalently bonded to R1(C—R1), R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an aryl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, a hetero aryl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group having 1-12 carbon atoms, R2 to R10 are each independently hydrogen, an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, or hetero aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and at least one of X1 to X4 is a nitrogen atom. |
| US09318710B2 |
Organic electroluminescent materials and devices
Boron-nitrogen polyaromatic compounds having a fused aromatic ring system are provided, where the compounds include a [1,2]azaborino[1,2-a][1,2]azaborine which is optionally fused to one or more aromatic rings or fused aromatic rings; wherein the fused aromatic ring system is substituted by one or more substituents, R, that are not fused to the aromatic ring system, selected from deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; and wherein any two adjacent substituents, R, are optionally joined to form one or more non-aromatic rings. Devices, such as organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) that comprise light emitting materials are also provided. |
| US09318709B2 |
Material for organic electroluminescence device, and organic electroluminescence device using the same
A material for an organic electroluminescence device represented by the following formula (I): wherein X1 to X8 are a nitrogen atom, CH, CHal or CRa; Az is a nitrogen-containing six-membered ring or a fused polycyclic group including a nitrogen-containing six-membered ring; W is an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 30 ring carbon atoms which is substituted by at least one cyano group or a heterocyclic group having 5 to 30 ring atoms which is substituted by at least one cyano group. |
| US09318705B2 |
Organic light emitting device with roughening layer and method of producing
The invention relates to an organic light emitting device, in a layered structure, comprising a substrate, a bottom electrode, a top electrode, wherein the bottom electrode is closer to the substrate than the top electrode, an electrically active region, the electrically active region comprising one or more organic layers and being provided between and in electrical contact with the bottom electrode and the top electrode, a light emitting region provided in the electrically active region, and a roughening layer, the roughening layer being provided as non-closed layer in the electrically active region and providing an electrode roughness to the top electrode by roughening the top electrode on at least one an inner side facing the electrically active region and an outer side of the top electrode facing away from the electrically active region. Furthermore, a further organic light emitting device, and a method of producing an organic light emitting device are provided. |
| US09318704B2 |
Variable resistance memory device and methods of forming the same
Variable resistance memory devices and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The devices may include an additional barrier layer that is a portion of a variable resistance layer and that is formed before forming a horizontal electrode layer. Due to the presence of the additional barrier layer, it may be possible to cure loss or damage of the variable resistance layer. |
| US09318700B2 |
Method of manufacturing a phase change memory device
In a method of manufacturing a phase change memory device, an insulating interlayer having a through opening is formed on a substrate, at least one conformal phase change material layer pattern is formed along the sides of the opening, and a plug-like phase change material pattern having a composition different from that of each conformal phase change material layer pattern is formed on the at least one conformal phase change material layer pattern as occupying a remaining portion of the opening. Energy is applied to the phase change material layer patterns to form a mixed phase change material layer pattern including elements from the conformal and plug-like phase change material layer patterns. |
| US09318699B2 |
Resistive memory cell structures and methods
Resistive memory cell structures and methods are described herein. One or more memory cell structures comprise a first resistive memory cell comprising a first resistance variable material and a second resistive memory cell comprising a second resistance variable material that is different than the first resistance variable material. |
| US09318695B2 |
Magnetic memory devices having a uniform perpendicular nonmagnetic rich antisotropy enhanced pattern
Provided are magnetic memory devices, electronic systems and memory cards including the same, methods of manufacturing the same, and methods of controlling a magnetization direction of a magnetic pattern. In a magnetic memory device, atomic-magnetic moments non-parallel to one surface of a free pattern increase in the free pattern. Therefore, critical current density of the magnetic memory device may be reduced, such that power consumption of the magnetic memory device is reduced or minimized and/or the magnetic memory device is improved or optimized for a higher degree of integration. |
| US09318694B2 |
Methods of forming a magnetic random access memory etch spacer and structures formed thereby
Methods of forming a memory device structure are described. Those methods may include forming a non-conductive spacer material on a top electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction structure, and then forming a highly selective material on the non-conductive spacer material of the magnetic tunnel junction prior to etching a bottom electrode of the magnetic tunnel junction. |
| US09318693B2 |
Method for fabricating a damascene self-aligned ferroelectric random access memory (F-RAM) having a ferroelectric capacitor aligned with a three dimensional transistor structure
A method for a non-volatile, ferroelectric random access memory (F-RAM) device that includes a ferroelectric capacitor aligned with a preexisting structure is described. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an opening in an insulating layer over a contact in a planar surface of a substrate to expose at least a portion of the contact. Next a self-aligned contact (SAC) is formed electrically coupling to the contact, the SAC medially located in the opening and proximal to a sidewall thereof. A ferroelectric spacer is then formed in the opening medially of the SAC, and a top electrode spacer formed in the opening over the insulating cap and medially of the ferroelectric spacer. |
| US09318690B2 |
Piezoelectric element, liquid ejecting head, and liquid ejecting apparatus
A piezoelectric element is provided. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer made of a perovskite compound containing sodium, potassium, lithium, niobium and tantalum and bismuth manganate. The piezoelectric element may also include electrodes for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer may contain 0.25 to 1 mol % of bismuth manganate relative to the perovskite ceramics. |
| US09318687B2 |
Piezoelectric element, piezoelectric device, ink-jet head, and ink-jet printer
A piezoelectric element having an electrode, a seed layer for controlling the crystal orientation of a piezoelectric layer, and the piezoelectric layer stacked in this order from the substrate side. The seed layer is composed of two or more layers stacked together each comprising crystals of spherical particles. |
| US09318684B2 |
Semiconductor ceramic and semiconductor ceramic element
Provided is a semiconductor ceramic element constructed by using a semiconductor ceramic that generates metal-insulator transition at a temperature of actual use and has a sufficient strength to enable easy handling. The semiconductor ceramic element has an element main body having a semiconductor ceramic made of a perovskite-type or pyrochlore-type oxide containing a rare earth element, nickel, and titanium, in which a part of the nickel is present as metal nickel; and a pair of electrodes formed to interpose the element main body therebetween. This semiconductor ceramic element shows a sharp resistance change within a temperature range of actual use, and can be used advantageously as a temperature sensor. |
| US09318681B2 |
Thermogenerator comprising phase-change materials
A thermogenerator including at least one thermoelement and two phase-change materials having different phase-change temperatures, the at least one thermoelement having two opposite main faces, and each of the faces is covered by one of the phase-change materials, such that the thermoelement is subject only to a temperature gradient imposed by the two phase-change materials, during a phase of heating or cooling. |
| US09318679B2 |
Optical device and method for manufacturing same
An optical device includes a metal substrate wherein at least one vertical insulation layer is formed from the upper to the lower surface; a metal plated layer formed on the upper surface of the metal substrate except for the vertical insulation layer; and an optical device chip bonded to one portion of the metal plated layer. One electrode of the optical device chip is electrically connected to a bonded surface of the metal plated layer, and the other electrode of the optical device chip is wire bonded to the other portion of metal plated layer. The optical device chip and a peripheral region thereof is shielded with a sealant, and at least one groove is formed on a partial surface of the metal plated layer so that a portion of the sealant is directly bonded to the metal substrate. |
| US09318671B2 |
High efficiency light emitting diode package suitable for wafer level packaging
An LED package and method for LED packaging is disclosed. In one embodiment, an LED package includes a carrier substrate having a predefined surface area, an LED device bonded to the carrier substrate, the LED device having a footprint area of at least fifty percent of the predefined surface area of the carrier substrate, and an encapsulant lens having a top surface inclined inwardly at an angle in the range of about 10° to about 140°. In one embodiment, the top surface of the encapsulant lens layer has a concave cone shape. In one embodiment, a wafer level packaging process includes forming an encapsulant lens layer portion having a top surface inclined inwardly at an angle in the range of about 10° to about 140° on each of a plurality of LED devices bonded to a carrier substrate wafer. |
| US09318664B2 |
Semiconductor light emitting element and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting element includes: a support substrate; a bonding layer provided on the support substrate; an LED layer provided on the bonding layer; and a buffer layer softer than the bonding layer. The buffer layer is placed in one of between the support substrate and the bonding layer and between the bonding layer and the LED layer. |
| US09318662B2 |
Light emitting device with improved current spreading performance and lighting apparatus including the same
Disclosed herein is a light emitting device exhibiting improved current spreading. The disclosed light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and an active layer disposed between the first conductivity type and second conductivity type semiconductor layers, a first electrode disposed on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode disposed on the second conductivity type semiconductor layer. The light emitting structure includes a mesa etching region where the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, active layer, and first conductivity type semiconductor layer are partially etched, thereby exposing a portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer. The first electrode is disposed on the exposed portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer. A first electrode layer is disposed between the second conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second electrode. A second electrode layer is disposed between portions of the first electrode layer spaced from each other at opposite sides of the mesa etching region. |
| US09318656B2 |
Light-emitting diode and method of manufacturing the same
A light-emitting diode and manufacturing method, including a flat portion and a mesa structure. An inclined side surface is formed by wet etching such that a cross-sectional area of the mesa structure is continuously reduced toward a top surface. A protective film covers the flat portion, the inclined side surface, and a peripheral region of the top surface of the mesa structure. The protective film includes an electrical conduction window arranged around a light emission hole and from which a compound semiconductor layer is exposed. A continuous electrode film contacts the exposed compound semiconductor layer, covers the protective film formed on the flat portion, and has the light emission hole on the top surface. A transparent conductive film is formed between a reflecting layer and the layer at a position that corresponds to the electrical conduction window and in a range surrounded by the electrical conduction window. |
| US09318655B2 |
Elevated LED
The present invention relates to light emitting diodes comprising at least one nanowire. The LED according to the invention is an upstanding nanostructure with the nanowire protruding from a substrate. A bulb with a larger diameter than the nanowire is arranged in connection to the nanowire and at an elevated position with regards to the substrate. A pn-junction is formed by the combination of the bulb and the nanowire resulting in an active region to produce light. |
| US09318651B2 |
Optoelectronic semiconductor chip and method for producing the latter
A semiconductor chip with a layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer sequence and a second semiconductor layer sequence. The first semiconductor layer sequence includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type and an active zone arranged therebetween. The second semiconductor layer sequence includes the second semiconductor region of the second conductivity type, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and a second active zone arranged therebetween. |
| US09318647B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor light emitting device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device includes forming a light emitting structure layer including an active layer on a first substrate. A second substrate is bonded to the light emitting structure layer at a first temperature higher than room temperature. The first substrate is removed from the light emitting structure layer at a second temperature higher than room temperature. The second substrate and the light emitting structure are cooled to reach room temperature. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the second substrate is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion of the active layer. |
| US09318644B2 |
Ion implantation and annealing for thin film crystalline solar cells
A back contact back junction thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film semiconductor solar cell. Preferably the thin film semiconductor material comprises crystalline silicon. Base regions, emitter regions, and front surface field regions are formed through ion implantation and annealing processes. |
| US09318642B2 |
Method and apparatus providing single step vapor chloride treatment and photovoltaic modules
A method and apparatus are disclosed in which cadmium chloride is deposited on a cadmium telluride layer while simultaneously heat treating the cadmium telluride layer. |
| US09318641B2 |
Nanowires formed by employing solder nanodots
A photovoltaic device and method include depositing a metal film on a substrate layer. The metal film is annealed to form islands of the metal film on the substrate layer. The substrate layer is etched using the islands as an etch mask to form pillars in the substrate layer. |
| US09318639B2 |
Gallium arsenide avalanche photodiode
An avalanche photodiode can include: an avalanche region having one or more layers prepared from GaAs; an N− absorption layer extending across the avalanche region; an N-type layer above at least a center portion of the N− absorption layer; and optionally a lower conductivity layer laterally from the N-type layer to a surface of the avalanche region and above a perimeter portion of the N− absorption layer, the lower conductivity layer having lower conductivity compared to the N-type layer. The avalanche photodiode can include a window layer above the N-type layer and lower conductivity layer, and an anode contact above the window layer. The avalanche photodiode can include an N+ barrier layer below the N− absorption layer, an N+ conduction layer below the N+ barrier layer, a substrate below the N+ conduction layer, and a cathode contact coupled with the N+ conduction layer. |
| US09318634B2 |
Vinylidene fluoride resin composition, resin film, back sheet for solar cells, and solar cell module
Provided is a vinylidene fluoride resin composition resistant to yellowing in the test for evaluation of durability of moist heat resistance, even when it is laminated directly on an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)-based sealing material, and a resin film, a back sheet for solar cells and a solar cell module comprising the same. A vinylidene fluoride resin composition at least comprising a vinylidene fluoride resin having a peak value ratio of head-to-tail bond to head-to-head bond (head-to-tail bond/head-to-head bond), as determined by 1H-NMR, of 11.5 or less and a mass-average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.30×105 or more, and an antioxidant is processed into a vinylidene fluoride resin film having a thickness of 10 to 200 μm. The vinylidene fluoride resin film and an electric insulating resin film such as polyethylene terephthalate-based film are laminated, to give a back sheet for solar cells. |
| US09318632B2 |
Bare quantum dots superlattice photonic devices
Manipulation of the passivation ligands of colloidal quantum dots and use in QD electronics. A multi-step electrostatic process is described which creates bare QDs, followed by the formation of QD superlattice via electric and thermal stimulus. Colloidal QDs with original long ligands (i.e. oleic acid) are atomized, and loaded into a special designed tank to be washed, followed by another atomization step before entering the doping station. The final step is the deposition of bare QDs onto substrate and growth of QD superlattice. The method permits the formation of various photonic devices, such as single junction and tandem solar cells based on bare QD superlattice, photodetectors, and LEDs. The devices include a piezoelectric substrate with an electrode, and at least one layer of bare quantum dots comprising group IV-VI elements on the electrode, where the bare quantum dots have been stripped of outer-layer ligands. |
| US09318630B2 |
Pixel with raised photodiode structure
An active pixel cell includes an isolation feature and a photodiode, in which the active pixel cell is on a semiconductor substrate with a top surface. The isolation feature is in the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The photodiode is adjacent to the isolation feature. The photodiode includes a first-type pinned photodiode (PPD) and a second-type PPD. The first-type PPD is in the pixel region, in which the first-type PPD has a first-type PPD surface coplanar with the top surface. The second-type PPD is on the first-type PPD surface, in which the second-type PPD has a second-type PPD surface which is elevated higher than the first-type PPD surface. |
| US09318627B2 |
Semiconductor radiation detector
A semiconductor radiation detector having a semiconductor substrate and first and second metal layers. The semiconductor substrate has substantially planar upper and lower opposing surfaces which have respective first and second surface areas. The first and second surface areas are defined by prospective dice lines. The first metal layer is on the substantially planar upper surface such that the first metal layer will have a surface area less than the first surface area of the substantially planar upper surface as defined by spaces on the substantially planar upper surface between the first metal layer and the prospective dice lines which define the first surface area. The second metal layer is on the substantially planar lower opposing surface. |
| US09318622B1 |
Fin-type PIN diode array
Structures and methods of manufacturing a fin-type PIN diode array include forming a plurality of first charge-type doped silicon fins disposed in parallel on a planar substrate in a first direction, forming undoped epitaxial growths of silicon at intervals along a length of each silicon fin, where each epitaxial growth includes a depleted intrinsic region, and forming a plurality of second charge-type doped polysilicon fins disposed in parallel and disposed perpendicularly to the first direction. The polysilicon fins are formed to contact, at intervals along a length of each polysilicon fin, an uppermost surface of one of the undoped epitaxial growths of silicon, to form a PIN diode at each intersection of each of the first charge-type doped silicon fins and the second charge-type doped polysilicon fins. |
| US09318621B2 |
Rotated STI diode on FinFET technology
A diode includes a first plurality of combo fins having lengthwise directions parallel to a first direction, wherein the first plurality of combo fins comprises portions of a first conductivity type. The diodes further includes a second plurality of combo fins having lengthwise directions parallel to the first direction, wherein the second plurality of combo fins includes portions of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. An isolation region is located between the first plurality of combo fins and the second plurality of combo fins. The first and the second plurality of combo fins form a cathode and an anode of the diode. The diode is configured to have a current flowing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with the current flowing between the anode and the cathode. |
| US09318617B2 |
Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
It is an object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics and a display device including the semiconductor device as a switching element. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a needle crystal group provided on at least one surface side of the oxide semiconductor layer grows in a c-axis direction perpendicular to the surface and includes an a-b plane parallel to the surface, and a portion except for the needle crystal group is an amorphous region or a region in which amorphousness and microcrystals are mixed. Accordingly, a highly reliable semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics can be formed. |
| US09318607B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first source electrode configured to connect a first power rail to a first impurity region, the first power rail coupled to a first voltage source, a second source electrode configured to connect a second power rail to a second impurity region, the second power rail coupled to a second voltage source, the first and second voltage sources being different, a gate electrode on the first and second impurity regions, a first drain electrode on the first impurity region, a second drain electrode on the second impurity region and an interconnection line connected to the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode, the interconnection line forming at least one closed loop. |
| US09318606B2 |
FinFET device and method of fabricating same
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having isolation regions, a gate region, source and drain regions separated by the gate region, a first fin structure in a gate region. The first fin structure includes a first semiconductor material layer as a lower portion of the first fin structure, a semiconductor oxide layer as an outer portion of a middle portion of the first fin structure, the first semiconductor material layer as a center portion of the middle portion of the first fin structure and a second semiconductor material layer as an upper portion of the first fin structure. The semiconductor device also includes a source/drain feature over the substrate in the source/drain region between two adjacent isolation regions and a high-k (HK)/metal gate (MG) stack in the gate region, wrapping over a portion of the first fin structure. |
| US09318605B2 |
Semiconductor device with an SGT and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a P+ region and an N+ region functioning as sources of SGTs and disposed in top portions of Si pillars formed on an i-layer substrate. Connections between a power supply wiring metal layer and the P+ region and between a ground wiring metal layer and the N+ region are established on the entire surfaces of low-resistance Ni silicide layers that are respectively in contact with the P+ region and the N+ region and formed on outer peripheries of the Si pillars. Lower ends of the power supply wiring metal layer and the ground wiring metal layer are located at a height of surfaces of HfO layers near the boundaries between the P+ region and a channel and between the N+ region and a channel, respectively. |
| US09318597B2 |
Layout configurations for integrating schottky contacts into a power transistor device
A semiconductor device includes a vertical field-effect-transistor (FET) and a bypass diode. The vertical FET device includes a substrate, a drift layer formed over the substrate, a gate contact and a plurality of source contacts located on a first surface of the drift layer opposite the substrate, a drain contact located on a surface of the substrate opposite the drift layer, and a plurality of junction implants, each of the plurality of junction implants laterally separated from one another on the surface of the drift layer opposite the substrate and extending downward toward the substrate. Each of the one or more bypass diodes are formed by placing a Schottky metal contact on the first surface of the drift layer, such that each Schottky metal contact runs between two of the plurality of junction implants. |
| US09318592B2 |
Active area shaping of III-nitride devices utilizing a source-side field plate and a wider drain-side field plate
In an exemplary implementation, a III-nitride semiconductor device includes a III-nitride heterojunction including a first III-nitride body situated over a second III-nitride body to form a two-dimensional electron gas. The III-nitride semiconductor device further includes a gate well formed in a dielectric body, the dielectric body situated over the III-nitride heterojunction. A gate arrangement is situated in the gate well and includes a gate electrode, a source-side field plate, and a drain-side field plate. The source-side field plate and the drain-side field plate each include steps, and the drain-side field plate is wider than the source-side field plate. |
| US09318590B2 |
IGBT using trench gate electrode
An IGBT includes a trench gate electrode that is bent when a semiconductor substrate is seen in a plan view, and an inner semiconductor region of the same conductivity type as an emitter region is formed at a position inside a bent portion of the trench gate electrode and exposed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The trench gate electrode is bent, and therefore, a hole density during operation increases, whereby conductivity modulation phenomenon is accelerated, and an on-state voltage is reduced. When the IGBT is turned off, the inner semiconductor region influences a movement path of the holes so that a moving distance thereof through a body region becomes short. The holes escape easily to a body contact region when the IGBT is turned off. Increase of current density during the operation and prevention of a latchup are both achieved. |
| US09318588B2 |
Semiconductor device
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having first and second faces, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type disposed above the first face of the first semiconductor layer. The device further includes control electrodes facing the first and second semiconductor layers via insulating layers, and extending to a first direction parallel to the first face of the first semiconductor layer, and third semiconductor layers of the first conductivity type and fourth semiconductor layers of the second conductivity type alternately disposed along the first direction above the second semiconductor layer. The device further includes fifth semiconductor layers of the first conductivity type disposed below the second semiconductor layer or disposed at positions surrounded by the second semiconductor layer, the fifth semiconductor layers being arranged separately from one another along the first direction. |
| US09318586B2 |
High voltage semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
According to example embodiments of inventive concepts: a semiconductor device includes: first and second trench gates extending long in one direction in a substrate; third and fourth trench gates in the substrate, the third and fourth trench gates connecting the first and second trench gates with each other; a first region defined in the substrate by the first to fourth trench gates and surrounded by the first to fourth trench gates; and a second region and a third region defined in the substrate. The second region is in surface contact with the first region. The third region is in point contact with the first region. The first region includes a first high-voltage semiconductor device including a body of a first conduction type and an emitter of a second conduction type in the body. Floating wells of the first conduction type are in the second region and the third region. |
| US09318578B2 |
FinFET spacer formation by oriented implantation
A FinFET having spacers with a substantially uniform profile along the length of a gate stack which covers a portion of a fin of semiconductor material formed on a substrate is provided by depositing spacer material conformally on both the fins and gate stack and performing an angled ion impurity implant approximately parallel to the gate stack to selectively cause damage to only spacer material deposited on the fin. Due to the damage caused by the angled implant, the spacer material on the fins can be etched with high selectivity to the spacer material on the gate stack. |
| US09318573B2 |
Field effect transistor having germanium nanorod and method of manufacturing the same
A field effect transistor having at least one Ge nanorod and a method of manufacturing the field effect transistor are provided. The field effect transistor may include a gate insulation layer formed on a silicon substrate, at least one nanorod embedded in the gate insulation layer having both ends thereof exposed, a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to opposite sides of the at least one Ge nanorod, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode. |
| US09318571B2 |
Gate structure and method for trimming spacers
A gate structure includes a gate disposed on a substrate, a first spacer disposed on the substrate and surrounding the gate and a second spacer disposed on the first spacer and surrounding the gate, the second spacer is lower than the first spacer. |
| US09318568B2 |
Integration of a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell and a logic transistor and method therefor
A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a memory gate structure in a nonvolatile memory region of the semiconductor device, wherein the memory gate structure comprises a first gate separated from a second gate by a charge storage layer. A logic gate structure is formed in a logic region of the semiconductor device. A hard mask is formed over at least the metal electrode portion. The nonvolatile memory region is selectively etched such that a first recess is formed in the first gate and a second recess is formed in the second gate. |
| US09318566B2 |
Method of fabricating semiconductor device having grooved source contact region
In a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, a channel layer is formed on a substrate, and trench patterns are formed in the channel layer. Impurity bodies are formed in the channel layer between the trench patterns, and grooves are formed between the trench patterns in the impurity bodies formed in the channel layer. Source isolation regions are formed in the impurity bodies at bottom portions of the grooves, and source regions are formed in the impurity bodies at sidewall portions of the grooves. |
| US09318562B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus with band energy alignments
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a semiconductor apparatus includes: a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type; and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, wherein: the second semiconductor layer is formed between the first and third semiconductor layers, and the first and second semiconductor layers are in contact with each other; and a first energy level at a bottom edge of a conduction band of the first semiconductor layer is lower than a second energy level at a top edge of a valence band of the second semiconductor layer, and the second energy level at the top edge of the valence band of the second semiconductor layer is substantially the same as a third energy level at a bottom edge of a conduction band of the third semiconductor layer. |
| US09318561B2 |
Device isolation for III-V substrates
Techniques for device isolation for III-V semiconductor substrates are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a III-V semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having an indium phosphide (InP)-ready layer; forming an iron (Fe)-doped InP layer on the InP-ready layer; forming an epitaxial III-V semiconductor material layer on the Fe-doped InP layer; and patterning the epitaxial III-V semiconductor material layer to form one or more active areas of the device. A III-V semiconductor device is also provided. |
| US09318555B2 |
Fabrication of graphene nanoelectronic devices on SOI structures
A semiconductor-on-insulator structure and a method of forming the silicon-on-insulator structure including an integrated graphene layer are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises processing a silicon material to form a buried oxide layer within the silicon material, a silicon substrate below the buried oxide, and a silicon-on-insulator layer on the buried oxide. A graphene layer is transferred onto the silicon-on-insulator layer. Source and drain regions are formed in the silicon-on-insulator layer, and a gate is formed above the graphene. In one embodiment, the processing includes growing a respective oxide layer on each of first and second silicon sections, and joining these silicon sections together via the oxide layers to form the silicon material. The processing, in an embodiment, further includes removing a portion of the first silicon section, leaving a residual silicon layer on the bonded oxide, and the graphene layer is positioned on this residual silicon layer. |
| US09318548B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor layer, a first electrode, and a first insulating film. The semiconductor layer is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer includes first-fifth regions. The first region includes a first portion and a second portion arranged with the first portion. The second region is provided in a surface of the first portion. The third region is provided between the second portion and the second region in the surface of the first portion. The fourth region is provided between the second portion and the third region in the surface of the first portion. The fifth region is provided in a surface of the fourth region. The first electrode is provided between the fifth region and the second portion on the semiconductor layer. The first insulating film is provided between the semiconductor layer and the first electrode. |
| US09318544B2 |
Organic light emitting display apparatus, method of manufacturing the same, and mask used in the method
A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display apparatus is provided. A plurality of first electrodes is formed on a substrate. An intermediate layer including an emission layer is formed on the plurality of first electrodes. A deposition mold including a plurality of auxiliary patterning lines is formed by performing a deposition process twice using a mask. The mask includes a plurality of aperture sets, each of the plurality of aperture sets corresponding to part of each of the plurality of auxiliary patterning lines. A plurality of second electrodes is formed on the intermediate layer by depositing a conductive material into the deposition mold. |
| US09318541B2 |
Polymer film, flexible light emitting element display device, and rollable display device
The present invention relates to a polymer film containing a binder resin and polyrotaxane having a specific structure, and a flexible light emitting element display device and a rollable display device including the coating film. |
| US09318534B2 |
Solid-state image pickup device and manufacturing method thereof, and electronic apparatus
Provided is a solid-state image pickup device that makes it possible to enhance image quality, and a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic apparatus. A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel section that includes a plurality of pixels, the pixels each including one or more organic photoelectric conversion sections, wherein the pixel section includes an effective pixel region and an optical black region, and the organic photoelectric conversion sections of the optical black region include a light-shielding film and a buffer film on a light-incidence side. |
| US09318529B2 |
Wafer level light-emitting diode array
A light emitting diode array is provide to include: a substrate; light emitting diodes positioned over the substrate, each including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, wherein each light emitting diode is disposed to form a first via hole structure exposing a portion of the corresponding first semiconductor layer; lower electrodes disposed over the second semiconductor layer; a first interlayer insulating layer disposed over the lower electrodes and configured to expose the portion of the first semiconductor layer of corresponding light emitting diodes; upper electrodes electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer through the first via hole structure, wherein the first via hole structure is disposed in parallel with one side of the corresponding second semiconductor layer and the first interlayer insulating layer is disposed to form a second via hole structure exposing a portion of the lower electrodes. |
| US09318528B2 |
Image sensor device and method
A system and method for blocking heat from reaching an image sensor in a three dimensional stack with a semiconductor device. In an embodiment a heat sink is formed in a back end of line process either on the semiconductor device or else on the image sensor itself when the image sensor is in a backside illuminated configuration. The heat sink may be a grid in either a single layer or in two layers, a zig-zag pattern, or in an interleaved fingers configuration. |
| US09318525B2 |
Method for manufacturing solid-state image sensor
A first pixel includes a first charge accumulation portion of a first conductivity type in a first region. A second pixel includes a second charge accumulation portion of the first conductivity type in a second region and a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type in a third region. Impurities of the second conductivity type are doped in the third region and the impurities of the second conductivity type are doped in at least the second region to generate a first difference between quantities of doping the impurities of the second conductivity type in the first and second regions. Impurities are doped in the first and second regions to reduce a second difference, caused by the first difference, between net quantities of doping impurities of the first conductivity type in the first and second regions. |
| US09318522B2 |
Colored radiation-sensitive composition for color filter, pattern forming method, color filter and method of producing the same, and solid-state image sensor
A colored radiation-sensitive composition for a color filter that includes (A) a pigment, (B) a photopolymerization initiator, and (C) a polymerizable compound, in which the colored radiation-sensitive composition satisfies the following conditions: when a colored radiation-sensitive composition layer is formed from the colored radiation-sensitive composition such that spectral transmittance at 600 nm becomes 30%, the colored radiation-sensitive composition layer includes the following characteristics: (1) spectral transmittance at 400 nm is 20% or less; (2) spectral transmittance at 550 nm is 10% or less; (3) spectral transmittance at 700 nm is 70% or more; (4) a wavelength resulting in 50% spectral transmittance is in a range of from 650 nm to 680 nm; and (5) a film thickness of the colored radiation-sensitive composition layer is in a range of from 0.55 μm to 1.8 μm. |
| US09318521B2 |
Image sensor
An image sensor includes a first sub-gate in a recessed region in a substrate; a second sub-gate on the first sub-gate in contact with an upper surface of the substrate; and an element isolation region in the substrate spaced apart from the first sub-gate. A lower surface of the second sub-gate is wider than an upper surface of the first sub-gate, and a portion of the element isolation region is spaced apart from the second sub-gate by a first distance in a first direction. |
| US09318520B2 |
Solid-state image sensing device manufacturing method and solid-state image sensing device
According to one embodiment, a solid-state image sensing device manufacturing method includes forming a photoelectric converting element, a diffusion layer included in a floating diffusion, and a read transistor, in a photoelectric converting element formation region of a semiconductor substrate, a floating diffusion formation region, and a read transistor formation region located between the photoelectric converting element formation region and the floating diffusion formation region, respectively, and forming a semiconductor layer including a impurity on the diffusion layer on the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09318515B2 |
Method of forming a conductive pattern, method of manufacturing a display substrate using the method, and display substrate
A method of forming a conductive pattern includes forming a trench on a substrate, and providing a conductive ink to the trench while an electric field is generated between the substrate and a nozzle which ejects the conductive ink. |
| US09318514B2 |
Display device and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed is a display device. The display device includes a gate line and a data line intersecting the gate line to define a pixel area on a substrate, a TFT formed in the pixel area and including a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, a first protective layer formed on the TFT structured such that a first hole exists through the first protective layer, a second protective layer formed on the first protective layer and structured such that a second hole exists through the second protective layer, wherein the size of the second hole differs from a size of the first hole, a pixel electrode formed on the second protective layer and at least partially filling the first and second holes, the pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the first and second holes. |
| US09318512B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
As a display device has a higher definition, the number of pixels, gate lines, and signal lines are increased. When the number of the gate lines and the signal lines are increased, a problem of higher manufacturing cost, because it is difficult to mount an IC chip including a driver circuit for driving of the gate and signal lines by bonding or the like. A pixel portion and a driver circuit for driving the pixel portion are provided over the same substrate, and at least part of the driver circuit includes a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor interposed between gate electrodes provided above and below the oxide semiconductor. Therefore, when the pixel portion and the driver portion are provided over the same substrate, manufacturing cost can be reduced. |
| US09318505B2 |
Display panel and method of manufacturing the same
A display panel includes a first substrate including a switching device array, a second substrate spaced apart from the first substrate, a column spacer maintaining a cell gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate includes a gate line on a base substrate and extending in a direction, a data line crossing with the gate line, a switching device electrically connected to the gate line and the data line and including a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode, a pixel electrode connected to the switching device and a dummy pattern adjacent to the column spacer. |
| US09318502B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array and a peripheral circuit. The peripheral circuit is connected to the memory cell array through conductive lines and includes transistors. Each of the transistors is formed on the substrate and includes first and second regions and a gate electrode. In at least one of the transistors, the first region is connected to at least one of the conductive lines through first contact plugs extending in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and second contact plugs extending in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. A contact area of each of the first contact plugs is different from a contact area of each of the second contact plugs. |
| US09318501B2 |
Methods and structures for split gate memory cell scaling with merged control gates
A memory device has first and second memory cells in and over a substrate. A first doped region is in a first active region. A top surface of the first active region is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the first doped region. A control gate is over the first doped region and extends over a first side of the first doped region and over a second side of the first doped region. A charge storage layer is between the first control gate and the first active region including between the first select gate and the first doped region. A first select gate is over the first active region on the first side of the first doped region and adjacent to the control gate. A second select gate is over the first active region on the second side of the first doped region and adjacent to the control gate. |
| US09318496B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device with layout to minimize void formation and method of making the same
A memory device can include an array of NOR memory cells, each memory cell including a floating gate, a source on a source side of the floating gate, a drain on a drain side of the floating gate, a drain contact on the drain, and a source contact on the source. The source contacts are connected to a common source line. A plurality of bit lines are connected to respective drains in a column of the memory cells. A plurality of word lines, each word line coupled to respective floating gates in a row of the memory cells. Spacing between the word lines on the drain side is greater than spacing between the word lines on the source side. |
| US09318493B2 |
Memory arrays, semiconductor constructions, and methods of forming semiconductor constructions
Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays may have digit lines under vertically-oriented transistors, with the digit lines interconnecting transistors along columns of the array. Each individual transistor may be directly over only a single digit line, with the single digit line being entirely composed of one or more metal-containing materials. The digit lines can be over a deck, and electrically insulative regions can be directly between the digit lines and the deck. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory arrays. A plurality of linear segments of silicon-containing material may be formed to extend upwardly from a base of the silicon-containing material. The base may be etched to form silicon-containing footings under the linear segments, and the footings may be converted into metal silicide. The linear segments may be patterned into a plurality of vertically-oriented transistor pedestals that extend upwardly from the metal silicide footings. |
| US09318491B2 |
Semiconductor fin devices and method of fabricating the semiconductor fin devices
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the substrate and having a trench exposing a surface portion of the substrate, and a channel-forming structure comprising crystalline semiconductor material. The channel-forming structure has a lower portion located in the trench and fins extending upright on the lower portion, where the fins are spaced from each other and are each narrower than an opening of the trench, and the lower portion of the channel forming structure has a higher crystal defect density than the fins of the channel forming structure. |
| US09318487B2 |
High performance power cell for RF power amplifier
A power cell designed for an RF power amplifier comprises an enhancement MOSFET formed in an P-Well in an P-Substrate and a depletion or Schottky MOSFET formed in an N-Well in the same P-Substrate with a horizontal or a vertical channel between the source, drain, and gate electrodes of the depletion or Schottky MOSFET. The source node of the enhancement MOSFET and source node of the depletion or Schottky MOSFET are connected together to form the power cell. |
| US09318475B2 |
Flexible display and method of formation with sacrificial release layer
A flexible display panel and method of formation with a sacrificial release layer are described. The method of manufacturing a flexible display system includes forming a sacrificial layer on a carrier substrate. A flexible display substrate is formed on the sacrificial layer, with a plurality of release openings that extend through the flexible display substrate to the sacrificial layer. An array of LEDs and a plurality of microchips are transferred onto the flexible display substrate to form a flexible display panel. The sacrificial layer is selectively removed such that the flexible display panel attaches to the carrier substrate by a plurality of support posts. The flexible display panel is removed from the carrier substrate and is electrically coupled with display components to form a flexible display system. |
| US09318472B1 |
Light-emitting diode lighting device
A light-emitting diode (LED) lighting device includes a substrate, a first bottom electrode, a bottom transparent isolation layer, a first vertical LED, a second vertical LED, a first top transparent electrode, and a second top transparent electrode. The first bottom electrode is disposed on the substrate and is reflective. The first vertical LED and the second vertical LED are disposed on the first bottom electrode. The bottom transparent isolation layer covers the substrate and the first bottom electrode and exposes the first vertical LED and the second vertical LED. The first top transparent electrode is electrically connected to the first vertical LED. The second top transparent electrode is electrically connected to the second vertical LED. The first top transparent electrode, the second top transparent electrode, and the first bottom electrode cooperate to electrically connect the first vertical LED and the second vertical LED in series. |
| US09318470B2 |
Semiconductor device
In a semiconductor device, a lower chip includes a first group of connection terminals provided on a straight region including a corner region and a region extending from the corner region along one side. An upper chip includes a second group of connection terminals. The upper chip and the lower chip are arranged so that the first group of connection terminals at least partially overlaps with the second group of connection terminals. The first group of connection terminals is at least partially electrically connected to the second group of connection terminals. |
| US09318465B2 |
Methods for forming a semiconductor device package
A method of forming a semiconductor device package includes bonding a first connector to a first conductive structure on a first package. The method includes bonding a die to a surface of the first package, wherein a top surface of the first connector extends above a top surface of the die. The method includes surrounding the first connector with a molding compound. The method includes removing a portion of the first connector and a portion of the molding compound. The top surface of the remaining first conductor is below the top surface of the die. A first top surface of the remaining molding compound is below the top surface of the die. A second top surface of the remaining molding compound is level with the top surface of the die. The method includes bonding a second connector to the remaining portion of the first connector. |
| US09318463B2 |
Method for producing a photovoltaic module
A photovoltaic module having at least one photovoltaic cell may be produced. At least one photovoltaic cell may be arranged on a substrate, covering the substrate and the cell with at least one rear wall. The rear wall may be made from at least one back sheet material, connecting the substrate, the cell, and the rear wall to one another in a planar fashion. At least one component may be arranged on the rear wall of the photovoltaic module by welding to the back sheet material. In the welding process, a heating element may be positioned between the component and at least a partial area of the rear wall, and at least the partial area of the rear wall of the photovoltaic module and a partial area of the component may be brought into contact with respective surfaces of the heating element. |
| US09318462B1 |
Side wettable plating for semiconductor chip package
A method for providing a semiconductor chip package with side wettable plating includes singulating a semiconductor chip package from an array of packages formed in a block format, immersing the semiconductor chip package in a bath of plating solution, contacting a lead land of the semiconductor chip package with conductive contact material within the bath of plating solution, connecting the conductive contact material to a cathode electrical potential, connecting an anode within the bath of plating solution to an anode electrical potential, and plating the lead land of the semiconductor chip package. |
| US09318461B2 |
Wafer level array of chips and method thereof
A wafer level array of chips is provided. The wafer level array of chips comprises a semiconductor wafer, and a least one extending-line protection. The semiconductor wafer has at least two chips, which are arranged adjacent to each other, and a carrier layer. Each chip has an upper surface and a lower surface, and comprises at least one device. The device is disposed upon the upper surface, covered by the carrier layer. The extending-line protection is disposed under the carrier layer and between those two chips. The thickness of the extending-line protection is less than that of the chip. Wherein the extending-line protection has at least one extending-line therein. In addition, a chip package fabricated by the wafer level array of chips, and a method thereof are also provided. |
| US09318459B2 |
Through via package
An integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit die in a reconstituted substrate. The active side is processed then covered in molding compound while the inactive side is processed. The molding compound on the active side is then partially removed and solder balls are placed on the active side. |
| US09318458B2 |
Bump structure having a side recess and semiconductor structure including the same
A bump structure includes a first end; and a second end opposite the first end. The bump structure further includes a side connected between the first end and the second end, wherein the side comprises a recess for a reflowed solder material to fill, and the recess defines a first surface adjacent to the first end and a second surface adjacent to the second end. |
| US09318456B2 |
Self-alignment structure for wafer level chip scale package
A packaged semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a metal pad, a metal base, a polymer insulating layer, a copper-containing structure and a conductive bump. The metal pad and the metal base are disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The polymer insulating layer overlies the metal base and the semiconductor substrate. The copper-containing structure is disposed over the polymer insulating layer, and includes a support structure and a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) line. The support structure is aligned with the metal base. The PPI line is located partially within the support structure, and extends out through an opening of the support structure, in which a top of the support structure is elevated higher than a top of the PPI line. The conductive bump is held by the support structure. |
| US09318455B2 |
Method of forming a plurality of bumps on a substrate and method of forming a chip package
A method of forming a plurality of bump structures on a substrate includes forming an under bump metallurgy (UBM) layer on the substrate, wherein the UBM layer contacts metal pads on the substrate. The method further includes forming a photoresist layer over the UBM layer, wherein the photoresist layer defines openings for forming the plurality of bump structures. The method further includes plating a plurality of layers in the openings, wherein the metal layers are part of the plurality of bump structures. The method further includes planarizing the plurality of bump structures after the metal layers are plated to a targeted height from a surface of the substrate. |
| US09318453B2 |
Flip-chip hybridisation of two microelectronic components using a UV anneal
A method of manufacturing a microelectronic device including a first component hybridized with a second component via electric interconnects, involves the steps of: (i) forming the first and second components, the second component being transparent to ultraviolet radiation at least in line with locations provided for the interconnects; (ii) forming interconnection elements including copper oxide on the second component at the locations provided for the interconnects; (iii) placing the first and second components on each other; and (iv) applying the ultraviolet radiation through the second component on the elements including copper oxide to implement an ultraviolet anneal converting copper oxide into copper. |
| US09318452B2 |
Semiconductor packages and methods of forming the same
Embodiments of the present disclosure include semiconductor packages and methods of forming the same. An embodiment is a semiconductor package including a first package including one or more dies, and a redistribution layer coupled to the one or more dies at a first side of the first package with a first set of bonding joints. The redistribution layer including more than one metal layer disposed in more than one passivation layer, the first set of bonding joints being directly coupled to at least one of the one or more metal layers, and a first set of connectors coupled to a second side of the redistribution layer, the second side being opposite the first side. |
| US09318448B2 |
Packaged semiconductor device, a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a packaged semiconductor device
A packaged semiconductor device comprising a package and a semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device comprises a first and a second GND-pad bonded to one or more GND-pins with a first and a second bond wire respectively, a first functional pad bonded to a first functional pin with a third bond wire, a semiconductor layer of a P-type conductivity, a first semiconductor component and a second semiconductor component. The first semiconductor component is arranged to, when a transient current is applied to the first functional pin, divert at least part of the transient current to the first GND-pad from the first P-region to the first GND-pad via at least a first PN-junction. The second semiconductor component comprises a second N-type region of a terminal of the second semiconductor component associated with the first functional pad. The first GND-pad is in contact with a second P-type region. The second GND-pad is in contact with a third N-type region. At least part of the second P-type region is arranged in between the first semiconductor component and the second semiconductor component, and at least part of the third N-type region is arranged in between the at least part of the first P-type region and the second semiconductor component. |
| US09318444B2 |
Structure designs and methods for integrated circuit alignment
Devices and methods for pattern alignment are disclosed. The device includes an assembly isolation region, a seal ring region around the assembly isolation region, and a scribe line region around the seal ring region, and a plurality of die alignment marks disposed within the seal ring region that are alternately disposed adjacent the scribe line region and the assembly isolation region. |
| US09318441B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming sacrificial adhesive over contact pads of semiconductor die
A semiconductor wafer contains a plurality of semiconductor die each having a plurality of contact pads. A sacrificial adhesive is deposited over the contact pads. Alternatively, the sacrificial adhesive is deposited over the carrier. An underfill material can be formed between the contact pads. The semiconductor wafer is singulated to separate the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die is mounted to a temporary carrier such that the sacrificial adhesive is disposed between the contact pads and temporary carrier. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and carrier. The carrier and sacrificial adhesive is removed to leave a via over the contact pads. An interconnect structure is formed over the encapsulant. The interconnect structure includes a conductive layer which extends into the via for electrical connection to the contact pads. The semiconductor die is offset from the interconnect structure by a height of the sacrificial adhesive. |
| US09318439B2 |
Interconnect structure and manufacturing method thereof
The present disclosure provides an interconnect structure, including a substrate, a first conductive feature over the substrate, a second conductive feature over the first conductive feature, and a dielectric layer surrounding the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature. A width of the first conductive feature and a width of the second conductive feature are between 10 nm and 50 nm. The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing an interconnect structure, including (1) forming a via opening and a line trench in a dielectric layer, (2) forming a 1-dimensional conductive feature in the via opening, (3) forming a conformal catalyst layer over a sidewall of the line trench, a bottom of the line trench, and a top of the 1-dimensional conductive feature, and (4) removing the conformal catalyst layer from the bottom of the line trench and the top of the 1-dimensional conductive feature. |
| US09318438B2 |
Semiconductor structures comprising at least one through-substrate via filled with conductive materials
A method for selectively removing material from a substrate without damage to copper filling a via and extending at least partially through the substrate. The method comprises oxidizing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate and at least one copper feature and removing a portion of the substrate using an etchant comprising SF6 without forming copper sulfide on the at least one copper feature. Additional methods are also disclosed, as well as semiconductor structures produced from such methods. |
| US09318435B2 |
Power line structure for semiconductor apparatus
A semiconductor apparatus has one or more semiconductor chips. The semiconductor apparatus may include a power supply pad; power lines disposed on one side of the power supply pad, and including a first power line and a second power line; and connection lines connecting the power supply pad and the power lines. The connection lines may include a plurality of first connection lines connecting the power supply pad and the first power line, and a plurality of second connection lines connecting the power supply pad and the second power line, and disposed between the first connection lines. One or more pair of adjacent first connection lines may have a connection part by which the pair of adjacent first connection lines are connected with each other. |
| US09318431B2 |
Integrated circuit having a MOM capacitor and method of making same
An integrated circuit can include a MOM capacitor formed simultaneously with other devices, such as finFETs. A dielectric layer formed on a substrate has a first semiconductor fin therein and a second semiconductor fin therein. Respective top portions of the fins are removed to form respective recesses in the dielectric layer. First and second electrodes are formed in the recesses. The first and second electrodes and the interjacent dielectric layer form a MOM capacitor. |
| US09318428B2 |
Chip having two groups of chip contacts
A chip (1) has a substrate (2), an integrated circuit (3) provided on the substrate (2), a plurality of conductor zones (ME1, ME2, ME3, ME4, ME5) and a passivating layer (5) provided to protect the conductor zones and the integrated circuit, through-holes (6, 7) being provided in the passivating layer (5) through which chip contacts (8, 9) are accessible, wherein additional chip contacts (10, 11) and connecting conductors (12, 13) are provided on the passivating layer (5) and wherein each additional chip contact has an electrically conductive connection to a chip contact via a connecting conductor. |
| US09318424B2 |
MCSP power semiconductor devices and preparation methods thereof
The present invention discloses the MCSP power semiconductor device and the preparation method thereof. In the present invention method, a metal foil layer is attached to the back of the wafer using a conductive adhesive layer and a composite tape is laminated on the metal foil layer. Thus, individual MCSP power semiconductor devices are separated by cutting the wafer, the conductive adhesive, the metal foil layer and the composite tape along the scribe lines between adjacent semiconductor chips formed on the front of the wafer. |
| US09318423B2 |
Leadless package type power semiconductor module
There is provided a leadless package type power semiconductor module. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the leadless package type power semiconductor module includes: connection terminals of a surface mounting type (SMT) formed at edges at which respective sides of four surfaces meet each other; a first mounting area connected to the connection terminals through a bridge to be disposed at a central portion thereof and mounted with power devices or control ICs electrically connected to the power devices to control the power devices; and second mounting areas formed between the connection terminals and mounted with the power devices or the control ICs, wherein the first mounting area is disposed at a different height from the second mounting area through the bridge to generate a phase difference from the second mounting area. Therefore, it is possible to implement a high-integration, high-performance, and small power semiconductor module by applying a three-dimensional structure deviating from a one-dimensional flat structure. |
| US09318421B2 |
Power semiconductor chip with a metallic moulded body for contacting thick wires or strips and method for the production thereof
The invention relates to a power semiconductor chip (10) having at least one upper-sided potential surface and contacting thick wires (50) or strips, comprising a connecting layer (I) on the potential surfaces, and at least one metal molded body (24, 25) on the connecting layer(s), the lower flat side thereof facing the potential surface being provided with a coating to be applied to the connecting layer (I) according to a connection method, and the material composition thereof and the thickness of the related thick wires (50) or strips arranged on the upper side of the molded body used according to the method for contacting are selected corresponding to the magnitude. |
| US09318418B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing same
In a semiconductor device in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are stacked, performance is enhanced without deteriorating productivity. The semiconductor device has a first semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a first insulating film formed on the first surface, a first hole formed in the first insulating film and partially extending into the first semiconductor substrate, a second hole formed in the second surface, a first electrode entirely filling the first hole, and a conductive film conformally formed in the second hole. The conductive film is electrically connected to a bottom surface of the first electrode and leaves a third hole in the first semiconductor substrate open. The third hole is configured to receive a second electrode of a second semiconductor substrate. |
| US09318417B2 |
Gallium nitride devices
Semiconductor structures comprising a III-nitride (e.g., gallium nitride) material region and methods associated with such structures are provided. In some embodiments, the structures include an electrically conductive material (e.g., gold) separated from certain other region(s) of the structure (e.g., a silicon substrate) by a barrier material in order to limit, or prevent, undesirable reactions between the electrically conductive material and the other component(s) which can impair device performance. In certain embodiments, the electrically conductive material may be formed in a via. For example, the via can extend from a topside of the device to a backside so that the electrically conductive material connects a topside contact to a backside contact. The structures described herein may form the basis of a number of semiconductor devices including transistors (e.g., FET), Schottky diodes, light-emitting diodes and laser diodes, amongst others. |
| US09318413B2 |
Integrated circuit structure with metal cap and methods of fabrication
The present disclosure generally provides for an integrated circuit (IC) structure with a TSV, and methods of manufacturing the IC structure and the TSV. An IC structure according to embodiments of the present invention may include a through-semiconductor via (TSV) embedded within a substrate, the TSV having an axial end; and a metal cap contacting the axial end of the TSV, wherein the metal cap has a greater electrical resistivity than the TSV. |
| US09318412B2 |
Method for semiconductor self-aligned patterning
A method for semiconductor self-aligned patterning includes steps of providing a substrate comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is on top of the second layer; removing a portion of the first layer to form a first pattern; depositing a first conformal layer on the first pattern; depositing a second conformal layer on the first conformal layer; removing a portion of the second conformal layer to expose a portion of the first conformal layer; and thinning the first conformal layer and the second conformal layer alternatively to form a second pattern. A semiconductor self-aligned structure is also provided. |
| US09318409B1 |
Integrated circuit heater for reducing stress in the integrated circuit material and chip leads of the integrated circuit, and for optimizing performance of devices of the integrated circuit
A device comprising a first detector, comprising an output, disposed at a first location of an integrated circuit chip and configured to determine a first temperature information, a chip heater, comprising an input to receive a control signal, disposed at a second location of the integrated circuit and configured to heat an area of the integrated circuit device that includes the first location and the second location, based upon the control signal, and a heater controller comprising a first input coupled to the output of the first detector to receive the first temperature information, and an output coupled to the input of the chip heater, the heater controller configured to generate the control signal based upon the first temperature information. |
| US09318407B2 |
Pop package structure
A package on package (PoP) package structure is disclosed, the structure includes at least two layers of carrier boards that are packaged and stacked in sequence, wherein chips are arranged on the bottom side of the carrier boards, a heat sink is arranged on the bottom side of a carrier board other than a layer-1 carrier board, a pad welded to a system board is arranged on the bottom side of the layer-1 carrier board, and a chip on a carrier board other than a top-layer carrier board is surface-mounted onto the heat sink adjacent to the chip. The heat sink increases the heat dissipation area of the chip, enhances the heat dissipation capabilities of the PoP stacked packages massively, breaks the bottleneck of the high-density integration and miniaturization of the PoP stacked packages, and enhances the packaging density of the PoP stacked packages. |
| US09318400B2 |
Wafer-scale package including power source
A medical device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a control module, and an energy storage device. The first substrate includes at least one of a first semiconductor material and a first insulating material. The second substrate includes at least one of a second semiconductor material and a second insulating material. The second substrate is bonded to the first substrate such that the first and second substrates define an enclosed cavity between the first and second substrates. The control module is disposed within the enclosed cavity. The control module is configured to at least one of determine a physiological parameter of a patient and deliver electrical stimulation to the patient. The energy storage device is disposed within the cavity and is configured to supply power to the control module. |
| US09318395B2 |
Systems and methods for preparation of samples for sub-surface defect review
One embodiment relates to a method of preparation of a sample of a substrate for sub-surface review using a scanning electron microscope apparatus. A defect at a location indicated in a first results file is re-detected, and the location of the defect is marked with at least one discrete marking point having predetermined positioning relative to the location of the defect. The location of the defect may be determined relative to the design for the device, and a cut location and a cut angle may be determined in at least a partly-automated manner using that information. Another embodiment relates to a system for preparing a sample for sub-surface review. Another embodiment relates to a method for marking a defect for review on a target substrate. Other embodiments, aspects and feature are also disclosed. |
| US09318394B2 |
Apparatus and methods for through substrate via test
A stack of vertically-connected, horizontally-oriented integrated circuits (ICs) may have electrical connections from the front side of one IC to the back side of another IC. Electrical signals may be transferred from the back side of one IC to the front side of the same IC by means of through substrate vias (TSVs), which may include through silicon vias. Electronic apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to test and/or replace defective TSVs. Additional apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed. |
| US09318392B1 |
Method to form SOI fins on a bulk substrate with suspended anchoring
A method of fabricating non-tilted, electrically isolated fins from a bulk substrate is provided. A plurality of semiconductor fins is formed extending upwards from a remaining portion of a bulk semiconductor substrate. Each semiconductor fin includes a hard mask cap. A sacrificial dielectric material portion is formed between each semiconductor fin, wherein each sacrificial dielectric material portion has a topmost surface that is vertically offset and located below a topmost surface of each hard mask cap. An anchoring structure having an opening is then formed atop each sacrificial dielectric material portion and each hard mask cap. Next, an entirety of each sacrificial dielectric material portion is removed by etching through the opening. An oxide layer is then formed within an upper portion of the remaining portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate, wherein a portion of the oxide layer extends beneath each semiconductor fin. Next, the anchoring structure is removed. |
| US09318389B1 |
Integrated circuit having plural transistors with work function metal gate structures
The present invention provides an integrated circuit including a substrate, a first transistor, a second transistor and a third transistor. The first transistor has a first metal gate including a first bottom barrier layer, a first work function metal layer and a first metal layer. The second transistor has a second metal gate including a second bottom barrier layer, a second work function metal layer and a second metal layer. The third transistor has a third metal gate including a third bottom barrier layer, a third work function metal layer and a third metal layer. The first transistor, the second transistor and the third transistor has the same conductive type. A nitrogen concentration of the first bottom barrier layer>a nitrogen concentration of the second bottom barrier layer>a nitrogen concentration of the third bottom barrier layer. |
| US09318387B2 |
Method for separating and transferring IC chips
A method for separating a multiple number of semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits from a wafer on which the multiple number of semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits are formed is provided. The method includes separating each of the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits. Each of the separated semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits is non-rectangular shaped, and the step of separating each of the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits is performed by dry etching. A test device is formed on an area of a groove width required for separating the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits, and the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits are separated without a waste of space except for the area of the groove width required for separating the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits, with the test device being separated from the semiconductor devices or semiconductor integrated circuits. |
| US09318386B2 |
Wafer alignment methods in die sawing process
A method includes forming a molding compound molding a lower portion of an electrical connector of a wafer therein. The molding compound is at a front surface of the wafer. The molding compound covers a center region of the wafer, and leaves an edge ring of the wafer not covered. An opening is formed to extend from the front surface of the wafer into the wafer, wherein the opening is in the edge ring of the wafer. A backside grinding is performed on the wafer until the opening is revealed through a back surface of the wafer. The method further includes determining a position of a scribe line of the wafer using the opening as an alignment mark, and sawing the wafer from a backside of the wafer by sawing through the scribe line. |
| US09318382B2 |
Semiconductor device with air gap and method of fabricating the same
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device formed by the method. The method includes form a stack conductive structure by stacking a first conductive pattern and an insulation pattern over a substrate; forming a sacrificial pattern over sidewalls of the stack conductive structure; forming a second conductive pattern having a recessed surface lower than a top surface of the stack conductive structure; forming a sacrificial spacer to expose sidewalls of the insulation pattern by removing an upper portion of the sacrificial pattern; reducing a width of the exposed portion of the insulation patters; forming a capping spacer to cap the sidewalls of the insulation pattern having the reduced width over the sacrificial spacer; and forming an air gap between the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern by converting the sacrificial spacer to volatile byproducts. |
| US09318379B2 |
Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices including air gap spacers
A spacer covering a sidewall of a contact plug includes a relatively more damaged first portion and a relatively less damaged second portion. An interface of the first and second portions of the spacer is spaced apart from a metal silicide layer of the contact plug. Thus reliability of the semiconductor device may be improved. Related fabrication methods are also described. |
| US09318375B2 |
Method of fabricating ultra-deep vias and three-dimensional integrated circuits using ultra-deep vias
A method of forming a high aspect ratio via opening through multiple dielectric layers, a high aspect ratio electrically conductive via, methods of forming three-dimension integrated circuits, and three-dimensional integrated circuits. The methods include forming a stack of at least four dielectric layers and etching the first and third dielectric layers with processes selective to the second and fourth dielectric layers, etching the second and third dielectric layers with processes selective to the first and second dielectric layers. Advantageously the process used to etch the third dielectric layer is not substantially selective to the first dielectric layer. |
| US09318374B2 |
Semiconductor storage device comprising peripheral circuit, Shielding layer, and memory cell array
Probability of malfunction of a semiconductor storage device is reduced. A shielding layer is provided between a memory cell array (e.g., a memory cell array including a transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor material) and a peripheral circuit (e.g., a peripheral circuit including a transistor formed using a semiconductor substrate), which are stacked. With this structure, the memory cell array and the peripheral circuit can be shielded from radiation noise generated between the memory cell array and the peripheral circuit. Thus, probability of malfunction of the semiconductor storage device can be reduced. |
| US09318369B2 |
Patterns of a semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device including a plurality of active patterns, a plurality of first isolation layer patterns and a plurality of second isolation layer patterns may be provided. In particular, the active patterns may be arranged both in a first direction and in a second direction, and may protrude from a substrate and have a length in the first direction. The first isolation layer patterns may fill a first space, the first space provided between the active patterns and arranged in the first direction, and support two opposing sidewalls of neighboring active patterns. The second isolation layer patterns may fill a second space between the active patterns and the first isolation layer patterns. Accordingly, the active patterns of the semiconductor device may not collapse or incline because the first isolation layer patterns support the active patterns. |
| US09318368B2 |
Photomask and method for forming dual STI structure by using the same
In a method for manufacturing a dual shallow trench isolation structure, a substrate is provided, and a mask layer is formed on the substrate. The mask layer is patterned by using a photomask to form at least one first hole and at least one second hole in the mask layer, in which a depth of the at least one first hole is different from a depth of the at least one second hole. The mask layer and the substrate are etched to form at least one first trench having a first depth and at least one second trench having a second depth, in which the first depth is different from the second depth. The remaining mask layer is removed. A first isolation layer and A second isolation layer are respectively formed in the at least one first trench and the at least one second trench. |
| US09318363B2 |
Substrate processing system and substrate position correction method
In STEP 1, a mapping operation is carried out by a mapping device. In STEP 2, based on position information for the wafer (W) detected by the mapping operation, it is determined whether or not a wafer (W) position is in an abnormal state or not. When the wafer position is determined to be in the abnormal state (Yes), a closing/opening operation, in which a FOUP door (19c) is temporarily closed and then opened, is carried out in STEP 3. In STEP 4, the number of times the FOUP door (19c) is closed/opened (in other words, the number of times a port door (62) is closed/opened) is counted, and in STEP 5, it is determined whether or not this count value is less than a preset value. If the count value is less than the preset value (Yes), the processing in STEP 1-STEP 5 is repeated once again. |
| US09318353B2 |
Method of manufacturing connection structure
A method of manufacturing a connection structure which includes a wiring substrate, a first electronic component that is flip-chip mounted on the front surface thereof, and a second electronic component that is flip-chip mounted on the rear surface. The method includes the steps of: temporarily mounting the first electronic component on the front surface of the wiring substrate with a first adhesive film disposed therebetween; temporarily mounting the second electronic component on the rear surface of the wiring substrate with a second adhesive film disposed therebetween, placing, on a pressure bonding receiving base, the wiring substrate on which the first electronic component and the second electronic component are temporarily mounted; and mounting the first electronic component and the second electronic component at a time onto the respective front and rear surfaces of the wiring substrate. |
| US09318350B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting commerical off-the-shelf (COTS) thin small-outline package (TSOP) components into rugged off-the-shelf (ROTS) components
An embodiment of the invention generally relates to a method of converting a commercial off-the-shelf electrical lead to a rugged off-the-shelf electrical lead by laser machining a portion of the electrical lead. The method includes ablating material from the electrical lead of the commercial off-the-shelf component to reduce the moment of inertia or increase the flexibility of the electrical lead. |
| US09318347B2 |
Wafer backside particle mitigation
A method of particle mitigation which includes obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a nonfunctional backside and a functional frontside on which semiconductor devices are formed by one or more lithography processes; coating the backside with a layer comprising silicon or amorphous carbon; planarizing the coated backside by a planarizing process; placing the semiconductor wafer onto a wafer chuck such that the wafer chuck makes direct contact with the coated backside; and while maintaining the coated backside in direct contact with the wafer chuck, performing a first lithographic process on the frontside. |
| US09318344B2 |
CMOS structures and methods for improving yield
A simple, effective and economical method to improved the yield of CMOS devices using contact etching stopper liner, including, single neutral stressed liner, single stressed liner and dual stress liner (DSL), technology is provided. In order to improve the chip yield, the present invention provides a method in which a sputter etching process is employed to smooth/flatten (i.e., thin) the top surface of the contact etch stopper liners. When DSL technology is used, the inventive sputter etching process is used to reduce the complexity caused by DSL boundaries to smooth/flatten top surface of the DSL, which results in significant yield increase. The present invention also provides a semiconductor structure including at least one etched liner. |
| US09318341B2 |
Methods for etching a substrate
Methods for etching a substrate in a plasma etch reactor may include (a) depositing polymer on surfaces of a feature formed in substrate disposed in the etch reactor using first reactive species formed from a first process gas comprising a polymer forming gas; (b) etching the bottom surface of the feature of the substrate in the etch reactor using a third reactive species formed from a third process gas including an etching gas; and (c) bombarding a bottom surface of the feature with a second reactive species formed from a second process gas comprising one or more of an inert gas, an oxidizing gas, a reducing gas, or the polymer forming gas while at least one of depositing the polymer to remove at least some of the polymer disposed on the bottom surface or etching the bottom surface to at least one of chemically or physically damage the bottom surface. |
| US09318339B2 |
Polishing slurry and polishing method
The present invention provides a polishing slurry capable of polishing even high-hardness materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride at a high polishing speed. The present invention is a polishing slurry including a slurry containing a manganese oxide particle and a manganate ion for polishing high-hardness materials having a Mohs hardness of 8 or higher. In the present invention, the manganese oxide particle in the slurry is preferably 1.0 mass % or more; the manganese oxide is preferably manganese dioxide; and the manganate ion is preferably permanganate ion. The polishing slurry according to the present invention enables even high-hardness hardly-machinable materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride to be polished smoothly at a high speed. |
| US09318338B2 |
Method for fabricating semiconductor device
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a substrate having a nitride layer and a platinum (Pt)-containing nickel (Ni)-semiconductor compound layer is provided. Then the nitride layer and the Pt are removed in situ with a chemical solution including a sulfuric acid component and a phosphoric acid component. |
| US09318335B2 |
Method for fabricating semiconductor device including nitrided gate insulator
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an interface layer on a substrate, forming a first gate insulating layer having a first dielectric constant on the interface layer, forming a second gate insulating layer having a second dielectric constant smaller than the first dielectric constant on the first gate insulating layer, annealing the substrate, nitriding a resultant of the annealed first and second gate insulating layers to form a nitrided gate insulator, forming a work function control layer on the nitride gate insulator, and forming a metal gate electrode on the work function control layer. At least one of the work function control layer and the metal gate electrode is of or includes aluminum (Al). |
| US09318334B2 |
Method for fabricating semiconductor device
A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a first region and a second region defined thereon; forming a plurality of fin-shaped structures on the substrate; forming a gate layer on the fin-shaped structures; forming a material layer on the gate layer; patterning the material layer for forming sacrificial mandrels on the gate layer in the first region; forming sidewall spacers adjacent to the sacrificial mandrels; removing the sacrificial mandrels; forming a patterned mask on the second region; and utilizing the patterned mask and the sidewall spacers to remove part of the gate layer. |
| US09318331B2 |
Method and system for diffusion and implantation in gallium nitride based devices
A method of forming a doped region in a III-nitride substrate includes providing the III-nitride substrate and forming a masking layer having a predetermined pattern and coupled to a portion of the III-nitride substrate. The III-nitride substrate is characterized by a first conductivity type and the predetermined pattern defines exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate. The method also includes heating the III-nitride substrate to a predetermined temperature and placing a dual-precursor gas adjacent the exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate. The dual-precursor gas includes a nitrogen source and a dopant source. The method further includes maintaining the predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period, forming p-type III-nitride regions adjacent the exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate, and removing the masking layer. |
| US09318324B2 |
Manufacturing method of SiC epitaxial substrate, manufacturing method of semiconductor device, and semiconductor device
A manufacturing method of an SiC epitaxial substrate of an embodiment includes performing a first and a second process alternately to form an n type SiC layer, the first process forming a first SiC layer with an epitaxial growth process by using a first source gas containing an n type impurity, and the second process forming a second SiC layer with an epitaxial growth process by using a second source gas containing the n type impurity, the second source gas having a higher atomic ratio between C (carbon) and Si (silicon) (C/Si) than that of the first source gas, a thickness of the second SiC layer being smaller than a thickness of the first SiC layer. |
| US09318322B2 |
FinFET design controlling channel thickness
System and method for controlling the channel thickness and preventing variations due to formation of small features. An embodiment comprises a fin raised above the substrate and a capping layer is formed over the fin. The channel carriers are repelled from the heavily doped fin and confined within the capping layer. This forms a thin-channel that allows greater electrostatic control of the gate. |
| US09318319B2 |
Radical-enhanced atomic layer deposition using CF4 to enhance oxygen radical generation
A method of performing a radical-enhanced atomic-layer deposition process on a surface of a substrate that resides within an interior of a reactor chamber is disclosed. The method includes forming plasma from a gas mixture consisting of CF4 and O2, wherein the CF4 is present in a concentration in the range from 0.1 vol % to 10 vol %. The plasma formed from the gas mixture generates oxygen radicals O* faster than if there were no CF4 present in the gas mixture. The method also includes feeding the oxygen radicals and a precursor gas sequentially into the interior of the reactor chamber to form an oxide film on the surface of the substrate. A system for performing the radical-enhanced atomic-layer deposition process using the rapidly formed oxygen radicals is also disclosed. |
| US09318314B2 |
Method of forming a freestanding semiconductor wafer
A method of forming a freestanding semiconductor wafer includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor layer having a back surface and an upper surface opposite the back surface, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises at least one permanent defect between the upper surface and back surface, removing a portion of the back surface of the semiconductor layer and the permanent defect from the semiconductor layer, and forming a portion of the upper surface after removing a portion of the back surface and the permanent defect. |
| US09318307B2 |
Zinc oxide sputtering target and method for producing same
Provided is a zinc oxide sputtering target, which can effectively suppress the occurrence of break or crack in the target during sputtering to enable production of a zinc oxide transparent conductive film with high productivity. The zinc oxide sputtering target is composed of a zinc oxide sintered body comprising zinc oxide crystal grains, wherein the zinc oxide sputtering target has a sputter surface having a (100) crystal orientation degree of 50% or more. |
| US09318305B2 |
Method for producing micro plasma with biocompatibility
The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a micro-plasma with biocompatibility. The produced micro-plasma is a low temperature, adjustable micro-plasma with low energy consumption. The method provides a device comprising a first gas storage unit, a second gas storage unit, a unit for producing the micro-plasma, and a power supply unit. |
| US09318294B2 |
Device for rapid short-circuiting and earthing of the phases in a power network
The invention relates to a switching device for short-circuiting and earthing at least two phases in an electric power network. The device comprises a first phase contact, a second phase contact, and an earthed, movable contact, which can, on the one hand, assume a first position, where the contact is insulated from the phases, and, on the other hand, a second position, where the contact is connected to the phase contacts and thereby earths and short-circuits the phases. The device is characterized in that the first phase contact and the second phase contact are axially displaced from each other and that they are disposed around the movable contact, and that the contact is cylinder-shaped and comprises two circumferentially disposed contact areas, which are axially displaced from each other and intended to connect to the phase contacts in the second position, so that the phases are short-circuited and earthed via the contact, and that the device comprises electrically insulating areas, which are adapted to abut against the phase contacts in the first position. |
| US09318293B2 |
Electrical switching device, in particular compact circuit breaker
An electrical switching device is disclosed, including an arc extinguishing apparatus with an extinguishing chamber, a blow-out channel connected to the extinguishing chamber for blowing out plasma and/or gas produced in the extinguishing chamber from the electrical switching device and a terminal apparatus for connecting an electrical conductor to the electrical switching device, the terminal apparatus including a metal part which is electrically conductively connected at a first end to the electrical switching device and which, at its second end, includes a terminal fixing for connecting the electrical conductor, with which the metal part of the terminal apparatus is guidable out of the electrical switching device through the blow-out channel. |
| US09318292B2 |
Method for evaluating the mechanical performances of a switchgear device
A method for evaluating mechanical performance of a switchgear device having at least one pole which includes a pair of contacts movable between open and closed positions, a support arm of a first contact, a support arm drive including a rotary pole shaft and a rod pivotably coupling the drive to the support, an energy storage system for moving the arm to close the contacts, and a toggle device with a trip latch, the method including measuring the angle of rotation of the pole shaft during contact closing, deriving specific values by measuring the angle of rotation, comparing the values with an initial reference value, identifying wear performances of the drive by comparing the specific values with the reference value, determining first and second specific values on a variation curve of the angle of rotation, calculating the angular difference between maximum and final angles of rotation; and identifying a latching state of the toggle device as a function of the angular difference. |
| US09318285B2 |
Switchgear and opening and closing method thereof
A switchgear including a plurality of switch units having a fixed electrode and a movable electrode; and an operating device configured to operate the movable electrode of each of the switch units, wherein the operating device is configured of one motive part and two follower parts that intermittently operate with each other, and part of each of the follower parts touches the motive part, thereby in a condition that moving force is not transmitted from the motive part to the follower part, a state of the follower part is fixed, and in a condition that the motive part shifts from an initial position to a final position, a state of one of the follower parts is allowed to transit, and a state of the other of the follower parts is changed with a delay from such state transit, thereby the switch units are driven while a time delay is produced. |
| US09318282B2 |
Keyboard
A keyboard is provided with a base member, moving members provided on the base member and unit parts. Each of the unit parts includes a contact which is electrically connected when depressed and an elastic member. The moving members include a first moving member which engages with one unit part, and a second moving member which engages with plural unit parts. The second moving member has a structure where the second moving member pushes the elastic member of one unit part and avoids pushing the elastic member of the other unit part. |
| US09318276B2 |
Electrode composition for supercapacitor, electrode including cured material, and supercapacitor including electrode
Disclosed in that an electrode composition including active carbon and a hardening polymer binder, a cured material of the composition, an electrode including the cured material, a supercapacitor including the electrode, and a method of manufacturing a supercapacitor. |
| US09318274B2 |
Fabrication of nano-structure electrodes for ultra-capacitor
Techniques described herein generally relate to the fabrication of ultra-capacitor. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, methods for fabricating an ultra-capacitor are described that may include preparing a substrate surface of a silicon wafer. The methods may further include etching one or more nano-structures on the substrate surface of the silicon wafer with a galvanic displacement process, and constructing electrodes for the ultra-capacitor from the silicon wafer with the one or more nano-structures. |
| US09318272B2 |
Nickel—cobalt supercapacitors and methods of making same
Improved capacitors containing novel electrodes are described. One electrode composition comprises mixed metal oxides of the transition metals nickel and cobalt in a molar ratio of 0.5:1 or greater, and optionally containing a binder and carbon nanotubes. The resulting capacitors can be characterized by superior properties including higher specific capacitance values at higher voltage scan rates than the prior art. Methods of forming the electrodes that produce superior results are also described. |
| US09318266B2 |
Electrostrictive resonance suppression for tunable capacitors
A multi-layered capacitor includes three or more capacitor layers. A first layer includes a first DC-biased, tunable capacitor. A second layer, acoustically coupled to the first layer, includes a second DC-biased, tunable capacitor. A third layer, acoustically coupled to the second layer, includes a third DC-biased, tunable capacitor. Each dielectric of the first, second, and third capacitors has a resonance of about the same frequency, within 5%, and inner electrodes of the first, second, and third capacitors have a resonance of about the same frequency, within 5%. The resonance of each layer is a function of at least thickness, density, and material. The first, second, and third layers are biased to generate destructive acoustic interference, and the multi-layer capacitor is operable at frequencies greater than 0.1 GHz. |
| US09318265B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor provided with external electrodes partially covered by solder non-adhesion film
A multilayer ceramic capacitor whose external electrodes are each provided with a solder non-adhesion film made of material to which solder does not adhere, in a manner continuously covering the entire surface of the end face, and optionally the entire surface of the curved face thereof. The multilayer ceramic capacitor, with certainty, allows for suppression of noise accompanying electrostriction. |
| US09318260B2 |
Capacitor-mounted structure and capacitor
A monolithic-capacitor-mounted structure satisfies Lc>Wc and Lx/Wx |
| US09318259B2 |
Method for constructing a solenoidal magnet assembly
In a solenoid magnet assembly, and a method for manufacture thereof, the magnet assembly includes a number of concentrically aligned coils, each including a winding impregnated with a resin. Each coil is mechanically restrained so as to hold the coils in fixed relative positions relative to each other when forming the magnet assembly. The mechanical restraint can be formed by annular support sections bonded to the respective coils, lugs bonded to the respective coils, or by lugs that are at least partially embedded in a crust formed on a radially outer surface of the respective windings. |
| US09318250B2 |
Reactor, converter, and power converter apparatus
A reactor 1 of the present invention includes a coil 2, a magnetic core 3 at which the coil 2 is disposed, and a case 4 storing a combined product 10 made up of the coil 2 and the magnetic core 3. The case 4 includes a bottom plate portion and a side wall portion 41A surrounding the combined product 10. The side wall portion 41A is made of an insulating resin. A hook portion 43a on which a line 71, which is coupled to a sensor 7 for measuring the physical quantity of the reactor 1, such as a temperature sensor, is hooked is integrally molded with the side wall portion 41A by the resin structuring the side wall portion 41A. Allowing the line 71 to be hooked on the hook portion 43a and fixed thereto, the sensor 7 can be prevented from being displaced or coming off because of the line 71 being pulled or the like. Thus, the sensor 7 can be maintained at a proper position. |
| US09318249B1 |
Mechanical hub
A mechanical hub is provided. The mechanical hub is attachable to a cable and includes an outer shell and tiles. The outer shell surrounds the cable. The tiles are spaced to surround the circumference of the cable. The tiles may be positioned between the outer shell and the cable such that a translation of the outer shell alters the distance between the tiles and the cable. The mechanical hub may improve signals that are transmitted over segments of a cable that have degraded signal quality. |
| US09318247B2 |
Electromagnetic actuating device
An electromagnetic actuating device, in particular camshaft adjustment device, having an armature unit (14) which can be driven in the axial direction or parallel thereto in reaction to energization of a stationary, axially oriented coil unit (10) and is designed to interact with a slide and/or plunger unit (16) which extends in the axial direction, in particular a plunger unit which brings about camshaft adjustment of an internal combustion engine, wherein permanent magnet means are provided on and/or in the armature unit and/or the slide or plunger unit, and the coil unit and armature unit are accommodated at least partially in a housing unit or carrier unit. |
| US09318245B2 |
Heat carrier medium for magnetocaloric materials
What is described is the use of alcohols, alcoholamines, diols, polyols or mixtures thereof in heat carrier media or as heat carrier media which are in contact with magnetocaloric materials. |
| US09318237B2 |
Cable harness and water cutoff structure
A cable harness includes a plurality of cables and an electrically-conductive outer conductor surrounding the plurality of cables. The outer conductor is partially constituted by a conductor tube having a smooth outer peripheral surface. An outside water cutoff member configured to prevent water from coming inside a hole of a body panel is placed between the smooth outer peripheral surface of the conductor tube and an edge of the hole of the body panel. Further, an inside water cutoff member having through holes through which the plurality of cables of the conductor tube passes, and configured to close an end of the conductor tube is provided. |
| US09318236B2 |
Mounting device and method of assembling the same
A method and system for a mounting device for an electrical harness of a gas turbine engine are provided. The mounting device includes a first and a second semi-cylindrical shell, the first and second shells are hingedly coupled along respective adjacent edges. Each of the first and second shells includes a first end region, a second end region and a middle region extending between the first end region and the second end region. The middle region defines a mounting seat having an outer diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the first end region and the second end region. The mounting device also includes at least one fastener configured to couple the first shell to the second shell with the wire bundle disposed between the first shell and the second shell such that movement of the first shell and the second shell along the wire bundle is restricted. |
| US09318234B2 |
Insulating film and producing method for insulating film
Disclosed herein are an insulating film and a producing method of the insulating film which can address problems caused by dents by providing a reinforcing layer having the weight ratio of the silica of 60 to 80 wt % on one surface of the insulating film. |
| US09318233B2 |
Method for manufacturing conductive metal thin film using carboxylic acid
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a conductive metal thin film, including: preparing a conductive metal coating solution by adding carboxylic acid to a dispersion including a conductive metal particle having a core/shell structure; coating the conductive metal coating solution on a top portion of a substrate, heat-treating it, and removing an metal oxide layer of the surface of the conductive metal particle having the core/shell structure; and forming a thin film of the conductive metal particle from which the metal oxide layer is removed. |
| US09318231B2 |
Method of preparing reduced graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide-polymer composites
Methods of preparing reduced graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide-polymer composites. The methods include covalently binding a halogen-substituted aromatic compounds to a graphene oxide and heat treating the graphene oxide with the halogen-substituted aromatic compounds covalently bound thereto at a low temperature, for example, 450° C. or less. By using the methods, reduced graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide-polymer composites that have high electrical conductivities (e.g., 30,000 S/m or more) may be obtained. |
| US09318230B2 |
Nanostructure dispersions and transparent conductors
A nanostructure dispersion comprising a mixture of host metallic nanostructures and metallic nanoparticles is provided. The nanostructures and nanoparticles are attracted to each other and remain attracted upon deposition of the mixture onto a substrate to form a transparent conductor. Also provided is a method of fabricating a transparent conductor. |
| US09318229B2 |
Collimator plate, collimator module, radiation detecting device, radiography apparatus and assembling method of collimator module
A method is provided for assembling a collimator module including a plurality of first collimator plates arrayed in a first direction, each first collimator plate having a plurality of slots formed on a plate surface, and a plurality of second collimator plates arrayed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each second collimator plate penetrates respective slots along the first direction so as to form a lattice-shape. The method includes positioning the plurality of first collimator plates by moving a first collimator plate in one direction along the second direction, so that a side wall of a first cutout formed on an edge of a radiation incident side or a radiation output side of the first collimator plate contacts a member extending in the first direction. |
| US09318225B2 |
Reactor containment vessel and boiling water reactor power plant
A containment vessel includes a primary containment vessel containing a reactor pressure vessel, an upper secondary containment vessel arranged above the primary containment vessel, and a gas-phase vent pipe linking the primary containment vessel and the upper secondary containment vessel by way of an isolation and connection switching system. The gas-phase vent pipe may be arranged either inside or outside the primary containment vessel and the upper secondary containment vessel. Alternatively, it may be embedded in the wall. An igniter may be arranged in the upper secondary containment vessel. The air in the upper secondary containment vessel may be replaced by nitrogen. A gravity-driven flooding system pool may be arranged in the upper secondary containment vessel and cooling water may be led from the inside of the pool to the inside of the primary containment vessel. |
| US09318224B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and operating method thereof
An operating method is for operating a memory controller which controls a non-volatile memory device. The non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The operating method includes erasing the plurality of memory cells, reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state, and programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information. |
| US09318216B2 |
Multilevel cell nonvolatile memory system
A multilevel cell (MLC) nonvolatile memory system including a plurality of memory cells each cell storing first bit data and second bit data, and a controller programming the plurality of memory cells on a page-by-page basis, the controller programming original data to an original block and programming copy data that is the same as the original data to a mirroring block, wherein first bit page data and second bit page data of the original data are programmed to memory cells connected to the same word line, but the first bit page data and second bit page data of the copy data are programmed to memory cells connected to different word lines. |
| US09318208B1 |
Method for operating small-area EEPROM array
A method for operating a small-area EEPROM array is disclosed. The small-area EEPROM array comprises bit lines, word lines, common source lines, and sub-memory arrays. The bit lines are divided into bit line groups. The word lines include a first word line. The common source lines include a first common source line. Each sub-memory array includes a first, second, third and fourth memory cells, which are connected with two bit line groups, a word line and a common source line. The first and second memory cells are symmetric. The third and fourth memory cells are symmetric. The group of the first and second memory cells and the group of the third and fourth memory cells are respectively positioned at two sides of the first common source line. The method operates all operation memory cells and uses special biases to program or erase memory cells massively in a single operation. |
| US09318200B2 |
Methods and apparatuses including a string of memory cells having a first select transistor coupled to a second select transistor
Generally discussed herein are apparatuses and methods. One such apparatus includes a data line, a first memory cell and a first select transistor. The first transistor has a gate and is coupled between the data line and the first memory cell. The apparatus can include a second memory cell and a second select transistor having a gate. The apparatus can include a third select transistor having a gate. The second select transistor is coupled between the second memory cell and the third select transistor. The third select transistor is coupled between the second select transistor and a source. The apparatus can include a drive transistor coupled to both the gate of the first select transistor and the gate of the second select transistor or the gate of the third select transistor. |
| US09318199B2 |
Partial page memory operations
Apparatuses may include a memory block with strings of memory cells formed in a plurality of tiers. The apparatus may further comprise access lines and data lines shared by the strings, with the access lines coupled to the memory cells corresponding to a respective tier of the plurality of tiers. The memory cells corresponding to at least a portion of the respective tier may comprise a respective page of a plurality of pages. Subsets of the data lines may be mapped into a respective partial page of a plurality of partial pages of the respective page. Each partial page may be independently selectable from other partial pages. Additional apparatuses and methods are disclosed. |
| US09318195B1 |
Multi-level memory apparatus and data sensing method thereof
A multi-level memory device may include a most significant bit (MSB) determination circuit configured to determine a plurality of MSBs by comparing a cell current flowing through a memory cell with a predetermined reference current, a current/voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a copied cell current obtained by copying the cell current into a cell voltage, a charging time determination circuit configured to determine a charging time during which the copied cell current is converted into the cell voltage and output a charging end signal, and a least significant bit (LSB) determination circuit configured to determine a plurality of LSBs according to the cell voltage and the charging end signal. |
| US09318190B1 |
Memory device
An electronic device is disclosed that includes n memory cells, a replica memory array, and a sensing unit. Each of the n memory cells stores bit data, in which n is a positive integer. The replica memory array includes a first reference memory cell having a high logic state, a second reference memory cell having a low logic state, n−1 first pseudo reference memory cells having the low logic state, and n−1 second pseudo reference memory cells having the high logic state. The first reference memory cell and the n−1 first pseudo reference memory cells generate a first signal, and the second reference memory cell and the n−1 second pseudo reference memory cells generate a second signal. The sensing unit determines a logic state of the bit data of one of the n memory cells according to the first signal and the second signal. |
| US09318186B1 |
DRAM wordline control circuit, DRAM module and method of controlling DRAM wordline voltage
A DRAM wordline voltage control circuit includes a sensing module, an oscillator and a charging pump. The sensing module is configured to receive a first control signal and a feedback signal corresponding to a wordline voltage signal, and generate a second control signal according to the first control signal and the feedback signal corresponding to the wordline voltage signal. The oscillator is electrically connected with the sensing module. The oscillator is configured to receive the second control signal and output an oscillating signal when the second control signal is enabled. The charging pump is electrically connected with the oscillator. The charging pump is configured to increase a voltage value of the wordline voltage signal when the oscillator outputs the oscillating signal. |
| US09318180B2 |
MRAM wtih metal gate write conductors
In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a magnetic random access (MRAM) device. The device comprises a plurality of MRAM cells, wherein each MRAM cell comprises a magnetic bit, and write conductors defined by conductors patterned in a second metal layer above the magnetic bit; and a gate formed below the magnetic bit between a source and a drain; and addressing circuits to address the MRAM cells. |
| US09318178B2 |
Semiconductor storage device and data processing method
Since a nonvolatile RAM allows random reading and writing operations, an erasing mode is unnecessary. From the system side, however, it is desirable to have the erasing mode because of its nonvolatile characteristic. Moreover, the erasing operation is desirably carried out at high speed with low power consumption. Therefore, memory cell arrays COA and DTA containing a plurality of memory cells MC each having a magnetoresistive element are provided, a series of data is written to the memory cell arrays COA and DTA, and at the time of erasing, an erasing operation is carried out by writing predetermined data only to the memory cell array COA. |
| US09318176B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a clock pulse generating circuit suitable for outputting a command enable clock pulse when a predetermined command is input during a predetermined command-masking period, a command interface circuit suitable for outputting an internal command signal based on the command enable clock pulse and the command, and a target operating circuit suitable for performing an operation corresponding to the command based on the internal command signal. |
| US09318172B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device, read method for nonvolatile memory device, and memory system incorporating nonvolatile memory device
A method of performing a read operation on nonvolatile memory device comprises receiving a read command, receiving addresses, detecting a transition of a read enable signal, generating a strobe signal based on the transition of the read enable signal, reading data corresponding to the received addresses, and outputting the read data after the strobe signal is toggled a predetermined number of times. |
| US09318170B2 |
Storage device, memory cell, and data writing method
A memory cell (1) includes a first storage circuit (2) with a write time t1 and a data retention time τ1 and a second storage circuit (3) with a write time t2 and a data retention time τ2 (t1 |
| US09318169B2 |
Bit line equalizing circuit
There is provided a bit line equalizing circuit including: an active region; a first bit line disposed on the active region in a first direction; a second bit line disposed on the active region in the first direction; a gate pattern including a first pattern disposed on the active region in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a second pattern extended from one side of the first pattern to be disposed in the first direction, and formed in a stair shape; a first contact disposed at one side of the first pattern and one side of the second pattern, and configured to connect the active region and the first bit line; a second contact disposed at one side of the first pattern and the other side of the second pattern, and configured to connect the active region and the second bit line; and a third contact disposed at the other side of the first pattern, and configured to provide a predetermined voltage to the active region. |
| US09318162B2 |
Overvoltage protection for a fine grained negative wordline scheme
A fine grained negative wordline scheme for SRAM memories is disclosed. The scheme includes a circuit having a static random access memory (SRAM) cell including at least a wordline coupled to a plurality of NFETs of a transistor array. The circuit further includes a wordline driver including a plurality of inverters coupled between a wordline group decode node, a power supply and the wordline. Overvoltage on the wordline driver and NFETs of the SRAM cell are eliminated by applying a power gating mode and lowering the power supply voltage. |
| US09318161B2 |
Non-volatile memory robust start-up using analog-to-digital converter
In accordance with at least one embodiment, an onboard analog-to-digital converter (ADC) on a system-on-a-chip (SOC) is utilized to determine whether a charge pump output for a non-volatile memory (NVM) is correct or not. The SOC is directed to wait until the output is within an expected range before moving to the next step in a start-up procedure. If the maximum allowed start-up time is exceeded, an error signal is sent to the SOC such that the application can react to it. |
| US09318158B2 |
Non-volatile memory using bi-directional resistive elements
A memory cell includes a first bi-directional resistive element having a cathode coupled to a first power rail and an anode coupled to an internal node, a second bi-directional resistive element having a cathode coupled to the internal node and an anode coupled to a second power rail, and a first transistor having a control electrode coupled to the internal node, a first current electrode coupled to a first bitline, and a second current electrode coupled to a third power rail. |
| US09318150B2 |
Full fidelity remote video editing
Video editing methods and systems enable an editor to edit a video project for which source media assets are located at a media storage server located remotely from the editor with substantially the same fidelity and editing feature set that would be available if the source media assets and editor were co-located. A video editing client used by the editor maintains a persistent cache of proxy media with the layers of the video project stored independently, facilitating editing with combinations locally originated assets and remote assets. The client requests frames not already cached from the remote server via a low bandwidth network. Unless a frame is purged from the cache, no frame is requested from the server more than once. A multi-level priority prefetching scheme, including sequence-based prefetching, populates the cache with frames likely to be requested during editing. |
| US09318148B2 |
Combined soft detection/soft decoding in tape drive storage channels
In one embodiment, a tape drive system includes a soft detector having logic configured to execute a first forward loop of a detection algorithm on a first block of signal samples during a first time interval, execute a first reverse loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a second time interval, execute a second reverse loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a fifth time interval, and execute a second forward loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a fourth time interval using second soft information. Other tape drive systems and computer program products for decoding data are presented in more embodiments. |
| US09318143B2 |
Motion detection enabled power optimized display
Various embodiments are directed to a motion sensor in communication with a processing component capable of controlling a television display and a video recording device. The motion sensor may provide motion detection information to the processing component. The processing component may issue control directives capable of manipulating the television. For instance, based on the absence of motion in a viewing area, the processing component may re-direct content to be recorded while also inactivating the television display to conserve energy. Upon receiving information that motion has been detected in the viewing area, the processing component may issue control directives to activate the television display and resume playing the content that was previously being watched. This may all be done without requiring an action on the part of a user. |
| US09318139B2 |
Recording medium, a data storage apparatus and a method of preparing a recording medium
In the present disclosure, a recording medium and a method of preparing a recording medium is provided. In a recording medium, a first annular servo track can be provided on a first layer of the recording medium, and second annular servo track can be provided on the first layer of the recording medium. The second annular servo track can be adjacent to the first annular servo track. In the recording medium, the first annular servo track and the second annular servo track are magnetically polarized and are magnetically opposing in polarity. A corresponding method of preparing a recording medium is provided. |
| US09318133B2 |
Recessed antiferromagnetic design with antiparallel pinned stitch layers for improved pinning field
In one general embodiment, a device includes an antiferromagnetic layer; a first stitch layer exchange coupled with the antiferromagnetic layer, the first stitch layer having a magnetic orientation substantially parallel to a magnetic orientation of the antiferromagnetic layer; a second stitch layer exchange coupled with the first stitch layer and having a magnetic orientation substantially antiparallel to the magnetic orientation of the first stitch layer; a pinned layer structure exchange coupled with the second stitch layer; a free layer; and a spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer structure. An end of the antiferromagnetic layer facing a sensing face of the device is recessed from the sensing face. |
| US09318131B2 |
Write gap structure for a magnetic recording head
The present application relates to a write gap structure for a magnetic recording head. In illustrated embodiments, the write gap structure includes multiple write gap segments along a beveled pole tip surface between a top edge and a bottom edge of the beveled pole tip surface to provide a narrow write gap proximate to the air bearing surface and a larger write gap behind the air bearing surface. In illustrated embodiments, the narrow write gap segment is formed between the beveled pole tip surface and a lower back surface of front shield and the larger write gap is formed between the beveled pole tip surface and an upper back surface of the front shield. |
| US09318130B1 |
Method to fabricate tunneling magnetic recording heads with extended pinned layer
A method of fabricating a magnetic device includes forming a sensor having a pinned layer and a free layer. A first reactive ion etch of a sensor stack patterns a hard mask layer with a photoresist image to form a first hard mask. Then a second reactive ion etch is performed to form an extended pinned layer. The method also includes depositing an insulating layer after the second reactive ion etch to protect exposed edges of the sensor stack, and then providing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) stop layer on the insulating layer. Subsequently, a CMP of the sensor stack is performed to remove a portion of the insulating layer. The resulting structure is substantially free of residue on the back edges of the sensor. |
| US09318121B2 |
Method and system for processing audio data of video content
Various aspects of a method and system to process audio data are disclosed herein. In accordance with an embodiment, the method includes identification of a source-of-interest (SOI), via a user interface (UI), when video content is played back. The SOI is identified based on one or more parameters. An audio portion of the identified SOI is selectively enhanced when the video content is played back. |
| US09318118B2 |
Low delay modulated filter bank
The document relates to modulated sub-sampled digital filter banks, as well as to methods and systems for the design of such filter banks. In particular, the present document proposes a method and apparatus for the improvement of low delay modulated digital filter banks. The method employs modulation of an asymmetric low-pass prototype filter and a new method for optimizing the coefficients of this filter. Further, a specific design for a 64 channel filter bank using a prototype filter length of 640 coefficients and a system delay of 319 samples is given. The method substantially reduces artifacts due to aliasing emerging from independent modifications of subband signals, for example when using a filter bank as a spectral equalizer. The method is preferably implemented in software, running on a standard PC or a digital signal processor (DSP), but can also be hardcoded on a custom chip. The method offers improvements for various types of digital equalizers, adaptive filters, multiband companders and spectral envelope adjusting filter banks used in high frequency reconstruction (HFR) or parametric stereo systems. |
| US09318116B2 |
Acoustic data transmission based on groups of audio receivers
Techniques are disclosed for acoustic data reception. Playback of modified audio content is acoustically detected by a first receiving entity and a second receiving entity operatively connected to the first receiving entity via a network. The modified audio content is generated by encoding specified data into specified audio content such that the modified audio content satisfies a predefined signal constraint characterizing imperceptibility of any differences between playback of the specified audio content and playback of the modified audio content. The specified data is collaboratively decoded based on the acoustically detected playback of the modified audio content and by the first receiving entity and the second receiving entity using the network and according to a predefined diversity scheme. |
| US09318114B2 |
System and method for generating challenge utterances for speaker verification
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media relating to speaker verification. In one aspect, a system receives a first user identity from a second user, and, based on the identity, accesses voice characteristics. The system randomly generates a challenge sentence according to a rule and/or grammar, based on the voice characteristics, and prompts the second user to speak the challenge sentence. The system verifies that the second user is the first user if the spoken challenge sentence matches the voice characteristics. In an enrollment aspect, the system constructs an enrollment phrase that covers a minimum threshold of unique speech sounds based on speaker-distinctive phonemes, phoneme clusters, and prosody. Then user utters the enrollment phrase and extracts voice characteristics for the user from the uttered enrollment phrase. The system generates a user profile, based on the voice characteristics, for generating random challenge sentences according to a grammar. |
| US09318113B2 |
Method and apparatus for conducting synthesized, semi-scripted, improvisational conversations
Simulating an improvisational conversation between two or more people (or between a person and himself at a later time) by recording an original conversation involving some of the people and annotating the recording to produce an interview source database, then receiving a statement from another of the people, matching the statement against the interview source database to obtain a suitable audio response in the voice of a participant in the original conversation, and playing the audio response for the speaker or sender of the statement. |
| US09318112B2 |
Recognizing speech in the presence of additional audio
The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at a processing system, a first signal including an output of a speaker device and an additional audio signal. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, based at least in part on a model trained to identify the output of the speaker device, that the additional audio signal corresponds to an utterance of a user. The method further includes initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speaker device based on determining that the additional audio signal corresponds to the utterance of the user. |
| US09318111B2 |
Voice recognition client system for processing online voice recognition, voice recognition server system, and voice recognition method
A voice/speech recognition client system, a voice recognition server system, and a voice recognition method. The voice recognition system indicates a result of voice recognition in a voice signal inputted from a starting time for voice recognition to an ending time. The voice recognition client comprises: a communication unit that transmits a unit voice signal input at intervals from the starting time to the ending time, to the voice recognition server system at the intervals and receives an intermediate result of voice recognition from the voice recognition server system; and a display unit that displays the intermediate result received between the starting time and the ending time. |
| US09318109B2 |
Techniques for updating a partial dialog state
Embodiments provide for tracking a partial dialog state as part of managing a dialog state space, but the embodiments are not so limited. A method of an embodiment jointly models partial state update and named entity recognition using a sequence-based classification or other model, wherein recognition of named entities and a partial state update can be performed in a single processing stage at runtime to generate a distribution over partial dialog states. A system of an embodiment is configured to generate a distribution over partial dialog states at runtime in part using a sequence classification decoding or other algorithm to generate one or more partial dialog state hypothesis and/or a confidence score or measure associated with each hypothesis. Other embodiments are included. |
| US09318105B1 |
Method, system, and computer readable medium for comparing phonetic similarity of return words to resolve ambiguities during voice recognition
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for a speech recognition system to select a return value corresponding to a spoken input. The method comprises generating a dictionary comprising return values associated with data provisioned in the speech recognition system; generating a grammar for each return value in the dictionary; analyzing the grammar to determine a subset of return values from the dictionary that are likely alternatives for each return value in the dictionary, based on the grammar; selecting a return value corresponding to the spoken input based on the grammar; and if the selected return value is not confirmed by a user, then presenting the likely alternative for the selected return value to the user. |
| US09318104B1 |
Methods and systems for sharing of adapted voice profiles
Methods and systems for sharing of adapted voice profiles are provided. The method may comprise receiving, at a computing system, one or more speech samples, and the one or more speech samples may include a plurality of spoken utterances. The method may further comprise determining, at the computing system, a voice profile associated with a speaker of the plurality of spoken utterances, and including an adapted voice of the speaker. Still further, the method may comprise receiving, at the computing system, an authorization profile associated with the determined voice profile, and the authorization profile may include one or more user identifiers associated with one or more respective users. Yet still further, the method may comprise the computing system providing the voice profile to at least one computing device associated with the one or more respective users, based at least in part on the authorization profile. |
| US09318092B2 |
Noise estimation control system
A noise estimation control system may limit increases of a stored background noise estimate in response to a detected noise feedback situation. The system receives an input audio signal detected within a space, and a reference audio signal that is transmitted by a speaker as an aural signal into the space. A signal processor processes the input audio signal and the reference audio signal to determine a coherence value based on an amount of the aural signal that is included in the input audio signal. The signal processor also calculates an amount to adjust the stored background noise estimate based on the coherence value and a determined background noise level of the input audio signal. |
| US09318091B2 |
Air conditioner
In an air conditioner, an air flow guide panel (20) and a speaker (21) are provided in a vicinity of an outlet (5). The air flow guide panel (20) is operable to form a duct-like outlet passage (10) in the vicinity of the outlet (5), and, in the duct-like outlet passage (10), a speaker (21) radiates a sound wave for canceling out operation noise including blower sound of a fan (7). |
| US09318088B1 |
Buzzer circuit
A buzzer circuit is connected to a drive circuit. The buzzer circuit includes a buzzer and a control unit. The control unit includes an electronic switch, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a constant voltage component. A control end of the electronic switch is connected to a power pin of the buzzer through the first resistor, and is grounded through the constant voltage component. A first end of the electronic switch is connected to a grounded pin of the buzzer. A second end of the electronic switch is grounded through the second resistor. When the buzzer receives a high level drive signal, the electronic switch is turned on. A voltage between the control end and the second end of the electronic switch is constant, the constant voltage component provides a constant voltage to the second resistor, and a current of the second resistor is constant. |
| US09318084B2 |
Support system and method for a percussion instrument
A horizontal support system for a percussion instrument support the percussion instrument in a horizontal position without the necessity for permanently altering the instrument structure. Preferably, the percussion instrument includes a shell having first and second open ends, a first hoop affixed to the first open end, a second hoop affixed to the second open end of said shell, and a drum head provided at one end. The support system includes a plurality of support legs. Each support leg includes a main support member; a foot member selectively positioned adjacent one end of the main support member; first and second hoop engagement members that engage the hoops of the percussion instrument. The plurality of support legs supports the percussion instrument in a horizontal position with the drum head facing up or in a tilted position. |
| US09318077B2 |
Head-mount type display device and method of controlling head-mount type display device
A head-mount type display device adapted to make a user visually recognize a virtual image includes an image light generation section adapted to generate image light representing an image using image data and then emit the image light, a light guide section adapted to guide the image light, which is emitted, to eyes of the user, a receiving section adapted to receive the image data, and a control section, which is connected to the receiving section, controls image display by the image light generation section, and has a transmitting section adapted to transmit the image data to the receiving section. The control section controls luminance of the image light generation section so as to degrade visibility of the virtual image for a predetermined period of time in a case in which a disturbance in data communication between the transmitting section and the receiving section is presumed. |
| US09318076B2 |
Pixel luminance compensating unit, flat panel display device having the same and method of adjusting a luminance curve for respective pixels
A pixel luminance compensating unit is disclosed. In one aspect, the disclosed pixel luminance compensating unit includes an uncompensated gray-level region processing unit configured to generate first output-data by processing first input-data corresponding to a first portion of an input luminance curve corresponding to an uncompensated gray-level region. The disclosed unit further includes a compensated gray-level region processing unit configured to generate second output-data by processing second input-data corresponding to a second portion of the input luminance curve corresponding to a compensated gray-level region. The disclosed unit further includes an interpolated gray-level region processing unit configured to generate third output-data by processing third input-data corresponding to a third portion of the input luminance curve corresponding to an interpolated gray-level region, wherein the interpolated gray-level region processing unit is configured to generate the third portion by interpolating between the first portion and the second portion. |
| US09318073B2 |
Graphics processing unit based color management of output devices
A method includes querying, through a processor, a database of color profiles to determine a secondary color profile therefrom, and comparing, through the processor, the determined secondary color profile to a primary color profile of a primary display communicatively coupled to the processor. The method also includes selecting, through the processor, the determined secondary color profile to be applied to a secondary display also communicatively coupled to the processor upon determining that multimedia content displayed on the primary display with the primary color profile matches with the same multimedia content displayed on the secondary display with the determined secondary color profile. Further, the method includes reducing a color discrepancy between the same multimedia content on the primary display and the secondary display based on rendering the same multimedia content on the primary display with the primary color profile and the secondary display with the selected secondary color profile. |
| US09318071B2 |
Display device
A display device includes pixels and includes a gate driver for providing gate signals to the pixels. The display device further includes a level shifter element for providing a boosted clock signal to the gate driver. The display device further includes a controller. The level shifter element includes a first level shifter for providing one of a first gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage as a first clock signal in response to a gate pulse signal received from the controller. The level shifter element further includes a second level shifter for providing one of a second gate-on voltage and the first clock signal as the boosted clock signal in response to a first control signal received from the controller. The second gate-on voltage is higher than the first gate-on voltage. The gate driver may provide the gate signals in response to the boosted clock signal. |
| US09318070B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of controlling a mobile terminal
A terminal includes a sensor to sense bending of a flexible display and a controller to control display of information on the display. The controller divides a first screen on the display into at least first and second regions when bending of the display is detected and displays at least a portion of a second screen in a space located between the first and second regions. |
| US09318068B2 |
Display driver precharge circuitry
Systems and methods for efficiently generating display driver timing signals are provided. In one example, display driver circuitry of an electronic display may provide a negative voltage from a negative voltage supply to display control circuitry during a first period and may provide a positive voltage from a positive voltage supply to the display control circuitry during a second period. After providing the negative voltage during the first period but before providing the positive voltage during the second period, the display driver circuitry may precharge the capacitance of the display control circuitry to ground. In this way, the positive voltage supply substantially does not supply charge to raise the voltage on the capacitance of the display control circuitry from the negative voltage to ground. |
| US09318067B2 |
Shift register unit and gate driving circuit
A shift register unit and a gate driving circuit are configured to reduce size of the shift register unit and meanwhile to provide a stable output signal. The shift register unit includes: an input unit configured to supply an input signal to an output unit in response to the input signal; the output unit configured to supply a first clock signal to an output terminal in response to a voltage at the first node; a pull-up unit configured to supply the first clock signal to the first node in response to the voltage at the first node; a pull-down control unit configured to supply the first clock signal, a second clock signal and a negative voltage of a power supply to the pull-down unit in response to the first clock signal, the second clock signal and the voltage at the first node; and the pull-down unit configured to supply the negative voltage of the power supply to the first node and the output terminal in response to a voltage at the second node. |
| US09318063B2 |
Display apparatus and method of driving the same
A method of driving a display apparatus including a plurality of pixels that respectively store a voltage level corresponding to a data signal and respectively include a storage capacitor connected between a pixel electrode and a second common voltage electrode, the method including operations of determining whether image data of a current frame is changed, compared to image data of a previous frame, when the image data of the current frame is changed, storing a voltage level corresponding to the image data of the current frame in the storage capacitor of each of the plurality of pixels, and when the image data of the current frame is not changed, changing a level of a second common voltage applied to the second common voltage electrode of each of the plurality of pixels. |
| US09318060B2 |
Display driving method
A method of driving an electrowetting display device having at least one display element for displaying a display effect during a display period. The method determines a change in the display effect. Depending on the change, the display may be driven using a first driving scheme or a second driving scheme. The second driving scheme applies a voltage indicative of the display state a different number of times during the display period than the first driving scheme. |
| US09318058B2 |
Display unit, displaying method, and recording medium
A display unit includes: an image display panel; a backlight section disposed on a back surface of the image display panel, and including a light guide member and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; a light source emitting light, the light being allowed to enter the light guide member of the backlight section; a polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel drive section driving the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel of the backlight section in synchronization with writing of an image displayed on the image display panel to control a location that scatters light incident on the light guide member on the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel; and a light source drive section allowing the light source to blink in synchronization with a period in which light is scattered by the polymer dispersed liquid crystal panel. |
| US09318057B2 |
Display apparatus and electronic apparatus
A display apparatus allowing a user positioned in a first direction to visually recognize a first image and allowing a user positioned in a second direction different from the first direction to visually recognize a second image includes: a display unit displaying a combined image formed by combining the first image with the second image; an irradiation unit irradiating the display unit displaying the combined image with irradiation light; a distribution unit distributing components corresponding to the first image of the irradiation light transmitted through the display unit to the first direction and distributing components corresponding to the second image of the irradiation light transmitted through the display unit to the second direction; and a cancellation unit cancelling luminance characteristics of the irradiation light distributed by the distribution unit. |
| US09318048B2 |
Pixel circuit and display apparatus
Provided are a pixel circuit and a display apparatus. The pixel circuit comprises a charging sub-circuit, a driving sub-circuit and a light-emitting control sub-circuit; wherein the driving sub-circuit comprises a reference signal source, a driving transistor, a capacitor and a light-emitting device; the charging sub-circuit has a first terminal connected to a source of the driving transistor, a second terminal connected to a drain of the driving transistor, and a third terminal connected to a gate of the driving transistor and one terminal of the capacitor; the light-emitting control sub-circuit comprises a first terminal connected to an output terminal of the reference signal source and the other terminal of the capacitor, a second terminal connected to the source of the driving transistor, a third terminal connected to one terminal of the light-emitting device, and a fourth terminal connected to the drain of the driving transistor. |
| US09318044B2 |
Driving circuit and related display
A driving circuit for a display includes a logic unit and a memory array coupled to the logic unit for turning on a plurality of memory cells corresponding to the word-line according to a word-line scanning signal to refresh the plurality of memory cells corresponding to the word-line; wherein the memory array has a first number of bit-lines and a second number of word-lines, wherein the driving circuit is used for driving a display panel having a third number of data-lines and a fourth number of scan-lines, and a product of the first number and the second number is equal to a product of the third number and the fourth number. |
| US09318033B2 |
Display apparatus and electronic device with improved chromaticity
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus including: a first pixel including three sub-pixels for displaying three primary colors respectively; and a second pixel including three sub-pixels for displaying two colors selected among the three primary colors and a predetermined color other than the three primary colors, wherein, in the first pixel, the size of the display surface of a sub-pixel for displaying a specific color included in the three primary colors as a specific color missing from the second pixel is larger than each of the sizes of the display surfaces of the two other sub-pixels for displaying the two other primary colors respectively. |
| US09318032B2 |
Hybrid physical-virtual reality simulation for clinical training capable of providing feedback to a physical anatomic model
Systems and methods facilitating training in clinical procedures via mixed reality simulations are disclosed. Such a system can comprise a physical model and a virtual model of an anatomic region associated with the procedure, wherein the virtual model associates tissue types with locations in the physical model. The system can include a tracking component that tracks locations of at least one clinical instrument relative to the models, and an anatomic feedback component that can produce perceptible changes in the physical model based on the interaction between the instrument and virtual model. A clinical device interface can detect outputs of clinical devices like electrical signals, pressure or flow, wherein feedback to the physical model depends on the tracked position of a clinical device and output from the same or different clinical device. Another component can generate feedback effects to the clinical device. Aspects can simulate anesthesiology procedures like local nerve blockade. |
| US09318031B2 |
Device and method to produce gravitomagnetic induction, mass spin-valve or gravitational rectifier
The invention pertains to a head-disk assembly device, “mass spin-valve” or “gravitational rectifier” and method of producing gravitomagnetic induction utilizing Nano-features; Nano-bumps and Nano-pits; fabricated on the surface of a hard disk. The device includes a computer hard disk; a piezoelectric glide head and/or a GMR read head; a typical hard drive's electronics; wherein, defects are fabricated on the said disk using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) by depositing requisite number of nanobumps of specified height, and etching equal number of nanopits of specified depth a few mils or mm apart on a pre-decided radius. By spinning the said nano-features disk produce (1) an associated mechanical force utilizing a piezoelectric glide head and/or (2) an associated magnetic force utilizing a GMR read head; for (a) general use in surface characterization work and (b) for producing power by the presence or the absence of matter on a spinning disk. |
| US09318030B2 |
Personal training system and method
A personal training system and method includes generating a personalized exercise regimen for a user, based on user-related data entered into a computerized system. The user moves from booth to booth within an exercise facility to perform different exercises corresponding to the computer-generated exercise regimen for that user. The personalized exercise regimen for the user may be automatically adjusted according to the user's performance results input into the computerized system. |
| US09318027B2 |
Caching natural language questions and results in a question and answer system
Mechanisms are provided for answering an input question. An input question to be answered from a source is received and processed to one or more extract features of the input question. The extracted one or more features are compared to cached features stored in one or more entries of a question and answer (QA) cache. A determination is made as to whether there is a matching entry in the one or more entries of the QA cache based on results of the comparing and, if so, candidate answer information is retrieved from the matching entry. The retrieved candidate answer information is returned to the source of the input question as candidate answer information for answering the input question. |
| US09318026B2 |
Systems and methods providing an enhanced user experience in a real-time simulated virtual reality welding environment
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 displaying the simulated weld puddle on the display device in real-time. |
| US09318022B2 |
Method for detecting a parking space, parking assist system and motor vehicle comprising a parking assist system
The invention relates to a method for detecting a parking space (20) by means of a parking assistance system (2) of a motor vehicle (1) while the motor vehicle (1) is travelling past the parking space (20). A first sensor (7) acquires a time sequence (26) of measured values (27), and a second sensor (12) likewise acquires a time sequence (31) of measured values (32) while the vehicle is travelling past. The parking space (20) is detected on the basis of the measured values (27, 32) of at least one of the sensors (7, 12). For the detection of the parking space (20), the measured values (27) of the first sensor (7) and the measured values (32) of the second sensor (12) are acquired redundantly, and the plausibility of the time sequence (26) of the measured values (27) of the first sensor (7) is checked on the basis of the measured values (32) of the second sensor (12). The invention also relates to a parking assistance system (2), as well as to a motor vehicle (1) with such a system. |
| US09318020B2 |
Vehicular collision mitigation system
A collision mitigation system for a vehicle includes at least a forward viewing camera and a rearward viewing camera configured to be disposed at the vehicle so as to view generally forwardly or rearwardly of the vehicle. An image processor processes image data captured by the cameras. When the equipped vehicle is moving and responsive at least in part to a determination that the equipped vehicle is approaching an object determined to be present forwardly of the equipped vehicle, the control is operable to apply a vehicle brake to mitigate a collision with the determined object. When the vehicle is moving and the control is applying the vehicle brake, and responsive at least in part to a determination that a following vehicle is following the equipped vehicle, the control adjusts control of the vehicle brakes to mitigate a rear collision by the determined following vehicle. |
| US09318015B2 |
Wireless sensor unit communication triggering and management
Various embodiments of wireless ambient sensor unit are presented. The sensor unit may include a wireless transceiver configured to transmit sensor data and to receive instructions. The sensor unit may include a sensor configured to measure an ambient condition. The sensor unit may include a controller in communication with the wireless transceiver and the sensor. The controller may be configured to compare data measured about the ambient condition to a stored threshold while the wireless ambient sensor unit is functioning in a low-power mode. The controller may be configured to exit the low-power mode in response to the comparison of the data with the stored threshold. The controller may be configured to cause the data measured about the ambient condition to be transmitted by the wireless transceiver as one or more messages in response to the comparison to the stored threshold. |
| US09318014B1 |
Systems and methods for reporting visibility to drones
A user's visibility to a drone may be reported to the user. A positioning subsystem may determine a location of the user. A drone detection subsystem may determine a location of a drone able to view the user. A visibility determination subsystem may determine a visibility vulnerability of the user to imaging by the drone based on the location of the user and the location of the drone. The visibility vulnerability may include a potential quality of an image capturable by the drone of the user, such as a spatial resolution. An output subsystem may report the visibility vulnerability to the user. The subsystems may be included in a mobile communication device or a server or may be split among the device and/or server. The output subsystem may deliver the report over a communication network and/or may display a visual representation of the report. |
| US09318010B2 |
Recognizable local alert for stolen or lost mobile devices
A system is disclosed in which an electronic device of a user emits an identifiable alert as a result of a trigger indicating loss or theft, or probability or risk of loss or theft. Alerts may be acoustic, either audible or inaudible and may be disguised. Alerts may also be short range radio signals. Other, local electronic devices of users may detect the alert and react by transmitting their location and the information in the alert to a monitoring center. The monitoring center may respond by sending a silence code or identification information to the device detecting the alert. |
| US09318007B2 |
Signal emitting retail device
A signal emitting retail device is provided. The signal emitting retail device includes a sensor and an emitter. The emitter is configured to emit a signal when the sensor senses removal of merchandise from a merchandise display structure. The sensor is also configured to sense potential theft conditions. The emitter is configured to emit a signal indicative of potential theft conditions when such conditions are sensed by the sensor. |
| US09317997B2 |
System and method of revealing the outcomes of real world wagers through allocated reveal payouts
The invention relates to systems and methods of selecting and placing real-world wagers responsive to one or more wager triggers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating user interactions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through the interactive media to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from the user interactions. The system may withhold a reveal of a payout if one or more reveal parameters are not satisfied. A reveal parameter may specify that a minimum level of performance of an objective must be achieved for a reveal to occur. The objective may include, for example, an amount of winnings in a game, a number of points in a game, a number of enemies defeated in a game, a length of a video viewed, a number of promotions redeemed, a number of advertisements viewed, etc. |
| US09317992B2 |
Gaming machine with interactive scorecard
A gaming machine includes a controller for controlling operation of the machine, a primary display is provided on which a game to be played is displayed. A secondary display is also provided on which a scorecard, indicating prizes to be paid upon a winning game being achieved, is displayed. The game and the scorecard are controlled by the controller and the scorecard is a dynamic scorecard with the relationship between combinations of symbols constituting a winning game and the prizes awarded by the scorecard for that particular game changing from game to game. |
| US09317991B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing a bingo game having a sharing feature
Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for a bingo game including at least one initial ball call and an option for a player to receive at least one additional ball call. In one example, the at least one additional ball call includes one or more of: (i) a ball call locked until a player accepts an option to unlock the locked ball call, and (ii) a ball call provided by another member of a social network (e.g., a friend of the player). |
| US09317990B2 |
“Buy a peek” gaming methods and devices
The present invention provides methods and devices for providing wagering games. A player pays an initial price to play a wagering game according to normal game rules. Game information that would normally be concealed from the player is offered for an additional price. In some implementations, the wagering game is a poker game and the game information is draw card information. The additional price may increase according to the amount of game information provided. In some implementations, a paytable percentage for the wagering game decreases according to the amount of game information provided. |
| US09317988B2 |
Method for generating a security bi-level image for a banknote
The present invention proposes a method for generating a security bi-level image used to form one of the inks of a banknote, said image comprising an original bi-level image and a security pattern, said security pattern being obtained in the spatial domain by the inverse Fourier transform of the combination in the frequency domain between the Fourier transform of an auxiliary image and a two-dimensional sweep, said two-dimensional sweep being a circularly symmetric, two-dimensional pattern created by sweeping a self-similar, one-dimensional function along a 360-degree arc, such as said security pattern being detectable from the maximum value of the cross-correlation of said one-dimensional function with the Fourier transform of one line of said banknote, said method comprising the step of: —determining a distance map of the original bi-level image, —generating a merged image by linearly interpolating at least a part of said distance map with said security pattern, —thresholding the merged image to obtain the security bi-level image, —applying the security bi-level image on a support. |
| US09317987B2 |
Safe with controllable data transfer capability
A safe including a safe controller coupled to a data transfer port is provided. The safe controller is configured to selectively enable device data to pass through the data transfer port when a valid code is received by the safe controller. A system for controlling data communications with an internal device in a safe is also provided. The system includes an external computing device configured to execute a series of instructions, and a safe. The safe includes a data transfer port coupled to the external computing device and the internal device. The safe also includes a safe controller coupled to the data transfer port, wherein the safe controller is configured to selectively enable communication between the external computing device and the internal device when a valid code is received by the safe controller. |
| US09317986B2 |
Movable barrier operator configured for remote actuation
The present invention is generally a movable barrier operator configured for remote actuation, and more specifically, to a movable barrier operator configured to generate a barrier command in response to an authorized mobile device joining wireless network. The authorization may be established by connecting the mobile device to the operator through a wireless communication means. The wireless communication means may include known protocols such as Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi, NFC, ZigBee™, or any other type of wireless communication. |
| US09317985B2 |
Movable barrier operator configured for remote actuation
The present invention is generally a movable barrier operator configured for remote actuation, and more specifically, to a movable barrier operator configured to generate a barrier command in response to an authorized mobile device joining wireless network. The authorization may be established by connecting the mobile device to the operator through a wireless communication means. The wireless communication means may include known protocols such as Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi, NFC, ZigBee™, or any other type of wireless communication. |
| US09317984B2 |
Systems and methods to control locking and unlocking of doors using powerline and radio frequency communications
An electronic door lock system automatically controls locking and unlocking of a door. A door lock controller interfaces with an electronic door lock, sends messages including door lock data to a local receiver, and receives messages including door lock commands from the local receiver. In turn, the local receiver interfaces with a hub device through a mesh network. The hub receives the door lock data, applies a rule set to make lock operation decisions, and sends messages, which may comprise commands to operate the door lock, through the mesh network to the local receiver. The local receiver decodes the messages and passes the commands to the door lock controller to automatically control the electronic door lock. |
| US09317983B2 |
Automatic communication of damage and health in detected vehicle incidents
Methods and systems for automatic communication of vehicle damage and health of users in detected vehicle incidents are disclosed. Specifically, a method to monitor the health of occupants and detect and identify any occupants experiencing a medical anomaly is provided. In the event a medical anomaly is detected within a vehicle, the system may take a number of actions. In one embodiment, the actions comprise notifying health care providers and emergency personnel or police, communicating accident data, and emitting a visual or audio alarm. |
| US09317982B2 |
Access control system and method
An access control system is provided for controlling access between a secured side and a non-secured side of an access control point. A reader module is disposed on the secured side of the access control point for receiving authentication data from an individual. A controller unit is disposed on the non-secured side of the access control point, and has a housing that encloses an access control panel and a request-to-exit motion sensor. The access control panel is in communication with the reader module, an electronic lock mechanism, and the request-to-exit motion sensor. In response to receiving a data signal from the reader, the access control panel determines whether or not to unlock the lock. When it is determined that the lock should be unlocked, the access control panel provides a signal to the electronic lock for switching the lock from a secured condition to a released condition. |
| US09317979B2 |
Crop density map using row sensors
A harvester has a stool width sensor that senses stool width of a crop stool. A position sensor senses a position of the harvester, and a map generator generates a map based on the sensed stool width and the sensed position. |
| US09317974B2 |
Rendering a digital element
Rendering a digital element is disclosed. An indication that a device is within a region associated with the digital element is received. It is determined that the digital element is to be rendered. A representation of the digital element is generated in a rendered view of the region. The digital element is provided upon receiving an indication that the digital element has been selected. |
| US09317972B2 |
User interface for augmented reality enabled devices
Method and apparatus for displaying augmented reality contents are disclosed. The method may include controlling a camera to scan an environment in view of a user, identifying a set of surfaces in the environment for displaying user interface windows according to characteristics of the environment, prioritizing a set of augmented reality contents for display with respect to the set of surfaces in the environment, and displaying the set of augmented reality contents on the set of surfaces in a display. Characteristics of the environment comprise at least aspect ratio of the set of surfaces with respect to the set of augmented reality contents to be displayed, and/or background color of the set of surfaces with respect to the set of augmented reality contents to be displayed. |
| US09317970B2 |
Coupled reconstruction of hair and skin
Techniques are provided to model hair and skin. Multiscopic images are received that depict at least part of a subject having hair. The multiscopic images are analyzed to determine hairs depicted. Two-dimensional hair segments are generated that represent the hairs. Three-dimensional hair segments are generated based on the two-dimensional hair segments. A three-dimensional model of skin is generated based on the three-dimensional hair segments. |
| US09317966B1 |
Determine heights/shapes of buildings from images with specific types of metadata
Embodiments combine at least two photographic images of a building as well as camera parameters associated with the images with information about the legal boundaries of a lot associated with the building in order to construct a three-dimensional model of the building. |
| US09317963B2 |
Generating scenes and tours in a spreadsheet application
Concepts and technologies are described herein for generating scenes and tours in a spreadsheet application. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer system executes a visualization component. Selection of an option to create a tour can be detected by the computer system. In response to detecting selection of the option, the computer system can create a tour. The computer system also can detect selection of an option to add a scene to the tour. The tour can be saved. Playback of the tour can be started in response to detecting selection of a play option. If the playback is paused, changes made to the tour and/or the scenes can be tracked by the computer system, and an updated version of the tour can be saved. |
| US09317962B2 |
3D space content visualization system
Methods and systems are provided for visualizing and rendering three-dimensional spaces using two-dimensional content. To create three-dimensional visualizations, the visualization system retrieves two-dimensional content data from a content source, defines at least one layer within the content data, defines at least one anchor within each layer, and defines at least one element within each layer, wherein each element represents an object at a three-dimensional boundary as viewed from at least one of the anchors. To render three-dimensional visualizations, the visualization system identifies an anchor within a layer for which to generate a scene, defines a three-dimensional boundary to capture at least one element within the scene, defines a texture of the three-dimensional boundary, wherein the texture forms a background for the scene, and renders the scene representing the view at the anchor. |
| US09317956B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing mixed reality contents for learning through story-based virtual experience
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for providing mixed reality for a virtual experience service, and more particularly, an apparatus and a method for providing mixed reality contents for learning a virtual experience based on a story that provides a service in which a user in a real world appears in a virtual world having the story to undergo a virtual experience. The method picks up the user image in the real world and synthesizes the picked-up image with a desired position of a 3D virtual world. According to the present disclosure, a realistic experience based learning can be provided while a spatial limit is overcome. |
| US09317950B2 |
Systems and methods for surface covering preparation
A surface covering layout system includes a processing circuit configured to receive image data regarding one or more images associated with a surface to be covered with a surface covering, and generate a surface covering layout based on the image data, the surface covering layout providing an indication of a pattern of a plurality of covering members included in the surface covering. |
| US09317949B2 |
String arrangement device
A string arrangement device includes: a character string arrangement data acquisition unit for acquiring character string arrangement data for arranging a character string along a road; a control point sequence creation unit for creating a control point sequence from a road node sequence included in the character string arrangement data acquired by the character string arrangement data acquisition unit; a curve approximation unit for creating a node sequence obtained by approximating with a straight line a curve from the control point sequence created by the control point sequence creation unit; a curve approximation node sequence storage unit for storing the node sequence created by the curve approximation unit as a curve approximation node sequence; and a character string arrangement processing unit for performing arrangement processing of the character string based on the curve approximation node sequence stored in the curve approximation node sequence storage unit. |
| US09317943B2 |
Interactive intersection areas
A system that generates interactive intersection areas receives a graphic diagram that includes a plurality of intersecting shapes and intersection areas. The system then creates or receives a definition for each of the shapes and determines a number of possible intersection areas for the diagram. The system defines a clipping path for each possible intersection area and defines a mask for each possible intersection area. The system then draws each intersection area using the defined clipping paths and masks. |
| US09317937B2 |
Recognition of user drawn graphical objects based on detected regions within a coordinate-plane
A system, method, and apparatus for managing the drawing of graphical objects are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a touchscreen interface configured to receive at least one gesture from a user on a touchscreen of a client device. The apparatus also includes a coordinate detector configured to determine a coordinate-plane for the at least one gesture and determine coordinates of points along the at least one gesture. The apparatus further includes an object detector configured to determine a graphical object based on the coordinates of points corresponding to the at least one gesture and an object manager configured to cause the graphical object to be displayed by the client device. The graphical object includes a formalized editable version of the at least one gesture in a format native to an application selected to receive the graphical object. |
| US09317935B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting handwritten message including time information
A method for transmitting and receiving a handwritten message having time information includes generating one or more codes using handwritten message information which is sequentially input by a user, converting the handwritten message information and the one or more codes into one image and transmitting the converted image, confirming whether a received image includes the one or more codes, and if the received image includes the one or more codes, sequentially reproducing the contents of the handwritten message according to an input order of the contents of the handwritten message by analyzing the one or more codes. |
| US09317934B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating motion
Provided are a motion estimation method and a motion estimation apparatus. The motion estimation apparatus includes a first register storing information on whether to detect first detection positions, a second register storing information on distances and number information of valid distance information, a controller receiving a command, a shifter, in response to the shift-enable signal, shifting and outputting reference data in a detection region of a reference frame and outputting the received reference data as it is, a selector, in response to the selection signal, selecting and outputting a part of output data of the shifter or outputting the whole output data, a process element (PE) array receiving current data of a current frame, and a comparator generating operation results for respective block sizes using operation results of the plurality of the PEGs. |
| US09317926B2 |
Automatic spinal canal segmentation using cascaded random walks
A method and apparatus for automatic spinal canal segmentation in medical image data, such as computed tomography (CT) image data, is disclosed. An initial set of spinal canal voxels is detected in the 3D medical image using a trained classifier. A spinal canal topology defined by a current set of spinal canal voxels is refined based on an estimated medial line of the spinal canal. Seed points are sampled based on the refined spinal canal topology. An updated set of spinal canal voxels is detected in the 3D medical image using random walks segmentation based on the sampled seed points. The spinal canal topology refinement, seed points sampling, and random walks segmentation are repeated in order to provide cascaded random walks segmentation to generate a final spinal canal segmentation result. |
| US09317925B2 |
Depth map generation method, related system and computer program product
A depth map is generated from at least a first and a second image. A plurality of reference pixels in the first image are selected and associated with respective pixels in the second image. A disparity between each reference pixel and the respective pixel in said second image is determined, and a depth value is determined as a function of the respective disparity. The plurality of reference pixels is selected based on detected contours in the first image. |
| US09317920B2 |
System and methods for identification of implanted medical devices and/or detection of retained surgical foreign objects from medical images
A computer-based system and method(s) are described which detects and identifies implanted medical devices (“IMDs”) and/or retained surgical foreign objects (“RSFOs”) from diagnostic medical images. In some embodiments, the system provides further identification—information on the particular IMD and/or RSFO that has been recognized. For example, the system could be configured to provide information feedback regarding the IMD, such as detailed manual information, safety alerts, recalls, assess its' structural integrity, and/or suggested courses of action in a specific clinical setting/troubleshooting. Embodiments are contemplated in which the system is configured to report possible 3D locations of RSFOs in the surgical field/images. |
| US09317919B2 |
Identifying individual sub-regions of the cardiovascular system for calcium scoring
A method includes identifying a plurality of different anatomical sub-regions of the cardiovascular system of a subject in image data of the subject based on a subject specific cardiovascular anatomical model, wherein the plurality of different regions corresponds to regions where calcifications occur, searching for and identifying calcifications in the sub-regions based on voxel grey value intensity values of the image data, and generating a signal indicative of one or more regions of voxels of the image data respectively corresponding to sub-regions including identified calcifications. A computing system (118) includes a processor that automatically determines a plurality of different groups of voxels of image data of a subject, wherein each group of voxels corresponds to a different sub-region of the cardiovascular system of the subject and each group of voxels corresponds to a region that includes a calcification identified in the image data. |
| US09317918B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for medical diagnostic imaging assistance
An apparatus for medical diagnostic imaging assistance includes memory that stores first feature information representing the feature of a lesion mask or non-lesion mask, a sampling unit that acquires a plurality of samples by making sampling form the memory based on the first feature information, a machine-learning unit that generates a first discrimination condition corresponding to each of samples by carrying out a machine-learning step on the multiple samples, and a statistical processing unit that generates a second discrimination condition by carrying out a statistical processing step under the first discrimination condition, in which a detection function determines whether a lesion candidate mask is an actual lesion by referring to second feature information representing the feature of a lesion candidate mask under a second discrimination condition. |
| US09317914B2 |
Image inspecting device, image forming system, and computer program product
An image inspecting device includes: an image inspection unit that inspects a read image obtained by reading an image formed by an image formation output, based on threshold information including one or more types of thresholds and a difference image indicating a difference between the read image and a reference image generated based on print data of the image formation output, and specifies a defect portion; and a screen information generation unit that generates and outputs threshold adjustment screen information including a threshold image indicating each value of the thresholds and an inspection result image indicating an inspection result of the defect portion, and threshold adjustment result screen information including a threshold image and a reinspection result image using adjusted threshold information; and a threshold information changing unit that changes the threshold information to the adjusted threshold information based on a threshold information change input. |
| US09317908B2 |
Automatic gain control filter in a video analysis system
Techniques are disclosed for analyzing a scene depicted in an input stream of video frames captured by a video camera. Bounding boxes are determined for a set foreground patches identified in a video frame. For each bounding box, the techniques include determining textures for first areas, each including a foreground pixel and surrounding pixels, and determining textures for second areas including pixels of the background model image corresponding to the pixels of the foreground areas. Further, for each foreground pixel in the bounding box area, a correlation score is determined based on the texture of the corresponding first area and second area. Pixels whose correlation scores exceed a threshold are removed from the foreground patch. The size of the bounding box may also be reduced to fit the modified foreground patch. |
| US09317899B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method, and computer program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display part to display video content on a screen, a rotation angle detection part to detect a rotation angle of the screen, a display formation determination part to determine a display formation of video content at any rotation angle of the screen or during transition of the rotation, and an image processing part to perform an image processing in accordance with the display formation determined by the display formation determination part such that the video content is conformed to the screen which is tilted by the rotation angle detected by the rotation angle detection part. |
| US09317898B2 |
Method and apparatus for computing image pyramids and related computer program product
An embodiment of a method for computing pyramids of input images (I) in a transformed domain, e.g., for search and retrieval purposes, includes:—arranging input images in blocks to produce input image blocks,—subjecting the input image blocks to block processing including: transform into a transformed domain, subjecting the image blocks transformed into a transformed domain to filtering, subjecting the image blocks transformed into a transformed domain and filtered to inverse transform implementing an inverse transform with respect to the previous transform into a transformed domain, thus producing a set of processed blocks. The set of processed blocks, which is recomposeable to an image pyramid, may be used, e.g., in detecting extrema points in images in the pyramid, extracting a patch of given size around the extrema points detected, and processing the patch to obtain local descriptors such as SIFT descriptors of a feature. |
| US09317896B2 |
Image interpolation method and apparatus
An image interpolation method and apparatus are provided. The image interpolation method includes: selecting different interpolation filters according to locations of sub pixels between integer pixels; and generating sub pixel values at the locations of the sub pixels using the selected interpolation filters. |
| US09317887B2 |
Similarity calculating method and apparatus
A similarity calculating method and apparatus are disclosed. A similarity calculating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes extracting similarity calculating data, which is determined in advance, by receiving a communication activity record for every user; modeling a communication activity pattern for every user and common information between the users based on the extracted similarity calculating data; and calculating a similarity between users using the modeled communication activity pattern for every user and common information. The modeling includes: modeling the communication activity pattern by calculating a value of a static feature from the similarity calculating data, and modeling the common information by calculating a value of a dynamic feature from the similarity calculating data. |
| US09317885B2 |
Facilitation of payments between counterparties by a central counterparty
A system for moving money between accounts of traders by a central counterparty to facilitate payments, i.e. the movement of funds, there between is disclosed which provides a flexible mechanism which supports simpler accounting, new types of derivatives contracts as well new types fees. The disclosed futures contract, referred to as a “payer” contract, comprises a “no-uncertainty” futures contract, i.e. the initial value and settlement value parameters are defined, that leverages the mechanisms of the clearing system to, for example, accommodate related payments. Accordingly, a 1-to-many relationship between contracts and prices is provided whereby each price component may be assigned its own payer contract. The function of the payer contract may be to guarantee the movement of money from related positions. In one embodiment, payer contracts are dynamically created whenever a payment is needed. |
| US09317883B2 |
Method and system for venture capital raising for startup via award and reality TV show
Provided are computer implemented methods and systems for venture capital raising for startup via award and reality TV show. An exemplary method comprises receiving information associated with startup projects. The information is provided to audience for online fund raising via an online resource. The information includes a target amount for online fund raising. One or more contributions associated with the startup projects are received from the audience. Based on the contributions, eligible startup projects are determined. The eligible startup projects are advertised on a television show on a country level. Assessment of the eligible startup projects is received from venture capitalists and private investors. Based on the assessment, country winning startup projects are selected. The country winning startup projects are advertised and assessed on an international television show on an international level. Based on international assessment, a world winning startup project is selected and awarded a prize amount. |
| US09317878B2 |
User interface for accessing an applet in a browser on a mobile device
Information about a product advertised on a web page is presented separately, but concurrently, with the content of the web page, to avoid having to navigate away from the web page. The information may be automatically presented in a banner that is displayed adjacent the content of the web page. Controls on the banner initiate the display of further information, and/or enable purchase of the product, while maintaining the web page content in view on the browser. Alternatively, the display of the product information may be triggered by user selection of a link associated with that product. The information about the product may appear in an overlay sheet displayed in front of the original web page. The user can interact with controls on the sheet to initiate purchase or download of the product, or can dismiss the overlay sheet to continue viewing the content of the web page. |
| US09317876B2 |
Automatically adding gratuity to amount charged in electronic transaction
A method includes receiving a payment object for payment of a certain amount owed by a first party to a second party. The payment object carries sufficient account information for the payment from an account associated with the payment object. The second party communicates the account information from the payment object and an identification of the second party for receipt by a third party; and receives in return data that is indicative of a gratuity to be charged against the account. The second party prints a document that includes the certain amount owed and the gratuity, as indicated by the data received by the second party, and presents the document for signature by the first party. The printed document preferably includes the total of the amount owed and the gratuity. The payment object may be a credit card, charge card, debit card, rebate card, or stored-value card. |
| US09317875B2 |
Methods and systems for identifying similar schools
Method, apparatus, and a computer-readable storage device for determining similarities. A plurality of sets having social network service members as entities is constructed by associating each of the social network service members with each of a predetermined selection of professional outcomes by school of graduation of the member. One of the plurality of sets is selected. A similarity algorithm calculates the similarity score of at least some of the plurality of sets in the plurality of sets to the selected one of the plurality of sets, and presents for rendering the k sets in the plurality of sets with the highest similarity scores. The similarity algorithm used may be a cosine similarity algorithm using the sets as vectors. |
| US09317874B2 |
Modified queue list generation
A queuing method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computer processor of a stationary computing system or a computing device, queue data placing an individual onto an initial queue list for receiving a service and ID data identifying the individual. The computer processor presents a status of the individual with respect to the queue list. The computer processor receives a request associated with the service and in response presents options for the individual. The computer processor receives a selection for an option and generates a modified queue list. |
| US09317868B2 |
Advertisements in view
A technique is provided to determine whether a region within a web page is viewable to a user through a browser window. Often, browsers will only show part of a web page at given time, creating a difficulty in establishing whether a region of the web page, which may be an advertisement for example, is in view. This is addressed by providing one or more test features within the region, rendering the web page, monitoring a behavioral characteristic of the test features and determining whether the region is in view based on the monitored behavioral characteristic, wherein the behavioral characteristic varies according to whether the test feature is currently being displayed. One example of a behavioral characteristic is a frame progression rate. Browsers will typically redraw elements of a web page at a higher rate if they are currently in view through the browser window, and this characteristic can therefore be used to determine whether the test feature, and thus the region, is in view. The present invention finds particular utility where the region contains an advertisement, as it allows an advertiser to discover whether the advertisement has been seen by users. |
| US09317867B2 |
System and method for situational location relevant invocable speed reference
Situational location dependent information is transmitted from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system. A candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of the receiving data processing system is recognized and a situational location of the remote data processing system is determined. The candidate delivery event may be a location and/or direction change, device state change, or movement exceeding a movement tolerance. A set of delivery content from a deliverable content database is transmitted from the server data processing system to the receiving data processing system according to the situational location of the receiving data processing system, and according to delivery constraints. |
| US09317866B2 |
Transaction apparatus, systems and methods
Aspects and embodiments of the present invention relate to alternative kinds of transactions, which do not involve payment using only cash or a token device such as a smart card or chip and PIN card. In some embodiments, transactions involve a customer providing token-less transaction authentication information using customer interface means (150) that is adapted to receive, from a customer, in a first mode of operation, PIN or other token device authentication information, for use in a token device transaction, and token-less transaction authentication information, when operating in another mode of operation. In some embodiments, the customer interface means may be a specially-adapted chip and PIN card reader apparatus. Accordingly, such a customer input means facilitates manual input by a customer of voucher, coupon, accrued loyalty points, Air Miles, ticket or pass authentication information, without the need for a retailer to install new equipment or IT infrastructure. |
| US09317865B2 |
Research data gathering with a portable monitor and a stationary device
Methods and apparatus for research data gathering with a portable monitor and a stationary device are described. An example method includes gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to media output by a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises collecting a first code encoded in the media, gathering second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver with a portable monitor carried on the person of a user, wherein the second data comprises a second code encoded in the media, gathering, via the portable monitor, location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system, the location data providing information on a physical location of the portable monitor, and producing the audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the receiver from the first data, the second data, and the location data. |
| US09317861B2 |
View-independent annotation of commercial data
A first view of commercial data is presented to a first user. A data selection criterion is received from the user. A first data set is identified based on the selection criterion. Annotation content is received from the user. The annotation content and the first view of the commercial data is associated with the first data set. A query is received for a second view from a second user, in which the second view includes at least a portion of the first data set. The second view is presented to the second user, together with the annotations associated with the portion of the first data set included in the second view. |
| US09317859B2 |
System and method for recommending keyword based on indirect selection
A system to recommend a keyword includes a verifying unit to determine whether a keyword is a direct click keyword by referring to a click log and to determine whether the keyword is an indirect click keyword by referring to a third universal resource locator (URL) selected using the direct click keyword, wherein the direct click keyword is a keyword used to select a first URL on a computing device and the indirect click keyword is a keyword used to select a second URL on the computing device; and a keyword recommending unit to recommend the determined indirect click keyword. A method for recommending a keyword includes determining whether a keyword is a direct click keyword by referring to a click log; determining whether the keyword is an indirect click keyword by referring to a third URL selected using the direct click keyword; and recommending the determined indirect click keyword. |
| US09317857B1 |
Optimizing provision of engagement enhancing content to users
A system and machine-implemented method for providing engagement enhancing content to a user with minimal interference with activities performed by the user at a website including receiving an indication of an event at a website, wherein the event represents the user actively interacting with the content at the website, suspending the provision of one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving the indication of the event, wherein the engagement enhancing content is configured to encourage user interaction with the website, receiving an indication of a second event at the website, wherein the second event corresponds to the user no longer actively interacting with content at the website and resuming provision of the one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving an indication of the second event. |
| US09317855B2 |
Systems and methods to provide voice connections via local telephone numbers
Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server. |
| US09317852B2 |
Method and system for recommending content items
A method for recommending content items of a content item data base to a user, including: broadcasting user group characteristics, wherein a respective user group characteristic is descriptive of a respective user group; receiving at a user's location the user group characteristics; assigning at the user's location the user to at least one of the user groups, providing user group preference data, the user group preference data being descriptive of a relation between the user groups and the content items; and recommending content items according to the user group preference data. |
| US09317847B2 |
E-card transaction authorization based on geographic location
Transactions using a bank customer's electronic debit or credit card (“e-card”) are authorized based on geographic location. For example, a transaction may be denied if it is determined that no legitimate Point of Sale (POS) terminals are in the area of the e-card. |
| US09317841B2 |
Method and system for facilitating online payments based on an established payment agreement
A method and system for facilitating online payments are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a payment agreement is established at a payment service provider that defines terms of a payment relationship between a merchant and a user. The establishing of the payment agreement includes linking the payment agreement with a payment account of the merchant or user stored at the payment service provider. After establishing the payment agreement, a payment request associated with a transaction is received, whereby the payment request includes a unique identifier to identify the payment agreement stored at the payment service provider. Based on a verification that the payment request complies with terms of the payment agreement, the payment request is processed. |
| US09317836B2 |
Monitoring responses to changes to business process assets
A method, system, and/or computer program product monitors a response to a notification of a change to a business process. Criteria for delivery of a notification of a change to a business process are configured. In response to the criteria being met, the notification of the change to the business process is transmitted to a receiving device. The receiving device is monitored for a response to the notification of the change to the business process. In response to detecting no response to the notification of the change to the business process from the receiving device within a predefined amount of time, a corrective instruction is issued to a monitoring device. |
| US09317833B2 |
Method and apparatus for role grouping by shared resource utilization
Role search apparatus for grouping nodes according to relationships with other nodes, the apparatus including: an input for receiving an arrangement of nodes, the arrangement including at least two partitions of the nodes and with predetermined relationships between nodes across the partitions, and a pattern recognition unit associated with the input, for using pattern recognition on the nodes and the relationships to find relationship patterns amongst the nodes, thereby to form at least one group from nodes of a first of the partitions, wherein the nodes being formed into the group share relationships with same ones of a predetermined number of nodes in a second partition. |
| US09317832B2 |
System and methods for providing user services at remote locations
A delivery service system includes a cabinet having a plurality of controlled-access storage cells, located in a plurality of zones, a user interface, a user evaluation device, and a processor. The system receives a user request to accept an item for delivery, detects user physical characteristics, and provides user access to a storage cell in a selected zone, the zone being selected based on the detected user physical characteristics. |
| US09317830B2 |
Methods and apparatus for analyzing locate and marking operations
Methods and apparatus to evaluate a quality of a locate and/or marking operation performed at a work site of proposed excavation in response to a locate request ticket. A display device displays a first portion of a graphical user interface based on first information from the locate request ticket, and further displays a second portion of the graphical user interface based on second information relating to the locate and/or marking operation as performed at the work site by a field technician. One or more indications of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation are generated based on a comparison of at least some of the first information and at least some of the second information, and an electronic record of the quality assessment is stored and/or transmitted based on the indication(s). |
| US09317827B2 |
Farm work management system, farm work management apparatus, and farming management method
A farm work management system includes a communication apparatus for transmitting location information of a worker carrying out a farm work and a farm work management apparatus for managing a progress of the farm work based on the location information transmitted from the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a notifying unit for notifying the farm work management apparatus to the effect that the farm work is started or the farm work is finished in a case where an operation unit receives the predetermined operation. The farm work management apparatus includes a work location identifying unit for identifying the work location based on the location information transmitted from the communication apparatus, a calculating unit for calculating an estimated work time from read information, and a transmitting unit for transmitting to the communication apparatus the information about the read work content and the estimated work time having been calculated. |
| US09317824B2 |
Vendor management system and process
Disclosed is a novel vendor management system and method that enables one or more parties to assign various types of files to one or more other parties for review and processing. Multiple business clients are able to refer a variety of files to a select group of vendors having expertise in a particular business or process. Further, the present invention provides a robust and flexible platform to support diverse referrals and workflow needs as well as access to referred files by the vendor, client, and adverse party. |
| US09317815B2 |
Health and fitness management system
A health and fitness management system is provided that has a health and fitness application operating, e.g., on a smart phone, that can wirelessly communicate with an activity module worn on the user which has a motion sensor, e.g., an accelerometer. The application accepts food and weight inputs (e.g., from the smart phone) and user activity units (e.g., from the activity unit) and develops a user intrinsic metabolism. The application includes fitness arc and health quotient graphical indicators that guide the user on health and fitness activities. |
| US09317811B2 |
Diamond material
Single crystal diamond having a high chemical purity i.e. a low nitrogen content and a high isotopic purity i.e. a low 13C content, methods for producing the same and a solid state system comprising such single crystal diamond are described. |
| US09317810B2 |
Intelligence analysis
A particular method includes receiving a data element at a processor of a computing device and determining whether the received data element is related to a known data set corresponding to one or more known data elements stored in a memory accessible to the processor. The method further includes, when the received data element is related to a particular known data set, forming an aggregate data set by combining the received data element with the particular known data set. The method also includes evaluating one or more analysis templates based on the aggregate data set. Each analysis template corresponds to a different hypothesis. Evaluating the one or more analysis templates results in a determination regarding a probability that a particular hypothesis is true based on the aggregate data set. |
| US09317798B2 |
Inverted F antenna system and RFID device having same
An RFID device according to one embodiment includes an active portion of a first inverted F antenna; a feed electrically coupled to the active portion; an active portion of a second inverted F antenna, a feed electrically coupled to the second active portion; a ground plane spaced from the active portions; and an RFID controller coupled to the feeds. An RFID device according to another embodiment includes an inverted F antenna having an active portion, a ground plane spaced from the active portion, and a feed coupled to the active portion, wherein the active portion includes multiple aims, a first of the arms having a first length and a second of the arms having a second length; and an RFID controller coupled to the feed. |
| US09317797B2 |
Chip card with a display
Chip card processor P and display controller C of chip card 1 with a display are realized in single chip 5 and the chip 5 is disposed on same substrate 4 on which display 2 is built up. This eliminates the need for connecting leads and contactings between the display controller and the processor chip. Display 2 and chip 5 form one mechanical unit and it is unnecessary to install processor chip P. Preferably, display substrate 4 extends with processor chip P, or at least with conductive paths leading to processor chip P, under contact pad 3 of chip card 1. |
| US09317795B2 |
Array of RFID tags with sensing capability
An RFID sensing system and method. An array of sensing elements is disposed on a surface of a mat, wherein each sensing element includes an RFID microchip, an antenna operatively coupled to the microchip, and a pressure-sensitive material disposed on at least the antenna. An RFID reader is provided for interrogating the array of sensing elements. An antenna operatively coupled to the reader communicates with each sensing element disposed on the mat. Each sensing element in the array, in response to an interrogation signal, transmits a signal to the reader via the coupled antenna when a subject placed on the mat compresses the section of pressure-sensitive material for the sensing element. |
| US09317786B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for breast density classification using fisher discrimination
A method for content-based image retrieval for the classification of breast density from mammographic imagery is described. The breast density is characterized through the Fisher linear discriminants (FLD) extracted from the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Unlike PCA, the FLD provides a very discriminative representation of the mammographic images in terms of the breast density. Various exemplary methods, systems and computer program products are also disclosed. |
| US09317779B2 |
Training an image processing neural network without human selection of features
A method for training an image processing neural network without human selection of features may include providing a training set of images labeled with two or more classifications, providing an image processing toolbox with image transforms that can be applied to the training set, generating a random set of feature extraction pipelines, where each feature extraction pipeline includes a sequence of image transforms randomly selected from the image processing toolbox and randomly selected control parameters associated with the sequence of image transforms. The method may also include coupling a first stage classifier to an output of each feature extraction pipeline and executing a genetic algorithm to conduct genetic modification of each feature extraction pipeline and train each first stage classifier on the training set, and coupling a second stage classifier to each of the first stage classifiers in order to increase classification accuracy. |
| US09317777B2 |
Analyzing font similarity for presentation
A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The system also includes a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations that include receiving data representing features of a first font and data representing features of a second font. The first font and the second font are capable of representing one or more glyphs. Operations also include receiving survey-based data representing the similarity between the first and second fonts, and, training a machine learning system using the features of the first font, the features of the second font and the survey-based data that represents the similarity between the first and second fonts. |
| US09317776B1 |
Robust static and moving object detection system via attentional mechanisms
Described, is a system for object detection via multi-scale attentional mechanisms. The system receives a multi-band image as input. Anti-aliasing and downsampling processes are performed to reduce the size of the multi-band image. Targeted contrast enhancement is performed on the multi-band image to enhance a target color of interest. A response map for each target color of interest is generated, and each response map is independently processed to generate a saliency map. The saliency map is converted into a set of detections representing potential objects of interest, wherein each detection is associated with parameters, such as position parameters, size parameters, an orientation parameter, and a score parameter. A post-processing step is applied to filter out false alarm detections in the set of detections, resulting in a final set of detections. Finally, the final set of detections and their associated parameters representing objects of interest is output. |
| US09317775B2 |
Recognition procedure for identifying multiple items in images
The disclosure includes a system and method for identifying multiple items in an image. A image recognition application receives a query image of items, computes features of the query image, for each feature finds an indexed image with closest matched features in a database, determines that the shape of the matched features is geometrically consistent, determines whether the query image matches the indexed image, responsive to the query image matching the indexed image, returns inliers, determines a region of interest where the match was found in the query image, removes inliers from the set of features to reduce the set of features and returns all matches found when the query image fails to match the indexed image. |
| US09317771B2 |
Device and method to detect an object and controlling a device to pick up the detected object
In an object detecting method according to an embodiment, external reference points are set in external space of a model of an object and an internal reference point is set in internal space of the model. A table is stored in which feature quantities on a local surface of the model are associated with positions of the external reference points and the internal reference point. The feature quantity on the local surface of the model is calculated, and the position of the reference point whose feature quantity is identical to the calculated feature quantity is acquired from the table and is converted into a position in a real space. When the converted position is outside the object, the position is excluded from information for estimation and the position and the attitude of the object are estimated. |
| US09317769B2 |
Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object. |
| US09317766B2 |
Method and device for extracting distorted straight line from image
A method and a device for extracting a distorted straight line from an image. The method includes performing a line segment detection process on the image; for each line segment detected, finding adjacent line segments having a low non-collinear degree with a current line segment, so as to combine them together to obtain one or more line segment combinations; and extracting the distorted straight line according to the line segment combination. |
| US09317765B2 |
Human image tracking system, and human image detection and human image tracking methods thereof
A human image detection and tracking systems and methods are disclosed. A human image detection method comprises receiving a depth image data from a depth image sensor by an image processing unit, removing a background image of the depth image sensor and outputting a foreground image by the image processing unit, receiving the foreground image and operating a graph-based segment on the foreground image to obtain a plurality of graph blocks by a human image detection unit, determining whether a potential human region exists in the graph blocks, determining whether the potential human region is a potential human head region, determining whether the potential human head region is a real human head region, and regarding the position of the real human head region is the human image position by the human image detection unit if the potential human head region is the real human head region. |
| US09317758B2 |
Vehicle imaging system and method for distinguishing reflective objects from lights of another vehicle
An imaging system is provided for a vehicle. The system includes an imager for imaging a forward external scene and generating image data corresponding to the acquired images; and a processor for receiving and analyzing the image data to detect a light source. When a light source is detected, the processor generates a control signal to control exterior lights of the vehicle to temporarily modulate an illumination pattern projected from the exterior lights to have a particular modulation pattern. After generating the control signal, the processor analyzes the image data subsequently received to detect whether the light source has the modulation pattern of the exterior lights. If the light source does have the modulation pattern, the processor determines that the light source is a reflective object and not a light of another vehicle. Otherwise, the processor determines that the light source may be a light of another vehicle. |
| US09317757B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting a rear vehicle light
A state of a rear vehicle light is detected. A camera system integrated in a vehicle generates an image of an environment in front of the vehicle. An evaluation unit connected to the camera system detects at least one vehicle contained in the image, defines an image range associated with said vehicle, and divides the image range into sub-ranges comprising at least a left sub-range and a right sub range. A segmentation of the sub-ranges into image segments is performed by way of the evaluation unit on the basis of brightness values of points contained in said sub-ranges. At least one brightest image segment is extracted from each of said sub-ranges, and the extracted image segments are checked for whether they can be associated with a particular vehicle light in an ON state. |
| US09317756B2 |
Lane boundary marking line detection device and electronic control device
A lane boundary marking line detection device includes an imaging device, a lane boundary detection unit, a lane boundary marking line search unit. The lane boundary detection unit detects first and second lane boundaries based on image information in an imaging area. The lane boundary marking line search unit searches for a lane boundary marking line on a road surface on a second lane boundary's side based on a position of the first lane boundary, sets search lines on the road surface on the second lane boundary's side based on shape information on the first lane boundary, and acquires search line brightness information based on the image information. When not determining that there is the search line that is most probable as the lane boundary marking line, the lane boundary marking line search unit does not select any of the search lines as the lane boundary marking line candidate line. |
| US09317755B2 |
Travel lane boundary line detection apparatus
A travel lane boundary line detection apparatus includes: a determination unit configured to distinguish and determine a composite line region and a non-composite line region from a travel road surface image of a road surface; a calculation unit configured to calculate a candidate point of a central point of the composite line in a travel lane width direction; an extraction unit configured to detect a travel lane boundary line segment of the travel lane boundary line in the non-composite line region, and to extract a travel lane boundary point from the travel lane boundary line segment; an integration unit configured to create an integrated travel lane boundary point group based on the candidate point and on the travel lane boundary point; and an estimation unit configured to estimate a travel lane boundary line parameter representing the travel lane boundary line based on the integrated travel lane boundary point group. |
| US09317753B2 |
Method of searching data to identify images of an object captured by a camera system
A camera system comprises an image capturing device, object detection module, object tracking module, and match classifier. The object detection module receives image data and detects objects appearing in one or more of the images. The object tracking module temporally associates instances of a first object detected in a first group of the images. The first object has a first signature representing features of the first object. The match classifier matches object instances by analyzing data derived from the first signature of the first object and a second signature of a second object detected in a second image. The second signature represents features of the second object derived from the second image. The match classifier determine whether the second signature matches the first signature. A training process automatically configures the match classifier using a set of possible object features. |
| US09317752B2 |
Method for detecting large size and passenger vehicles from fixed cameras
A method for detecting parking occupancy includes receiving video data from a sequence of frames taken from an associated image capture device monitoring a parking area. The method includes determining at least one candidate region in the parking area. The method includes comparing a size of the candidate region to a size threshold. In response to size of the candidate region meeting and exceeding the size threshold, the method includes determining whether the candidate region includes one of at least one object and no objects. The method includes classifying at least one object in the candidate region as belonging to one of at least two vehicle-types. The method further includes providing vehicle occupancy information to a user. |
| US09317748B2 |
Tracking apparatus
A tracking apparatus includes a grouping setting unit, a tracking feature detection unit, a tracking unit. The grouping setting unit groups a plurality of focus detection areas with an in-focus state. The tracking feature detection unit detects a feature amount of the tracking target in areas of the groups grouped. The tracking unit tracks the tracking target in accordance with a first or second tracking position depending on the number of the set groups. |
| US09317741B2 |
Three-dimensional object modeling fitting and tracking
Described herein is a method and system for marker-less three-dimensional modelling, fitting and tracking of a skeletal representation of an object in a three-dimensional point cloud. In particular, it concerns the tracking of a human user skeletal representation with respect to time. The method comprises inputting a three-dimensional point cloud derived from a depth map; predetermining a set of control points representing the skeleton of the user, determining a start-up skeleton pose, obtaining an orthographic representation of the user 3D point cloud projected onto a grid by sampling the 3D point cloud with a predetermined static size, determining a set of curvature centers points approximating central axes of main parts of the user, determining the torso plane, and refining and/or defining the principal direction of the body. The method comprises then the step of performing iterative local and global fittings of the set of control points onto the user 3D point cloud and the associated data such as the curvature center points, using topological and geometric constraints so that to track skeleton posture along the time. Stabilizing the skeleton pose; resolving ambiguities; and providing a suitable output are then the last steps of a preferred embodiment of the invention. |
| US09317736B1 |
Individual record verification based on features
Embodiments of methods, systems, and storage medium associated with providing user records associated with characteristics that may be used to identify the user are disclosed herein. In one instance, the method may include obtaining features of an individual, determining identifying characteristics associated with the obtained features, and initiating a search for a record associated with the individual based in part on the identifying characteristics associated with the obtained features, and, based on a result of the search, a verification of the record associated with the individual. The method may further include receiving at least a portion of the record associated with the individual, based at least in part on a result of the verification. The verification may be based in part on a ranking associated with the record. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09317731B2 |
Processing visible coding sequence, playing visible coding sequence
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to data processing, and further the embodiments of the invention relate to a method of processing a visible coding sequence and a system thereof, a method of playing a visible coding sequence and a system thereof. The present invention creatively proposes a scheme of determining sampling rate with synchronized frames to realize effective processing of a visible coding sequence. The scheme of processing a visible coding sequence according to the invention is helpful for visible coding synchronization on the capturing side, enabling the capturing side to determine appropriate sampling rate and sampling timing, and thus effectively acquire the visible coding sequence, which may not only reduce resource waste, but also acquire a complete visible coding sequence. |
| US09317728B2 |
Methods and systems for GPS-enabled baggage tags
An electronic baggage tag is self-reliant and self-regulating and provides the underlying foundation for a baggage tracking and management system, the center of which operates one or more tag service provider servers. The tag is attached to a baggage and is loaded with various data, including passenger itinerary, GPS data, and journey profile data. The tag has sensors, such for detecting different vibrations, electro-magnetic sensor, GPS, and others. As the baggage to which the tag is attached goes on its journey, the sensors detect stimuli and ascertain where in the journey the baggage is and use itinerary and other data to determine where the baggage should be. The tag service provider server communicates with the tag at various stages in the journey, providing up-to-date itinerary data to the tag. The tag automatically shuts off to be compliant with government regulations for devices in flight. |
| US09317727B2 |
Methods and systems for GPS-enabled baggage tags
An electronic baggage tag is self-reliant and self-regulating and provides the underlying foundation for a baggage tracking and management system, the center of which operates one or more tag service provider servers. The tag is attached to a baggage and is loaded with various data, including passenger itinerary, GPS data, and journey profile data. The tag has sensors, such for detecting different vibrations, electro-magnetic sensor, GPS, and others. As the baggage to which the tag is attached goes on its journey, the sensors detect stimuli and ascertain where in the journey the baggage is and use itinerary and other data to determine where the baggage should be. The tag service provider server communicates with the tag at various stages in the journey, providing up-to-date itinerary data to the tag. The tag automatically shuts off to be compliant with government regulations for devices in flight. |
| US09317726B2 |
Radio frequency identification sensor assembly
In accordance with one embodiment, an RFID sensor assembly comprises a sensing RFID chip and a reference RFID chip. The sensing RFID chip and the reference RFID chip are configured for electrical coupling to an electronic component via a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement of the sensing RFID chip is configured to vary a coupling property in response to a sensed parameter. |
| US09317725B1 |
RFID protocol
A method of adding TTO functionality to an RTF RFID air protocol, such as ISO/IEC 18000-63 and EPC C1G2 protocol, Chinese GB/T 29768-2013. The starting wait state is changed after power-up of the RTF protocol to a TTO state where the tag automatically transmits an ID or an ID plus additional data at intervals to a reader while still waiting for possible RTF commands. A new command is added that enables the reader to obtain a handle from the tag directly from the TTO state to access the tag in an identical manner to the RTF access. The TTO functionality is as defined by the ISO/IEC 1800-64 protocol or IP-X protocol. |
| US09317724B2 |
Induction vehicle detection and identification system, induction license plate, and induction reader
An induction vehicle detection and identification system comprising electronic identification devices with electronic memory, mounted on vehicles, and a reader capable of reading and/or writing data obtained from devices in HF-band. Devices have a non-volatile memory and are integrated into the vehicle's license plate. The reader combined with a magnetic frame is in a dielectric casing, which is mounted under the roadway. It generates an alternating magnetic field, which determines the detection and identification range. Minimum time the reader requires to read discrete responses generated by electronic identification devices and to identify the vehicle is less than 25 ms. The identification devices and the reader exchange data at the rate of 1 Kbit/sec or higher, and provide data encoding and decoding, as well as data access restriction. |
| US09317722B2 |
Marking paper products
Methods of marking paper products and marked paper products are provided. Some methods include irradiating the paper product to alter the functionalization of the paper. |
| US09317715B2 |
Data protection compliant deletion of personally identifiable information
The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for modeling and deploying decision services. One computer-implemented method includes encrypting, by operation of a computer, personally-identifiable information (PII) data using a first cryptographic key, wherein the PII data is associated with non-encrypted associated data, encrypting the encrypted first cryptographic key with a second cryptographic key, determining that the occurrence of a PII data disassociation event associated with the second cryptographic key has occurred, and rendering the PII data inaccessible by disassociating the second cryptographic key from the encrypted first cryptographic key. |
| US09317712B2 |
Providing secure communication and/or sharing of personal data via a broadband gateway
A broadband gateway may manage confidential data associated with users in a home network managed and/or serviced by the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may store the user confidential data broadband gateway in a distributed manner, wherein the confidential data may be divided into a plurality of portions and stored separately in multiple storage locations or devices. When users authorize the transfer of the confidential data, all portions may be communicated to enable aggregating them such that the confidential data may be obtained. The user confidential data may be encrypted. The broadband gateway may securely communicate and/or share the user confidential user data. This may be achieved by tracking communication of the user confidential data, by using tags incorporated into the data. The broadband gateway may also ensure that communicated confidential data is rendered unusable under certain conditions, based on use for various timing tags for example. |
| US09317700B2 |
Preventing malicious observance of private information
A technique for preventing malicious observance of private information includes receiving an instruction of entering a mode of inputting private information; determining a correspondence between actual inputs and expected inputs; receiving an actual user input; and converting the actual input into an expected input as private information inputted by the user according to the correspondence. This security technique can prevent discovery of the private information of a user through observation. |
| US09317694B2 |
Directed execution of dynamic programs in isolated environments
A test object that includes at least one computer program that includes dynamic executable code is obtained. The at least one computer program is transformed into a format that is configured to execute in a hosted isolated computing environment. Directed execution of the at least one computer program is initiated, in the hosted isolated computing environment. Dynamic code vulnerabilities of the at least one computer program are detected, based on the directed execution. |
| US09317687B2 |
Identifying rootkits based on access permissions
A method for monitoring for malware includes, during a boot process on an electronic device, determining a portion of memory, determining that the portion of memory is reserved for exclusive access by an entity on the electronic device, and, based on the determination that a portion of memory is reserved for exclusive access during the boot process, determining that the reservation is indicative of malware. |
| US09317685B1 |
Method and system for access request alerts for protected information
Access request alerts for protected information is described. A request is received, from an access requestor, to access protected information. Identifying data associated with the access requestor is determined. An access request alert is sent to a computer associated with protecting the protected information, wherein the access request alert includes the identifying data and an indication whether a list of authorized users comprises the access requestor. Receiving subsequent access request alerts associated with the access requestor may be disabled while maintaining the capability to receive subsequent access request alerts associated with another access requestor. Access by the access requestor may be enabled to the protected information in response to an indication that the list of authorized users does not comprise the access requestor. A report of access requests may be generated that enable identification of persistent threats of unauthorized access to the protected information. |
| US09317677B1 |
Access control for content delivery networks
Content items are distributed to a content delivery network using identifiers that expresses relationships between the content items and at least one associated content element. When making requests to content delivery network, a requesting Web browser may thus specify the content items according to uniform resource locators that include credentials that allow the content delivery network to verify that the browser is authorized to receive the content items. These uniform resource locators may uniquely associate the content items with the associated content element and the requesting browser in a cryptographically secure manner. |
| US09317672B2 |
Online account access control by mobile device
Systems and methods for controlling access to an online account are described. An access control message including an action to be performed on an online account can be sent from a mobile device to a server. A user verification query message can be sent to the mobile device. A user verification response message can be received from the mobile device. The user verification response message can include verification information that is different from login information for the online account. The user verification response message can be verified by comparing the verification information to stored information. If the user verification response message is successfully verified, the action indicated in the access control message can be performed on the online account. |
| US09317666B2 |
License management of firmware-controllable features in computer systems
License management of firmware-controllable features in computer systems is described. In an example, a computer system includes: a plurality of hardware modules having a plurality of features capable of selective activation; firmware-based controllers distributed among the plurality of hardware modules having control points to control activation of the plurality of features; and a management module to obtain license data and communicate with the firmware-based controllers to configure the control points to activate at least one of the plurality of features as permitted by the license data. |
| US09317665B2 |
Service management apparatus, program, and service management method
A service management apparatus is provided that allows management of a shared license among devices, including a user storage unit storing a user and at least one associated terminal; a license information storage unit storing a license including a terminal to be permitted to use a predetermined service and license information for identifying a setting limitation; a setting request reception unit receiving a setting request for the license including information for identifying the terminal that has issued the setting request and the user; an associated terminal identification processing unit identifying the terminal that is associated with the user included in the request; a license identification processing unit identifying the license that each terminal to be identified is permitted to use and is settable to the terminal that has issued the request; and a license setting processing unit setting the identified license to the terminal that has issued the request. |
| US09317662B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for automated data collection
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods, devices, and computer systems thereof for automated data collection from a subject. In certain embodiments, one or more characteristics of a subject are sensed, and the subject is given a queue status indicator based on a comparison of the subject's one or more sensed characteristics with corresponding sensed characteristics from other subjects. In one embodiment, the subject is a healthcare worker and the system, methods, and devices are utilized to evaluate the overall health of the worker as part of the check-in process for work. |
| US09317659B2 |
Healthcare management
A computer system obtains data from at least one sensor monitoring for health risk conditions, wherein a list of health risk conditions are pre-defined and stored in a server. The computer system determines that a health risk condition exists within an area based on the obtained data. The computer system determines a sanitization procedure for the health risk condition. The computer system initiates sanitization operations for the area according to the determined sanitization procedure. |
| US09317658B2 |
Data management computer, sample analyzing system, and computer program
A data management computer for a sample measuring apparatus is disclosed. The computer comprises a data storage, a display section; an input device; and a controller. The data storage stores results of measurements for a sample obtained by the sample measuring apparatus, the measurements including an initial measurement for a sample and a secondary measurement which is performed on the sample following the initial measurement. The controller is programmed to cause the display section to display a first result screen which shows a result of the initial measurement for a sample, receive a predefined operation by use of the input device while displaying the first result screen, and cause the display section to display, in a response to the predefined operation, a second result screen which shows a result of the secondary measurement for the sample. |
| US09317655B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting the presence of a biological status using plot
Systems and methods for identifying Methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a sample are used that are based on the fact that an MRSA positive sample should have roughly the same copy numbers of mecA, SCCmec, and a Staphylococcus aureus-specific target gene sequence. The systems and methods may further present the three assays simultaneously on a 2-D plot with each axis of the plot 120 degrees apart. According to one embodiment, a Y plot is used for the 2-D display. If a given sample has similar readings of mecA, SCCmec, and a Staphylococcus aureus-specific target gene sequence, the sample's measured copy numbers of mecA, SCCmec, and the Staphylococcus aureus-specific target gene sequence can plot close to the origin regardless of the sample's absolute assay readings. With the help of this transformation, a boundary function can be defined that can be used to distinguish MRSA-positive samples from MRSA-negative samples. |
| US09317646B2 |
Masks formed based on integrated circuit layout design having cell that includes extended active region
A set of masks corresponds to an integrated circuit layout. The integrated circuit layout includes a first cell having a first transistor region and a second transistor region, and a second cell having a third transistor region and a fourth transistor region. The first cell and the second cell adjoin each other at side cell boundaries thereof, the first transistor region and the third transistor region are formed in a first continuous active region, and the second transistor region and the fourth transistor region are formed in a second continuous active region. The set of masks is formed based on the integrated circuit layout. |
| US09317644B2 |
Generating capacitance look-up tables for wiring patterns in the presence of metal fills
A computer system selects a signal conductor from an electronic circuit design layout and assigns a first potential to the selected signal conductor. Next, the computer system assigns a second potential to other signal conductors included in the electronic circuit design layout. The computer system then selects a metal fill from the electronic circuit design layout, which is void from carrying an electrical signal, and generates a zero charge equation for the selected metal fill. The zero charge equation establishes that a total charge residing on the selected metal fill is equal to zero. The computer system includes the zero charge equation in a system of equations, which includes grid point potential equations, and solves the system of equations. In turn, the computer system computes capacitance values for the signal conductors based upon the system of equation solutions, and simulates the electronic circuit design layout using the computed capacitance values. |
| US09317643B2 |
Technology for temperature sensitive components in thermal processing
A method for printed circuit board design of temperature sensitive components includes a scrub tool receiving a list of part numbers for electronic components of a printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”). The scrub tool sends one or more queries for finding temperature and time limits of the electronic components to a database. A mapping tool receives a selection of one or more part numbers responsive to the one or more queries, wherein the selection is responsive to the temperature and time limits. The mapping tool sends a data structure to a physical design tool which is configured with physical design data for generating a graphic representation of the PCBA. The data structure from the mapping tool provides the received selection of one or more part numbers and configures the physical design tool to highlight components having part numbers of the selection on the PCBA graphic representation. |
| US09317637B2 |
Distributed hardware device simulation
Distributed hardware device simulation, including: identifying a plurality of hardware components of the hardware device; providing software components simulating the functionality of each hardware component, wherein the software components are installed on compute nodes of a distributed processing system; receiving, in at least one of the software components, one or more messages representing an input to the hardware component; simulating the operation of the hardware component with the software component, thereby generating an output of the software component representing the output of the hardware component; and sending, from the software component to at least one other software component, one or more messages representing the output of the hardware component. |
| US09317636B1 |
System and method for stopping integrated circuit simulation
A system for simulating hardware is disclosed wherein stopping the simulating for investigating a state of the simulating is constrained to occur at points of simulation synchronization. A delta cycle may be inserted into a simulation to provide a point of simulation synchronization. The delta cycle may be inserted at the beginning of a simulation loop. |
| US09317634B2 |
Surgical guide with cut resistant inserts
A resection guide can be configured to guide a resection tool toward a graft source or a tissue body. The resection guide can include a resection guide body with at least one opening, and a guide member configured to be at least partially inserted into the at least one opening. |
| US09317630B2 |
Memory frame architecture for instruction fetches in simulation
A simulation technique that handles accesses to a frame of instruction memory by inserting a command object between a frame proxy and a memory frame provides improved throughput in simulation environments. The instruction frame, if present, processes the access to the frame. If an instruction frame is not present for the accessed frame, the memory frame handles the request directly. The instruction frame caches fetched and decoded instructions and may be inserted at the first access to a corresponding instruction memory frame. The instruction frame can track write accesses to instruction memory so that changes to the instruction memory can be reflected in the state of the instruction frame. Additional check frames may be chained between the interface and the memory frame to handle breakpoints, instruction memory watches or other access checks on the instruction memory frame. |
| US09317628B1 |
Automatic comparison and performance analysis between different implementations
The present invention provides a method and system for automatic verification of automatically generated standalone code intended for execution on a target computing platform against its original design simulated in a simulation environment. The present invention also applies to execution comparisons between two implementations, such as two simulations, one simulation and one standalone code implementation, or two standalone code implementations. Block diagrams can be used to create a comparison model that compares two implementations. The comparison of different implementations can be performed at a block level, a subsystem level, a model level, or multi-model level. The present invention allows automatic comparison once a user supplies the intermediate outputs and/or signals that the user wants to compare and monitor. Reports can be generated to show the statistics of the comparison results. |
| US09317627B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating timewise display of widely variable naturalistic scenery on an amusement device
Patterns (e.g., such as images, waveforms such as sounds, electromagnetic waves, or other signals, etc.) are synthesized, modulated and/or analyzed through the use of a computer programmed with a novel mathematical formula. The formula acts as a linear operator and can be used to create a variety of shapes, waveforms, and other representations. The formula greatly enhances ability in computer operations and provides a great savings in computer memory and a substantial increase in computing power. |
| US09317626B2 |
Method and system for combinatorial layout design
The present invention discloses a method for combinatorial layout design, in particular family mold layout design, using a computer. The method starts with receiving design specific parameters and information about molding parts from user. A Genetic Algorithm module is then invoked to generate a population of layout designs which satisfies the design specific parameters. The Genetic Algorithm module first automatically generates a population of specially designed chromosome with three interdependent sessions. Crossover, mutation and replacement operation are applied on the population subsequently to evolve such towards a more optimal population over successive generations. In each generation step, a Genotype-Phenotype mapping module is utilized to decode the chromosome to corresponding layout design for fitness evaluation. A system for combinatorial layout design automation and optimization using this evolutionary design approach is also disclosed in the present invention. |
| US09317625B2 |
Quick directory search system on a touch screen device and methods thereof
The present disclosure relates to a directory search system. Searching can be provided in a very intuitive manner through a graphical user interface that is part of a search application provided on an electronic device. The search system can employ a first letter of a first name combined with a first letter of a last name to quickly find contacts to dial without the use of a keyboard. Each letter can be associated with a pointer that is slidable along alphabet identifiers. By filtering contacts within the directory using the first letter of the first name and first letter of the last names, the user can retrieve a short list of potential contacts that the user wishes to retrieve information about. With thousands of possible entries, filtering using the first letter of the first name and the first letter of the last name often returns a short list of matches. |
| US09317624B2 |
Managing and automatically linking data objects
A computer-implemented method for managing data objects stored in a data repository and displaying elements associated with data objects on a graphical user interface is presented. The method includes using reusable logic to provide at least one displayed input element associated with a first data object stored in the data repository. In response to user input associated with the displayed input element, the method includes generating a second data object stored in the data repository, and linking the second data object with one or more related data objects in the data repository automatically based on the data object associated with the displayed element. |
| US09317622B1 |
Methods and systems for fragmenting and recombining content structured language data content to reduce latency of processing and rendering operations
Content may be stored as structured language data that may be separated into a formatting skeleton (skeleton) and fragments. The skeleton may be extracted from the structured language data to retain at least a portion of the formatting information of a structured language data. The fragments may be segments of presentation data from the structured language data and may be mapped to a location within the skeleton. Upon rendering, a client device may only have to load the skeleton and one or more fragments associated with a specified viewing location in order to quickly and accurately render a portion of the content. By rendering only some of the fragments of the structured language data, the client device may minimize user-perceived latency during processing and rendering operations. |
| US09317619B2 |
Channel identifier symbol code two dimensional barcode
Content information may be provided. First, an indicia may be captured from displayed content and data may be extracted from the captured indicia. Next, the extracted data may be transmitted and information corresponding to the displayed content may be received, in response to the transmitted, extracted data. The received information may then be displayed. |
| US09317618B2 |
Communication device and method of displaying content titles
A communication device is configured to access, based on summary location data, content summary data, which includes at least titles of a plurality of pieces of content, location data representing locations of the plurality of pieces of content and description data representing a part of each of the plurality of pieces of content. A first memory stores a plurality of pieces of storing summary data, and a second memory stores a predetermined number of pieces of storing summary data selected from among the plurality of pieces of storing summary data stored in the first memory. A first display unit displays the predetermined number of pieces of storing summary data in a list and in a scrolled manner. A transmission unit transmits the content location data included in the storing summary data corresponding to the selected title to a data display device that is communicably connected with the communication device. |
| US09317617B2 |
Trip plan sharing and matching method
A trip plan sharing and matching method is disclosed. The method allows a user can edit a destination datum by a map website. When the user presses a share button via a mobile device, the map website transmits the destination datum to a web serve and stores the destination datum in the mobile device account of the web server. The mobile device periodically transmits a first matching message to the web server. When the vehicle mounted device enables a share reception, the vehicle mounted device periodically transmits a second matching message to the web server. If the web server confirms the first matching message to the second matching message, the web serve transmits the destination datum to the vehicle mounted device and then the vehicle mounted device executes a navigation process according to the destination datum. |
| US09317616B1 |
Dynamic web updates based on state
Some examples provide for content updates based on the state of content described at least partially in a markup language and caused to be displayed in a browser window. A web application causes the content to be displayed and tracks state changes of the content caused by user interactions with the displayed content. The web application causes the display of updates to the content that are received responsive to requests sent based on the user interactions. The web application can exclude from display those updates that are associated with an outdated state of the content. |
| US09317609B2 |
Semantic vector in a method and apparatus for keeping and finding information
A semantic vector is generated for a search term based upon a global frequency of other, closely related terms within a corpus that is used to compute the semantic vector relative to the search term. The semantic vector is used in connection with a textual search engine, responsive to a user query comprising a search term, to promote any of documents and sites within results returned to the query by the search engine that contain other, closely related terms that strongly correlate with the search term. |
| US09317608B2 |
Systems and methods for parsing search queries
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for parsing search queries. In accordance with some embodiments, search records including character strings are retrieved, and search query templates are generated comprising sequences of categories corresponding to character substrings of the character strings. Also, in accordance with some embodiments, search queries are parsed into character substrings and matched with a search query template. The search query template may then be used to associate categories with the character substrings. A search engine may use the categories to focus or otherwise refine a search based on parsed search query. |
| US09317607B2 |
Executing a fast crawl over a computer-executable application
Technologies related to crawling computer-executable applications are described. A full crawl is executed over an application, where executing the full crawl includes causing the application to output a plurality of pages. The application retrieves content from the World Wide Web when generating the pages for output. Thereafter, a fast crawl is executed over the application, where executing the fast crawl takes less time when compared to the time needed to execute the full crawl. |
| US09317604B2 |
Detecting correlations between data representing information
A method for acquiring an interrelation between an item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory and an item of data representing an item of information of a request for an interrelation to the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory by means of a data processing system with data representing information in a data inventory which can be accessed via a data source comprises a link being established by means of a syntactic comparison and/or by means of one semantic comparison of the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory with the item of data representing an item of information of the request for interrelation with the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory. According to the method, results of requests for an interrelation are grouped according to topics. |
| US09317603B2 |
Detecting correlations between data representing information
A method for acquiring an interrelation between an item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory and an item of data representing an item of information of a request for an interrelation to the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory by means of a data processing system with data representing information in a data inventory which can be accessed via a data source comprises a link being established by means of a syntactic comparison and/or by means of one semantic comparison of the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory with the item of data representing an item of information of the request for interrelation with the item of data representing an item of information of a data inventory. According to the method, results of requests for an interrelation are grouped according to topics. |
| US09317601B2 |
Systems, methods, and software for assessing ambiguity of medical terms
Some known medical terms may function as non-medical terms depending on their particular context. Accordingly, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that facilitate determining whether a term that is found in a medical corpus is likely to be a medical term when found in another corpus. An exemplary embodiment receives a term and computes an ambiguity score based on language models for a medical and a non-medical corpus. |
| US09317599B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing relevance indication
An apparatus for providing relevance indication may include a processor. The processor may be configured to identify tags associated with a place. In this regard, the place may be a virtual location where information is shared. The processor may be configured to determine a relevance value for the place by analyzing the tags relative to user attributes. The processor may also be configured to provide for an output of a representation of the relevance value to a user interface. Associated methods and computer program products are also provided. |
| US09317592B1 |
Content-based classification
A classifier may include logic to parse incoming content and to compare a key term in the content to stored content related to multiple prior messages, where the stored content is classified with respect to one or more categories. The logic may produce a score for the content based on the comparing, relate the score to one of the one or more categories, and produce a result based on the comparing, producing, or relating. |
| US09317591B2 |
Ranking search results based on word weight
Ranking search results, comprises retrieving search results that include target strings that relate to a query string; segmenting the query string and each of the target strings; pairing segments in the query string with respective segments in the target strings to form combinations; retrieving weights that correspond to the combinations; and determining a weighted word length based on the weights corresponding to each of the target strings; and ranking the target strings based on their respective weighted word lengths. Alternatively, ranking search results includes determining a minimum weight of each inserted word with respect to segments in the query string; determining a minimum weight of each deleted word with respect to segments in the target strings; determining a total edit distance for each target string; and ranking the target strings based on the total edit distances. |
| US09317588B1 |
Resource identification from organic and structured content
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for structured content ranking. In an aspect, a method determines a service requirement from terms of a query, the service requirement being one of a plurality of service requirements fulfilled by databases; determines, for each of the databases, a service requirement score for the database, the service requirement score being a measure of an ability of the database to fulfill the service requirement; selects databases based on the service requirement scores; generates data responsive to the service requirement based on the terms of the query and one or more of the selected databases; and generates, from the data identifying resources that are determined to be responsive to the query and from the data responsive to the service requirement, search results that include first search results that each identify a corresponding resource that was determined to be responsive to the query. |
| US09317587B2 |
Systems, methods, interfaces and software for extending search results beyond initial query-defined boundaries
To facilitate legal research, companies, such as Thomson West provide subscription-based online information-retrieval systems. Seeking to improve these and related IR systems, the present inventors recognized researchers often overlook some types of documents, such as legal encyclopedias and treatises that may be useful to them. Accordingly, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that automatically search for other types of documents not specifically targeted by user queries. One exemplary system automatically submits a user query for legal opinions to first and second databases, with the first storing legal opinions and the second storing non-opinion documents, such as headnotes from the West Key Number System, articles from American Law Reports, and/or articles from American Jurisprudence. |
| US09317585B2 |
Search query suggestions based on personal information
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a query initial input from a user, in response to receiving the query initial input, determining a set of personalized query suggestions based on the query initial input, the set of personalized query suggestions including one or more content-based query suggestions that reflect at least one of user data associated with the user within one or more computer-implemented services and use of the one or more computer-implemented services by the user, and transmitting instructions to display the set of personalized query suggestions to the user. |
| US09317582B2 |
Identifying events derived from machine data that match a particular portion of machine data
Methods and apparatus consistent with the invention provide the ability to organize and build understandings of machine data generated by a variety of information-processing environments. Machine data is a product of information-processing systems (e.g., activity logs, configuration files, messages, database records) and represents the evidence of particular events that have taken place and been recorded in raw data format. In one embodiment, machine data is turned into a machine data web by organizing machine data into events and then linking events together. |
| US09317578B2 |
Decision tree insight discovery
Techniques for presenting insight into classification trees may include performing a grouping analysis to group leaf nodes of a classification tree into a significant group and an insignificant group, performing influential target category analysis to identify one or more influential target categories for the leaf nodes of the classification tree in the significant group, and presenting one or more insights into the classification tree based on the grouping analysis and the influential target category analysis. Techniques for presenting insight into regression trees may include performing a grouping analysis to group leaf nodes of a regression tree into a high group and a low group, performing unusual node detection analysis to detect one or more outlier nodes in the high group and in the low group, and presenting one or more insights into the regression tree based on the grouping analysis and the unusual node detection analysis. |
| US09317577B2 |
Method and system for database partition
The present invention provides a flexible, dynamic database partition method and system. The method includes the steps of acquiring a data partition rule, where the data partition rule is used to identify a first relationship between a data partition condition and a database partition; establishing a second relationship between the data partition condition and a data partition key based on the data partition rule and a third relationship between the database partition and the data partition key; adding the data partition key to a data item where the data item is stored in the database based on the second relationship between the data partition condition and the data partition key; and storing the data item in the database partition based on the data partition key of the data item. |
| US09317576B2 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining replica sets
Provided are systems and methods for managing asynchronous replication in a distributed database environment, wherein a cluster of nodes are assigned roles for processing database requests. In one embodiment, the system provides a node with a primary role to process write operations against its database, generate an operation log reflecting the processed operations, and permit asynchronous replication of the operations to at least one secondary node. In another embodiment, the primary node is the only node configured to accept write operations. Both primary and secondary nodes can process read operations. Although in some settings read requests can be restricted to secondary nodes or the primary node. In one embodiment, the systems and methods provide for automatic failover of the primary node role, can include a consensus election protocol for identifying the next primary node. Further, the systems and methods can be configured to automatically reintegrate a failed primary node. |
| US09317573B2 |
Content transfer
The present invention provides a method of transferring content from a file and a database. In this case, the file includes content instances, each content instance being associated with a respective field, and each field having a respective type. The transfer is achieved by determining the type of each field, and then storing each content instance in a store in accordance with the determined field type of the associated field. Each content instance can then be transferred to the database in accordance with the determined field type. A similar procedure is provided for creating XML files based on content within the database. |
| US09317571B2 |
Third party content provider integrations
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for presenting media content information to a user is disclosed. A media search query is received from a user at a client device. A media content query is sent to a media information database. The media content query is at least partially based on the media search query. Media content information is received from the media information database. The information is associated with a plurality of content instances selected from a plurality of content types. The content instances satisfy the media search query and are selected only from content sources accessible to the client device. The media content information is presented to the user of the client device. |
| US09317568B2 |
Popularity of content items
Search results may be yielded based on a search query. A search query inspired by a user may be received. Based on the search query, multiple search results each including links may be determined. The multiple search results may include a first search result that includes a link to a first digital instance that describes or embodies a first content item, and a second search result that includes a link to a second digital instance that describes or embodies a second content item. A perceived popularity may be assessed for each of the first and second content items. The perceived popularity may be a measure of the popularity of the first and second content items, and may be distinct from a popularity of the first and second digital instances. A presentation of the multiple search results may be determined based on the accessed perceived popularity. |
| US09317567B1 |
System and method of computational social network development environment for human intelligence
Described is a system for supporting human intelligence analysis. The system detects changes in social relations among users within a dynamic information network and enables understanding of a current social situation in the dynamic information network through multiple integrated modules. An active network mining module identifies incomplete data that is related to at least one change in the social relations and resolves conflicting and missing data in the dynamic information network. A relevant network discovery module constructs a relevant network from hidden relations within the dynamic information network. An information-aware social network module constructs an information-aware social network using the relevant network, then classifies and prioritizes items of interest to provide an assessment of a current social situation to a user. |
| US09317561B2 |
Scene change detection around a set of seed points in media data
Techniques for scene change detection around seed points in media data are provided. Media features of many different types may be extracted from the media data. One or more statistical patterns of media features in a plurality of time-wise intervals around a plurality of seed time points of the media data may be determined using one or more types of features extractable from the media data. At least one of the one or more types of features comprises a type of features that captures structural properties, tonality including harmony and melody, timbre, rhythm, loudness, stereo mix, or a quantity of sound sources as related to the media data. A plurality of beginning scene change points and a plurality of ending scene change points in the media data may be detected, based on the one or more statistical patterns, for the plurality of seed time points in the media data. |
| US09317545B2 |
Transactional replication
Writing data in a distributed database having a plurality of nodes is disclosed. Writing includes receiving a write request at a node, wherein the write request is associated with one or more operations to define an atomic transaction and performing the atomic transaction based on the request. The atomic transaction includes writing to a first version of the database in the node and writing to an entity representative of a state of the first version of the database. |
| US09317538B1 |
Methods for generating data sets using catalog entries
Methods for recovering data sets using existing catalog entries are described. The data sets to be recovered may correspond with a portion of a data storage volume that has been archived. In some embodiments, an archived data set may be re-cataloged to a pseudo-volume in order to preserve catalog sequencing information for data sets that are members of the data set. In some embodiments, a data storage system may utilize a system interrupt to detect that a request to create a new data set has failed due to a conflict with an existing catalog entry, acquire data set creation parameters associated with the request to create the new data set, and issue a catalog alter command using the data set creation parameters in response to detecting that the request to create the new data set has failed. |
| US09317536B2 |
System and methods for mapping and searching objects in multidimensional space
This invention relates to a system and methods for determining the placement of an object in a distributed key-value store by mapping the object to nodes in multidimensional hyperspace. A search function supports efficient object retrieval, even when the search query requests multiple objects and specifies them through non-primary keys. In response to a search query, the search is translated into hyperregions in the hyperspace to determine the set of nodes that hold the queried data object. The number of contacted nodes and the number of scanned objects are significantly reduced in comparison to prior art techniques. |
| US09317534B2 |
Combined semantic description and visual attribute search
An image search method includes receiving a first query, the first query providing a first image constraint. A first search of a plurality of images is performed, responsive to the first query, to identify a first set of images satisfying the first constraint. A first search result, which includes the first set of images identified as satisfying the first constraint, is presented. A second query is received, the second query providing a second image constraint with reference to a first image of the first set of images. A second search of the plurality of images is performed, responsive to the second query, to identify a second set of images that satisfy the second constraint. A second search result, which includes the second set of images identified as satisfying the second constraint, is presented. |
| US09317531B2 |
Autocaptioning of images
The description relates to sentence autocaptioning of images. One example can include a set of information modules and a set of sentence generation modules. The set of information modules can include individual information modules configured to operate on an image or metadata associated with the image to produce image information. The set of sentence generation modules can include individual sentence generation modules configured to operate on the image information to produce a sentence caption for the image. |
| US09317530B2 |
Face recognition based on spatial and temporal proximity
In one embodiment, a social networking system determines one or more individuals matching one or more faces in an image file of a still image or a video sequence, associated with a first user based on the one or more individuals' spatial and temporal proximity to the image file, and presents the matched individuals to the first user. |
| US09317529B2 |
Memory-efficient spatial histogram construction
Techniques are described for memory-efficient spatial histogram construction. A hierarchical spatial index has leaf nodes and non-leaf nodes, each leaf node representing a bounding region containing a spatial object, each non-leaf node representing a bounding region at least partially containing one or more spatial objects. A plurality of selected nodes is selected from the plurality of non-leaf nodes. The plurality of selected nodes includes an ancestor of each leaf node. For each particular node in the plurality of selected nodes, a weight is determined. The weight is based on the number of spatial objects contained within the bounding region of the particular node. A spatial partitioning of the plurality of selected nodes is determined. A spatial histogram is generated based on the spatial partitioning of the weights of the plurality of selected nodes. |
| US09317528B1 |
Identifying geographic features from query prefixes
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying geographic features. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query. Geographic features are identified, each geographic feature being associated with one or more names, each geographic feature being associated with at least one name that includes the query. A feature-query score is computed for each geographic feature, including: for each name of the geographic feature that includes the query, identifying a computed feature-name score, wherein the feature-name score is computed based on a count of a number of occurrences of the name in a query log, wherein each occurrence is attributed to the feature; and computing the feature-query score based on the identified feature-name scores. The geographic features are ranked according to the feature-query scores. |
| US09317525B2 |
Reconstructing a state of a file system using a preserved snapshot
A technique includes receiving a request to restore a state of a file system. The request defines a rollback period, which extends from a restoration time that is specified by the request to a time at which the request was made. The technique includes reconstructing a state of the file system in response to a query using a preserved snapshot of the file system. The reconstruction including reconstructing the state at an arbitrary query time based at least in part on a dynamically inheritable attribute of an entity stored on the file system and the rollback period. |
| US09317520B2 |
State scope data file sharing
A method, computer system, and/or computer program product shares state scope data among client devices in a cloud-based file synchronization service, where the client devices are intermittently connected to the cloud-based file synchronization service. In response to a first client device requesting a current version of shared state scope data from a second client device, the cloud-based file synchronization service transmits a request to the second client device for the updated shared state scope data. The updated shared state scope data is stored in the cloud-based file synchronization service, and then transmitted to the first client device. |
| US09317518B2 |
Data synchronization
An example of synchronizing data can include converting a data tree structure into a dependency graph and reconciling nodes with a target data structure. Synchronizing data can include merging any duplicate information. Furthermore, synchronizing data can include keeping identifiers of reconciled information with non-reconciled information to locate the reconciled information when the remaining information is reconciled. |
| US09317517B2 |
Hashing scheme using compact array tables
Embodiments include a method, system, and computer program product for creating an array table. In one embodiment the method includes identifying keys associated with values in a database and identifying bits common between the plurality of keys using logical functions and removing the common hits to form condensed keys. The method also includes modulating the condensed keys using identified common bits to create transformed keys and populating the plurality of array tables using the transformed keys and associated values. |
| US09317516B2 |
Systems and methods for transformation of logical data objects for storage
Systems and methods for compressing a raw logical data object (201) for storage in a storage device operable with at least one storage protocol, creating, reading, writing, optimizatic in and restoring thereof. Compressing the raw logical data object (201) comprises creating in the storage device a compressed logical data object (203) comprising a header (204) and one or more allocated compressed sections with predefined size (205-1-205-2); compressing one or more sequentially obtained chunks of raw data (202-1-202-6) corresponding to the raw logical data object (201) thus giving rise to the compressed data chunks (207-1-207-6); and sequentially accommodating the processed data chunks into: said compressed sections (205-1-205-2) in accordance with an order said chunks received, wherein said compressed sections serve as atomic elements of compression/decompression operations during input/output transactions on the logical data object. |
| US09317509B2 |
Pro-active self-healing in a distributed file system
A first server identifies a second server connecting to a cluster of servers in a file system. The first server examines a file in a replication directory hierarchy in the second server. The file has not been accessed by a client application. The first server determines, prior to the file being accessed by the client application that the file on the second server has stale data and overwrites the stale data in the file on the second server with current data. |
| US09317503B2 |
System and method for naming an image file
A system and method for naming an image file includes an image capture module; a processor; a memory unit; an interface; a coded image trigger mechanism for initiating capture of a coded image; and a photo trigger mechanism for initiating capture of one or more photo image(s). The image capture module including a decode module, a photo module, a photo file renaming module. The decode module decodes the captured image from the coded image trigger and generates an encoded ASCII character data string. The photo module stores the captured photo image(s) as file(s) with an auto root name on the system device memory. The photo file renaming module renames the image file(s) created by the photo trigger to a new root name which is defined by a trailing use of the code trigger or manual keypad entry. |
| US09317500B2 |
Synchronizing translated digital content
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to one or more configured computing systems identifying when content includes a base content and a translated content that can be synchronously presented. Once a content match is identified, a device to receive synchronization information can also be identified. The synchronization information can enable one or more devices to synchronously present translated content while consuming a base content. For example, an English language audio book may be output synchronously with a Spanish language eBook. |
| US09317498B2 |
Systems and methods for generating summaries of documents
Systems and methods for summarizing online articles for consumption on a user device are disclosed herein. The system extracts the main body of an article's text from the HTML code of an online article. The system may then classify the extracted article into one of several different categories and removes duplicate articles. The system breaks down the article into its component sentences, and each sentence is classified into one of three categories: (1) potential candidate sentences that may be included in the generated summary; (2) weakly rejected sentences that will not be included in the summary but may be used to generate the summary; and (3) strongly rejected sentences that are not included in the summary. Finally, the system applies a document summarizer to generate quickly readable article summaries, for viewing on the user device, using relevant sentences from the article while maintaining the coherence of the article. |
| US09317492B2 |
Grouping writing regions of digital ink
A method for grouping writing regions of digital ink receives processed digital ink that comprises writing regions. A relationship can be generated between a plurality of the writing regions. A feature set can be determined that is associated with the plurality of the writing regions. The plurality of the writing regions can be grouped based on the feature set. |
| US09317491B2 |
Methods and systems of generating and editing adaptable and interactive network documents
A method of generating an adaptable and interactive network document which comprises selecting a layout of an interactive network document having a plurality of discrete interactive elements, automatically calculating at least one relative arrangement rule defining a relation between a layout parameter of one of the plurality of discrete interactive elements and a respective layout parameter of another of the plurality of discrete interactive elements, receiving instructions to change the layout, and applying the instructions to generate a copy of the interactive network document having an adapted version of the layout wherein layout parameters of the plurality of discrete interactive elements are adapted according the instructions and comply with the at least one relative arrangement rule. |
| US09317489B2 |
Vector graphic conversion into fonts
Techniques are described to convert vector graphics into fonts. In one or more implementations, web content is received that includes one or more vector graphics. Each of the one or more vector graphics are flattened to form a path that describes a corresponding image of a respective vector graphic. A font file is formed that includes, for each path, a glyph and an identifier that is usable to identify the glyph. A stylesheet file is also created having a class that corresponds to the glyph and corresponding identifier. |
| US09317487B1 |
Expansion of high performing placement criteria
Systems and methods of evaluating information in a computer network environment are provided. A data processing system can obtain or receive a content placement criterion, such as a keyword, associated with a content item and can determine a quality metric of the content placement criterion. The data processing system can identify a candidate content placement criterion and expand placement criteria associated with the content item to include the content placement criterion and the candidate content placement criterion based at least in part on an evaluation of the quality metric of the content placement criterion. The data processing system can expand placement criteria based in part on a throttling parameter. The data processing system can identify a correlation between a document and the placement criteria to identify appropriate content items for the document. |
| US09317486B1 |
Synchronizing playback of digital content with captured physical content
A computing device may provide a visual cue to items of content (for example, words in a book) synchronized with the playback of companion content (for example, audio content corresponding to the book). Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a content playback synchronization system for use with physical books (or other physical media). In an embodiment, the computing device captures images of the physical book and may display a visual cue (for example, an underline, box, dot, cursor, or the like) to identify a current location in textual content of the captured and displayed images of the physical book corresponding to a current output position of companion audio content. As the audio content is presented (i.e., as it “plays back”), the highlight and/or visual cue may be advanced to maintain synchronization between the output position within the audio content and a corresponding position in the displayed physical textual content. |
| US09317485B2 |
Selective rendering of electronic messages by an electronic device
An electronic device or system and method are provided for selectively normalizing or modifying content element attributes that are defined using absolute values, such as absolute font sizes expressed in length measurements such as points and pixels. A document containing structured content, such as an HTML-formatted email message or webpage, is obtained. When any such content element attributes are included with the document, a determination is made whether those attributes can be changed for that document. The determination may be dependent on the complexity of the structured document. If so, the absolute values are converted to relative values, and the document is subsequently rendered for display. |
| US09317484B1 |
Page-independent multi-field validation in document capture
Techniques to validate data in document capture are disclosed. An indication is received that a validation rule associated with two or more dependent fields in a data entry form comprising data values extracted from a multi-page document has failed. Ahuman validation interface is provided that enables an operator to view the affected dependent fields and for each an associated document image portion from which a corresponding data value was extracted, including by providing automated navigation to and display of the affected dependent fields. |
| US09317483B2 |
Method and telemetric device for resampling time series data
A method for resampling time series data includes determining a first time series of data points; determining a variation of the data points within a selected sequence, wherein the variation is determined by determining linearly interpolated data points for the data points of the selected sequence and by determining a maximum absolute difference. If a determined variation is greater than a predetermined error value, subsequences are selected by repeatedly dividing the first time series into adjacent subsequences until the first time series comprises a set of subsequences, wherein a determined variation for each of the subsequences is smaller than the predetermined error value. A resampled time series is created by adding the data points of the first time series that correspond to a first or last data point of the selected subsequences to the resampled time series, wherein every data point is added only once to the resampled time series. |
| US09317475B2 |
Multiplexing auxiliary processing element and semiconductor integrated circuit
A multiplexing auxiliary processing element (PE) performs a process that includes the operations of receiving signals of a plurality of upstream processing elements (PEs) including a plurality of pairs of PEs arranged on the input side; supplying the signals from the upstream PEs to a multiplex PE that is multiplexed and used so that the signals are subjected to a predetermined process by the multiplex PE; receiving the processed signals subjected to the predetermined process by the multiplex PE and sequentially supplying the signals to a plurality of downstream PEs arranged on the output side; and performing operations of the upstream PEs synchronously with the supply of the processed signals to the corresponding downstream PEs on the basis of setting of the multiplexing auxiliary PE. |
| US09317474B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device of the present invention has processor elements each of which divides data that is contiguous in one direction into multiple data groups and processes them, a processor element control unit that issues a data shift instruction, and a data transfer network that performs data transfer between adjacent processor elements. The processor elements each have a data storage unit that stores one of the multiple data groups, a data selector that outputs transfer data obtained by selecting either of head data or end data of one data group according to a data shift instruction into a data transfer network, a data shifter that shifts a position at which the data group is stored to the right or to the left according to the data shift instruction, and a data connector that connects the data group which is shifted and the transfer data obtained through the data transfer network. |
| US09317473B2 |
Scalable room temperature quantum information processor
A quantum information processor (QIP) may include a plurality of quantum registers, each quantum register containing at least one nuclear spin and at least one localized electronic spin. At least some of the quantum registers may be coherently coupled to each other by a dark spin chain that includes a series of optically unaddressable spins. Each quantum register may be optically addressable, so that quantum information can be initialized and read out optically from each register, and moved from one register to another through the dark spin chain, though an adiabatic sequential swap or through free-fermion state transfer. A scalable architecture for the QIP may include an array of super-plaquettes, each super-plaquette including a lattice of individually optically addressable plaquettes coupled to each other through dark spin chains, and separately controllable by confined microwave fields so as to permit parallel operations. |
| US09317472B2 |
Processing element data sharing
A memory sharing method and system in a distributed computing environment. The method includes placing a first operator and a second operator within a processing element. The first operator is associated with a first host and the second operator associated with a second and differing host of a distributed computing system. Requests for usage of global data with respect to multiple processes are received from the first operator and the second operator. The global data is stored within a specified segment of a shared memory module that includes shared memory space being shared by the first operator and the second operator. The multiple processes are executed and results are generated by the first operator and the second operator with respect to the global data. |
| US09317466B2 |
Completion combining to improve effective link bandwidth by disposing at end of two-end link a matching engine for outstanding non-posted transactions
An apparatus and method are disclosed in which unrelated completion operations intended for a single destination (requestor) are coalesced to improve achievable data bandwidth. During transmission, the completion operations are collected and compressed into a single packet and transmitted along the link. At a receiving end of the link, the single packet is decompressed and the previously unrelated packets are returned to their initial state before receipt by the requestor. The method can be implemented in the root complex, end points, and/or switches, in the case of a PCIe implementation, but can also be applied to other protocols besides PCIe. |
| US09317465B2 |
System and method of sending PCI express data over ethernet connection
According to certain aspects, the present invention relates to a system and method of sending PCI Express video data over a lower speed Ethernet connection. In embodiments, a system according to the invention includes bridges at either end of an Ethernet connection that is disposed between a PCIe host and a PCIe device. According to aspects of the invention, the slower Ethernet connection can be used by forcing the faster PCIe link to operate at a slower rate than is possible, forcing a PCIe device with a large number of lanes to use only a single lane, forcing a PCIe link to use the shortest possible packet size and/or controlling the time when UpdateFC DLLP packets are sent. |
| US09317459B2 |
Memory device distributed controller system
A memory device distributed controller circuit distributes memory control functions amongst a plurality of memory controllers. A master controller receives an interpreted command and activates the appropriate slave controllers depending on the command. The slave controllers can include a data cache controller that is coupled to and controls the data cache and an analog controller that is coupled to and controls the analog voltage generation circuit. The respective controllers have appropriate software/firmware instructions that determine the response the respective controllers take in response to the received command. |
| US09317456B2 |
Method and system for performing event-matching with a graphical processing unit
A computer-implemented method for event matching in a complex event processing system includes receiving, with a computer processing device, a stream of event data; receiving, with a computer processing device, an event list and an access predicate list, wherein the event list includes one or more event data pairs; and identifying, with a graphical processing device, patterns in the stream of event data. |
| US09317449B2 |
Secure key access with one-time programmable memory and applications thereof
A device includes a key store memory that stores one or more cryptographic keys. A rule set memory stores a set of rules for accessing the cryptographic keys. A key store arbitration module grants access to the cryptographic keys in accordance with the set of rules. The device can be used in conjunction with a key ladder. The device can include a one-time programmable memory and a load module that transfers the cryptographic keys from the one one-time programmable memory to the key store memory and the set of rules to the rule set memory. A validation module can validate the cryptographic keys and the set of rules stored in the key store and rule set memories, based on a signature defined by a signature rule. |
| US09317448B2 |
Methods and apparatus related to data processors and caches incorporated in data processors
A cache includes a cache array and a cache controller. The cache array has a multiple number of entries. The cache controller is coupled to the cache array, for storing new entries in the cache array in response to accesses by a data processor, and evicts entries from the cache array according to a cache replacement policy. The cache controller includes a frequent writes predictor for storing frequency information indicating a write back frequency for the multiple number of entries. The cache controller selects a candidate entry for eviction based on both recency information and the frequency information. |
| US09317443B2 |
Managing translations across multiple contexts using a TLB with entries directed to multiple privilege levels and to multiple types of address spaces
For a current context in control of a processor requesting access to a particular address, a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) controller specifies a virtual address with a logical partition identifier value indicating a privilege setting of the current context, a process identifier value indicating whether the address is within shared address space, and an effective address comprising at least a portion of the particular address. In response to the virtual address not matching at least one entry within a TLB comprising at least one entry stored for at least one previous translation of at least one previous address, the TLB controller translates the virtual address into a real page number using at least one page table and adding a new entry to the TLB with the virtual address and the real page number, wherein each at least one entry within the TLB identifies a separate privilege setting from among a plurality of privilege settings and a separate indicator of whether the address is within the shared address space. |
| US09317440B2 |
Computing device and virtual device control method for controlling virtual device by computing system
A virtual device control method of a computing device which includes a nonvolatile memory is provided. The virtual device control method includes receiving a virtualization request; assigning a first part of the nonvolatile memory to a virtual memory; assigning a second part of the nonvolatile memory to a virtual storage; and generating a virtual device including the assigned virtual memory and virtual storage. |
| US09317437B2 |
Active memory processor system
In general, the present invention relates to data cache processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system that provides reconfigurable dynamic cache which varies the operation strategy of cache memory based on the demand from the applications originating from different external general processor cores, along with functions of a virtualized hybrid core system. The system includes receiving a data request, selecting an operational mode based on the data request and a predefined selection algorithm, and processing the data request based on the selected operational mode. |
| US09317436B2 |
Cache node processing
A technique for cache node processing that includes generating a cache node in response to a request to write data to storage devices. If logical block address (LBA) of the generated cache node is adjacent to LBA of cache nodes of a cache node list, then check if there are cache nodes that are sequential up to a predefined boundary. If there are cache nodes that are sequential up to the predefined boundary, then flush the data of the sequential cache nodes together as a group up to the predefined boundary. |
| US09317435B1 |
System and method for an efficient cache warm-up
Described herein is a system and method for an efficient cache warm-up. The system and method may copy data blocks from a primary storage device to a cache memory device. The system and method may identify a subset of data blocks stored on the primary storage device as candidate data blocks for copying to the cache memory device during a cache warm-up period. A cost effectiveness for copying the candidate data blocks to the cache memory device may be determined. In some embodiments, the cost effectiveness may be calculated based on one or more latency values associated with the primary storage device and the cache memory device. The candidate data blocks may be copied to the cache memory device based on the cost effectiveness. |
| US09317430B2 |
Controlling a dynamically instantiated cache
A change in workload characteristics detected at one tier of a multi-tiered cache is communicated to another tier of the multi-tiered cache. Multiple caching elements exist at different tiers, and at least one tier includes a cache element that is dynamically resizable. The communicated change in workload characteristics causes the receiving tier to adjust at least one aspect of cache performance in the multi-tiered cache. In one aspect, at least one dynamically resizable element in the multi-tiered cache is resized responsive to the change in workload characteristics. |
| US09317428B2 |
Supporting multiple types of guests by a hypervisor
A system configuration is provided that includes multiple partitions that have differing translation mechanisms associated therewith. For instance, one partition has associated therewith a single level translation mechanism for translating guest virtual addresses to host physical addresses, and another partition has a nested level translation mechanism for translating guest virtual addresses to host physical addresses. The different translation mechanisms and partitions are supported by a single hypervisor. Although the hypervisor is a paravirtualized hypervisor, it provides full virtualization for those partitions using nested level translations. |
| US09317427B2 |
Reallocating unused memory databus utilization to another processor when utilization is below a threshold
According to one aspect of the present disclosure a method and technique for managing memory access is disclosed. The method includes setting a memory databus utilization threshold for each of a plurality of processors of a data processing system to maintain memory databus utilization of the data processing system at or below a system threshold. The method also includes monitoring memory databus utilization for the plurality of processors and, in response to determining that memory databus utilization for at least one of the processors is below its threshold, reallocating at least a portion of unused databus utilization from the at least one processor to at least one of the other processors. |
| US09317426B2 |
Write once read many media methods
A method for providing for write once read many (WORM) times from at least some addresses of a storage drive that is otherwise manufactured for multiple writes to individual addresses. In at least one embodiment, a WORM area(s) is defined by a START_LBA and an END_LBA and the method uses a HWM_LBA to determine whether a LBA in the WORM area has been written to previously and to prevent previously written to LBA(s) in the WORM area from being rewritten. In at least one embodiment where there are multiple WORM areas, each WORM area has its own respective START_LBA, END_LBA and HWM_LBA. |
| US09317425B2 |
Memory management method in embedded system
A memory management method in an embedded system is provided. The method includes a first iteration step that sequentially allocates and deletes memory, and recognizes an area where the first to last sections of the memory were located as a hollow space list A second iteration step sequentially allocates the memory in an area of the hollow space list by starting the memory allocation from an end point of the hollow space list. When the hollow space list is insufficient, allocates a memory section outside the area of the hollow space list, re-recognizes the hollow space list by expanding to the area where the last section of the memory was located. When the hollow space list is sufficient during the memory allocation, maintains the hollow space list, and sequentially deletes the allocated memory. Further, an initialization step initializes the hollow space list of when the hollow space list is re-recognized. |
| US09317421B2 |
Memory management
Apparatus, systems, and methods to manage memory operations are described. In one embodiment, an electronic device comprises a processor and a memory control logic to retrieve a global sequence number from a memory device, receive a read request for data stored in a logical block address in the memory device, retrieve a media sequence number from the logical block address in the memory device, and return a null response in lieu of the data stored in the logical block address when the media sequence number is older than the global sequence number. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed. |
| US09317420B2 |
Computer program installation across multiple memories
Embodiments herein are directed to a method for installing a program across multiple memories. The method includes calculating a memory space requirement of the program. It may be determined that a first available memory space in a first memory of the first computer system is smaller than the memory space requirement. The first memory is a default memory for installing the program. Upon determining that the first available memory space in the first memory is smaller than the memory space requirement, the method may perform the step of identifying a second memory in communication with the first computer system that has a second available memory space. The first and second available memory spaces, when combined, are sufficient for the memory space requirement to install files of the program. The files of the program may be installed in the first and second memories. |
| US09317412B1 |
Selecting a configuration test based on testing data from different organizations
Utilizing data collected from users belonging to different organizations to select a test scenario template relevant for testing configuration elements involves the following: identifying runs of test scenarios run by users belonging to different organizations; clustering the runs of test scenarios to clusters that include similar runs; generating connections between the configuration elements and the clusters; weighting the connections based on the number of users that acted according to the connections; receiving certain configuration elements; selecting a certain cluster based on a subset of the certain configuration elements and the connections, where each element in the subset is connected to the certain cluster by a connection, and the sum of weights of connections between elements in the subset and the certain cluster, reaches a threshold; and selecting a test scenario template representing the certain cluster. |
| US09317410B2 |
Testing functional correctness and idempotence of software automation scripts
Various embodiments automatically test software automation scripts. In one embodiment, at least one software automation script is obtained. The software automation script is configured to automatically place a computing system into a target state. A plurality of test cases for the software automation script is executed. Each of the plurality of test cases is a separate instance of the software automation script configured based at least on one or more different states of the computing system. The software automation script is determined to be one of idempotent and non-idempotent and/or one of convergent and non-convergent based on executing the plurality of test cases. |
| US09317408B2 |
System and method for systematic error injection in generated code
A system and method introduces one or more errors into computer programming code generated from a model or other source program. The one or more errors are not present in the model, but are introduced into the code generated from the model. The one or more errors may simulate one or more bugs in the code generation process. The generated code, including the one or more introduced errors, may be analyzed by one or more verification tools. The one or more verification tools examine the generated code in an effort to detect the one or more errors that were introduced. The one or more verification tools may compare the generated code to the model or source program. If the one or more verification tools is able to detect the one or more introduced errors, then the one or more verification tools may be considered to be validated. |
| US09317404B1 |
Generating test scenario templates from test runs collected from different organizations
System, method, and non-transitory medium for generating a test scenario template involving the steps of monitoring users belonging to different organizations to identify runs of test scenarios run on software systems belonging to the different organizations; clustering the runs to clusters of similar runs; selecting a certain cluster from the clusters; and generating, based on runs belonging to the certain cluster, a test scenario template. The template may represent the certain cluster and identify a transaction used in runs belonging to the certain cluster, and possible values for running the transaction. |
| US09317403B2 |
Method for creating a label
A method for creating a text label for a first digital image includes a portion of a second digital image. The first digital image includes a plurality of pixels selected from the second digital image. The first digital image also includes at least one non-text string element. A computer processor is configured to search the first or second digital images for a text string and identify whether the text string is a candidate text string based on at least one first criteria associated with the said text string. Upon determining the text string is a candidate text string, the method creates a text label for the first digital image based upon the candidate text string. |
| US09317398B1 |
Vendor and version independent browser driver
A testing model for heterogeneous client environments is enabled. A test of a computer system state transition may be specified. The test specification may include elements corresponding to test actions that cause the computer system state transition and elements corresponding to test conditions that are evaluated to generate the test results. A collection of pre-assembled executable components suitable for implementing specified tests at a wide variety of clients may be maintained, and particular test specifications may be mapped to a corresponding and optimal implementation subset of the collection. Test results may be determined based on one or more outputs of the implementation subset of executable components. A vendor and version independent browser driver may include code capable of identifying an operational set of browser capabilities among the superset of considered browser capabilities independent of vendor or version identification by a browser under test. |
| US09317396B2 |
Information processing apparatus including an execution control unit, information processing system having the same, and stop method using the same
An information processing apparatus includes a first preservation unit configured to preserve execution request information for information processing; an execution unit configured to execute one or more types of the information processing; an execution control unit configured to have the execution unit being capable of executing one of the types of the information processing execute the information processing of the execution request information preserved by the first preservation unit; and a second preservation unit configured to preserve a stop command of the execution unit. If the execution unit does not execute the information processing, the execution control unit checks the second preservation unit if the second preservation unit preserves the stop command to have the execution unit execute a stop procedure. |
| US09317391B2 |
Logging graphical user interface events
The disclosed subject matter relates to computer implemented methods for logging graphical user interface events. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a server, an identifier for a user interface element of a graphical user interface. The method further includes detecting a user interface event associated with the user interface element. The user interface event associated with the user interface element can be an operation performed on the user interface element or an effect caused by the operation performed on the user interface element. The method further includes entering into a log, the identifier for the user interface element and the user interface event associated with the user interface element. The method further includes sending the log to the server. |
| US09317386B2 |
Event processing method and apparatus performing the same
An event processing method includes receiving an event from an event source and identifying an event population and non-event population based on the received event, such that the event population includes a plurality of events and the non-event population includes a plurality of non-events. The method further includes identifying an event feedback group from the events of the identified event population, such that the event feedback group identifies a number of events of the identified event population that have performed a required operation, and determining a ratio of event feedback, the ratio of the event feedback being a ratio of the number of events identified by the event feedback group to a number of the events of the identified event population. |
| US09317385B2 |
Hardware profiling
According to one general aspect, an apparatus may include a trace control register, a first output path, and a second output path. The trace control register may be configured to receive one or more signals output by a combinatorial logic block. The trace control register may include a first register portion configured to capture the one or more signals. The trace control register may include a second register portion configured to capture whether an event occurred within the combinatorial logic block. The occurrence of the event is determined by at least a portion of the one or more signals having a predetermined state. The first output path configured to select between a plurality of captured signals provided by respective trace control registers. The second output path configured to output one or more captured events provided by one or more respective trace control registers. |
| US09317375B1 |
Managing cache backup and restore for continuous data replication and protection
A method is used for managing cache backup and restore for continuous data replication and protection. I/O operations are quiesced at a cache module. A first snapshot of a storage object and a second snapshot of an SSD cache object are taken. The I/O operations at the cache module are unquiesced. A single backup image comprising the first snapshot and the second snapshot is created. The single backup image is sent to a first data protection appliance (DPA) and recorded in a journal. |
| US09317372B1 |
Dynamic membership management in a distributed system
Transactional database replication techniques are disclosed that do not require altering of the database management system implementation. A replicator module includes a dynamic membership manager, which is configured to manage the persistent membership of a coordination group. The persistent membership can be, for example, a durable set of sites that can replicate changes amongst themselves. Changes from sites not in the persistent membership are discarded. The set of recovered members is a subset of the persistent membership. The persistent membership changes incrementally by either removing or adding members. Failed members may still be part of the persistent membership. The dynamic membership manager module manages the modification of the persistent membership, initialization of replicas, and propagation of membership information. |
| US09317368B2 |
Unified management of storage and application consistent snapshots
A storage management application of a storage array is operable to create a new volume on the storage device array, and to automatically configure, responsive to user selection of an application protection profile, data protection services for application data to be stored on the volume, and/or, responsive to user selection of an application performance profile, application specific performance parameters. The application protection profile specifies scheduling and replication of snapshots for application data to be stored on the volume, and the application performance profile specifies performance parameters such as setting a block size, enabling or modifying a data caching algorithm, turning on or modifying data compression, etc. The scheduling, replication and/or application performance may be managed by a daemon associated with the storage management application which communicates with an agent associated with an application server on which the application executes. |
| US09317366B2 |
Protocol checking logic circuit for memory system reliability
A buffer integrated circuit device. The device comprising an output driver formed on the substrate member, the output driver having at least a command bus and an address bus. The device has a protocol and parity checking block (“Block”). The device has a table configured in the block. The table is programmable with a plurality of timing parameters. The device has a memory state block coupled to the table and a command history table coupled to the table to process protocol information for all commands that pass through the Block. The buffer integrated circuit device utilizes the protocol checking functionality to prevent failure propagation and enables data protection even in the case of host memory controller failure or system-level failure of any signal or signals on the command, control and address bus from the host memory controller to the buffer integrated device. |
| US09317365B2 |
Soft decoding of polar codes
An apparatus having a circuit and an interface to a nonvolatile memory is disclosed. The circuit is configured to (i) read a plurality of bits in a read channel of the nonvolatile memory. The bits are encoded with a polar code. The circuit is also configured to (ii) generate a plurality of probabilities based on a plurality of log likelihood ratio values of the read channel and (iii) decode the bits based on the probabilities. |
| US09317363B2 |
Management of a secure delete operation in a parity-based system
Embodiments of the disclosure can include a method, system, and computer program product for using a secure delete operation within one or more storage devices using a parity-based storage scheme. The method can include receiving the location of an application block that includes one or more data blocks and one or more parity blocks stored within the one or more storage devices using the parity-based storage scheme. The method can also include determining a number of parity blocks to delete, wherein the number of parity blocks to delete is less than the total number of parity blocks. The method can also include performing a secure delete operation on the determined number of parity blocks. The method can also include performing a secure delete operation on the one or more data blocks. |
| US09317352B2 |
Galois field arithmetic operation circuit and memory device
A Galois field arithmetic operation circuit substituting (2^m−1) elements (m is an integer) expressed by m bits of Galois field GF(2^m) includes: a base calculation unit configured to calculate m linear independent elements out of the (2^m−1) elements; and a linear development unit configured to calculate the remaining (2^m−1−m) elements not included in the m linear independent elements by combination of the m linear independent elements respectively. The Galois field arithmetic operation circuit may be included in a memory device or other system. |
| US09317346B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data elements between threads of a parallel computer system
Transmitting data elements from source threads to sink threads, which are executed on a plurality of processor cores of a parallel computer system, by using at least one global logical queue, the at least one global logical queue including an associated physical queue for each of the plurality of processor cores and a data element management table that stores, for each source thread executed on a processor core, a count that specifies a total number of data elements that are enqueued by the respective source thread and that are located in one of the physical queues of the at least one global logical queue, and a processor core index that specifies a specific processor core associated with a physical queue that contains the data elements enqueued by the respective source thread. |
| US09317344B2 |
Power efficient brokered communication supporting notification blocking
A notification service receives messages including various data from application services, and provides notifications including that data to the appropriate computing devices. Each computing device includes a notification system that receives notifications from the notification service and provides those notifications to the appropriate applications on the computing device. If an application is not allowed to run on a computing device, the notification system on the computing device provides an indication to the notification service to block notifications for the application on the computing device. The notification service ceases providing notifications to a computing device targeting applications for which notifications are blocked on the computing device until an indication is received from the computing device to unblock notifications for the application. |
| US09317341B2 |
Dynamic attribute resolution for orchestrated management
A method is provided herein for managing a plurality of computing entities. The method includes sending a dynamic attribute dependency to one or more of the computing entities. The dynamic attribute dependency specifies a constraint for performing the management operation based on a dynamic attribute of each of the one or more computing entities. Additionally, the method includes scheduling, based on the plan, an atomic task configured to perform the management operation on each of the one or more a computing entities based on whether the constraint is resolved. The method further includes performing the atomic task if the constraint is resolved. |
| US09317340B2 |
Intelligent virtual machine (VM) re-location
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for re-locating virtual machines (VM) in a data center environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for intelligent VM relocation includes selecting a set of VMs for relocation over a data communications network within a data center from one or more source physical machines to one or more target physical machines. The method also includes computing in memory of a computer in the data center a VM mobility cost for relocating the set of the VMs. The method yet further includes determining whether or not the VM mobility cost exceeds available resources in the data communications network. Finally, the method includes relocating the set of the VMs only it is determined that the VM mobility cost does not exceed the available resources of the data communications network. |
| US09317339B2 |
Systems and methods for implementing work stealing using a configurable separation of stealable and non-stealable work items
A system may perform work stealing using a dynamically configurable separation between stealable and non-stealable work items. The work items may be held in a double-ended queue (deque), and the value of a variable (index) may indicate the position of the last stealable work item or the first non-stealable work item in the deque. A thread may steal a work item only from the portion of another thread's deque that holds stealable items. The owner of a deque may add work items to the deque and may modify the number or percentage of stealable work items, the number or percentage of non-stealable work items, and/or the ratio between stealable and non-stealable work items in the deque during execution. For example, the owner may convert stealable work items to non-stealable work items, or vice versa, in response to changing conditions and/or according to various work-stealing policies. |
| US09317338B2 |
Method and system for modeling and analyzing computing resource requirements of software applications in a shared and distributed computing environment
An application manager receives or defines a service specification for a first application that defines a set of required computing resources that are necessary to run each application component of the first application. A resource supply manager in communication with the application manager manages a plurality of computing resources in a shared computing environment. The application manager is operable to request the set of required computing resources from the computing resource supply manager, and wherein the resource supply manager determines the availability of the required computing resources within the shared computing environment according to resource allocation policies and allocates computing resources to the application manager, and wherein the application manager is operable manage allocation of the computing resources to the first application, the application manager operable to create and manage deployment of instances of each application component of the first application on the allocated computing resources. |
| US09317337B2 |
Utilizing software component metadata to provision virtual machines in a networked computing environment
Embodiments of the present invention provide a set of algorithmic methods that can be used to generate a pre-provisioned pool of virtual machines (VMs) in a networked computing environment. Specifically, an install time for possible combinations of software components of a VM in a plurality of software component combinations is calculated. Each respective install time is weighted by a value associated with a provisioning history of software components. At least part of the software component combinations is allocated to the pre-provisioned pool of virtual machines (VMs). |
| US09317335B2 |
Reducing internal retention time of processing requests on a web system having different types of data processing structures
An information processing apparatus calculates parameters corresponding to the data processing structure of a web system. An extraction unit 22 extracts, from operation data of a web system having capacity control parameters including a maximum queue length indicating the maximum size of a queue which temporarily stores request data and the maximum number of simultaneous executions indicating the maximum number of times the request data can be processed in parallel, an internal retention time required for the web system to process data in each number of internal retention requests which is the sum of the number of uses of the queue and the number of times the request data is processed in parallel. A coefficient calculation unit 23 applies an approximate equation corresponding to the data processing structure of the web system to the internal retention time in the number of internal retention requests extracted by the extraction unit 22 to calculate coefficients of the approximate equation. A parameter calculation unit 24 calculates new capacity control parameters from the approximate equation calculated by the coefficient calculation unit 23. |
| US09317331B1 |
Interactive scheduling of an application on a multi-core target processor from a co-simulation design environment
In an embodiment, a method for interactively varying scheduling of a multi-threaded application executing on a symmetric multi-core processor provides an interface in a co-simulation design environment. The interface is associated with a multi-threaded application executing on a target processor that includes symmetric processor cores. The method also sets a scheduling attribute of the multi-threaded application using the interface. The setting occurs when the multi-threaded application is executing. The method further receives data associated with the executing of the multi-threaded application in the co-simulation design environment when the multi-threaded application is executing subsequent to the setting of the scheduling attribute. |
| US09317328B2 |
Strategic placement of jobs for spatial elasticity in a high-performance computing environment
Accepting a job having a job size representing a number or quantity of processors; computing an expected size, and a standard deviation in size, for the accepted job; adding the expected size to the standard deviation in size to determine a sum; comparing the sum to a number or quantity of available clusters at each of a plurality of non-leaf nodes of a tree representing a high-performance computing environment; and when the number or quantity of available clusters is more than the sum at a sub-tree of the tree and, going down one level further in the sub-tree, the number of available clusters is less than the sum, selecting the sub-tree for the accepted job such that the accepted job is placed on one or more clusters associated with the selected sub-tree. |
| US09317327B2 |
Computing infrastructure planning
In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are provided for generating one or more potential configurations corresponding to one or more parameters used for computing infrastructure planning by determining a sizing grammar for each of the one or more potential configurations corresponding to the one or more parameters, interpreting the sizing grammar based on one or more grammar rules to output configuration information for each of the one or more potential configurations, and translating the configuration information for each of the one or more potential configurations based on one or more motif descriptions to output resource information for each of the one or more potential configurations. |
| US09317326B2 |
Consistent migration of a group of virtual machines using source and destination group messaging
A plurality of virtual machines (VMs) is migrated from a source group to a destination group in such as way as to achieve consistency and either availability or group preservation. Execution of VMs in the source group is selectively delayed during state migration so that memory transfer of all the VMs in the group will converge roughly at the same time. After VM state transfer to the destination group, execution switch-over is coordinated using different handshake and acknowledgement messages, passed either through a “leader” VM in each group, or directly between source-destination VM pairs. |
| US09317322B2 |
Simulating synchronous execution of asynchronous operations
A computer-implemented method is presented here. The method obtains a script to be executed, wherein the script includes instructions for an asynchronous operation, and wherein the asynchronous operation includes a request calling for a result. The method continues by performing a provisional iteration of the script, wherein the provisional iteration of the script is associated with at least a portion of the script, and wherein the provisional iteration of the script obtains and saves the result as a cached result. Thereafter, a final iteration of the script is performed using the cached result. |
| US09317321B2 |
Determining virtual machine image pattern distributions in a networked computing environment
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for determining distributions of virtual machine (VM) patterns across pools of VM instances based upon historical data (e.g., to achieve faster provisioning times). In a typical embodiment, a total pool size for a pool of VM instances is determined (e.g., based on historical data). Then, a distribution of a set of VM instance patterns across the pool is determined (e.g., also based upon historical data). Once the distribution has been determined, the pool of VM instances may be provisioned according to the distribution. In one embodiment, the VM patterns may be evenly distributed across the pool. In another embodiment, the VM patterns may be distributed according to percentages with which the VM patterns were previously requested. In yet another embodiment, the VM patterns may be grouped into two or more groups that are associated with particular user/customer level(s) (e.g., privilege and/or permission level, a service level purchased and/or specified by the consumer, etc). |
| US09317316B2 |
Host virtual machine assisting booting of a fully-encrypted user virtual machine on a cloud environment
The disclosure provides a key transmission method and device of a virtual machine under full disk encryption during pre-boot. The method includes: pre-booting the virtual machine, where the virtual machine is in a full disk encryption state; during the pre-boot, establishing, by the virtual machine, a transmission channel with a cloud platform, where the cloud platform is configured to provide a key; requesting, by the virtual machine, the key from the cloud platform through the transmission channel, and receiving the key sent by the cloud platform; and decrypting, by the virtual machine, an operation system by using the key, and booting the operation system. In embodiments of the present disclosure, key transmission may be implemented during a pre-boot phase of the virtual machine, so as to boot the virtual machine. |
| US09317311B2 |
Generating a deployment pattern for reuse in a networked computing environment
An approach for generating a deployment pattern for reuse after the deployment of a set of virtual machines and related application artifacts in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment) is provided. In a typical embodiment, information associated with one or more previously provisioned application environments is derived and, after analyzing the information, a deployment pattern is created in the form of tangible artifacts which may be reuse for further deployments without the need to trace back the original procedures used to deploy the previously previsioned application environment. |
| US09317306B2 |
Computer device and memory management method thereof
A memory management method includes sharing a memory space of a memory component via a network through a host operating system, mounting the shared memory space via the network through a virtual machine, monitoring an memory utilization of a virtual memory of the virtual machine, and allocating a storage block to the virtual machine in a condition that the memory utilization of the virtual memory of the virtual machine is greater than an upper bound. As such, a capacity of the virtual memory of the virtual machine is increased. |
| US09317302B2 |
Method and algorithm for content layout across diverse and dynamic displays
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to content layout in a pervasive device display and provide a method, system and computer program product for the dynamic selection of a content layout for content in a pervasive device display. In one embodiment of the invention, a dynamic content layout method for pervasive devices can include obtaining display characteristics for a host pervasive device, locating a layout mode corresponding to the obtained display characteristics, and arranging panels of a graphical user interface for an application in the host pervasive device according to the located layout mode. |
| US09317298B2 |
Generation of instruction set from architecture description
Generating an instruction set for an architecture. A hierarchical description of an architecture is accessed. Groups in the hierarchical description that can be pre-encoded without increasing final width of said instruction set are pre-encoded. The hierarchical description is permutated into a plurality of variations. Each variation comprises a leaf-group and one or more sub-graphs to be encoded. For each said variation, the leaf-group and the one or more sub-graphs are encoded to produce a potential instruction set for each variation. One of the potential instruction sets is selected. |
| US09317281B2 |
Information processing apparatus, program update method for information processing apparatus, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus that executes a first program and a second program that cooperates with the first program to perform data processing includes a storage unit configured to store information after executing initialization processing based on the first program, a specification unit, a determination unit, an acquisition unit, an update unit, and a control unit configured to cause, when the information is stored in the storage unit at a restart time after the update unit updates the program, the first program to shift to an executable state without executing initialization processing and to cause, when the information is not stored in the storage unit, the first program to shift to the executable state after information to be associated with the updated program to be generated by the initialization processing is stored in the storage unit. |
| US09317279B2 |
Virtual machine block substitution
Techniques are described to allow substation of blocks into a virtual machine image of an executing virtual machine. A patch may be applied to a first virtual machine image. One or more blocks modified by the patch are identified and copied to a host having a virtual machine executing from a virtual machine image that is based on the first virtual machine image (prior to the patch). While the virtual machine is executing, the substitution blocks are applied (supersede) corresponding original blocks in the virtual machine image. A guest operating system in the virtual machine may either begin using an executable file in a substitution block. In addition, the guest operating system may be forced to flush from memory and cache executable code replaced by the substitution block. |
| US09317277B2 |
Tire pressure sensor
A tire pressure sensor is installed on a tire rim which includes an assembly through hole. The tire pressure sensor includes a sensor body, a gas intake nozzle fixed on the tire rim and connected to the sensor body, and a gas nozzle assembly member to couple with the sensor body and the gas intake nozzle. The sensor body includes a gas nozzle assembly hole to couple with the gas intake nozzle, a tire pressure sensing module disposed in the sensor body for detecting a tire pressure, and an update connection port electrically connected to the tire pressure sensing module. Through the update connection port, the tire pressure sensing module receives an update firmware data for updating firmware stored therein in response to different applications. |
| US09317270B2 |
Model-based virtual system provisioning
Model-based virtual system provisioning includes accessing a model of a workload to be installed on a virtual machine of a system as well as a model of the system. A workload refers to some computing that is to be performed, and includes an application to be executed to perform the computing, and optionally includes the operating system on which the application is to be installed. The workload model identifies a source of the application and operating system of the workload, as well as constraints of the workload, such as resources and/or other capabilities that the virtual machine(s) on which the workload is to be installed must have. An installation specification for the application is also generated, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the workload and the model of the virtual system. |
| US09317269B2 |
Systems and methods for installing, managing, and provisioning applications
Systems and methods are disclosed for provisioning resources for an application according to an application manifest. The resources may include database, network, and processing resources. The application manifest may be organized as a manifest tree with provisioned resources having their own application manifests for provisioning sub-resources. The application manifest may also define provisioning and de-provisioning of the application in response to loading of the application. Root cause analysis may be performed in accordance with the manifest tree. Also disclosed are systems and methods for rolling out an upgrade across a node cluster. Systems and methods are disclosed for routing traffic to different workflow paths in order to implement an overloaded path and evaluate performance of the overloaded path. |
| US09317268B2 |
Recovery automation in heterogeneous environments
A computer system may be configured to invoke drivers to one or more target machines. A controller, based on a request, may select a driver from a set of interface drivers. The controller may be configured to invoke the driver selected from the set of interface drivers. The invoked driver may issue commands to a target machine that was named in the request. The commands may install an operating system, named in the request, on the target machine. |
| US09317265B2 |
Optimizing intermediate representation of script code for atomic execution
Disclosed here are methods, systems, paradigms and structures for optimizing intermediate representation (IR) of a script code for atomic execution. Atomic execution of the script is achieved by generating portions of the IR as an atomic transaction. In an atomic transaction, a series of operations either all execute, or none executes. The IR includes checkpoints that evaluate to one of two possible values. The checkpoint evaluates to a first value when there is no error during execution, and evaluates to a second value when an error occurs. The IR is optimized for atomic execution by regenerating a portion of the IR including the checkpoint and code associated with the checkpoint as a transaction. When an error occurs during the execution of the transaction, the transaction is aborted and a state of execution of the script code is reverted to a state prior to the beginning of the transaction. |
| US09317264B2 |
Execution control during program code conversion
Execution control techniques are described for use in a translator that converts subject code into target code. The translator includes a translator trampoline function that is called from a translator run loop and which in turn calls either to a translator code generator to generate target code, or else calls previously generated target code for execution. Control then returns to the translator trampoline function to make a new call, or returns to the translator run loop. Other aspects include making context switches through the trampoline function and setting first and second calling conventions either side of the trampoline function. Jumping directly or indirectly between target code blocks during execution is also described. |
| US09317261B2 |
Level based data supply for reusable interface components
A system and method for handling reusable graphical components in a dynamic environment. A configuration is buffered in a computer system. An object corresponding to a graphical component is instantiated and assigned a level within the graphical hierarchy. The object is configured based on its location in the hierarchy from the buffered configuration. The object reads its parent identifier from a level buffer based solely on its assigned level and writes its object identifier into the level buffer in association with its assigned level. |
| US09317255B2 |
Automatic code transformation with state transformer monads
Stateful computations are transformed into stateless computations automatically to facilitate scalability. Programmers can write code in a traditional imperative stateful style, which is subsequently transformed automatically into a stateless, state transformer monadic style. After the transformation, state is passed as an additional argument in a call and returns as a new state as an additional result. |
| US09317252B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for selecting numbers from multiple ranges
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for selecting numbers from multiple ranges are disclosed. One method includes receiving, information associated with a plurality of ranges, selecting, by a module implemented using a non-transitory computer readable medium, iteratively selecting numbers from within the ranges such that, during a selection iteration, a given number within one of the ranges is not selected more than once and such that a sequence of numbers selected during the selection iteration appears to be random, and utilizing the numbers selected during the selection iteration to control at least one aspect of testing a network or storage device. |
| US09317250B2 |
Floating point multiply-add unit with denormal number support
The present application provides a method and apparatus for supporting denormal numbers in a floating point multiply-add unit (FMAC). One embodiment of the FMAC is configurable to add a product of first and second operands to a third operand. This embodiment of the FMAC is configurable to determine a minimum exponent shift for a sum of the product and the third operand by subtracting a minimum normal exponent from a product exponent of the product. This embodiment of the FMAC is also configurable to cause bits representing the sum to be left shifted by the minimum exponent shift if a third exponent of the third operand is less than or equal to the product exponent and the minimum exponent shift is less than or equal to a predicted left shift for the sum. |
| US09317248B2 |
Information processing device, subsystem, information processing method, and recording medium storing information processing program
An information processing device capable of performing external communication through a communication device for performing communication includes a subsystem arranged between the communication device and a main unit of the information processing device including a central processing unit and an operating system. The subsystem temporarily stores communication data between the communication device and the central processing unit when the central processing unit is in a power source turned-off state or a suspended state, and the subsystem transfers the communication data between the communication device and the central processing unit when the central processing unit is in a power source turned-on state. Accordingly, external communication is enabled without altering the connection manager of the OS even when the subsystem is placed between the communication device and the OS. |
| US09317245B2 |
Apparatus and method for displaying images
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for displaying images. The apparatus includes a first image output unit, a second image output unit, an image signal selection unit, and an image display unit. The first image output unit is set to master operation mode, and outputs an image signal to be displayed. The second image output unit is set to slave operation mode, and, if the first image output unit has failed, is switched to master operation mode and then continuously outputs the image signal or a new image signal. The image signal selection unit compares the IP source address of a received master message with previously stored address information, and then selects the image signal that is received from the first image output unit or the second image output unit that has a matching address. The image display unit displays the selected image signal. |
| US09317244B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal capable of performing a content sharing function with an external display device includes an output unit configured to include a display module and an audio output module, a radio communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication function with the display device, a sensing unit configured to sense a movement of the mobile terminal, and a controller configured to activate the content sharing function with the display device for a second application when the sensing unit senses a movement of a first type of the mobile terminal in a state in which the content sharing function with the display device for a first application has been activated. |
| US09317241B2 |
Vehicle console capable of wireless reception and transmission of audio and video data
A console for a vehicle comprises an assembly housing capable of being mounted in an interior of the vehicle, a wireless receiver, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly receive audio and video data from at least one input device, a recording device, houseable in the assembly housing for recording the audio and video data received from the at least one input device, and a wireless transmitter, houseable in the assembly housing, adapted to wirelessly transmit the audio and video data to at least one receiving device. |
| US09317231B2 |
Image forming apparatus, information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus to access a file server and a job server connected to an internet via a local area network, and issue a print request of a file managed by the file server, includes a file server connection unit, a job server connection unit, a token acquisition unit, a print request unit, and a print unit. The file server connection unit connects with the file server. The job server connection unit connects with the job server. The token acquisition unit acquires a token associated with connection with the image forming apparatus from the job server connected by the job server connection unit. The print request unit issues the print request for the file server connected by the file server connection unit using the token acquired by the token acquisition unit. The print unit prints print data received from the job server connected by the job server connection unit. |
| US09317226B2 |
Image processing apparatus for allowing a user to select a region of a web page
An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine coordinate of a region in a web page having a plurality of elements in a structured document, the display region being specified by a user, an extraction unit configured to extract image data corresponding to the coordinate determined by the determination unit in the web page, an output unit configured to output an image based on the image data extracted by the extraction unit, wherein, when the region specified by the user is a part clipped out of an element in the web page, the extraction unit extracts image data of the part of the element corresponding to the coordinate determined by the determination unit. |
| US09317225B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamically configuring a filter pipeline for a print driver
A method and apparatus for managing filters in a filter pipeline in a print driver used with an image production device. The method may include configuring a filter pipeline in a print driver with one or more proxy filters, each proxy filter including logic to invoke an associated processing filter to perform functions similar to a corresponding processing filter alone, and enabling the print driver to be at least one of certified and digitally signed with the proxy filter without the associated processing filter being known or present. |
| US09317222B1 |
Centralized content addressed storage
A centralized content addressed storage (CAS) application and a method for providing data protection are implemented by running a CAS application on a virtualization layer of a computer platform. The virtualization layer presents to the CAS application a normalized representation of a hardware subsystem of the computer platform, shielding the CAS application from actual hardware devices of the computer platform. A storage device of the computer platform is used to store a raw data set and the CAS application generates a backup data set of the raw data set. The CAS application stores the backup data set to an archive mechanism of the computer platform and can also restore and recover the raw data set in the event it is lost, corrupted or otherwise destroyed. Multiple CAS applications can be operated separately or together and they may be the same or differ. |
| US09317219B2 |
Semiconductor device and processor system including the same
Provided is a semiconductor device including: a plurality of processing circuits; an arbitration circuit that arbitrates a plurality of data transfer requests issued by the plurality of processing circuits; a mask control circuit that loads the plurality of data transfer requests arbitrated by the arbitration circuit, and sequentially outputs the plurality of data transfer requests after a lapse of a mask period; and a memory controller that accesses a memory based on the plurality of data transfer requests sequentially output from the mask control circuit, and switches a mode of the memory to a power saving mode when no data transfer request is output from the mask control circuit for a predetermined period. |
| US09317218B1 |
Memory efficient sanitization of a deduplicated storage system using a perfect hash function
Techniques for sanitizing a storage system are described herein. In one embodiment, for each of fingerprints representing data chunks stored in a first container of the storage system, a lookup operation in a live bit vector based on the fingerprint is performed to determine whether a corresponding data chunk is live. In one embodiment, a bit in a copy bit vector corresponding to the data chunk is populated based on the lookup operation. In one embodiment, after all of the bits corresponding to the data chunks of the first container have been populated in the CBV, data chunks represented by the CBV are copied from the first container to a second container, and records of the data chunks in the first container are erased. |
| US09317211B2 |
System and method of life management for low endurance SSD NAND devices used as secondary cache
A system and method for managing the life expectancy of at least one solid state drive (SSD) within a cache device of a storage subsystem includes determining a baseline rate of decline for each SSD based on its guaranteed life expectancy. At intervals, each SSD of the cache device is polled for remaining life and power-on time, and a current rate of decline (based on time since initialization) and a cumulative rate of decline (based on total lifespan of the SSD) is determined. When both the current rate of decline and the cumulative rate of decline exceed the baseline rate of decline for any SSD of the cache device, write requests to that SSD are blocked and redirected to the virtual device until either the current rate of decline or cumulative rate of decline drop below the baseline rate. |
| US09317210B2 |
Balancing traffic through logical unit range partitioning
An approach is provided in which a storage system includes a first storage controller, a second storage controller, and multiple logical units. The storage system detects that a controller traffic load ratio between the first storage controller and the second storage controller has reached a threshold. As such, the storage system selects one of the logical units and partitions the selected logical unit into multiple logical units. The storage system, in turn, changes a preferred controller ownership of one of the logical unit partitions from the first storage controller to the second storage controller. |
| US09317202B2 |
Keyboard overlay that improves touch typing on small touch screen devices
A keyboard overlay for use with a virtual touch screen keyboard, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present technology, a keyboard is overlaid over a plurality of virtual keys that have virtual key centers laterally spaced apart from each other. The keyboard can have a base configured to be coupled to the virtual touch screen keyboard and a plurality of overlay key structures corresponding to the virtual keys. The overlay key centers of the individual overlay key structures have overlay key centers, and at least a subset of the overlay key structures can be arranged such that the overlay key centers of the subset are offset relative to the virtual key centers of the corresponding virtual keys. |
| US09317199B2 |
Setting a display position of a pointer
A control apparatus includes: an operation reception unit receiving a reference setting operation, and a position designation operation after the reference setting operation, that are input by a user touching an input unit provided on a display surface of a display unit; a reference position setting unit setting a reference position at a position shifted toward a periphery of the input unit from the position of the reference setting operation on the input unit; and a display control unit setting, depending on the reference position and the position of the position designation operation, a display position of a pointer for selecting a position on the display unit. |
| US09317197B2 |
Storage medium storing information processing program to be executed by computer of information processor to perform a process according to an input to touch surfaces
An information processing program stored in a storage medium allows the computer (21) to function as a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and a mode selection unit. The first processing unit executes a first process based on the first touch operation (S16, S22). The second processing unit executes a second process based on the first touch operation and the second touch operation (S30). The first and second touch operations are detected by the information processor based on a first touch operation on a first touch surface and a second touch operation on a second touch surface. The mode selection unit selects a first mode in which the first process is executed based on the first touch operation, or a second mode in which the second process is executed based on the first touch operation and the second touch operation (S15). |
| US09317194B2 |
Status-indicator for sub-volumes of multi-dimensional images in guis used in image processing
An apparatus and user interface (155) for aiding in navigating and modifying delineations (117a-c) in or associated with 2D sub-volumes (110a-c) of a 3D or higher dimensional image dataset (100). States and position of the sub-volumes visualized. Both, states and position can be changed by using the functionalities of the user interface generated (155) by said apparatus. The apparatus can be used in medical image post-processing system. |
| US09317185B2 |
Dynamic interactive entertainment venue
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods for generating composite mediasets from mediasets, each comprising media items, associated with a plurality of users. In some embodiments, individual and/or group recommendations are provided for creating a group playlist by aggregating user taste data for a plurality of users in a group. In other embodiments, systems and methods are provided which allow for sharing and playing of a group playlist by users in a group, each of which has a media playback device. In still other embodiments, systems and methods are provided for dynamically building a composite playlist that may be updated as users enter and/or leave the group. One example of an interactive entertainment application also is described for use at a venue to entertain live guests with music selections that are dynamically influenced by the guests' individual tastes. |
| US09317184B2 |
Providing a configurable menu of hierarchical menu items
A device may extract menu information associated with a first application. The menu information may identify hierarchical menu items corresponding to at least two levels of a menu hierarchy associated with a first menu of the first application. The device may receive configuration information that controls a manner in which the hierarchical menu items are to be provided for display. The device may execute the first application to cause first information, associated with the first application, to be provided for display. The device may execute a second application that provides the hierarchical menu items for display. The second application may be different from the first application. The device may provide the hierarchical menu items for display concurrently, via a second menu overlaid on the first information associated with the first application, based on the configuration information and further based on executing the second application. |
| US09317183B2 |
Presenting a menu at a mobile device
Systems and methods for presenting a menu at a computing device are provided. In some aspects, an indication of a user touching a hardware menu button of the computing device is received, where the hardware menu button is separate and distinct from a touchscreen of the computing device. A menu on the touchscreen is presented in response to the user touching the hardware menu button, where the menu includes multiple menu elements, and where each menu element has a corresponding command. An indication of the user touching the touchscreen at a starting point within a dragging-start region of the touchscreen is received. An indication of the user dragging a touching device along the touchscreen from the starting point to a termination point is received, where the termination point is associated with a termination menu element. A signal is provided for execution of the corresponding command of the termination menu element. |
| US09317182B2 |
Pop-up menu interface
Approaches are disclosed for generating a menu that may be used to provide a set of bounded options for populating associated cells of a table. In certain embodiments, the menu is automatically generated based at least in part on the initial content of one or more cells to be associated with the menu. In certain embodiments, the options listed in the menu may be edited by a user or reformatted based on logic associated with the menu generation process. |
| US09317181B2 |
Portable user control device and method for vehicle information systems
A personal user control device suitable for use in cooperation with information systems, such as vehicle information systems, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The personal user control device provides a user-friendly interface system for interacting with the information system. Unlike conventional control devices, the user interface system includes no dedicated buttons and provides a customizable environment for interacting with the information system. When in communication with the information system, the personal user control device can automatically detect system status information, such as available system functionality, available viewing content, and/or a current system operation mode, of the information system and provides a user interface system that instinctively adapts for use with the information system in light of the detected system status information. The personal user control device thereby provides a versatile and intuitive manner for interacting with the information system. |
| US09317180B2 |
Systems and methods for consumer-generated media reputation management
A method implementable in at least one electronic device coupled to a network and a display device, includes receiving, over the network, a data set, receiving, from a user, a selection of a first topic, determining, based on the data set, a plurality of network sites hosting commentary of the first topic and an authority level of each site of the plurality, determining, based on the data set, an authority level of each site of the plurality, determining, based on the data set, a plurality of authors providing the commentary hosted by the plurality of network sites, determining, based on the data set, an authority level of each author of the plurality, determining, based on the data set, a value characterizing an opinion of each author on the first topic. |
| US09317174B2 |
Moving an object in a virtual space based on motion detecting signals
First, a moving direction of an input device is calculated based on motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting attitude or motion of the input device operated by a user. Then, the object in a virtual three-dimensional space is caused to move to a position which is obtained by hypothetically moving a position of the object based on the direction in which the input device has been moved and then by correcting the position of the object hypothetically moved, only in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the input device has been moved. |
| US09317166B2 |
Display device with a built-in touch panel
A display device with a built-in touch panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, plural pixel electrodes provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, plural common electrodes provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and plural detection electrodes provided on the first substrate. An image is displayed by light control using an electric field generated between the plural pixel electrodes and the plural common electrodes. The presence or absence of touch is detected by a difference in capacitance due to the presence or absence of a material interrupting the electric field generated between one of the detection electrodes and one of the common electrodes. Each of the detection electrodes includes a through hole. |
| US09317161B2 |
Touch sensor with spacers supporting a cover panel
In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes an insulating substrate comprising a first face. The touch sensor further includes a plurality of electrodes comprising one or more conductive materials formed on the insulating substrate. The touch sensor may also include a plurality of spacers extending outwardly from the first face of the first insulating substrate. Each spacer of the plurality of spacers may extend substantially the same distance from the first face of the insulating substrate. The plurality of spacers are operable to maintain a substantially consistent air gap between the plurality of electrodes and a cover panel when the cover panel is attached to the insulating substrate. |
| US09317160B2 |
Determining touch locations using disturbed light
A system comprises a plurality of light sources configured to provide light beams to a waveguide layer of a touch-screen. At least one of the light beams is disturbed when an object touches the touch-screen at a touch point. The system also comprises a plurality of detectors, where at least one of the detectors is configured to detect the disturbed light. The system comprises control logic coupled to the at least one detector. The control logic determines a location of the touch point as a result of the at least one detector detecting the disturbed light. The plurality of light sources and plurality of detectors are contained within a source/detector layer. The source/detector layer is separated from the waveguide layer by a mirror layer comprising a plurality of mirrors that transfer light between the source/detector layer and the waveguide layer. |
| US09317152B2 |
Display device including integrated touch panel and method of driving the same
A method of driving a display device including an integrated touch panel, the method comprising: applying a plurality of sampling voltages to a plurality of electrodes of the integrated touch panel; determining a plurality of noise levels each of which is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of sampling voltages; comparing the plurality of noise levels to a threshold level; and selecting a sampling voltage from the plurality of sampling voltages to use as a touch driving voltage based on the comparison of the plurality of noise levels to the threshold level; and applying the selected sampling voltage as the touch driving voltage to the plurality of electrodes. |
| US09317151B2 |
Low complexity gate line driver circuitry
Gate driver circuitry that controls an array of display elements is described. The gate driver circuitry has gate drivers that apply a control pulse to each of a number of gate lines in sequence, from a previous gate line to a current gate line, during a frame interval in which the array of display elements is filled with pixel values. Each gate driver has a latch stage followed by an output stage. The output stage is coupled to drive a current gate line, and the latch stage is coupled to drive a) a first hold circuit that holds the current gate line at a predetermined voltage, and b) a second hold circuit that holds a previous gate line at a predetermined voltage. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US09317149B2 |
Method for detecting touch position of touch screen and touch screen using same
Disclosed are a method for detecting a touch position of a touch screen and the touch screen using the same. A method for detecting a touch position on a touch screen includes the steps of: detecting a touched touch screen block among touch screen blocks by using signals generated from at least one touch sensor among touch sensors included in a plurality of touch screen blocks into which an area of the touch screen is divided; and detecting a touch position in the detected touch screen block on the basis of a signal of a touch sensor included in the detected touch screen block. Thus, compared to an existing method of processing a signal by reading measurement values of all measurement sensors, the invention enables fast signal processing, thereby reducing measurement signal processing time for measuring a touch position of a touch screen. |
| US09317148B2 |
Display input device, and image forming apparatus including touch panel portion
A display input device includes a display portion and a touch panel portion. The display portion displays a screen having an object thereon. The touch panel portion is provided on the display portion and detects a plurality of touched positions touched by a user. The display portion, while displaying the screen having the object thereon, when an operation of touching two points on the touch panel portion has been performed, displays transfer destination information indicating a transfer destination candidate that can be a transfer destination of the object. The touch panel portion, when an object transfer operation including an operation of touching a display position of the transfer destination information and then releasing the touched state has been performed, accepts that the transfer destination candidate corresponding to the transfer destination information displayed at the last touched position has been determined as an actual transfer destination of the object. |
| US09317141B2 |
Magnetic and electrostatic vibration-driven haptic touchscreen
A system adapted for selectively attracting an object to and moving the object on a surface. The system includes an oscillating element including a contact surface such as a computer tablet with a touch screen or a table with a ferrous surface. The system includes a drive (or vibration inducing) assembly coupled to the oscillating element operable to oscillate the oscillating element to linearly move the contact surface first in a first direction and second in a second direction opposite the first direction (e.g., along an X-axis or Y-axis). The system further includes a preferential friction assembly operating to first create an attractive force between the contact surface and the object and second to modify the attractive force. This causes the object to move with the contact surface when the attractive force is created and the contact surface to move relative to the object when the attractive force is modified. |
| US09317138B1 |
Method and apparatus for sensing movement of a human interface device
A system includes circuitry to exchange multiple radio signals with a peripheral device. The system further includes a processing device configured to identify time periods for the multiple radio signals to travel between the circuitry and the peripheral device, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a distance and direction of movement of the peripheral device according to the identified time periods. |
| US09317132B2 |
Method and apparatus using on-screen keyboard as input unit
A method and apparatus using an on-screen keyboard as an input unit. A method of using an on-screen keyboard as an input unit comprises receiving information on a first key that is selected through the input unit that has fewer input keys than the on-screen keyboard, highlighting a predetermined key in a predetermined group of keys including a number key on the on-screen keyboard that corresponds to the first key, and moving a highlighted portion on the on-screen keyboard when a second key is selected through the input unit. |
| US09317131B2 |
System and method for generating a representative computerized display of a user'S interactions with a touchscreen based hand held device on a gazed-at screen
A system and method of interacting with a smartphone application displayed over a remote display gazed at by a user including a normal mode of operation which may be the default, a hovering mode of operation which may be triggered by a trigger event, and a release event which reverts from hovering mode to normal mode. An enhanced hovering ability is typically provided while hovering, in that a predetermined set of operative gestures is enabled, such that a range of predetermined gestures is available for operating purposes while hovering. |
| US09317129B2 |
System and method for using a side camera for a free space gesture inputs
An information handling system including a camera mounted in the side edge surface for detecting gestures by a user in a gesture detecting zone next to the system and including a gesture detection system for interpreting free space gestures and initializing cursor control commands. |
| US09317127B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion recognition
A motion recognizing apparatus and method are provided. According to an aspect, a motion recognizing apparatus may include: an optical sensor configured to sense at least a portion of a subject where a motion occurs and to output one or more events in response thereto; a motion tracing unit configured to trace a motion locus of the portion where the motion occurs based on the one or more outputted events; and a motion pattern determining unit configured to determine a motion pattern of the portion where the motion occurs based on the traced motion locus. |
| US09317123B2 |
Skin stretch feedback devices, systems, and methods
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate devices, systems, methods, and for displaying information about the direction and magnitude of position, movement, and/or resistive force experienced for an object. The present disclosure also provides a shear display device that can generate skin shear with one or more tactors, each moving in a two- or three-dimensional space. The movement of the tactors can represent to a user various information about an object. |
| US09317120B2 |
Multiplexing and demultiplexing haptic signals
A system receives a multiplexed signal with two or more different types of haptic signals encoded therein. Each type of haptic signal represents a haptic effect for different types of haptic output devices. The system determines a target haptic output device located on a haptic playback device. The system demultiplexes the multiplexed signal into at least the type of haptic signal corresponding to the target output device. The system provides the demultiplexed haptic signal to the target haptic output device. |
| US09317119B2 |
Haptic feedback device, haptic feedback method, driving signal generating device and driving signal generation method
A haptic feedback device includes: a plurality of actuators for vibrating a panel; a touch information obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of touch positions on the panel; a haptic feedback determining unit for determining a first touch position at which to provide haptic feedback from among the plurality of touch positions; and a driving signal obtaining unit for obtaining first driving signals for driving the actuators to vibrate the panel at the first touch position according to a first haptic signal and vibrate the panel at a second touch position more weakly than at the first touch position, the first driving signals being generated using transfer functions from the actuators to the first touch position or a vicinity thereof and transfer functions from the actuators to the second touch position or a vicinity thereof. |
| US09317111B2 |
Providing greater access to one or more items in response to verifying device transfer
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: acquiring one or more indicators that suggest that a computing device has been transferred to a first user from a second user, the first user having at least greater accessing rights than the second user to one or more items via the computing device; detecting, in response to said acquiring, input that verifies that the computing device has been transferred to the first user; and providing at least greater access via the computing device to the one or more items in response to detecting the input verifying that the computing device has been transferred to the first user. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US09317107B2 |
Multi-user display systems and methods
Image display systems and methods are provided. A plurality of pixel groups, each including a plurality of independent pixels, forms a display. A plurality of lenses (1251-N) forming an optical array and aligned along at least one axis (130), can be disposed proximate the display. Each of the plurality of lenses can provide a limited viewing arc (1501-N) for each of the plurality of independent pixels. A sample system can also include a detector (160) to detect the presence and location of a first user (165) and a second user (170) and logic (175), that when executed by a processor (180) coupled to the display, routes a first display signal (1451) based upon the viewing arc of a first portion of pixels; and routes a second display signal (1452) based upon the viewing arc of a second portion of pixels. |
| US09317105B2 |
Method for performing application wake-up management for a portable device by classifying one application wake-up event of a plurality of application wake-up events as a triggering event for the other application wake-up events
A method and apparatus for performing wake-up event management and an associated computer program product are provided, where the method is applied to an electronic device. The method includes the steps of: classifying a plurality of wake-up events of the electronic device according to at least one predetermined rule, wherein a specific wake-up event of the plurality of wake-up events is classified to be a triggering event, and one or more other wake-up events of the plurality of wake-up events are classified to be grouping events; arranging the grouping events as a group corresponding to the triggering event by setting wake-up time of each of the grouping events to be equivalent to that of the triggering event, for triggering the grouping events by utilizing the triggering event; and when the wake-up time of the triggering event is reached, performing operations corresponding to the triggering event and the grouping events, respectively. |
| US09317098B2 |
Server, power management system, power management method, and program
To increase the reliability of power supply control of a server group and reduce the power consumption of the server group. A server includes a power supply stop control unit which stops a power supply of a predetermined processing unit upon receiving a power supply stop instruction signal instructing to stop the power supply, a power supply start-up control unit which intermittently starts up the power supply of the predetermined processing unit when the power supply stop control unit stops the power supply of the predetermined processing unit, a power supply start-up determination unit which determines whether a processing load of other servers which are executing their processes among a plurality of other servers is higher than an upper limit load determined in advance as a load required to be processed by servers the number of which is greater than or equal to the number of the other servers which are executing their processes when the power supply start-up control unit starts up the power supply of the predetermined processing unit, and a process control unit which controls process execution for the predetermined processing unit when the processing load of the other servers which are executing their processes is determined to be higher than the upper limit load. |
| US09317097B2 |
Efficiency adjustments in power supply system
A power supply system for maintaining the efficiency of an AC/DC power conversion unit in relation to a load is disclosed. The load varies in response to power usage during operation of the power supply system. An AC power input and a DC power output of the power conversion unit direct DC power to attached components. A master controller disposed in the power supply system detects the load of an attached computer system through a DC meter and executes an algorithm to determine the values of circuit parameters of conversion circuits in the AC/DC power conversion unit. The master controller sends the values to a mode controller through a digital signal interface. The mode controller adjusts the operating mode of the conversion circuits and thus changes the efficiency of the AC/DC power conversion unit. |
| US09317095B1 |
Voltage scaling system supporting synchronous applications
A voltage scaling system can scale a supply voltage while preventing a processor from communicating with first system components that are rendered unstable from the scaling. On the other hand, the voltage scaling system allows second system components that are stable during the scaling to communicate with the processor. A processor scales a system supply voltage to a target supply voltage. The processor halts operations of the first system components and executes the instruction. When the first system components are halted, the processor cannot access the first system components. The second system components can continue operating during the scaling. A controller that saves power can configure a voltage regulator to scale the system supply voltage to the target supply voltage. Once the target supply voltage is reached, the voltage regulator sends an indication to a power management unit, after which the first system components continue to operate. |
| US09317092B2 |
Universal serial bus chargers and charging management methods
Universal serial bus chargers and charging management methods thereof are provided. The universal serial bus charger includes a control unit, a charger module, a universal serial bus interface device, and a switch device. The control unit receives a power management signal and provides a switching signal and a charging signal according to the power management signal. The charger module outputs power and a power suspending signal according to the charging signal and a communications protocol signal, respectively. The universal serial bus interface device operates according to the power, and outputs the communications protocol signal according to a universal serial bus peripheral device connected thereto. The switch device is coupled between the charger module and the universal serial bus interface device, and receives the power. Furthermore, the switch device provides the power to the universal serial bus interface device according to the switching signal. |
| US09317090B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for operating a data processing system
Methods and apparatuses to manage working states of a data processing system. At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data processing system with one or more sensors (e.g., physical sensors such as tachometer and thermistors, and logical sensors such as CPU load) for fine grain control of one or more components (e.g., processor, fan, hard drive, optical drive) of the system for working conditions that balance various goals (e.g., user preferences, performance, power consumption, thermal constraints, acoustic noise). In one example, the clock frequency and core voltage for a processor are actively managed to balance performance and power consumption (heat generation) without a significant latency. In one example, the speed of a cooling fan is actively managed to balance cooling effort and noise (and/or power consumption). |