| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09427139B2 |
Positioning system for manipulating a treatment instrument at the end of a medical device
Embodiments of the invention include a medical device for accessing a patient's body portion and used for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Embodiments of the invention may include a particular endoscopic positioning mechanism for placing an endoscope and an additional treatment device within desired body portions in order to assist in diagnosis and treatment of anatomical diseases and disorders. In particular, a medical device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a positioning mechanism configured for movement through at least two degrees of freedom. |
| US09427138B2 |
Access devices and related methods of use
A system for accessing a patient's body may include an elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and two lumens. The elongate member may include two lumens and a thickness of material extending between external and internal surfaces of the elongate member. The system may also include a first illumination device associated with a first of the two lumens such that a portion of the first illumination device may extend into the thickness of material. A second illumination device may be associated with the second of the two lumens such that a portion of the second illumination device may extend into the thickness of material. Further, the system may include an imaging device having a first portion extending into the thickness of material, a second portion protruding into the first of the two lumens, and a third portion protruding into the second of the two lumens. |
| US09427137B2 |
Imaging a patient's interior
A system (100) is provided for imaging a patient's interior. The system comprises an imaging sensor (120) for acquiring a series of images of a region of interest (020) in the patient's interior, and a plurality of light sources (140) for illuminating the region of interest in the patient's interior from different light source directions (152-156). A light controller (160) is provided for controlling individual ones (142-146) of the plurality of light sources (140) to dynamically vary the light source directions (152-156) during said acquiring. Moreover, a processor (180) is provided for obtaining lighting data (164) indicative of the dynamically varying light source directions. The processor (180) is further arranged for using the lighting data to apply a photometric stereo technique to the image data so as to establish a three-dimensional [3D] surface profile of the region of interest. The processor (180) is further provided to detect insufficiently illuminated areas of the region of interest (020-024) in the images acquired by the imaging sensor (120), using the 3D surface profile of the region of interest. Accordingly, the system is enabled to establish a 3D surface profile of the region of interest from a series of images in a convenient and cost-effective manner. |
| US09427132B2 |
Spray assembly for a dishwasher appliance
The present subject matter provides a spray assembly for a dishwasher appliance. The spray assembly includes a spray arm, a bearing, and a bracket for mounting the spray assembly to a dishwasher appliance. The spray arm is mounted for rotation relative to the bearing, and the bearing is mounted to the bracket. The spray assembly includes features for rotating the bearing relative to the bracket with the spray arm. Such rotation can assist with mounting of the bearing to the bracket. |
| US09427131B2 |
Fluid pump volute diversion system, solids collection system and related methods for a washing machine
A fluid pump volute offshoot system for debris diversion and collection, a solids collection system, and related methods, for a pot and pan, or other, similar, washing machine is provided. |
| US09427127B2 |
Autonomous surface cleaning robot
A mobile floor cleaning robot includes a body defining a forward drive direction, a drive system, a cleaning system, and a controller. The cleaning system includes a pad holder, a reservoir, a sprayer, and a cleaning system. The pad holder has a bottom surface for receiving a cleaning pad. The reservoir holds a volume of fluid, and the sprayer sprays the fluid forward the pad holder. The controller is in communication with the drive and cleaning systems. The controller executes a cleaning routine that includes driving in the forward direction a first distance to a first location, then driving in a reverse drive direction a second distance to a second location. From the second location, the robot sprays fluid in the forward drive direction but rearward the first location. The robot then drives in alternating forward and reverse drive directions while smearing the cleaning pad along the floor surface. |
| US09427126B2 |
Surface cleaning apparatus
A surface cleaning apparatus, wherein the pre-motor filter dirt chamber is openable. |
| US09427125B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner has a removable cyclonic separator that includes a cyclone chamber; a dirt-collection chamber, open at one end; and an outlet duct from the cyclone chamber. An open end of the outlet duct is arranged for connection to a motor intake duct on the cleaner, the outlet duct and dirt collection chamber sharing a common wall section which divides the open end of the outlet duct from the open end of the dirt collection chamber. A cover closes off the open end of the dirt collection chamber and can be opened to allow access to the dirt collection chamber for emptying. When the cover is in the closed position, a cover sealing member forms an air seal between the cover and the common wall section. When the outlet duct is connected to the motor inlet duct, an outlet duct sealing member forms an air seal between the ducts. |
| US09427121B2 |
Glass-wiping robot having air-venting device
A glass-wiping robot having an air-venting device (5), comprising a machine body (1). The machine body (1) has arranged thereon a suction cup device (2). The suction cup device (2) is connected to a vacuum air pump (4) via an airway pipe (3). The glass-wiping robot is adsorbed on a surface of a glass via the suction cup device (2). The suction cup device (2) is also connected to an air-venting device (5). The air-venting device (5) is provided with opened and closed positions. When the air-venting device (5) is at the opened position, the suction cup device (2) is in communication with the atmosphere via the air-venting device (5). The glass-wiping robot has the air-venting device (5) arranged on the airway pipe (3) between the vacuum air pump (4) and the suction cup device (2), wherein when a handle (51) is pulled up, a positioning rotary shaft (53) rotates to trigger an air-venting valve (52), and the air-venting valve (52) opens an air-venting hole therein to allow the interior of the suction cup to be in communication with the atmosphere, thus an equilibrium between internal and external air pressures is achieved rapidly, the glass-wiping robot can be removed rapidly without having to wait, and the work efficiency is increased. |
| US09427120B1 |
System and method for creating currency rain
By using an automated money dispenser, a patron can “shoot” currency in the direction of a performer from any reasonable distance and can control the rate of dispensing as well as the total amount dispensed. In some embodiments, the dispenser can emit sounds, light or other special effects to further enhance the experience for the dispensing patron, for other patrons, as well as for the performer. The present invention allows for a unique experience both for the user and for the entertainer, allowing for role-play and other types of entertainment not available in the prior art. |
| US09427117B2 |
Quick disconnect built-in dispenser
A dispensing system is disclosed. The system includes a pump having a pump mechanism, an outlet, and an internal conduit for pumping a material through the conduit and out of the outlet. The pump also has a body portion. The system further includes a mounting mechanism having a base member sized to extend into and through an opening in a surface, the base member being configured to securely engage the surface. The body portion of the pump includes a first structure composed of a material susceptible to magnetic forces, and the mounting mechanism includes a second structure composed of a material susceptible to magnetic forces, the first and second structures adapted to act on each other through a magnetic force, such that the body portion of the pump is removably securable to the mounting mechanism through a magnetic connection. Methods of use are also disclosed. |
| US09427116B2 |
Hammock tub assembly
A hammock tub assembly serves as both a hammock for leisure swinging, sleeping, or resting; and a tub for soaking, hydrotherapy, and pleasure. A suspended non-permeable panel conforms to the shape and weight of the loads. The non-permeable panel is defined by a body portion and a perimeter portion. The body portion supports the solid and liquid loads, conforming to the shapes and weight of each load. The perimeter portion includes fastening points that maintain a fixed position for the body portion for enabling the stretching of the body portion into a generally concave shape. When stretched between the fixed points, the body portion forms a generally concave shape that cradles the solid load and contains the liquid load. The liquid is circulated through a filtering portion. A lighting portion, a sound portion, and a data portion enhance the therapeutic effects. |
| US09427114B2 |
Magnetic drain stopper assembly and method
A magnetic drain stopper for use in a basin drain. A stopper is disposed for reciprocation in the drain pipe and includes a stopper magnet. A curvilinear actuator outside the drain pipe supports one or more driver magnets for movement in a non-linear path toward and away from the stopper magnet. When moved toward the stopper magnet, the driver magnets induce the stopper to lift away from a sealed condition so that water can exit the basin. The curvilinear actuator may include a generally cylindrical base captured in a sleeve-like hinge bracket. A control rod is coupled to a push rod that receives manual input from a user. A pair of flanking legs may be attached to the ends of the base, with each leg carrying a driver magnet half. The curvilinear actuator may include an optional draw-down magnet to hold the stopper in its sealed condition. |
| US09427113B2 |
Undermount cabinet storage system
The present invention provides an undermount cabinet storage system adapted for receipt of at least one common kitchen items, said undermount cabinet storage system including a mounting bracket in pivotable receipt of a vertical support structure movable between a horizontal position and a vertical position with a pair of rotatable arms associated with a distal end of the vertical support member and adapted for receipt of the kitchen item. |
| US09427109B2 |
Grill rod scraping tool and related methods
A grill rod scraping tool for cleaning the top, sides and bottom side of grill rods. The tool comprises of a neck with concave contours and a U-shaped end that enable the prongs and scraper of the tool to scrape the top, sides, and bottom side of the grid iron rods. The concave contours of the neck also allow both left and right handed individuals to operate and rotate the tool with ease. The prongs are angled away from the neck to enable the tool to be used while the grid iron rods are still hot. The grill tool is applied to the grill rod and pushed and pulled along the length of the grill rod to clean residue from food and hardened char. |
| US09427108B2 |
Cooking grate with adjustable heating characteristics
A multi-part cooking grate with a lower sub-grate with a first plurality of V-shaped cooking members running along a length of the lower sub-grate and having a first predetermined spacing between the first plurality cooking members along a width of the lower sub-grate, and an upper sub-grate with a second plurality of V-shaped cooking members running along a length of the lower sub-grate and having a second predetermined spacing between the second plurality of cooking members along a width of the upper sub-grate. |
| US09427102B2 |
Window treatment rod bracket
A window treatment hanging apparatus operable to releasably secure a window treatment rod bracket to a wall. The window treatment hanging apparatus further includes a body that is planar in manner and rectangular in shape. The body includes a central portion that is circumferentially border by a perimeter seam. The central portion having an inner surface and an outer surface. Opposite the perimeter seam and contiguous therewith are a plurality of foldable sections. The foldable sections include a plurality of vertical and horizontal foldable sections. The foldable sections are have a first position and a second position. In the second position, the plurality of foldable sections are operable to bias a wall plate of a conventional rod support bracket against the inner surface of the central portion. The outer surface of the central portion having an adhesive layer operable to secure the window treatment hanging apparatus to a wall. |
| US09427100B1 |
Multipurpose plate
Multipurpose plates and method of use thereof. The plates include a rigid bottom layer having regions for holding food, hand receiving portions, first object holding portion for holding a drinking vessel, a second object holding portion having a slit for holding an eating related item, and a recessed receiving portion on the rigid layer for receiving a container. A user's hand holds the plate at one of the hand receiving portions, while a beverage vessel is inserted and held in the first object holding portion and one or more eating related items is inserted and held by the slit of the second object holding portion. The plate with its first and second object holding portions allow the user to securely eat food off the plate while the beverage vessel and the one or more eating related items are held by the plate. |
| US09427095B2 |
Anti-tip guide for product merchandiser
An anti-tip guide for a merchandising shelf including an associated support member for supporting at least one associated object for display and/or dispensing, and a pair of associated dividers mounted to the support member and spaced from each other. The pair of spaced dividers define between them a longitudinal pathway along which the associated at least one object can travel from a rear position to a front position on the associated support member. The anti-tip guide includes a first section mounted to one of the pair of associated dividers and extending along a plane of the one of the pair of associated dividers. A second section of the anti-tip guide protrudes away from the first section. A third section extends from the second section. At least one of the second and third sections includes a material which is more resilient than is a material of the first section. |
| US09427092B2 |
No-glue pocketed spring unit construction
Methods and systems for no-glue pocketed spring unit construction. Rows of pocketed springs, preferably arranged into modules of more than two pocketed springs surrounding a central hole, are welded together when paired probes and anvils press layers of pocketed spring fabric from the rows of pocketed springs together and a welding pulse of current is transmitted through wires on the probes to heat the wire it is pressed against the fabric. Non-stick material interposed between the wires and the fabric prevents melted fabric from sticking to the wires. |
| US09427090B2 |
Pocketed spring assembly comprising strings of springs having Y-shaped seams
A bedding or seating product comprises a pocketed spring assembly comprising a plurality of parallel strings of individually pocketed springs. The product may have individual inserts between adjacent strings of springs. Adjacent individually pocketed springs are separated from each other by at least one separating seam. Each of the separating seams comprises a pair of Y-shaped or U-shaped seams which may be joined together or spaced apart. |
| US09427089B2 |
Bed rail
A bed rail is configured to be mounted on a mattress. The bed rail includes a base arranged to extend under the mattress and a side rail coupled to the base and configured to include a portion arranged to lie above the mattress. |
| US09427088B2 |
Mobility assistance devices and related methods
Extendable mobility assistance devices for use with a bed are disclosed herein. The mobility assistance devices include base legs that are inserted between a mattress and a box spring and a support rail that extends upward from the base legs. The support rail has an adjustable longitudinal dimension. The support rail and base legs are configured to be reversibly arranged in a first orientation or a second orientation, for use on either side of a bed. |
| US09427086B2 |
Apparatus and system for dynamically correcting posture
An orthopedic device for improving posture while sitting, having a foundation member including a front portion for upper legs and a bowl portion for lower pelvic area. The bowl portion has a central portion and an upwardly inclined lateral portion. The lateral portion and the front portion collectively surround the central portion. A platform portion is connected with a concave recessed portion. An arm portion is connected to the platform portion. The central portion has plural regions of varying flexibility and the lateral portion has plural regions of varying flexibility. A seating apparatus is connected with the orthopedic seating device. |
| US09427078B2 |
Personal care products and methods
In one embodiment, an oral-care system is provided. The oral-care system includes an electric toothbrush having a motor, a power source in electrical communication with the motor, and a bristle holder operatively connected to the motor. A display is in data communication with the electric toothbrush. |
| US09427076B2 |
Oral care system, kit and method
An oral care system comprising an oral care implement and dispenser containing a fluid detachably coupled to the oral care implement. In one embodiment, the dispenser includes a reservoir containing a fluid and an actuator for dispensing the fluid from the dispenser; and the dispenser is alterable between: (i) a storage state in which the dispenser is detachably coupled to the oral care implement and a mechanical interference between a portion of the actuator and a portion of the oral care implement prohibits actuation of the actuator; and (ii) an application state in which a user can actuate the actuator to dispense the fluid from the dispenser. |
| US09427075B2 |
Applicator for combing the eyelashes or the eyebrows or for applying a composition thereto
The present invention relates to an applicator for combing the eyelashes and/or the eyebrows, and/or for applying a cosmetic, makeup, or a care product thereto, the applicator comprising a molded applicator member (8) that comprises: an inner core that is elongate along a longitudinal axis, and comprising opposite first and second portions that each extend along the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of rows of teeth, the rows extending along the longitudinal axis of the applicator member, with first rows and second rows of teeth extending from the first and second portions of the core respectively; at least half of the teeth of at least two consecutive first rows differing from at least half of the teeth of at least two consecutive second rows in thickness. |
| US09427062B2 |
Multiple level container
Cosmetic containers having multiple levels, a lid, and a base, in which the opening of the lid also provides access to at least first and second levels having one or more compartments for products and/or applicators. The base may contain a first level, and be coupled via a first linkage to a second level. The lid may be coupled by a pivot assembly to the base and to the second level by a second linkage. The overall assembly may allow access to both the first level and the second level on opening the lid. |
| US09427057B2 |
Portable electronic device case
Systems and methods are involved with but are not limited to: a first case portion including a first interior portion, the first interior portion including a first layer and a plurality of first protrusions, the plurality of first protrusions coupled to the first layer and extending therefrom, the plurality of first protrusions configured to affixedly engage with one or more smooth surface portions of a rear side portion of a portable device keyboard assembly. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US09427056B2 |
Packaging for collector cards
Collector card packaging assembly includes a packaging for collector cards manufactured from a single sheet of material. The collector card packaging assembly has s a limited number of collector cards, dimensioned and enclosed within the packaging such that the limited number of collector cards is positioned on top of the center part and below the upper flap, the lower flap, the first lateral flap and the second lateral flap. |
| US09427054B1 |
Inflatable coin bank
The inflatable coin bank is a decorative coin bank which grows in size with each coin inserted and stored therein. The inflatable coin bank includes a flexible housing with a coin receptacle received therein. The receptacle has a slot formed therethrough for receiving the coins. A sensor is mounted adjacent the slot formed through the receptacle for selectively generating an actuation signal when a coin passes through the slot. An inflatable bladder is further received within the flexible housing. An air pump is in communication with the inflatable bladder and the sensor, such that the air pump partially inflates the inflatable bladder with a pre-determined volume of air when the sensor generates the actuation signal. In this way, the inflatable bladder grows in volume with each insertion of a coin through the slot. |
| US09427053B2 |
Wearable device with magnets magnetized through their widths or thickness
A wearable device is provided with a wearable device structure. The wearable device has a first end and a second end. A plurality of magnets is positioned at the first and second ends that provide for coupling of the first end to the second end of the wearable device. At least a portion of the magnets are magnetized through their widths or thickness, e.g., depth. ID circuitry is provided at a surface or an interior of the wearable device. |
| US09427049B2 |
Instant control system using a fixed stud latching system
A latching system is operable to prevent inadvertent total release of two straps secured by the latching system as the two straps are being latched together. The latching system includes a buckle affixed to an end of a first strap and a plurality of fixed studs affixed to a second strap to be secured to the first strap. The plurality of fixed studs successively latch with the buckle as the second strap is pulled through a first section of the buckle. One of the fixed studs will catch in the buckle even if the first strap is pulled away from the second strap before latching is completed. Latching is completed by passing the second strap through a second portion of the buckle. In one embodiment, when latching is complete, two fixed studs engage the buckle to secure the second strap to the first strap. |
| US09427044B2 |
Reinforcing member for article of footwear
An article of footwear may have a sole including an outer member having an outer surface and an inner surface disposed closer to a wearer's foot than the outer surface. The outer member may include at least a first flex groove formed as an elongate recess in a first flex groove region, causing both the inner surface and the outer surface of the outer member to curve upward. The sole may include a reinforcing member disposed closer to the wearer's foot than the outer member, and may be relatively more rigid than the outer member. The reinforcing member may include a first bridge portion disposed in the first flex groove region and joining the first portion and the second portion together. The lateral width of the first bridge portion may be less than the lateral width of the first portion, and less than the lateral width of the second portion. |
| US09427042B2 |
Collapsible shoe
An article of footwear including an upper formed of a flexible upper material and a sole formed of a flexible sole material, wherein the sole is rolled, folded, or collapsed onto itself to reduce the volume of the article of footwear. The article of footwear in a collapsed state can then be packaged in a container. This container can be dispensed by a vending machine in a convenient urban area. |
| US09427039B2 |
Systems and methods for communicating helmet usage information during operation of an activity device
Systems and methods for communicating helmet usage information during operation of an activity device are provided. One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for communicating helmet usage and includes one or more position sensors, one or more activity sensors and one or more computing devices. The one or more position sensors can be configured to be positioned on a helmet, to detect placement of the helmet on a user's head and to transmit signals indicative of such placement. The one or more activity sensors can be configured to be positioned on an activity device, to detect operational indicators relative to the usage of the activity device and to transmit signals indicative of such operational indicators. The one or more computing devices can be configured to: receive signals from the one or more position sensors and the one or more activity sensors, determine whether the activity device is likely engaged in one or more given activities, and generate/communicate at least one helmet usage indication signal to a user of the activity device and/or to a third party via a remote device. |
| US09427038B2 |
Sun/rain hat
A sun/rain hat comprising a crown having a base, a brim extending outwardly from the base, and a liner coupleable to the crown. The liner has a posterior pouch therein configured to contain a prominent mass of hair and protect same from water or other elements. |
| US09427033B2 |
Athletic arm warmer
A device for warming a first arm and shoulder of a wearer includes a single arm portion and a torso portion. The single arm portion is comprised of a substantially flexible material and is configured to substantially cover the first arm of the wearer from the shoulder to a position beyond an elbow of the first arm. The torso portion is connected to the single arm portion and includes at least one pocket. At least one weight is retained in the pocket of the torso portion. |
| US09427023B2 |
Electronic cigarette and electronic cigarette device
This invention relates to an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette device, the electronic cigarette includes a sucking cylinder, a sucking nozzle configured at an end of the sucking cylinder; wherein the sucking cylinder and/or the sucking nozzle are processed with wooden material; wherein the wooden material is natural timber. The electronic cigarette device includes the above-mentioned electronic cigarette, and further includes an electronic cigarette casing, for accommodating and charging the electronic cigarette; the electronic cigarette casing includes a bottom box and a box cover, the bottom box and/or the box cover are made of the wooden material. The electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette casing are of health, hygiene, environmental protection and good taste and good feel. |
| US09427015B2 |
Palate cleansing beverage and method of making and using the same
A beverage specifically designed for cleansing the palate, hereafter a palate cleansing beverage (“PCB”), is a carbonated beverage made of water, citric acid, pectin, sucrose, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium, and carbon dioxide to cleanse the palate. |
| US09427013B2 |
Use of hulled rapeseed
The invention relates to a method for processing rape seeds (A.A), according to which the seeds are hulled and separated into kernels (S.E) and hulls (S.G), the kernels (S.E) being subjected to one or more pressings in order to extract oil (P.A; P.C), leaving behind a press cake (P.B; P.D) containing solids and oil. Said method is carried out in such a way that the press cake (P.B; P.D) is either directly distributed or distributed after at least one further grinding process (K; W) as a raw material, filler or additive (K. D) for animal feed. |
| US09427011B2 |
Non-allergenic ingredients and food products
The present invention relates to a non-allergenic food product, comprising an amino acid fraction comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of amino acids and peptides having a degree of polymerization of 7 or less; and a lipid fraction comprising at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of arachidonic acid and docosahexanoic acid, the composition having a content of proteins and other peptides having a molecular weight of 1000 dalton or more of less than 0.01 wt. %, based on the dry weight, preferably less than 0.001 wt. %, more preferably less than 0.0001 wt %. |
| US09427002B2 |
Isoflavone compositions for reducing accumulation of body fat in male mammals, and methods for their use
Edible compositions useful for weight management in male animals are disclosed. The compositions comprise one or more isoflavones or isoflavone metabolites and are particularly useful for reducing or preventing the accumulation of body fat. Also disclosed are methods useful for weight management in an animal utilizing compositions comprising one or more isoflavones. The compositions and methods are particularly useful for the reduction or prevention of body fat accumulation during periods of excess caloric intake, and preferably have a sparing effect on lean body mass. |
| US09426999B2 |
Method for culturing lactic acid bacterium and method for producing fermented milk
First, prepared is a whey degradation medium to which a protease, yeast extract, and the like are added. Further, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate or propylene glycol monooleate is added to the whey degradation medium. The whey degradation medium is inoculated with bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium and the lactic acid bacterium is cultured while the whey degradation medium is maintained at pH of 4 to 5. After the completion of the culture, the whey degradation medium (culture solution) is centrifuged to thereby separate therefrom a concentrated cell suspension containing the lactic acid bacterium in a concentrated form. The concentrated cell suspension has very low antibacterial activity (several tens AU or less). Then, by adding the concentrated cell suspension to a yogurt mix and fermenting the same, it is possible to produce yogurt containing the bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium without any delay in the fermentation. |
| US09426998B1 |
Fruit and vegetable preservative
Minimally processed fruits and vegetables, such as peeled and cut produce, are preserved by a solution containing a combination of green tea extract catechins and an organic acid or salt thereof selected from any one or any combination of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and salts thereof. The preservative solution prevents residual self-staining properties commonly associated with green tea extract catechins. Processed fruits and vegetables are dipped in, sprayed with, or coated with the preservative solution. The produce preservative solution maintains the color, texture, flavor, appearance, and crispness of the treated produce. |
| US09426994B2 |
Synergistic microbicidal combinations
Antimicrobial compositions based on the synergistic combination of 2-methyl-3-isothiazolone and selected commercial microbicides where the compositions are substantially free of halogenated 3-isothiazolone, are disclosed. Particularly preferred are combinations of 2-methyl-3-isothiazolone together with benzoic acid, citric acid, sorbic acid, 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane, 1,3-dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, zinc pyrithione or climbazole, that provide enhanced microbicidal efficacy at a combined active ingredient level lower than that of the combined individual 3-isothiazolone and commercial microbicide effective use levels. |
| US09426991B2 |
Synergistic weed control from applications of aminocyclopyrachlor and picloram
Disclosed herein are herbicidal compositions comprising a synergistically herbicidal effective amount of (a) aminocyclopyrachlor, or an agriculturally acceptable salt or ester thereof, and (b) picloram, or an agriculturally acceptable salt or ester thereof. Also disclosed herein are methods of controlling undesirable vegetation, which comprise applying to vegetation or an area adjacent the vegetation or applying to soil or water to prevent the emergence or growth of vegetation (a) aminocyclopyrachlor, or an agriculturally acceptable salt or ester thereof, and (b) picloram, or an agriculturally acceptable salt or ester thereof, wherein (a) and (b) are each added in an amount sufficient to produce a synergistic herbicidal effect. |
| US09426988B2 |
Tablet for delivering volatile substances and evaporation device for use with said tablet
Tablet (1) for delivering volatile substances comprising an active ingredient permeated in it, and which is characterized in that it comprises a handle (2) for its placement and removal from an evaporation device (6). Preferably, said handle comprises at least one protrusion (3) that can be housed in a complementary cavity (4) of the evaporation device (6).It permits the tablet, after it has been spent, to be easily removed without using any other element such as, for example, another tablet or a tool. |
| US09426983B2 |
Agrochemical composition and method for preparing the same
An aqueous suspension concentrate (SC) composition of a crop protection active compound is provided, the concentrate comprising: (a) 50 to 700 g/l of an active ingredient comprising at least one compound active in crop protection; and (b) a concentrate stabilizing component consisting of: (i) up to 150 g/l of at least one non-ionic dispersing agent; and/or (ii) to 150 g/l of at least one anionic dispersing agent; and 10 (c) 200 to 800 g/l of water; with the proviso that in the case that the suspension concentrate comprises an active ingredient other than an azole and the concentrate stabilizing component consists of an anionic dispersing agent only, the anionic dispersing agent is present in an amount of greater than 30 g/l; or in the case that the suspension concentrate comprises an azole derivative as the active ingredient and the concentrate stabilizing component consists of both an anionic dispersing agent and a non-ionic dispersing agent, the anionic dispersing agent is present in an amount of greater than 30 g/l. The suspension concentrate is particularly useful in the formulation of fungicides, in particular azole derivates of the given formula (I), especially tebuconazole. |
| US09426981B2 |
Antimicrobial composition having skincare properties
The invention relates to an antimicrobial composition which contains 80-95% by weight of ethanol 1-propanol, 2-propanol or the fixtures thereof. The hydroalcoholic composition according to the invention is preferably used in hand disinfectants. Due to the oil components contained therein it is skin-friendly and has good skin care properties, thus making it possible to combine good disinfectant properties with good use properties and skin-friendliness. |
| US09426979B2 |
Apparatus for oxygenation and perfusion of tissue for organ preservation
An apparatus according to an embodiment is configured to oxygenate and perfuse a bodily tissue for extracorporeal preservation of the bodily tissue. The apparatus includes a pneumatic system, a pumping chamber, and an organ chamber. The pneumatic system is configured for the controlled delivery of fluid to and from the pumping chamber based on a predetermined control scheme. The predetermined control scheme can be, for example, a time-based control scheme or a pressure-based control scheme. The pumping chamber is configured to diffuse a gas into a perfusate and to generate a pulse wave for moving the perfusate through a bodily tissue. The organ chamber is configured to receive the bodily tissue and the perfusate. The organ chamber is configured to substantially automatically purge excess fluid from the organ chamber to the pumping chamber. The pumping chamber is configured to substantially automatically purge excess fluid from the pumping chamber to an area external to the apparatus. |
| US09426978B1 |
Backpack hunting blind
A portable layout hunting blind that easy to transport and deploy in the field that includes a frame having a back frame portion and a base frame portion attached relative to the back frame to form a generally L-shaped frame configuration, the distal ends of the back and base frames configured to rest on the ground to form a slanted back support to produce a layout hunting blind when in a deployed condition, the backpack assembly further including a bag portion having an inner bag side adjacent the back frame and a bottom side adjacent the base frame wherein the frame is a backpack frame when in a transportable condition, the backpack assembly further including a pair of shoulder straps extending along the slanted back support to carry the backpack blind and a covering blind configured to lay over the hunter when in the deployed condition. |
| US09426977B1 |
Aromatic hunting lure vaporizing device
An aromatic hunting lure vaporizing and distribution device uses an electric heating element to rapidly vaporize a liquid and an integrated fan to distribute the vapor. The liquid can include a glycol or a water-glycol mixture. A scent material such as liquid or powdered deer urine or a pleasant scent that can be used as a room or automobile freshener is mixed with the liquid. The hunting lure vaporizing and distribution device selectively receives disposable cartridges that hold the aromatic hunting lure or scent liquid to be vaporized. In one configuration, the cartridge includes the liquid form of the lure without a heating element. In another configuration, the cartridge includes the electric heating element as well as the liquid form of the lure. In any of these configurations, the cartridge can be single use or refillable. |
| US09426975B2 |
Raccoon trap cap
A cap is provided for a tubular raccoon trap. The cap fits in the open upper end of the set and baited trap to keep mice and other small animals stealing the bait in the trap. A raccoon can easily remove the cap for access to the bait, to thereby trip the trigger and be caught in the trap. |
| US09426971B2 |
Magnetic line and lure restraint for enhanced casting
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for line and lure restraint to enhance spin casting. The apparatus is mountable to a fishing rod adjacent to a line reel maintained on the rod and includes a mount having a positioning arm with a mounting clip at one end and a platform at an opposite end. A neodymium ring magnet with first and second steel washers at opposite sides thereof is located on a bushing. An axial securement rotatably secures this assembly at the platform. The positioning arm is configured to selectively locate the magnate assembly relative to the rod and reel. |
| US09426970B2 |
Transgenic transchromosomal rodents for making human antibodies
The present invention provides novel transgenic nonhuman mammals capable of producing human sequence antibodies, as well as methods of producing and using these antibodies. |
| US09426969B1 |
Portable protective shielding device
Large number of animals and fowl are shielded against deleterious sun rays and heat by a transportable device equipped with a large sized canopy. The shielding device includes an elevated deploying unit which pivotally hinges canopy supporting arms for deployment to either an open shielding position or a closed position longitudinally aligned for highway transport by a wheeled vehicle. |
| US09426963B1 |
Maize inbred PH251F
A novel maize variety designated PH251F and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH251F with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH251F through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH251F or a locus conversion of PH251F with another maize variety. |
| US09426961B1 |
Maize inbred PH25B7
A novel maize variety designated PH25B7 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH25B7 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH25B7 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH25B7 or a locus conversion of PH25B7 with another maize variety. |
| US09426958B1 |
Maize inbred PH17TB
A novel maize variety designated PH17TB and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH17TB with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH17TB through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH17TB or a locus conversion of PH17TB with another maize variety. |
| US09426957B2 |
Maize inbred PH18GP
A novel maize variety designated PH18GP and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH18GP with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH18GP through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH18GP or a locus conversion of PH18GP with another maize variety. |
| US09426956B1 |
Maize inbred PH2FNR
A novel maize variety designated PH2FNR and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH2FNR with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH2FNR through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH2FNR or a locus conversion of PH2FNR with another maize variety. |
| US09426953B1 |
Canola hybrid cultivar CE216910H
The present invention relates to a new and distinctive canola, designated CE216910H. Also included are seeds of canola CE216910H, to the plants, or plant parts, of canola CE216910H and to methods for producing a canola plant produced by crossing the canola CE216910H with itself or another canola genotype, and the creation of variants by mutagenesis or transformation of canola CE216910H. |
| US09426951B1 |
Inbred corn line LLH37
An inbred corn line, designated LLH37, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line LLH37, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line LLH37 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line LLH37 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material of one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LLH37, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LLH37 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods. |
| US09426950B2 |
Production of Deschampsia antartica in bioreactors
This invention discloses a process for the propagation and survival of Deschampsia antarctica suitable for industrial scale production. In particular, the process defines selected bioreactor conditions whereby morphologically high quality plants are obtained at high rates. This invention further discloses a bioreactor design which includes a design for automated temporary immersion of explants in a culture medium. |
| US09426949B1 |
Systems and apparatus for extracting and delivering nutrients from biomass for plant growth
Certain embodiments of the disclosed technology may include systems and apparatus for extracting and delivering nutrients from biomass for plant growth. In an example implementation, an apparatus is provided for supporting a multi-level system for extracting and distributing nutrients from biomass for plant growth, the apparatus includes two or more support structures. Each support structure includes two or more vertical strength members disposed substantially vertically on opposing sides of a corrugated base cylinder and are stabilized by at least one corrugations associated with the base cylinder. The apparatus includes two or more horizontal retaining members in communication with the respective two or more vertical strength members and operable to secure the two or more vertical strength members against the base cylinder. The apparatus also includes one or more upper troughs supported by the two or more support structures and disposed in a substantially horizontal position. |
| US09426946B2 |
Computerized learning landscaping apparatus and methods
A method and an apparatus for shaping of lawns and hedges into desired 3D patterns or shapes. The apparatus consists of a bStem and/or other computational device comprising storage, a motorized platform, and trimmer end effectors. The computational device instructs the end effectors to extend or retract as the platform moves along at a steady pace, thus producing a target pattern (e.g., a company logo) in a hedge, lawn, a wall or a ground-cover of any material suitable for such shaping. The apparatus may be configured to operate autonomously based on a pre-loaded pattern file. Software (e.g., such as BrainOS) may be used to provide real-time feedback to trimmers regarding the process and the results, and possibly to train the inverse model accordingly. The apparatus may learn to minimize predicted or current mismatches between the desired pattern and the one being produced. Users compete for the best designs. |
| US09426942B2 |
Hybrid crop stripper band for a crop pick-up
A stripper band for a crop pick-up includes a U-shaped plastic body having an upper leg and upper bight portion reinforced by a sheet metal strap so as to stiffen the band for being able to withstand downward forces applied by heavy windrows of crop being picked up and conveyed over a top surface of the band. The sheet metal strap has upstanding bosses located about upper rear mounting holes against which clamping forces are directed when securing the band to the pick-up frame. Front and lower regions of the band are constructed only of plastic and remain flexible enough to absorb impacts from hard objects without permanent deformation of the band. |
| US09426941B2 |
Mower attachable user cooling device
A mower attachable user cooling device cools a user of a mower while mowing in hot weather. The device includes a housing, the housing having a first face. A coupler is coupled to the housing wherein the housing is configured for being coupled to a mower such that the first face is directed facing a user of the mower. A fan vent extends through the first face. A fan is positioned in the housing directing air flow out of the fan vent towards the user of the mower. |
| US09433130B2 |
Cooling device and cooling arrangement including cooling device
The invention relates to a cooling device for heat-emitting components, wherein at least one component is arranged on a printed circuit board and wherein the cooling device includes a first cooling member and a second cooling member. The two cooling members are arranged on the printed circuit board adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from the at least one component on opposite sides of the component. The invention further relates to a cooling arrangement for cooling at least one heat-emitting component arranged on a printed circuit board, wherein use is made of the cooling device. |
| US09433126B2 |
Electronic device and heat dissipation module and centrifugal fan thereof
A centrifugal fan includes an impeller and a housing. The housing includes an upper plate, a lower plate and a side wall, wherein the upper plate axially corresponds to the lower plate, a side wall is formed between the upper plate and the lower plate, an axial inlet is formed on the upper plate, a lateral outlet is formed on the side wall, the impeller is disposed in the housing and corresponds to the inlet, and a flow path communicates the inlet to the outlet. The housing further includes a guiding groove, and at least one auxiliary inlet is formed in the guiding groove. |
| US09433125B2 |
Heat-dissipating type of power converter
A heat-dissipating type of power converter comprises a support unit, at least one power module, at least one pair of rails and at least one main air duct module corresponding to the at least one power module. The pair of rails are fixed to the support unit and parallel to each other. The power module comprises a mounting plate module, a power unit and a radiator. wherein the power unit is fixed to the radiator, and the mounting plate module and the radiator are fixedly connected to each other. the main air duct module is fixed to the support unit and provided between the pair of rails, a second opening is defined in a side of the main air duct module toward the power module. The power module is assembled with or disassembled from the main air duct module by sliding along the pair of rails. Wherein after the power module is assembled with the main air duct module, the radiator is plugged into the main air duct module through the second opening, the power unit is positioned outside the main air duct module, and the main air duct with a sealed sidewall is defined by the mounting plate module, the radiator and the main air duct module. |
| US09433123B2 |
Electric apparatus
An exemplary electric apparatus includes a fan for generating a first airflow, a component space includes a secondary electric component, and a housing. In order to obtain efficient cooling solution one or more walls separate the component space including the secondary electric component from the first cooling element for preventing the first airflow from entering the component space. A second cooling element has a first end in the component space and a second end located outside of the component space for dissipating heat received from the secondary electric component to the first airflow. |
| US09433122B2 |
Air conditioning system
An air conditioner sucks air exhausted from an information processor, and cools down the sucked air. The air conditioner exhausts the cooled air. The air conditioner acquires a cooling state, determines whether a cooling capacity exceeds an upper limit value, and reduces the volume of exhaust air when it is determined that the cooling capacity exceeds the upper limit value. For example, the air conditioner calculates a thermal load as the cooling state by using the volume of exhaust air, a difference between the temperature of exhaust air and the temperature of suction air, and determines that the cooling capacity exceeds the upper limit value when the calculated thermal load exceeds a given threshold. The air conditioner measures the temperature of exhaust air, and determines that the cooling capacity exceeds the upper limit value when the measured temperature exceeds a set value. |
| US09433121B2 |
Cable backplane system
A cable backplane system includes cable connectors having cables extending therefrom. Each cable connector has a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header configured for mating with a card connector. The cable backplane system includes a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables. The cable tray has a front edge. A plurality of connector bricks are received in the cable tray. The connector bricks each having a header frame comprising end spacers and side spacers defining a header opening receiving a plurality of the cable connectors. The end walls hold the headers of corresponding cable connectors. The side spacers have guide paddles extending from a front of the side spacers forward of the cable connectors. |
| US09433120B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes a plurality of first brackets adhered to the rear panel. A first bracket has a recess on a first surface where an adhesive is applied, and a first protrusion extending from a second surface and a second protrusion extending from the first protrusion. A connection bracket has a side wall and a plurality of first tab portions. The tab portion is provided into an opening of the first protrusion. A second bracket is provided adjacent to the plurality of the first brackets and attached to the connection bracket. A frame is mounted to the at least one second bracket. A light source is provided between the frame and the second bracket. |
| US09433118B2 |
Mounting frame and supports to mount a component of a computing system
A mounting frame for a component of a computing system includes first supports and second supports. The first supports are to contact a top surface of the component at a first height relative to the mounting frame, and the second supports are to contact the top surface of the component at a second height relative to the mounting frame. |
| US09433115B2 |
Photostructured magnetic devices and methods for making same
A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices may include one or more of chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces. |
| US09433114B2 |
Service shelf for electronic cabinet
A shelf device facilitates access to electronic modules within an enclosure having multiple vertically stacked levels of module storage locations. A pair of support arms each have an attachment structure on a distal portion of the support arm that is designed to attach to a first one of the vertically stacked levels. A guide rail extends from the distal portion of the support arm toward a proximal portion of the support arm. A cross brace structure is configured to pivotally attach to distal portions of the pair of support arms and a proximal portion of a first one of the support arms. A pair of vertical braces are each configured to pivotally attach to a respective one of the pair of support arms and having a detachable connection structure that is designed to attach to a second one of the vertically stacked levels. |
| US09433113B2 |
Charger
Provided is a charger, wherein capability of storing codes connected to the charger is improved. The charger is provided with: a housing case for housing therein a charger body; a wind-around recess section that is formed on the outer circumference of the housing case, and around which a first code to be connected to the charger body can be wound; and a plug recess section that is formed on the housing case, and that is for storing a plug to be connected to the front end of the first code. A housing section that is opened in the upper direction, and that houses therein a second code to be connected to the charger body, is formed on the housing case. |
| US09433111B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus comprises a main body including a touch screen disposed on a front surface thereof; an accessory unit rotatably disposed with respect to the main body; a connecting rod disposed in a side surface of one of the main body and the accessory unit; and a connecting channel disposed in a side surface of the other of the accessory unit and the main body, the connecting channel being formed so that the connecting rod is inserted in or separated from the connecting channel in a lengthwise direction thereof. |
| US09433106B2 |
Method for manufacturing printed wiring board
A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes forming on a support sheet an intermediate body including a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer and a first conductive layer interposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer, and separating the support sheet from the intermediate body including the insulation layer, the first conductive layer and the second insulation layer such that the intermediate body is detached from the support sheet. |
| US09433100B2 |
Low-stress TSV design using conductive particles
A component can include a substrate having a first surface and a second surface remote therefrom, an opening extending in a direction between the first and second surfaces, and a conductive via extending within the opening. The substrate can have a CTE less than 10 ppm/° C. The conductive via can include a plurality of base particles each including a first region of a first metal substantially covered by a layer of a second metal different from the first metal. The base particles can be metallurgically joined together and the second metal layers of the particles can be at least partially diffused into the first regions. The conductive via can include voids interspersed between the joined base particles. The voids can occupy 10% or more of a volume of the conductive via. |
| US09433098B2 |
Method of manufacturing a combined circuit board
A method of manufacturing a combined circuit board includes the following steps. First, through portions (TPs) arranged in a predetermined format are formed in a rigid substrate (RS) such that the RS is divided into a predetermined removed region (PRR1) and a predetermined reserved region (PRR2) according to the arrangement of the TPs. Next, a conductive bonding layer (CBL) and a flexible circuit board (FCB) are respectively laminated on two opposite sides of the RS and part of a dielectric bonding layer of the CBL fills the TPs. Next, the RS, the FCB and the CBL are bent according to the TPs such that the PRR2 is bent at the TPs relative to the PRR1. Finally, part of the RS located at the PRR1 and part of the CBL corresponding to the PRR1 are removed to form an indentation to expose part of the FCB. |
| US09433097B2 |
Circuit substrate and method for manufacturing the same
A circuit substrate includes a core substrate having cavity, metal blocks in the cavity, first and second build-up layers including insulating layers and laminated on first and second sides of the core substrate such that the insulating layers are covering the cavity, and a filling resin filling gap formed between the cavity and metal blocks in the cavity. The cavity is penetrating through the core substrate, the core substrate has an intracavity projection structure projecting from one or more side surfaces of the cavity such that the projection structure is positioned between the metal blocks and separating the metal blocks from contacting each other in the cavity, the first build-up layer has first conductors connected to the metal blocks such that each first conductor conducts electricity or heat, and the second build-up layer has second conductors connected to the metal blocks such that each second conductor conducts electricity or heat. |
| US09433096B2 |
Wiring board, semiconductor device and method for manufacturing wiring board
A wiring board includes a resin substrate in which reinforcement members are arranged horizontally, a through electrode filled in a through hole penetrating the substrate in a thickness direction, and wiring layers respectively formed on both surfaces of the substrate and electrically connected to each other via the through electrode. The reinforcement members are arranged such that reinforcement members arranged in a middle region of the substrate in the thickness direction has higher density than reinforcement members arranged in the regions other than the middle region of the substrate. |
| US09433093B2 |
High strength through-substrate vias
A component includes a support structure having first and second spaced-apart and parallel surfaces and a plurality of conductive elements extending in a direction between the first and second surfaces. Each conductive element contains an alloy of a wiring metal selected from the group consisting of copper, aluminum, nickel and chromium, and an additive selected from the group consisting of Gallium, Germanium, Indium, Selenium, Tin, Sulfur, Silver, Phosphorus, and Bismuth. The alloy has a composition that varies with distance in at least one direction across the conductive element. A concentration of the additive is less than or equal to 5% of the total atomic mass of the conductive element, and a resistivity of the conductive element is between 2.5 and 30 micro-ohm-centimeter. |
| US09433092B2 |
Layout method for printed circuit board and printed circuit board thereof
A layout method for a printed circuit board, comprising: defining a layout area on the printed circuit board; disposing at least one padstack on the layout area; disposing a welding material area on the padstack to partially cover the padstack and be located at one end of the padstack; disposing a blocking area on the layout area, wherein the blocking area comprises an opening to expose the padstack; and forming a wiring, wherein the wiring is connected with the padstack and the welding material area through the opening without overlapping the blocking area. The layout method for a printed circuit board and the printed circuit board may avoid that the outlet of the wiring is formed through the side of the welding material area to leave a blank area on the padstack. |
| US09433091B1 |
Customizing connections of conductors of a printed circuit board
A method is provided for customizing connections of conductors of a printed circuit board (PCB) including conductors and a cavity formed in a thickness of the PCB, and adjoining two of the conductors. The cavity includes two distinct electrical contacts, each in electrical communication with one of the two conductors. The cavity is at least partly filled with an electrically conductive material to enable electrical communication between the two conductors. The cavity is preferably a buried cavity, joined by one or more ducts, such that the electrically conductive material can be injected into the cavity via the duct. One, or each, of the two conductors is an inner conductor of the PCB. The injected conductive material may be a liquid or a gel; and is preferably a conductive adhesive. The present invention further concerns a PCB as obtained from the above method. |
| US09433090B2 |
Edge plated printed circuit board
An edge plated printed circuit board (PCB) improves radiated emission performance by enhancing ground shielding on the PCB and improving the physical and electrical connection between the PCB and external EMI suppression components including an EMI chassis and gaskets. Inner ground layers within a multi-layer PCB are configured to physically extend to an edge of the PCB, which is plated using copper electroplating, so that copper ground strips disposed at the top and bottom surfaces of the PCB and the inner ground layers are all electrically coupled to the plated edge. In some embodiments, the ground strips can be made thinner compared to conventional arrangements, or be eliminated altogether as a result of the direct connection between the edge plated PCB and external EMI shields. |
| US09433086B2 |
Flexible circuit board with tear protection structure
Disclosed is a tear protection structure for a flexible circuit board. In an extension section of a flexible circuit board, at least a slit line is formed. The slit line has at least a terminal end from which a stress-diverting cut segment extends. The stress-diverting cut segment is formed by cutting in a cutting direction that defines an angle with respect to an extension direction of the extension section to serve as the tear protection structure of the flexible circuit board. The extension section of the flexible circuit board is foldable along the slit line. The stress-diverting cut segment may further include a tear protection hole formed in a termination end thereof. |
| US09433085B2 |
Electronic component, method for manufacturing the same and method for manufacturing multilayer printed wiring board
An electronic component includes an insulation layer, an alignment mark positioned on a first surface of the insulation layer, and an adhesive layer including an optically opaque agent and formed on the first surface of the insulation layer or a second surface of the insulation layer on the opposite side with respect to the first surface of the insulation layer. The adhesive layer has an opening portion formed at the position corresponding to the alignment mark such that the opening portion exposes the alignment mark directly or through the insulation layer. |
| US09433084B2 |
Method for backdrilling via stubs of multilayer printed circuit boards with reduced backdrill diameters
Methods of backdrilling printed circuit boards (PCBs) to remove via stubs and related apparatuses. The method may include removing a via stub through a combination of backdrilling and chemical etching. The backdrilling may remove a masking layer from the via stub. Portions of an underlying layer may remain in the region of the via stub after the backdrilling is completed. The remaining portions of the underlying layer may be removed in a subsequent etching process thereby removing the via stub from the PCB. As the backdrilling step may be used for the limited purpose of removing the outer layer and portions of the underlying layer remaining in the via can be tolerated, the diameter of the backdrilling need not be as large as traditional backdrilling where all layers within the via must be ensured of being completely removed. |
| US09433081B1 |
Differential signal crosstalk minimization for dual stripline
The subject technology provides configurations for a printed circuit board that includes a first reference plane, a first signal layer below the first reference plane, a second signal layer below the first signal layer, a second reference plane below the second signal layer, a first differential pair on the first signal layer, and a second differential pair on the second signal layer, each of the first and second differential pairs comprising, respectively, a first pair and a second pair of conductive traces formed on a dielectric material of the PCB, the first pair of conductive traces being arranged on the dielectric material to interleave with the second pair of conductive traces. |
| US09433080B2 |
High-frequency circuit package and sensor module
Shielding of high-frequency circuits is achieved using a simple and inexpensive configuration not using any lid. A high-frequency circuit mounting substrate (20) is disposed, on an underside surface layer of which are disposed high-frequency circuits (21 and 22) and is formed a first grounding conductor that has same electric potential as grounding conductors of the high-frequency circuits and that surrounds the high-frequency circuits. A mother control substrate (3) is disposed, on which the high-frequency circuit mounting substrate (20) is mounted in such a way that the high-frequency circuits are sandwiched therebetween and on which a second grounding conductor is formed in a region facing the high-frequency circuits. Plural first lands are formed on the first grounding conductor of the high-frequency circuit mounting substrate (20) to surround the high-frequency circuits. Plural second lands are formed that are electrically connected to the second grounding conductor at positions on a surface layer of the mother control substrate (3) which face the first lands. Plural solder balls (30G2) are disposed for connecting the first lands and the second lands. The high-frequency circuits are housed in pseudo shielding cavities surrounded by the solder balls (30G2), the grounding conductors of the high-frequency circuits, and the first and second grounding conductors. |
| US09433077B2 |
Substrate device and electric circuit arrangement having first substrate section perpendicular to second substrate section
A substrate device for electronic circuits or devices includes a first substrate section including a first plurality of layers attached to each other having a first orientation (x2) and a second substrate section including a second plurality of layers attached to each other. The second plurality of layers have a second orientation (x3). The first orientation (x2) and the second orientation (x3) are angled (α) with respect to one another. |
| US09433075B2 |
Electric power semiconductor device
An electric power semiconductor device includes a heat transfer plate. A printed wire board is spaced a predetermined gap apart from the heat transfer plate. An opening portion is provided in the vicinity of an electrode strip formed on the outer side of the printed wire board. An electric power semiconductor element is disposed between the heat transfer plate and the printed wire board, and adhered to the heat transfer plate. A wiring member has one end bonded to a first bonding portion of a main power electrode of the electric power semiconductor element, and the other end is bonded to a second bonding portion. At least part of the second bonding portion is included in a space that extends from the main power electrode to the printed wire board, and the first bonding portion is included in a space that extends from the opening portion. |
| US09433064B2 |
Light source apparatus, image display apparatus, and control method for light source apparatus
A light source apparatus according to the present invention includes a circuit board; a light source mounted on the circuit board; a first temperature measurement element that measures an ambient temperature of the circuit board and outputs a first signal that represents the measured result; a second temperature measurement element that measures a temperature of the circuit board and outputs a second signal that represents the measured result; and a light source drive control section that controls driving of the light source. The light source drive control section does not drive the light source if the temperature represented by the second signal is lower than the temperature represented by the first signal. |
| US09433060B2 |
Power factor correction circuit, operating device for a light-emitting means and method for controlling a power factor correction circuit
A power factor correction circuit (11) comprises an input for receiving an input voltage (UIN), an inductance (21) coupled to the input, a switching means (24) that is coupled to the inductance (21) and that is controllable in order to either charge or discharge the inductance (21), and a control device (14). The control device (14) is set up in order to produce a control signal (Ctrl) for controlling the switching means (24) on the basis of a parameter value. The control device (14) is set up in order to ascertain the parameter value on the basis of an arithmetic sign of a time derivation for the input voltage (UIN). |
| US09433058B2 |
Display panel
A display panel is disclosed, having a display region and a non-display region out of the display region, wherein the display region comprises a central pixel region and a border pixel region disposed between the central pixel region and the non-display region, the display panel comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; a display medium layer; a plurality of central pixel units located at the central pixel region and having a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the second substrate; and a plurality of border pixel units located at the border pixel region and having a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the second substrate; wherein outmost edges of a part of the adjacent border pixel units form a ladder-like shape, and a light output area of at least one of the border pixel units is smaller than that of at least one of the central pixel units. |
| US09433055B2 |
Lighting device and illumination apparatus including same
A lighting device includes a lighting unit which controls a current being supplied to a load, in which light emitting modules, each having one or more semiconductor light emitting elements connected in series, are connected in parallel, to be a constant current; a current detector which detects a current flowing through one of the light emitting modules; and an abnormality detector which compares a detected value from the current detector with an upper limit and a lower limit of a predetermined current range to detect an abnormality in the load. The abnormality detector detects the abnormality in the load if the detected value from the current detector is larger than the upper limit or smaller than the lower limit, and if the abnormality in the load is detected, the lighting unit reduces the current being supplied to the load. |
| US09433053B2 |
Method and system for controlling solid state lighting via dithering
There is provided a method of controlling solid state lighting (SSL) devices including receiving dimming information; translating the dimming information into SSL control information, the SSL control information including load/LED control information and dithering information; and transmitting the SSL control information to a current source for controlling the SSL devices for white light illumination. Furthermore, the SSL device may be one of lower power light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs, and high power LEDs. |
| US09433050B2 |
Micro-light-emitting diode
A micro-light-emitting diode (micro-LED) includes a first type semiconductor layer, a second type semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer, and electrodes. The second type semiconductor layer is disposed on or above the first type semiconductor layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on the second type semiconductor layer. The dielectric layer includes openings therein to expose parts of the second type semiconductor layer. The electrodes partially are disposed on the dielectric layer and respectively electrically coupled with the exposed parts of the second type semiconductor layer through the openings of the dielectric layer, in which the electrodes are separated from each other. |
| US09433049B2 |
LED controllers, drivers and lighting circuits
A controller for controlling a plurality of LED lighting strings is disclosed, the controller comprising, for each of the plurality of LED lighting strings: a frequency modulator configured to modulate a baseline frequency to generate a time-vary modulated frequency, wherein the frequency modulator is configured to modulate the baseline frequency by a jitter superposed on a regular repeating pattern which varies more slowly than the jitter, to result in the modulated frequency; and a modulated PWM signal generator configured to generate a modulated PWM signal having the modulated frequency and a predetermined duty cycle; wherein the regular repeating patterns for the PWM signals are spaced apart in phase. Associated drivers, LED lighting circuits and methods are also disclosed. |
| US09433048B2 |
Method for controlling a motor vehicle lighting device that uses LEDs
A method for controlling a motor-vehicle lighting device is provided that uses LEDs supplied with PWM signals temporally spaced apart from one another by a first time phase t1 and a second time phase t2. An interval of interest is defined in which an electromagnetic disturbance must not exceed a maximum threshold value θmax; driving signals are supplied on the basis of first phases t1 and t2 computed; and the measured or simulated waveform of the electromagnetic disturbance deriving from the phases t1 and t2 is compared with the maximum threshold value within the interval of interest defined. Where the waveform of the disturbance exceeds the threshold, two phases t1 and t2, once again different from one another, are recalculated; otherwise, the last phases t1 and t2 calculated are selected and used in the PWM control. An advantageous motor-vehicle lighting device is also provided. |
| US09433047B2 |
Single inductor multiple LED string driver
A single inductor multiple LED string driver comprises a switch control circuit and a current-sensing control circuit. The switch control circuit generates a plurality of digital control signals that are used to control a plurality of switches coupled to a plurality of strings of LEDs. Each switch is selectively turned on and off by each corresponding digital control signal. The current-sensing control circuit determines an integrated charge amount provided by each current that flows from an input voltage through each LED string, through each switch, through a common inductor, and through a main switch to ground. In response to the determined integrated charge amount, the current-sensing control circuit generates an on-time control signal that controls the on-time of each switch such that the average current flowing across each LED string is equal to each other. Furthermore, the total current flowing across each LED string is regulated to a predefined value. |
| US09433042B2 |
High-end trim control of lighting fixtures
A device and system for controlling a light source. The device has a positive terminal and a negative terminal for setting the high-end trim of a light source, the device includes several zener diodes each having a different zener voltage; and a selector having a plurality of positions, positioning the selector in each of the plurality of positions couples a corresponding one of the zener diodes between the positive terminal and the negative terminal. The cathode of the selected zener diode is coupled to the positive terminal and the anode of the selected zener diode is coupled to the negative terminal. The selected zener diode limits the voltage across the positive terminal and the negative terminal to set the high-end trim of a 0-10 volt lighting control signal. |
| US09433039B2 |
Method and apparatus for heating volumes of media in a closed receptacle by means of an electromagnetic radiation
The invention relates to a method for heating volumes of media (11) in a closed receptacle (10) by means of an electromagnetic radiation (2), wherein a database (4) is prepared based on measurements of reference receptacles, and irradiation regimes are selected or generated using the database (4) and used for heating the media (11). The invention further relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method. |
| US09433038B2 |
Fusion process using an alkali metal metalate
The product of a molten alkali metal metalate phase separation can be processed into a purified metal from a metal source. Metal sources include native ores, recycled metal, metal alloys, impure metal stock, recycle materials, etc. The method uses a molten alkali metal metalate as a process medium or solvent in purifying or extracting high value metal or metal oxides from metal sources. Vitrification methods using the silicate glass separation phase can be prepared as is or can be prepared with a particulate phase distributed throughout the silica glass phase and encapsulated and fixed within the continuous glass phase. Tungsten metal can be obtained from an alkali metal tungstate. A typically finely divided tungsten metal powder can be obtained from a variety of tungsten sources including recycled tungsten scrap, tungsten carbide scrap, low grade tungsten ore typically comprising tungsten oxide or other form of tungsten in a variety of oxidation states. |
| US09433033B2 |
Ad-hoc communication radio module, ad-hoc communication device and method for controlling an ad-hoc communication radio module
An ad-hoc communication radio module is provided, which may include at least one of an ad-hoc communication reception circuit; and an ad-hoc communication transmission circuit; and an ad-hoc communication-protocol-stack-external control interface for the ad-hoc communication-protocol-stack-external control of the ad-hoc communication reception circuit or of the ad-hoc communication transmission circuit. |
| US09433031B2 |
Communication apparatus, control method for the same and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
The present invention provides a technique that, in the case where a first radio communication unit has acquired device information, and the execution of a service has started, makes it possible to detect the stopping of execution of the service by a second radio communication unit. To achieve this, device information regarding another communication apparatus is acquired via the first radio communication unit, and if a predetermined service is being executed with the other communication apparatus based on the acquired device information, a predetermined signal indicating stopping of the predetermined service is detected via the second radio communication unit that is different from the first radio communication unit. If the predetermined signal is detected, processing for stopping the predetermined service is performed. |
| US09433024B2 |
Communication method of terminal and communication method of base station for direct communication link between terminals
A communication method of a terminal and a communication method of a base station for a direct communication link between terminals are disclosed. A base station schedules a reference terminal to transmit a ranging code, and schedules target terminals to receive the ranging code. The reference terminal measures the ranging code received from the target terminals, and transmits a ranging code measurement result to the base station. The base station selects a terminal from among the target terminals to form the direct communication link with the reference terminal among the target terminals based on the ranging code measurement result. |
| US09433023B1 |
System and method for bypassing an access point in a local area network for P2P data transfers
A system and method for bypassing an access point in a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) for direct point-to-point data transfers are provided. A user device in the wireless LAN is equipped with a primary local wireless interface establishing a wireless communication link with an access point of the wireless LAN, a secondary local wireless interface used for direct point-to-point (P2P) file transfers, and a P2P file transfer application. When the P2P application desires to transfer a data file to another user device within the wireless LAN, the user device determines whether the other user device is within a coverage area of the secondary local wireless interface and whether the file transfer meets one or more alternate transfer criterion. If so, the data file is transferred to the other user device via a direct P2P wireless communication link, thereby bypassing the access point of the wireless LAN. |
| US09433022B2 |
Method and apparatus for filtering-based scanning in WLAN system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, disclosed are a method and an apparatus for filtering-based scanning in a WLAN system. A method for a station (STA) setting up a high-speed link in the wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: transmitting a first frame comprising filtering information to at least one access point (AP); and receiving a second frame from a portion or all of the at least one AP, wherein whether to transmit the second frame can be determined on the basis of the filtering information. |
| US09433020B2 |
Group user experience
Disclosed is a method, system and computer programs to provide emergent behavior in a network of connected mobile user devices. The method includes advertising with a mobile wireless communication device to other mobile wireless communication devices a vector list that includes at least mobile wireless communication device specific vectors and mobile wireless communication device user specific vectors. The method further includes determining, in cooperation with a cloud-based data processing environment, whether to connect to a network of other mobile wireless communication devices based at least on at least one element that comprises part of vector lists associated with the other mobile wireless communication devices, the vector lists being stored at the cloud-based data processing environment. |
| US09433017B2 |
Power-efficient media access techniques for wireless networks
Techniques for media access in wireless networks are disclosed. For instance, embodiments may provide a time interval for accessing a wireless communications channel. In addition, embodiments may prevent channel access during the time interval by stations incapable of employing a first channel access technique. This access technique employs an access probability P. |
| US09433015B2 |
Mitigating ghost signalling effects in radio systems
A method in a base station, the method comprising, for a transmission time interval on the control channel: if an absolute grant is scheduled, transmitting the absolute grant; if an absolute grant is not scheduled, investigating whether at least one UE in the cell is configured for receiving on the control channel, and if this is not the case, refraining from transmitting; and if an absolute grant is not scheduled and at least one UE in the cell is configured for receiving on the control channel, the method further comprising at least one of: (i) transmitting an absolute grant for a non-configured UE in the cell; and (ii) selecting an arbitrary configured UE in the cell and transmitting an absolute grant, which was previously transmitted at an earlier transmission time interval, to the selected UE. |
| US09433014B2 |
Device to device communication method and device for performing same
Provided is a method for performing device-to-device communication between a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving reception scheduling information for D2D communication from a base station in a first frequency band, receiving data for D2D communication from the second UE in a second frequency band based on the reception scheduling information and transmitting feedback information to the base station in response to reception of the data for D2D communication in the second frequency band, wherein the reception scheduling information is received in a subframe different from a subframe including transmission scheduling information associated with the reception scheduling information, and wherein the reception scheduling information indicates resources on which the first UE receives the data from the second UE and the transmission scheduling information indicates resources on which the second UE transmits the data to the first UE. |
| US09433013B2 |
Centralized-scheduling method and apparatus for inter-cell interference coordination in heterogeneous network
A centralized scheduling method and apparatus is provided for minimizing inter-cell interference in the wireless communication system adopting femto-eNB-based service coverage expansion (range expansion). The method includes establishing, by a server, a connection with at least one base station, collecting channel information between the at least one base station connected to the server and terminals, determining interfering base stations causing interference to each terminal based on the channel information, and selecting the terminals to be scheduled in consideration of the interfering base stations. |
| US09433008B2 |
Methods and apparatus for channel selection in a wireless local area network
In an aspect, methods and apparatus of communication include detecting a channel reselection condition for triggering reselection from a current channel to a first potential channel. The methods and apparatus further include determining that a first timer value meets or exceeds a first timer threshold value based at least in part on detecting the channel reselection condition. Additionally, the methods and apparatus include selecting the first potential channel from a channel list when the first timer value meets or exceeds the first timer threshold value. In another aspect, methods and apparatus include detecting an initial channel selection condition for triggering selection of a first initial channel. The methods and apparatus further include forming a channel list including one or more channels based on one or more channel selection parameters. Additionally, the methods and apparatus include selecting the first initial channel from the channel list. |
| US09433003B2 |
Multi-radio coexistence via timing controls for radios using the same radio access technology
A method of wireless communication includes identifying a first radio operating in a first mode and a second radio operating in a second mode defined within one device. The first radio and the second radio operate on a same radio access technology (RAT) and also operate on a same band. The method also includes altering a communication time of the first radio and/or the second radio to reduce interference. |
| US09433002B2 |
Rank indicator transmission during discontinuous reception
A user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The UE includes a processor configured to transmit a rank indicator (RI) using one of an assigned periodic RI reporting resource that precisely aligns with the start on an on-duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation mode of the UE and a first assigned periodic RI reporting resource after the start of the on-duration. |
| US09433001B2 |
APN-AMBR authorization in GPRS mobile network
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a policy and charging rules node (PCRN), the method including: receiving a credit control request (CCR) message from a packet data network gateway (PGW) based upon a general radio packet service (GPRS) internet protocol connectivity access network (IP-CAN) session request; determining that no operator policy rule specifies an aggregate maximum bit rate (APN-AMBR) value; determining that the CCR message includes an APN-AMBR value; setting an APN-AMBR value for the GPRS IP-CAN session to an APN-AMBR value for a subscriber associated with the GPRS IP-CAN session; setting a GPRS IP-CAN session maximum bit rate download/upload (MBR DL/UL) value to the lowest of the subscriber APN-AMBR value and a subscriber MBR DL/UL value; and sending a credit control answer (CCA) message to the PGW with the selected APN-AMBR and MBR DL/UL values. |
| US09432997B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling carrier selection in wireless communications systems
A mobile communications system including: at least one base station configured to communicate data to/from different terminal devices via respective of plural logically separate carriers of a wireless access interface; first and second terminal devices operable to camp-on to first and second carriers of plural carriers and to subsequently communicate data with the at least one base station via the first and second carriers. The first and second carriers support compatible synchronization signalling such that the first and second terminal devices both can synchronize with the first and second carriers to begin a camp-on procedure. Following synchronization with one of the first or second carriers to begin the camp-on procedure, the second terminal device is configured to determine whether or not to continue with the camp-on procedure in dependence on an aspect of physical layer signalling associated with a control channel of the carrier with which it has synchronized. |
| US09432994B2 |
Method for transreceiving signals and apparatus for same
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for receiving data on user equipment supporting a plurality of types of carriers in the wireless communication system, and to the apparatus for same, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a transmission mode-common (TM-common) downlink control information (DCI) format including downlink scheduling information; and receiving the data through a resource indicated by the downlink scheduling information, wherein the data is modulated by using a user equipment-specific (UE-specific) reference signal when the data is received through a first type of carrier, and the data is modulated through a first cell-common reference signal when the data is received through second type of carrier. |
| US09432992B2 |
Method and device for receiving a subframe in different forms in a wireless communication system
The present invention proposes a method for preventing, when two types of subframes (first subframe and second subframe) exist in a wireless communication system, a high version terminal from performing unnecessary operation for the second subframe. Through the present invention, the high version terminal skips unnecessary operation, resulting in reduction of unnecessary power consumption. |
| US09432990B2 |
Hybrid mesh network
An access point is configured to pair with other access points in a network. The access point includes at least two interfaces configured to interface to other access points over a link layer therein using heterogeneous backhaul access technologies; and a memory having machine executable code, therein that, when executed by a processor, cause the at least two interfaces to pair with one or more of the other access points using configuration information stored within the memory. |
| US09432989B2 |
Base station apparatus, terminal apparatus, transmission method, and reception method
Disclosed is a base station apparatus in which a configuration section (102) configures, within a data assignable region for a terminal apparatus (200), a first search space and a second search space each being a candidate to which control information is assigned, each of the first search space and the second search space including a plurality of control channel elements, and a signal assignment section (105) assigns control information to each of the first search space and the second search space. In addition, the configuration section (102) allocates numbers to a plurality of first control channel elements included in the first search space in an ascending order, and allocates numbers larger than or identical with the numbers allocated to the first control channel elements to a plurality of second control channel elements included in the second search space. |
| US09432986B2 |
Control signal transceiving method and apparatus for same
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for receiving control information in a wireless communication system in which a first carrier type and a second carrier type are aggregated. The method comprises a step of receiving grant information for signal transmission on the second carrier type, wherein the grant information is received through the second carrier type if the grant information includes a first downlink control information (DCI) format, wherein the grant information is received through the first carrier type if the grant information includes a second DCI format. |
| US09432985B2 |
Method for setting search region to detect downlink control channel in wireless communication system and apparatus for same
In the present application, disclosed a method for a terminal setting a search region for a downlink channel in a wireless communication system. More specifically, the method comprises the steps of receiving from a base station information related to a starting symbol of the search region by way of upper layer signaling; setting the search region by using the information related to the starting symbol; and receiving the downlink control channel by performing blind coding on the search region, wherein the starting symbol of the search region changes according to the characteristic of a subframe which receives the downlink control channel. |
| US09432980B2 |
Apparatus and method for indicating uplink resource allocation in broadband wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for indicating uplink resource allocation in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. The method includes decoding an UpLink (UL) resource allocation Information Element (IE) in a received DownLink (DL) subframe, extracting an indicator field value from the decoded UL resource allocation IE, the indicator field value indicating a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) type for a resource allocated to the terminal and a UL subframe location, and transmitting UL data through a resource allocated to the terminal based on the extracted indicator field value. |
| US09432978B2 |
Multicast broadcast multimedia service-assisted content distribution
Embodiments provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for multicast broadcast multimedia service (MBMS)-assisted content distribution in a wireless communication network. A proxy terminal may include an MBMS access client configured to receive and cache an MBMS transmission including media data and metadata. The proxy terminal may further include a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server module configured to transmit at least a portion of the media data to a user equipment (UE) of the wireless communication network via an HTTP transmission. The media data and metadata may be in a dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) format. The proxy terminal may be included in an evolved Node B (eNB), the UE, or another UE of the wireless communication network. |
| US09432977B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting uplink control information
A wireless communication system is disclosed. A method and apparatus for allowing a user equipment (UE) to transmit uplink control information through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) are disclosed. A method for allowing a UE to transmit uplink control information through a PUSCH in a wireless communication system includes receiving configuration information about a plurality of PUSCH feedback modes, identifying information indicating a specific PUSCH feedback mode for the PUSCH by using uplink allocation information for the PUSCH, and transmitting the uplink control information through the PUSCH in accordance with the specific PUSCH feedback mode. |
| US09432971B2 |
Method and system for radio resource control
A method and system for radio resource control are provided in the present document. The method includes: in a process of establishing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection, a user equipment sending a RRC connection request message to a base station, and carrying information used for indicating an current access property in the RRC connection request message; and the base station judging whether to permit the user equipment to establish the RRC connection according to the information used for indicating the current access property. It enables the user equipment to report more accurate information related to call establishment types, so as to assist a network side to perform more flexible and precise admission control. |
| US09432969B1 |
Shape changing device housing
An electronic device housing may transition from a first physical configuration to one or more second physical configurations responsive to receiving one or more notifications. Each of the second physical configurations may be logically associated with a respective one of the one or more notifications. A physical configuration controller may receive one or more notifications and select a second physical configuration logically associated with each of the one or more notifications. The physical configuration controller may generate one or more outputs that cause the physical displacement of one or more actuateable devices to transition the electronic device housing from the first physical configuration to the second physical configuration. |
| US09432956B2 |
Power headroom reporting method and device for wireless communication system
Methods and apparatus are provided for reporting a Power Headroom (PH) of a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system having a plurality of aggregated uplink carriers. A message to activate an uplink carrier is received. A predetermined time is awaited in order to trigger a Power Headroom Report (PHR). The PHR is triggered after the predetermined time has elapsed. |
| US09432950B2 |
Method for transmission power shaping and communications apparatus utilizing the same
A communications apparatus. The RF signal processing device is capable of supporting carrier aggregation and configured to process RF signals. The baseband signal processing device is configured to process baseband signals. The processor is configured to control operations of the RF signal processing device and the baseband signal processing device. The processor further receives a power control signal from a peer communications apparatus, obtains an assigned transmission power which is assigned by the peer communications apparatus for the communications apparatus to transmit a reference signal according to information carried in the power control signal, determines a spectral efficiency estimation value of the communications apparatus and directs the RF signal processing device to transmit the reference signal with a reduced transmission power which is smaller than the assigned transmission power when the spectral efficiency estimation value is smaller than a predetermined threshold. |
| US09432943B2 |
Adaptive network searching in out-of-service scenarios
Adaptive out-of-service search behavior by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. The UE may perform cellular communications according to a radio access technology (RAT). It may be determined that cellular service according to the RAT is not available. A search algorithm may be selected from at least two possible search algorithms. A search for cellular service according to the RAT may be performed according to the search algorithm. The various possible search algorithms may specify different ratios of time spent scanning for cellular service to time spent sleeping. The selected search algorithm may be chosen based on any or all of an estimated remaining battery life of the UE, a user activity level, user input, or various other considerations. |
| US09432937B2 |
Method for performing random access procedures and terminal thereof
A random access procedure between a mobile terminal and a network is performed based upon the characteristics of a RACH preamble. If the RACH preamble was explicitly signaled by the network, a downlink channel is monitored until a new transmission is indicated according to radio resource allocation information received from the network. If the RACH preamble was not explicitly signaled by the network, a contention resolution timer is started and the downlink channel is monitored until the contention resolution timer expires. Such monitoring of downlink channels in a more efficient manner, results in effective reduction in power consumption. |
| US09432932B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling signal transmission of wireless communication system
A base station broadcasts information of an entire discontinuous signal transmission duration and information of a discontinuous signal transmission interval to a plurality of terminals, and stops transmission of a downlink control signal and data for at least some interval of the discontinuous signal transmission interval. |
| US09432931B2 |
Method for controlling the activity of a base station entity of a first type in a mobile communication network
A method for controlling the activity of a base station entity of a first type in a mobile communication network is a mobile device having a communication link in a base station entity of a second type includes: sending, by the mobile device, a connection request to the base station entity of the second type, the connection request being related to a request of the mobile device to have a communication link with the base station entity of the first type while the base station entity of the first type is in its second operational mode; and activating the first operational mode of the base station entity of the first type and establishing the communication link between the mobile device and the base station entity of the first type established. |
| US09432928B1 |
Base station implemented access control based on public land mobile network identity
A method and corresponding apparatus and system for base station implemented access control based on public land mobile network (PLMN) identity. When a base station receives a request to serve a mobile terminal, the base station will determine the mobile terminal's PLMNid and will decide based on that PLMNid whether to permit or deny the request for service. If the base station thereby decides to permit the request for service, then the base station may process the request in a normal manner. Whereas, if the base station thereby decides to deny the request for service, then the base station may reject the request outright. |
| US09432926B2 |
Attempting to access network based on a service provider identification
A method and an apparatus for attempting to access a network from among a plurality of networks by a mobile terminal is provided. The method includes attempting to access the network through at least one target channel determined by the mobile terminal, such that the at least one target channel has a measured signal quality value at least equal to a predetermined reference value among signal quality values measured for channels corresponding to network access provider identification information indicating a network having a highest priority among the plurality of networks. |
| US09432925B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for hop count usage in cluster selection
Embodiments enable access to a wireless communications medium. In example embodiments, a method comprises receiving first synchronization messages from a wireless device transmitting synchronization messages in a first neighbor awareness network cluster, the first synchronization messages including a first hop count value to a first anchor master in the first cluster and information describing a first master rank value of the first anchor master; receiving second synchronization messages from a wireless device transmitting synchronization messages in a second neighbor awareness network cluster, the second synchronization messages including a second hop count value to a second anchor master in the second cluster and information describing a second master rank value of the second anchor master; and selecting the first neighbor awareness network cluster or the second neighbor awareness network cluster, based on at least one of the first and second hop count values and the first and second master rank values. |
| US09432921B2 |
Method and device for performing active scanning
A method and a device for performing active scanning are disclosed. The method for active scanning of a STA comprises the steps of: transmitting a probe request frame that contains channel monitoring type information in a scanning channel; determining whether the scanning channel is in a busy state until a MinimumChannelTime; determining whether a PPDU including a valid PLCP header is received in the scanning channel until the MinimumChannelTime; and determining a time for monitoring a probe response frame transmitted by the AP in the scanning channel based on whether the PPDU is received until the MinimumChannelTime and channel monitoring type information, when the scanning channel is in the busy state, wherein the channel monitoring type information can contain information on a type with which the STA monitors the probe response frame in the scanning channel. |
| US09432919B2 |
Method and system for fast cell search using PSYNC process in a multimode WCDMA terminal
Certain aspects of a method and system for a fast cell search using a primary synchronization channel (PSYNC) process in a multimode wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) terminal are provided. A WCDMA frequency search or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) frequency search is performed based on a current radio access technology (RAT), received signal strength indication (RSSI) scan measurements, and PSYNC detection operations. The RSSI scan measurements may be averaged by making multiple measurements during a measurement period. At least part of the PSYNC detection operations may be performed during a remaining portion of the measurement period. WCDMA carrier frequencies may be marked in accordance with the results of the PSYNC detection operations. For GSM, some of the frequencies may be removed from the search based on the PSYNC marking while the remaining search frequencies may be ranked based on results from the RSSI scan measurements. |
| US09432915B2 |
Method for performing efficient ranging in a broadband wireless access system
The present invention relates to a broadband wireless access system; and more specifically to a method and apparatus for performing an efficient ranging procedure by mobile station and a base station, by distinguishing the dedicated ranging from the contention-based random access. A method for performing ranging with a mobile station in a broadband wireless access system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: transmitting a first ranging code for requesting ranging to a base station through a first ranging opportunity of a first frame; and receiving a first message including a response to the first ranging code, wherein if the first ranging code is a dedicated ranging code and the response to the first ranging code is “continue”, the first message may further include at least one of a dedicated flag field, a second ranging code, and the information on the second ranging opportunity. |
| US09432909B2 |
Control node for a mobile communication network and a method for allocating resources in said network
The present invention relates to a control node for a mobile communication network. The control node has means arranged to provide the IMSI of at least some of the currently set up connections and means arranged to allocate resources for the connections based on said IMSI information. The present invention also relates to a method for allocating resources for a connection in a mobile communication network. |
| US09432908B2 |
Presence-based communication routing service and regulation of same
Systems, methods, and user interfaces are provided for customized communication routing and regulation thereof. The routing of an incoming communication to a device, wireless or wireline, is based on a routing preference and a presence condition of a mobile device in a home or visited wireless environment served by a confined-coverage access point (AP). The routing preference can be configured for a device that operates in the home or visited wireless environment. The confined-coverage AP can be owned or leased by a subscriber associated with the incoming call or by a third party. Provisioning of routing of incoming call based on a third-party confined-coverage AP can be event-based. Add-on services can be provisioned and configured; screening of incoming call(s) based on screening rule(s) specific to an confined-coverage AP is provided. Customized communication routing to equipment that operates in a confined-coverage area served by a third-party confined-coverage AP can be cancelled. |
| US09432907B2 |
Microwave backhaul arrangements
Described herein are techniques related to wireless communication systems that may implement microwave backhaul for connectivity between network elements deployed by the wireless communication systems. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. |
| US09432906B2 |
Handling connected mode mobility from areas bounding multi-operator core network and non-multi-operator core network shared infrastructure
A method provided in one embodiment includes receiving, at a first network element, a first message including a first network identifier associated with a first network. The first message further includes an indication of an association of the first network identifier with a first user equipment. The method further includes receiving, by the first network element, a second message indicative of an initiated handover of the first user equipment to a second network. The second message includes a second network identifier associated with the second network. The method further includes determining, by the first network element, whether the second network identifier matches the first network identifier, and terminating the initiated handover by the first network element when the second network identifier does not match the first network identifier. |
| US09432905B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling a cell change
Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a user equipment, and corresponding methods therein, for handling a cell change from a first cell to a second cell in a wireless communications network. Some example embodiments may also be directed towards the user equipment altering a duration of a measurement time over which at least one measurement is performed, and altering a measurement bandwidth of the at least one measurement. The alterations may be performed based on associated bandwidths of the first and second cells. Other example embodiments may be directed towards a network node, and corresponding method therein, for sending, to the user equipment, a notification of a cell change and information associated with the cell change. Example embodiments may further comprise the network node receiving measurement data of at least one measurement performed over an altered measurement bandwidth and an altered duration of measurement time, where the alterations are based on the information associated with the cell change. |
| US09432904B2 |
Mobility-based reselection scan scheduling
An architecture is described that can determine a scanning schedule for reselection scanning in connection with a wireless communication network or service. The architecture can monitor various indicia relating to recent movement of user equipment (UE) such as a wireless device, and, based upon such recent movement indicia, construct a mobility pattern for the UE. In addition, based upon the mobility pattern, the architecture can generate a reselection scanning schedule for the UE designed to optimize tradeoffs between battery life and network awareness. |
| US09432900B2 |
Method for performing handover in wireless communication system and apparatus for same
The present invention relates to a method for a user equipment performing a handover in a wireless communication system, and more specifically, comprises the following steps: transmitting to a serving cell a measurement report message on a target cell including an indicator related to a specific service; receiving from the serving cell a handover command message including information on the specific service, which is provided by the target cell; receiving resource allocation information on the specific service from the target cell using the information on the specific service; and transmitting a handover completion message to the target cell. |
| US09432898B2 |
Unscheduled messages
A communication device for communicating with a plurality of terminals, the communication device being configured to determine that a network event will affect the plurality of terminals and could trigger each of those terminals to attempt to transmit information relating to the network event to the communication device and arrange so that only a subset of the plurality of terminals will attempt to transmit in response to the network event. |
| US09432896B2 |
Mobility across satellite beams using L2 connectivity
Systems and methods for providing mobility across satellite beams, are described. The system includes a first core node, a second core node in communication with the first core node at layer-2 of the OSI model (L2), and a first gateway in communication, at L2, with the first core, the first gateway configured to provide access to a first spot beam at a first location. The system further includes a second gateway in communication, at L2, with the second core node, the second gateway configure to provide access to a second spot beam at a second location, and a mobile device, at the first location, in communication with the first gateway via the first spot beam, wherein the mobile device is assigned an IP address by the first core node. The mobile device moves from the first location to the second location. Further, the first gateway, in response to the mobile device moving from the first location to the second location, notifies the second gateway, through the first core node and the second core node, that the mobile device is moving to the second location, and transmit the session information to the second gateway, and the second gateway, in response to the notification, maintains connectivity with the mobile device using the IP address. |
| US09432894B2 |
Method and device for positioning user equipment in handover process
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for positioning a user equipment in a handover process. The method mainly includes: receiving, by a target base station of the user equipment in the handover process, positioning measurement related information of the user equipment transmitted from a source base station of the user equipment; and performing, by the target base station, a positioning measurement for the user equipment according to the positioning measurement related information after the user equipment has accessed the target base station successfully. Embodiments of the present invention enables the target base station to perform positioning measurement for the user equipment immediately after the UE has successfully accesses the target base station, and eliminates the need for a positioning server to retrigger a user equipment positioning process, thus reduces the signaling cost caused by retriggering the user equipment positioning process. |
| US09432888B2 |
Method for securing handover data integrity in mobile communication system and system thereof
A method of performing an uncontrolled handover data integrity of a target Base Station (BS) is provided. The method includes receiving an initial access request message from a Mobile Station (MS) by the target BS, performing a negotiation for establishing a handover data integrity path with a serving BS through a serving Access Service Network-Gateway (ASN-GW) by the target BS, and generating a main data path and a first handover data integrity path with the serving ASN-GW according to a result of the negotiation by the target BS. |
| US09432887B2 |
Apparatus and method for high priority search on RRC state change
A user equipment is provided comprising: 1) transceiver circuitry configured to operate in cells associated with at least one radio access technology (RAT) network; and 2) a controller configured to perform neighbor cell searches. The controller is further configured to determine when the user equipment enters a first RRC state from a second RRC state. In response to a determination that the user equipment entered a first RRC state from a second RRC state, the controller delays performing a cell search until the controller determines that the user equipment has received complete system information for a serving cell. |
| US09432886B2 |
Multiservice communication device with dedicated control channel
A multiservice communication device includes a plurality of transceivers that wirelessly transceive data with a corresponding plurality of networks in accordance with a corresponding plurality of network protocols. A control channel transceiver transceives control channel data with a remote management unit including local control data sent to the management unit and remote control data received from the management unit. A processing module processes the remote control data and generates a least one control signal in response thereto, the at least one control signal for adapting at least one of the plurality of transceivers based on the remote control data. |
| US09432885B2 |
Method and apparatus for packet-switched service handover in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and, more specifically, to a method and an apparatus for packet-switched (PS) service handover. The method for performing packet-switched service handover in a terminal of a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving handover policy information from a network node; and determining whether or not to perform the PS service handover in accordance with the handover policy information. The handover policy information may include information indicating a PS service handover event. |
| US09432880B2 |
Intra-frequency load balancing method and apparatus thereof
The present disclosure provides an uplink intra-frequency load balancing method. The uplink intra-frequency load balancing can be performed by adjusting a beam direction of a User Equipment UE. For each of UEs, the method comprises steps of: determining a cell load level of each cell based on an uplink load measurement received from base stations of a plurality of cells; determining a beam-forming capability of the UE based on a beam-forming gain of the UE; and calculating a cell balancing parameter for each of the plurality of cells, according to a common pilot channel CPICH quality report measured by the UE, the cell load levels of the plurality of cells and the beam-forming capability of the UE, so as to determine a beam-forming control cell towards which the beam direction of the UE is directed, the beam-forming control cell being a cell which has an optimal cell balancing parameter among the plurality of cells. The present disclosure further provides, for a UE which supports a CLBF mode but is not in the CLBF mode, a method for selectively activating the CLBF mode so as to enhance the effect of load balancing. The present further provides an uplink intra-frequency load balancing apparatus. |
| US09432878B2 |
Method of generating data block in wireless communication system
A method of generating a data block in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes preparing a first upper data block, a second upper data block and a third upper data block and generating a lower data block comprising a header, the first upper data block, the second upper data block and the third upper data block. The header includes a first length indicator and a second length indicator. The first length indicator indicates the length of the first upper data block and the second length indicator indicates the length of the second upper data block. Data rate can be improved by reducing the size of a header of data blocks. |
| US09432877B2 |
Information sharing system, communication apparatus, control method and computer program
An information sharing system is provided with multiple communication devices that wirelessly connect with other communication devices in order to communicate with them without going through an access point. Each communication device has: an internal deduction portion that, using a reception history of notification messages received from the other communication devices, deduces which information is currently being held by each of the other communication devices; a duplication determination portion that determines whether or not the information that is currently being held by another communication device and that was deduced by the internal deduction portion matches information held by its own host device; and an information exchange portion that, when the duplication determination portion determines that the information does not match, transmits a notification message that contains the information held by its own host communication device. |
| US09432873B2 |
Differentiation of traffic flows for uplink transmission
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receive at least one traffic flow; receive at least one quality of service indication associated with the at least one traffic flow; create binding of the received at least one quality of service indication and information associated with the received at least one traffic flow; and assign a quality of service indication to a data packet for transmission based at least in part on the created binding. |
| US09432872B2 |
Systems and methods for direct link communication with multi-channel concurrency
Systems and methods are provided for allowing a multi-channel concurrent device to communicate timing information to a direct link peer, so that subsequent delivery of buffered traffic by the peer may be coordinated to minimize interference with operation of the device in another network context. |
| US09432867B2 |
Method and network monitoring probe for tracking identifiers corresponding to a user device in wireless communication network
A method and network monitoring probe for tracking identifiers corresponding to a user device are provided. The probe monitors a source base station (BS) for receipt of at least a first control plane message comprising a first control plane identifier and a first user device identifier; the probe also monitors the source MME for receipt of a second control plane message comprising a second control plane identifier, a second and a third user device identifier; when the first and the second control plane identifiers are identical and the first and the second user device identifiers are identical, the first and third user device identifier are respectively stored or output as an identified first and second user device identifier of the user device, and it is determined that the user device commences a S1-based handover when the first control plane message is determined as a handover required message. |
| US09432865B1 |
Wireless cell tower performance analysis system and method
A system for managing a cellular wireless communication network in near real time is disclosed. The system comprises a data store storing performance metrics in near real time and segmented according to base transceiver stations and record time. The system also comprises a computer and an application that receives a selection of a geographic area and a time period and identifies a predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations nearest the geographic area. The application also retrieves metrics associated with each of the identified base transceiver during the time period from the data store and retrieves the metrics most recently recorded for each identified base transceiver station. The application analyzes the metrics associated with each base transceiver station and compares the metrics associated with each base transceiver station with the most recently recorded metrics in order to identify that a value of a metric of a base transceiver station is outside a range. |
| US09432860B1 |
Method and system for responding to a reception failure of a reverse link signal
A radio access network (RAN) allocates a resource, such as a forward traffic channel, to a mobile station that is engaged in a call. During the call, the RAN monitors a reverse link signal that is received from the mobile station. If the RAN detects a reception failure, such as the receipt of an errored frame in the reverse link signal, the RAN determines the power level that the mobile station used to transmit the reverse link signal when the reception failure occurred. If the mobile station was already transmitting at its maximum power level, the RAN may immediately release the resource. Otherwise, the RAN defines a test period that is sufficient for the mobile station to increase its transmit power to the maximum level. If the reception failure continues throughout the test period, the RAN may then release the resource. |
| US09432847B2 |
Method and apparatus for reconfiguring connection to base station at relay node in a wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a method of processing a signal in a wireless communication system. In particular, the method comprises steps of setting an indicator indicating that an integrity failure occurs and transmitting a first message associated with a connection reestablishment including the indicator to a network. The integrity failure means that data is inserted or replaced by an unauthorized third party. |
| US09432845B2 |
System and method for automated analysis comparing a wireless device location with another geographic location
A system and method for automatically comparing obtained wireless device location information from a wireless network and comparing that location with another independent source geographic location is provided. Location information is derived from two or more sources in a multiplicity of ways and a comparison is made within a Location Comparison Engine. The Location Comparison Engine makes use of databases that assist in resolving obtained raw positioning information and converting that positioning information into one or more formats for adequate location comparison. Results of the location comparison are deduced to determine if the wireless device is in some proximity to some other activity source location, Other location information used for comparison may be obtained from a multiplicity of sources, such as another network based on some activity of the wireless device user, another wireless device via a wireless network, or any system capable of providing location information to the Location Comparison Engine. |
| US09432839B2 |
Dynamic adjustment of mobile device based on thermal conditions
In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to monitor environmental, system and user events associated with the mobile device and/or a peer device. The occurrence of one or more events can trigger adjustments to system settings. The mobile device can be configured to keep frequently invoked applications up to date based on a forecast of predicted invocations by the user. In some implementations, the mobile device can receive push notifications associated with applications that indicate that new content is available for the applications to download. The mobile device can launch the applications associated with the push notifications in the background and download the new content. In some implementations, before running an application or communicating with a peer device, the mobile device can be configured to check energy and data budgets and environmental conditions of the mobile device and/or a peer device to ensure a high quality user experience. |
| US09432837B2 |
Method of accessing contact features in smartcards
During a booting procedure when reading the contact features of a smartcard, the body part of a master elementary file is accessed. According to the validity and link of each data, the body part of a Type 1 elementary file, a Type 2 elementary file or a Type 3 elementary file is selectively accessed. The efficiency of the booting procedure can be improved by avoiding unnecessarily accessing the body part of unused data in other types of elementary files. |
| US09432836B2 |
Method for information notification and method and access node for forwarding data message during handover procedure
An information notification method is applied in a network with separated identity identifier and location to notify the correspondent node to update the location identifier of the terminal. The method includes: a terminal establishes a communication with a correspondent node, a first access node which the terminal accesses reports to a home identity location register (ILR) of the terminal the mapping information about the identity identifier and location identifier of the correspondent node of the terminal, and the ILR stores the mapping information about the correspondent node of the terminal; and after having acquired a new location identifier of the terminal, the ILR sends a notification of updating the location identifier of the terminal to one or more access nodes which the correspondent node accesses according to the stored mapping information about the correspondent node of the terminal, carrying the identity identifier and new location identifier of the terminal. |
| US09432821B2 |
Adaptive notification system for mobile devices
Adaptive message notification for mobile devices is disclosed. Notification messages, each with an attached or embedded Trace ID, are sent by a message service to one or more mobile devices. The message content and timing is controlled by a modifiable ruleset maintained by the message service. User action in response to a notification message results in session data and an embedded or attached Trace ID being sent by the mobile device(s) to the message service. The message service analyzes the session data and, if appropriate, modifies the ruleset. |
| US09432813B2 |
Method and apparatus for calculating location of terminal in wireless communication system
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for calculating the location of a terminal in a wireless communication system, which is to be performed by the terminal, comprises the steps of: transmitting, to a location server, a request for location estimation assist data for calculating the location of the terminal; receiving the location estimation assist data from the location server; and calculating the location of the terminal using the location estimation assist data. The location estimation assist data includes radio map information including a received signal strength (RSS) value from each access point collected at a plurality of location estimation reference points in a region having a predetermined range. The radio map includes information regarding the location estimation reference points (hereinafter, referred to as “update points”) which require an update of the radio map. The method may further include a step of determining whether or not an update of the location estimation assist data is required based on the calculated location of the terminal and the information regarding the update points. |
| US09432811B2 |
Estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal based on temperature and atmospheric pressure
A technique is disclosed for estimating the lateral location of a wireless terminal in a geographic region. The technique is based on the recognition that some three-dimensional locations of the wireless terminal are improbable, and that measurements of temperature and atmospheric pressure at the wireless terminal and outside can be used to determine which lateral locations of the wireless terminal are improbable. |
| US09432809B2 |
Providing OTDOA PRS assistance data
Disclosed embodiments pertain to the obtaining and utilization of Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) assistance data. Cell timing information obtained based on measurements by a Mobile Station (MS) of neighbor cells may comprise cell timing offsets of the neighbor cells relative to a serving cell for the MS. OTDOA assistance data may be generated, where the OTDOA assistance data may comprise an OTDOA assistance data reference cell and a cell timing offset between the serving cell and an OTDOA assistance data reference cell, the reference cell being selected based on the received neighbor cell measurements. Embodiments disclosed also pertain to methods on an MS for performing measurements of neighbor cells comprising cell timing information for neighbor cells by requesting idle periods with a desired length from a base station to perform the measurements, and performing the requested measurements upon receiving confirmation that the idle periods have been configured. |
| US09432805B2 |
Discovering and automatically sizing a place of relevance
One or more mobile devices make measurements while moving along a path. Each measurement may comprise a specific group of identifiers of wireless transmitters, and strengths of corresponding wireless signals. A set of measurements are made in a sequence along a path, and the subsets of the measurements are identified for satisfying a test on a value of a measure of similarity of measurements included in the subset. A new place of relevance is identified, by comparing the just-described subsets of the measurements with similar subsets of additional measurements (e.g. by clustering). Alternatively, a known place of relevance (e.g. having a label) is identified, by comparing the just-described subsets of the measurements with pre-computed model of measurements. Also, the just-described subsets of the measurements may be compared with corresponding subsets of measurements of another path, e.g. to identify common portions therein. |
| US09432803B1 |
Associating a mobile station with an audio incident
Systems and methods are disclosed that initiate mobile-terminated location requests in response to receiving an indication that an audio incident occurred at a given location. The mobile-terminated location requests are initiated for one or more mobile stations within a cell of a wireless network that is known to provide wireless service coverage to a geographic area that comprises the location of the audio incident. In response to the mobile-terminated location request, an estimate of the mobile station's current location is received. Based on the estimated current location of the mobile station relative to the location of the audio incident, the illustrative systems and methods may generate an association between the mobile station and the audio incident. When an association is generated, it is transmitted for possible further processing. |
| US09432794B2 |
Techniques for mobility-aware dynamic service placement in mobile clouds
Techniques to adaptively launch/replace applications and services on edge devices in a cellular infrastructure and/or adaptively place content and computation at the edge devices based on logic at the network core are provided. In one aspect, a method for dynamic placement of applications in a cellular network mobile cloud is provided which includes the steps of: (a) obtaining: (i) a model of the cellular network, (ii) a model of user mobility patterns in the cellular network, and (iii) a model of a profile of the applications; (b) upon receipt of requests from users for the applications, obtaining runtime states at edge servers in the mobile cloud; and (c) upon obtaining the runtime states at the edge servers, placing the requests among the edge servers and a core server in the mobile cloud based on the models obtained in step (a) and the runtime states obtained in step (b). |
| US09432791B2 |
Location aware self-configuring loudspeaker
A location aware self-configuring loudspeaker includes a plurality of ultrasonic receivers that each provide an associated received ultrasonic receiver signal. An RF receiver receives adjacent loudspeaker RF data from an adjacent location aware self-configuring loudspeaker and provides received RF data indicative thereof. A data receiver receives audio data and provides received audio data indicative thereof. The location aware self-configuring loudspeaker also includes a processor that receives and processes the received ultrasonic receiver signals and the received RF data to determine a location of detected adjacent loudspeakers and the location of the location aware self-configuring loudspeaker. The processor also provides data indicative of the determined location of the detected adjacent loudspeakers and the location of the self-configuring loudspeaker. In addition the processor receives and processes the received audio data based upon the determined location of the loudspeaker and radiates audio indicative thereof. |
| US09432781B2 |
Wireless control system for personal communication device
A wireless asymmetrical control system for a personal communication device comprising a first receiver associated with the personal communications device, and a transmitter having an in-band (IE audible) signal device, the IE audible device being configured to generate and transmit a time modulated control signals, the time modulated control signals being generated by generating a first plurality of multi-frequency signals comprising a plurality of first time modulated frequency combinations, and applying the plurality of first time modulated frequency combinations to a first plurality of control signals in a first frequency domain, the receiver being configured to decode the time modulated control signals and generate and transmit response signals to the IE audible signal device in response to the time modulated control signals, each of the response signals comprising an ultra-wide band (UWB) electro-magnetic pulse. |
| US09432779B2 |
Hearing aid antenna
An antenna, in particular a dipole antenna, for radio communication in a hearing aid, is disclosed. The antenna includes a solid three-dimensional dielectric support body, an electrically conductive first plate on a first surface of the support body and an electrically conductive second plate on a second surface of the support body. The first surface and the second surface are arranged on opposing ends of the support body. An electrically conductive filament is arranged on and/or in the support body, electrically coupling the first plate with the second plate, and comprising first sections and second sections. The second sections extend perpendicular to the first sections. |
| US09432778B2 |
Hearing aid with improved localization of a monaural signal source
A new hearing aid is provided in which signals that are received from an external device, such as a spouse microphone, a media player, a hearing loop system, a teleconference system, a radio, a TV, a telephone, a device with an alarm, etc., are filtered in such a way that a user can localize the sound source. |
| US09432776B2 |
Condenser microphone
A condenser microphone includes a condenser microphone unit having a diaphragm and a fixed electrode disposed opposite to the diaphragm; a field effect transistor serving as an impedance converter; and a transistor to generate operational power for the field effect transistor; wherein the field effect transistor comprises a gate, a source and a drain, the gate is connected to the fixed electrode or the diaphragm, the diaphragm disposed opposite to the fixed electrode connected to the gate or the fixed electrode facing the diaphragm connected to the gate is grounded; the source is connected to a base of the transistor; the drain is connected to an emitter of the transistor; and a resistor establishing a base potential of the transistor is disposed between the base of the transistor and a ground. |
| US09432770B2 |
Method and device for localizing sound sources placed within a sound environment comprising ambient noise
A method for localizing one or more sound sources of interest placed within a sound environment comprising ambient noise by estimating the directions of arrival (θ,φ) of said one or more sound source of interest comprising the steps of: calculating the environment steered response power (SRP (t, f, θ, φ)) corresponding to the steered response power of said one or more source of interest for one or more orientations using said environment audio signals; obtaining, using said array of at least two microphones, noise audio signals corresponding to the audio signals emanating from said sound environment under particular reference conditions; calculating a noise steered response power (SRPn (t, f, θ, φ)) corresponding to the steered response power of the ambient noise for said one or more orientations using said noise audio signals; and estimating the direction of arrival of said sound source of interest. |
| US09432769B1 |
Method and system for beam selection in microphone array beamformers
Embodiments of systems and methods are described for determining which of a plurality of beamformed audio signals to select for signal processing. In some embodiments, a plurality of audio input signals are received from a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones. A plurality of beamformed audio signals are determined based on the plurality of input audio signals, the beamformed audio signals comprising a direction. A plurality of signal features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal. Smoothed features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal based on at least a portion of the plurality of signal features. The beamformed audio signal corresponding to the maximum smoothed feature may be selected for further processing. |
| US09432766B2 |
Audio processing device comprising artifact reduction
An improved scheme for identifying and removing musical noise in an audio processing device can be achieved in an audio processing device that includes an analysis path with a perceptive model of the human auditory system and provides an audibility measure. The device may also identify an artifact introduced into the processed signal by the processing algorithm and provide an artifact identification measure, and control a gain applied to a signal of the forward path by the processing algorithm based on the perceptive model. An advantage is to dynamically optimize noise reduction with a view to audibility of artifacts and is applicable to hearing aids, headsets, ear phones, active ear protection systems, hands-free telephone systems, mobile telephones, teleconferencing systems, public address systems, karaoke systems, and classroom amplification systems. |
| US09432755B2 |
Downstream burst transmission in passive optical networks
An OLT comprising a processor configured to calculate a downstream bandwidth map that indicates an active period of time when the OLT is scheduled to transmit a data frame to an ONU, and generate a message comprising the downstream bandwidth map, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to send the message to the ONU via a PON, wherein the message instructs the ONU to power off at least one ONU receive data processing unit outside the active period. Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause an ONU to receive a message indicating an active period, wherein the active period indicates a scheduled period during which data communicated over a PON is relevant to the ONU and power down an ONU receive data processing unit outside the active period. |
| US09432753B2 |
Method and apparatus for link sharing among multiple EPONs
One embodiment of the present invention provides an optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The OLT includes a number of bi-directional optical transceivers. At least one bi-directional optical transceiver is coupled to an optical network unit (ONU) group that includes a number of ONUs. The OLT further includes a first downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a first downstream control signal and a splitter configured to split the first downstream control signal to a number of sub-signals. At least one sub-signal is configured to control downstream transmission of a corresponding bi-directional optical transceiver to a corresponding ONU-group. |
| US09432750B1 |
Contentionless N×M wavelength cross connect
Technology for a contentionless N×M wavelength cross connect (WXC) device is disclosed herein. The WXC device includes multiple input and output wavelength dispersive elements and a cross connect assembly. The cross connect assembly includes multiple rows of incoming ports. For each individual wavelength of different wavelengths, split optical beams of the individual wavelength from the input wavelength dispersive elements reach a row of incoming ports corresponding to the individual wavelength. The cross connect assembly further includes transmissive active switching elements and multiple rows of outgoing ports. The transmissive active switching elements configured to dynamically establish at least one optical path between an incoming port within the row of incoming ports corresponding to the individual wavelength and an outgoing port within a row of output ports corresponding to the individual wavelength. |
| US09432749B2 |
Communication system, communication control method, and transmission apparatus
A communication system includes a source node and an end node of a first working path, a source node and an end node of a second working path, and a source node and an end node of a common path serving as a protection path shared by the first and second working paths. The source node of the common path transfers one of signals received from the source nodes of the first and second working paths to the common path, and the end node of the common path transmits the signal received through the common path to each of the end nodes of the first and second working paths. |
| US09432748B2 |
System and method for photonic switching
In one embodiment, method of wrapping photonic packets includes receiving, by a node, a first packet and receiving, by the node, a second packet. The method also includes concatenating the first packet and the second packet to produce a concatenated frame, where concatenating the first packet and the second packet includes removing an inter-packet-gap (IPG) between the first packet and the second packet and converting the concatenated frame to a photonic frame, where the concatenated frame is an electrical frame. |
| US09432746B2 |
Method and system for delivery of immersive content over communication networks
Computer-implemented systems and methods of providing content to a user via communications between a content provider and a user over a plurality of disparate communication channels are provided. Content is provided to a user via a first transmission channel for presentation. Metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content. The content is displayed using a first presentation system. When the content event trigger is reached, supplemental content is provided to the user via a second transmission channel. The supplemental content is provided to the user during continued presentation of the content, and the supplemental content is provided to the user using a content providing system that is wholly separate from the first presentation system. |
| US09432743B2 |
Suggestive content based on habit
Suggestions for content are based on a habit of a user. Favored genres of content are determined at different times of day. Should content be requested at a particular time of day for which no favored genre of content is determined, then one of the known favored genres of content is suggested. |
| US09432732B2 |
Imprint client statistical filtering
A method, system API and computer product for adapting reverse data channel (RDC) utilization by selectively restricting the reporting of statistics data from client devices using a client-side filter adapted in response to configuration data from a file or other source file. |
| US09432729B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive transport injection for playback
There are provided a method and apparatus for adaptive transport injection for playback. The apparatus includes a playback manager for managing at least one buffer to maintain a fullness of the at least one buffer for a data playback by adapting a data injection size, relating an amount of data injected at a given time into the at least one buffer, to smallest available space in the at least one buffer. |
| US09432727B2 |
Script-based video rendering
Systems and methods are provided for cross-platform rendering of video content on a plurality of different user-computing platform types. A script is transmitted to the user-computing platform and is interpreted by an application program to: decode a first type of encoded video data into first decoded video data; render the first decoded video data; determine a rate at which the first type of encoded video data is being received; and, in dependence on the determined rate, to perform at least one of: transmitting a request to receive a second type of encoded video data; modifying a characteristic of the decoding of the first type of encoded video data; and modifying a characteristic of the rendering of the first decoded video data. |
| US09432726B2 |
Script-based video rendering
Systems and methods are provided for cross-platform rendering of video content on a user-computing platform. A script is transmitted to the user-computing platform and is interpreted by an application program compiled to operate on any one of a plurality of user-computing platform types. A series of frame images is encoded to provide encoded video data. Encoding frame images comprises encoding the frame images into a content-transfer format whereby the content-transfer encoded frame images can be passed by a script interpreter interpreting the script to the application program. The encoded video data is transmitted to the user-computing platform. The script is further configured to cause the script to be interpreted by the application program to: decode the transmitted encoded video data into decoded video data comprising the content-transfer encoded frame images; and render the decoded video data by displaying the frame images. |
| US09432721B2 |
Cross media targeted message synchronization
Social media content items and references to events that occur therein are aligned with the time-based media events they describe. These mappings may be used as the basis for sending messages to populations of authors of content items, where the populations are determined based on whether the author has written a content item that refers to a specific TV show or advertisement. TV streams are monitored to detect when and where a specific advertisement for a particular advertiser is shown. Concurrently, social media streams are monitored for content items that refer to or are about specific TV shows and advertisements. Responsive to a specific advertisement being detected as being shown during a specific TV show, a message associated with the advertisement is sent to the authors of the content items associated with that TV show or advertisement. The messages can be transmitted while the advertisement is being shown. |
| US09432720B2 |
Localized audio source extraction from video recordings
Technologies are generally described for a system to process a collection of video recordings of a scene to extract and localize audio sources for the audio data. According to some examples, video recordings captured by mobile devices from different perspectives may be uploaded to a central database. Video segments capturing an overlapping portion of the scene at an overlapping time may be identified, and a relative location of each of the video capturing devices may be determined. Audio data for the video segments may be indexed with a sub-frame time reference and relative locations as a function of overlapping time. Using the indices that include the sub-frame time references and relative locations, audio sources for the audio data may be extracted and localized. The extracted audio sources may be transcribed and indexed to enable searching, and may be added back to each video recording as a separate audio channel. |
| US09432713B2 |
Media content synchronized advertising platform apparatuses and systems
The MEDIA CONTENT SYNCHRONIZED ADVERTISING PLATFORM APPARATUSES AND SYSTEMS (“AD-SURVEY”) transforms user advertisement exposure data via AD-SURVEY components, into ad effects data including user responses to survey questions. A system is disclosed, comprising: a memory; a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions for obtaining TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags at a server: providing the obtained TV program schedule listing data to a user mobile device, receiving a user media program selection message from the user mobile device; retrieving an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; extracting key terms from the ad tags based by parsing ad contents; querying a survey question list based on the extracted key terms; generating and sending a survey question from the query to the user mobile device; and obtaining a user reaction to the survey question. |
| US09432712B2 |
Updating channel appearance
For updating channel appearance, an appearance module stores an appearance modification to a channel appearance of a channel providing content from a content host. A modification module updates the channel appearance with the appearance modification if a modification policy is satisfied. |
| US09432709B2 |
System and method to prevent manipulation of transmitted video data
Example embodiments relate to a system to prevent manipulation of transmitted video data including an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) receiving audio/video data and a display device. The IRD may include a device to transmit an HDMI compliant audio/video stream toward the display device. The system may further include a device to add an over-encryption layer to the HDMI/HDCP stream before reaching the display device and a device to remove the added encryption layer so as to recover the HDMI/HDCP stream, before processing the HDMI/HDCP stream by the display device. |
| US09432707B2 |
Method of formatting a video stream for mobile terminals
Method of formatting a stream of data for mobile terminals according to a series of frames which comply with the ATSC-MH standard or with a standard which is upward compatible with ATSC-MH, a frame comprising a predetermined number of slots, each slot being able to be allocated to the transport of data associated with a service, said method comprising a step of defining a slots allocation pattern making it possible to meet a total bitrate need required for the services for a set, called a super frame, grouping together M frames, M being greater than 1, consisting in: Allocating a minimum number N of slots for each frame of a super frame as a function of the total bitrate need and of the bitrate allocated to a slot, Allocating an additional slot in a predetermined number p of frames of a super frame, so as to comply with the total bitrate need with a minimum bitrate stepsize equal to the bitrate allocated to a slot. |
| US09432706B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may perform operations including, for example, receiving a plurality of user-generated comments associated with media content where the plurality of user-generated comments are temporally associated with a portion of the media content during a presentation of the media content at a group of communication devices, and identifying from the plurality of user-generated comments a cluster of comments associated with a segment of the media content based on a frequency of the user-generated comments. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09432704B2 |
Segmented parallel encoding with frame-aware, variable-size chunking
The subject matter herein generally relates to transcoding content, typically audio/video files though not limited to such, from one version to another in preparation for online streaming or other delivery to end users. Such transcoding may involve converting from one format to another (e.g., changing codecs or container formats), or creating multiple versions of an original source file in different bitrates, frame-sizes, or otherwise. A transcoding platform is described herein that, in certain embodiments, leverages distributed computing techniques to transcode content in parallel across a platform of machines that are preferably idle or low-utilization resources of a content delivery network. The transcoding system also utilizes, in certain embodiments, improved techniques for segmenting the original source file so as to enable different segments to be sent to different machines for parallel transcodes. |
| US09432702B2 |
System and method for video program recognition
A method for video program recognition includes recording video sequences of each of a plurality of channels and obtaining a set of features of an image captured by a user device. The method also includes performing a camera registration operation on the video sequences to select video frames representing the recorded video sequences based on key video frames from a registered cameras associated with the recorded video sequences. Further, the method includes extracting features of at least some of the selected plurality of video frames of each channel, storing the extracted features, and comparing the obtained set of features with the stored features of each channel to determine whether there is a match between the obtained set of features of the image and features of a video frame from a specific channel and, when there is a match, determining the specific channel as a recognized channel number. |
| US09432701B2 |
Distribution schemes for storing multiple bitrate content
A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights. |
| US09432698B2 |
TS packet grooming
Received data packets are groomed to improve performance of MPEG-2 transport stream packet in a digital video broadcasting system. Multitude of crosschecking techniques are applied to ensure that crucial pieces of information such as the packet identifier (PID) field, the continuity counter (CC) field, table ID, section length, IP header checksum, table and frame boundaries, application data table size are corrected if necessary. |
| US09432692B2 |
Method, apparatus and device for obtaining motion information of video images and template construction method
A method is provided. The method includes: determining one or more first candidate reference blocks that correspond to a current block in a first reference frame according to known motion information related to the current block; determining one or more second candidate reference blocks in a second reference frame; calculating a sum of differences between pixels of each of the one or more first candidate reference blocks and pixels of a second candidate reference block that is of the one or more second candidate reference blocks and that corresponds to the first candidate reference block; selecting a first candidate reference block and a second candidate reference block with a minimum sum of differences as a first reference block and a second reference block of the current block; and obtaining motion information of the current block according to motion information determined by the first reference block and the second reference block. |
| US09432690B2 |
Apparatus and method for video processing
Methods and apparatus for facilitating motion estimation in video processing are provided. In one embodiment, search block is defined within one frame. A relative location of a corresponding block in another frame with respect to the search block is determined based on comparative searching at a predetermined granularity to produce a motion vector for the search block with a first precision. Correlation values are determined with respect to the search block for the corresponding block and for one block or more blocks defined at relative locations of less than the predetermined granularity with respect to the corresponding block in different directions. A refined motion vector for the search block with a second higher precision is determined based on the relative location of the block having a selected correlation value that is selected from among the determined correlation values. |
| US09432689B2 |
Method of decoding moving picture
Provided is a method that generates a prediction block of a current prediction unit, and generates a residual block of the current prediction unit. To generate the prediction block, a reference picture index and motion vector difference of the current prediction unit are obtained from a received bit stream, spatial and temporal motion vector candidates are derived to construct a motion vector candidate list. A motion vector predictor is selected and a motion vector of the current prediction unit is restored to generate the prediction block. Therefore, the motion vector encoded effectively using spatial and temporal candidates is correctly recovered and the complexity of a decoder is reduced. |
| US09432686B2 |
Video coding / decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform sizes
Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. |
| US09432685B2 |
Scalable implementation for parallel motion estimation regions
A video coding device configured according to some aspects of this disclosure includes a memory configured to store a plurality of motion vector candidates. Each motion vector candidate can corresponding to at least one of a plurality of prediction units (PUs) partitioned in a parallel motion estimation region (MER). The video coding device also includes a processor in communication with the memory. The processor is configured to select a subset of the plurality of motion vector candidates to include in a merge candidate list. The selection can be based on a priority level of each motion vector candidate. The processor can be further configured to generate the merge candidate list to include the selected motion vector candidates. |
| US09432684B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding image, and method and apparatus for decoding image
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding video. A video decoding method comprises reconstructing a residual value by entropy-decoding received bitstream and dequantizing and inverse-transforming residual value information, generating a final prediction unit by performing inter prediction on a prediction unit which is partitioned from a coding unit into at least two prediction units by asymmetric motion partitioning (AMP), the two partitioned prediction units comprising a first partitioned prediction unit and a second partitioned prediction unit, and reconstructing a picture by adding the final prediction unit to the residual values. |
| US09432683B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding image, and method and apparatus for decoding image
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding video. A video decoding method comprises reconstructing a residual value by entropy-decoding received bitstream and dequantizing and inverse-transforming residual value information, generating a final prediction unit by performing inter prediction on a prediction unit which is partitioned from a coding unit into at least two prediction units by asymmetric motion partitioning (AMP), the two partitioned prediction units comprising a first partitioned prediction unit and a second partitioned prediction unit, and reconstructing a picture by adding the final prediction unit to the residual values. |
| US09432681B2 |
Image decoding device and method thereof using inter-coded predictive encoding code
An image encoding device and corresponding decoding device are disclosed for achieving a high rate of compression. The encoding device includes an image conversion module that converts the direction of the images using right-left symmetry mode convention or up-down symmetry mode conversion. Encoding modules are used to encode both the unconverted and converted images. A mode selector module compares the quantity of codes in the encoded unconverted images and the quantity of codes in the encoded converted images, and selects codes that are smaller in the quantity of codes for output. |
| US09432680B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding motion information, and method and apparatus for decoding same
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding motion information. The encoding method includes determining whether motion information of spatial prediction units that are spatially collocated to a current prediction unit and motion information of temporal prediction units that are temporally collocated to the current prediction are available; when the number of the motion information of the spatial prediction units and the motion information of the temporal prediction units is less than a predetermined number, generating additional candidate motion information by using the available motion information of the spatial prediction units and the motion information of the temporal prediction units such that the total number of pieces of candidate motion information is the predetermined number; and decoding motion information of the current prediction unit by using the ‘n’ pieces of motion information. |
| US09432677B2 |
Motion picture encoding device and motion picture decoding device
When a prediction is made between fields with different parity, the predicative efficiency of a chrominance vector is improved by adaptively switching the generation of a chrominance motion vector depending on encoding/decoding field parity (top/bottom) and a reference field parity (top/bottom), and the coding efficiency is improved accordingly. |
| US09432669B2 |
Method and apparatus for intra prediction within display screen
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for intra prediction. The intra prediction method for a decoder, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of entropy-decoding a received bitstream, generating reference pixels to be used in the intra prediction of a prediction unit; generating a prediction block from the reference pixels on the basis of a prediction mode for the prediction unit and reconstructing an image from the prediction block and a residual block, which is obtained as a result of entropy encoding, wherein the reference pixels and/or the prediction block pixels are predicted on the basis of a base pixel, and the predicted pixel value can be the sum of the pixel value of the base pixel and the difference between the pixel values of the base pixel and the generated pixel. |
| US09432666B2 |
CAVLC decoder with multi-symbol run before parallel decode
Context-adaptive variable length bitstream decoding performance may be improved and power consumption reduced by pushing the variable length decoding beyond one syntax element per clock pulse. |
| US09432664B2 |
Signaling layer identifiers for operation points in video coding
Techniques described herein are related to coding layer identifiers for operation points in video coding. In one example, a method of decoding video data is provided. The method comprises decoding syntax elements in a video parameter set (VPS) within a conforming bitstream indicating a first operation point having a first set of content. The method further comprises decoding, if present, syntax elements in the VPS within the conforming bitstream indicating hypothetical reference decoder (HRD) parameter information having a second set of content for the first operation point, wherein the conforming bitstream does not include syntax elements in the VPS that duplicate at least one of the first or second set of content for a second operation point, and wherein decoding syntax elements comprises decoding the syntax elements indicating the first operation point and the HRD parameter information only within conforming bitstreams. |
| US09432663B2 |
Method and apparatus for coding/decoding image
The present disclosure provides an apparatus for encoding a video including: a prediction unit to generate a predicted block of a current block; a subtraction unit to generate a residual block by subtracting the predicted block from the current block; a transformer to transform the residual block into a frequency transform block by performing different transform methods on different transform units; a quantization unit to quantize the frequency transform block to generate a quantized frequency transform block; and a bitstream generator to encode the quantized frequency transform block into a bitstream. |
| US09432660B2 |
Display device
The present invention relates to a display device, which comprises a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate; the polarization direction of the first polarizing plate and the polarization direction of the second polarizing plate perpendicular to each other; a liquid crystal layer deposited between the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate and configured to display images; a polarization control layer laminated onto the second polarizing plate and configured to control the optical path difference; and a third polarizing plate laminated onto the polarization control layer; the third polarizing plate comprises unpolarized regions arranged in an array. By applying voltage to the polarization control layer, the polarization direction of the light is also changed; in this way, the third polarizing plate can act as a grating or a common light-transmitting plate, and the switch between 2D display mode and 3D display mode can be achieved. |
| US09432659B2 |
Display apparatus and control method thereof
A display apparatus which outputs a stereoscopic image and a control method thereof, the display apparatus includes: an image input part which receives left and right eye image frames; an image processor which generates a left eye image interpolation frame by using a gradation difference of areas between a previous right eye image frame of the left eye image frame and the left eye image frame and generates a right eye image interpolation frame by using a gradation difference of areas between a previous left eye image frame of the right eye image frame and the right eye image frame; a display which displays the left eye image interpolation frame, the left eye image frame, the right eye image interpolation frame, and the right eye image frame sequentially according to a preset order; and a controller which controls the image processor to generate the left and right eye image interpolation frames. |
| US09432658B2 |
Image display device
An image display device displays a plurality of image elements of a left-view image and a plurality of image elements of a right-view image on a display in alternation in a horizontal direction, and displays an image element of a black image between each adjacent pairing of an image element of the left-view image and an image element of the right-view image. The image display device uses a parallax barrier to ensure that a left eye of a viewer only views the left-view image and that a right eye of the viewer only views the right-view image. Through the above configuration the image display device reduces occurrence of cross-talk regardless of position of the viewer or shape of the parallax barrier, and improves image quality of a stereoscopic image. |
| US09432653B2 |
Orientation-based 3D image display
This disclosure describes a host controller configured to combine image data associated with left and right images of a 3D image to control a display consistent with an orientation for the display (e.g., a first and second plurality of active parallax barriers of the display). In response to an orientation for the display, the host controller may combine image data associated with respective left and right images of with a 3D image in a first or second interleaved format to be consistent with the orientation for the display. For example, the host controller may combine the image data to be line-interleaved or pixel interleaved, based on an orientation for the display. In this manner, the display may receive the combined image data and present the 3D image consistent with the orientation for the display, while reducing processing performed by the display to present the 3D image. |
| US09432651B2 |
Versatile 3-D picture format
A 3-D picture is provided by providing a pair of pictures that includes a first picture for one eye of a viewer, and a second picture for the other eye of the viewer. In addition, a depth map specifically dedicated to the first picture is provided. The depth map includes depth indication values. A depth indication value relates to a particular portion of the first picture and indicates a distance between an object at least partially represented by that portion of the first picture and the viewer. The 3-D picture is supplemented with rendering guidance data that specifies respective parameters for respective rendering contexts. These respective parameters relate to generating a shifted viewpoint picture from the first picture and the depth map. |
| US09432650B2 |
Image display apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and method of controlling image display apparatus
An image display apparatus which displays an image, and selectively reads out one of a RAW image and a first developed image obtained by performing a developing process and a compression process for the RAW image, as a candidate image to be displayed following a currently displayed image, from a storage medium storing the RAW image and the first developed image, in accordance with the currently displayed image The apparatus also performs a developing process for the RAW image with higher image quality than the first developed image, performs a decompression process for the developed image, stores the candidate image which is processed by the development or the decompression so as to be displayed, and controls to display the stored candidate image on a display unit by switching from the currently displayed image to the candidate image, in response to an instruction to switch the displayed image. |
| US09432645B2 |
Information processing method and electronic device
An information processing method and an electronic device are provided. First image information of the first projection plane is collected by an image collection unit at a first time; a set of color information of the first projection plane in the first image information which indicates color of the first projection plane is acquired; a first color adjusting template is generated based on the set of color information of the first projection plane, and the first color adjusting template includes a set of second color information; color adjustment is performed on each of M projection images after the first time in the electronic device based on the first color adjusting template, to generate M second projection images; the second projection image is then projected onto the first projection plane. |
| US09432641B2 |
Image processing device and program
An image processing device includes: an identifying unit that identifies an image area where gradations are lost in a first captured image obtained by capturing a subject image; an image texture image generation unit that generates an image texture image by aligning a second captured image, obtained by capturing an image of a subject matching the subject of the first captured image, with the first captured image and extracting an image texture corresponding to the image area having been identified by the identifying unit; and an interpolation unit that executes interpolation for the image area in the first captured image by synthetically incorporating the image texture image having been generated by the image texture image generation unit with the first captured image. |
| US09432640B2 |
Illumination module
An illumination module includes a light source, a color wheel, an actuator, and a reflective unit. The light source is for providing a light beam with a first wavelength band. The color wheel has an outer annular section and an inner annular section. The color wheel includes a wavelength conversion segment disposed at the outer annular section and a plurality of filter segments disposed at the inner annular section. The wavelength conversion segment is configured to convert a portion of the light beam with the first wavelength band into a light beam with a second wavelength band, and has at least one wavelength conversion material including yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) phosphors. The filter segments are respectively configured to filter desired wavelength bands of the light beam. The reflective unit is configured to reflect the light beam passing through the outer annular section to the inner annular section. |
| US09432638B2 |
Communication and monitoring system
An audio-video communication system comprises a wireless exterior module located proximate an entrance, a computerized controller running a software application, and a remote peripheral device. The wireless exterior module includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person at the entrance, a video camera for recording an image of the person at the entrance, a microphone for recording the person at the entrance, a speaker for playing audio to the person at the entrance, a transmitter for communicating sounds and images of the person at the entrance, and a receiver for receiving communications at the wireless exterior module. The computerized controller is disposed in wireless electronic communication with the wireless exterior module via the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless exterior module. The remote peripheral device is configured to electronically communicate with the computerized controller for viewing an image from the video camera communicated from the wireless exterior module. |
| US09432636B2 |
Large-scale surface reconstruction that is robust against tracking and mapping errors
Depth maps of a physical space are obtained using a depth sensor carried by a rig such as a robot or a head mounted display device worn by a user. Visible light images are also obtained. The images and orientation readings are used to create a pose graph which includes nodes connected by links. The nodes are associated with different poses of the rig and the corresponding images. Links between the nodes represent correspondences between the images, and transforms between coordinate systems of the nodes. As new images are captured, the pose graph is updated to reduce an accumulation of errors. Furthermore, surfaces in the physical space can be reconstructed at any time according to the current state of the pose graph. Volumes used in a surface reconstruction process are anchored to the nodes such that the positions of the volumes are adjusted as the pose graph is updated. |
| US09432635B2 |
Inspection device for article being inspected, spark plug inspection method, and method for manufacturing spark plug
A spark plug is held by a work holder, and an illumination device is disposed between a rear end surface of a metal terminal of the spark plug and a lens of a CCD camera. The positional relationship among the rear end surface, the lens and a light source is determined such that regular reflected light resulting from regular reflection of irradiation light emitted from the light source and impinging on the rear end surface is not incident on the lens. In capturing an image of the rear end surface not only is the regular reflected light not incident on the lens, but also the incidence, on the lens of irregular reflected light resulting from irregularities on the rear end surface is reduced, whereby interference of reflected light with a captured image can be reduced. |
| US09432634B2 |
Image generation device and operation support system
An image generation device generates an output image including a road image based on plural input images that are captured by plural cameras mounted to a body to be operated. The image generation device includes a control part that arranges input image portions of two cameras that correspond to an overlapping area of the image capturing ranges of the two cameras to form a lattice pattern on the output image. The lattice pattern includes as a unit pattern a region that is defined by two circles having a center at the position of a first camera of the two cameras and two circles having a center at the position of a second camera of the two cameras. |
| US09432633B2 |
Visual command processing
An example method for processing visual communications at a video camera according to the disclosure includes analyzing video content captured by the video camera to identify a visual command presented to the camera by a user in the field of view of the camera, executing the visual command identified from the video content captured by the video camera, wherein executing the visual command includes setting one or more operating parameters of the video camera, determining a command completion indication corresponding to whether the command was successfully executed, and providing a command completion indication, corresponding to the command completion indication, to the user. |
| US09432631B2 |
Surveillance system
Data from a wireless network location system is used in conjunction with the known geographic location of a video surveillance area such that the system according to the present invention infers that a person who appears in an image in the video is the user of a mobile phone estimated to be at the person's location. When facial recognition is applied and the person's identity is thus recognized, an association is generated as between the identity according to the facial recognition and the identity of the co-located mobile phone. This association can be critical when there is no personal identification available for a mobile phone such as a pre-paid mobile. |
| US09432627B2 |
Restricting information requested by an application
The technology includes a method for a computing device (console) to restrict transferring information to others on the Internet. A user does not have to explicitly make a choice of having the console restrict the transferring of information to an external computing device because the technology determines that such information cannot be transferred. When an application is loaded, a NSAL is read to determine whether the application will communicate with an external computing device. A NSAL may include authorized network addresses that an application may communicate with when executing on a computing device. When the NSAL does not include any network addresses, there is no need to obtain consent from a user regarding transferring the information externally because the application does not have the capability to do so. When one or more network addresses are includes in a NSAL, consent from a user is obtained. |
| US09432620B2 |
Determining a synchronization relationship
An example partially transmissive display is provided to output data to a user. The partially transmissive display can include a capture device to receive captured data transmitted through the partially transmissive display, and data generated on and/or reflected from the partially transmissive display. A cross-talk reduction component may be included to receive the captured data and a remote signal comprising displayed content on the partially transmissive display. The cross-talk component may utilize the remote signal and the captured data to reduce cross-talk and output a corrected signal to one or more remote participants. |
| US09432619B2 |
Method and apparatus for communications
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box (STB) having a controller to operate the STB coupled to an interactive television network as an audio visual answering machine using a digital video recorder forming a part of the STB, use at least one camera coupled to the STB to capture video, use at least one microphone coupled to the STB to capture audio, present video from at least a calling party on a television set coupled to the STB, and present audio from at least the calling party on speakers coupled to the STB. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09432618B2 |
Television receiver with a TV phone function
A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network. |
| US09432614B2 |
Integrated downscale in video core
Implementations include video image processing systems, methods, and apparatus for integrated video downscale in a video core. The downscaler computes and writes a display frame to an external memory. This frame may have the same resolution as a target display device (e.g., mobile device). The target display device then reads this display frame, rather than the original higher resolution frame. By enabling downscale during encoding/decoding, the device can conserve resources such as memory bandwidth, memory access, bus bandwidth, and power consumption associated with separately downscaling a frame of video data. |
| US09432611B1 |
Voice radio tuning
A method includes receiving text data corresponding to user speech recognized by a voice recognition system. The method also includes determining a desired radio and a desired radio frequency based at least on the text data. Additionally, the method includes performing one or more radio tuning operations to tune the desired radio to the desired radio frequency. |
| US09432609B2 |
Signal processing device and signal processing method
A signal processing device and signal processing method. A plurality of tuner circuits includes at least one that selectively provides a signal from among a plurality of signal bands potentially in an input signal in response to a control signal having a transition between a first state and a second state. A correction circuit corresponds to at least one of the plurality of tuner circuits, and is configured to receive the control signal and provide a corrected control signal for the tuner circuit. The corrected control signal has a gradual transition between the first state and the second state as compared to the transition between the first state and the second state in the control signal. |
| US09432601B2 |
Defective pixel correcting apparatus, imaging apparatus, and method of correcting defective pixel
An apparatus for correcting a defective pixel includes a unit configured to obtain a first corrected value based on a maximum value or minimum value of values of surrounding pixels around a defective pixel, a unit configured to identify a direction in which a change in pixel values is the smallest based on the values of the surrounding pixels, and configured to obtain a second corrected value responsive to values of pixels situated in the identified direction among the surrounding pixels, and a selection unit configured to select the first corrected value when a difference between a value of the defective pixel and a representative value of the surrounding pixels is smaller than a first threshold value, configured to select the second corrected value when the difference is larger than or equal to a second threshold value that is larger than or equal to the first threshold value. |
| US09432597B2 |
Low-noise, high dynamic-range image sensor
An integrated-circuit image sensor generates, as constituent reference voltages of a first voltage ramp, a first sequence of linearly related reference voltages followed by a second sequence of exponentially related reference voltages. The integrated-circuit image sensor compares the constituent reference voltages of the first voltage ramp with a first signal level representative of photocharge integrated within a pixel of the image sensor to identify a first reference voltage of the constituent reference voltages that is exceeded by the first signal level. |
| US09432596B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
Noise in RAW image data is reduced by determining parameters including pixels used as a target area and reference pixels in the RAW image data, based on color filter information for the RAW image data. The RAW image data is corrected based on the parameters thus determined. |
| US09432595B2 |
Image processing device that generates an image from pixels with different exposure times
An image processing apparatus includes an intermediate image generating unit configured to input an image which has been shot with differing exposure times set by region, generates a plurality of exposure pattern images corresponding to differing exposure times based on the input image, and generates a plurality of timing images which are difference images of the plurality of exposure pattern images; and a distortion correction processing unit configured to generate a corrected image equivalent to an exposure processing image at a predetermined exposure time by synthesizing processing of the plurality of timing images. |
| US09432594B2 |
User recognition apparatus and method
A user recognition apparatus includes: a visible-light image processing unit configured to acquire a visible-light image using a visible-light camera; an infrared-light image processing unit configured to acquire an infrared-light image using an infrared-light camera; a threshold value processing unit configured to remove a background of the infrared-light image using a threshold value, and generate a clipped infrared-light image; an optical flow processing unit configured to calculate an optical flow based on the clipped infrared-light image and the visible-light image, and generate a clipped visible-light image based on the calculated optical flow; and a visible light processing unit configured to recognize a user based on the clipped visible-light image. |
| US09432593B2 |
Target object information acquisition method and electronic device
Disclosed are a target object information acquisition method and an electronic device. The target object information acquisition method comprises a first infrared transmitter transmitting scattered light to a target area comprising at least one object; a photoreceptor receiving first reflected light output after at least one object reflects the scattered light in a first time period, and generating a depth image corresponding to the target area, acquiring the target image information about a target object; a second infrared transmitter transmitting scattered light to the target area; the photoreceptor receiving second reflected light output after at least one object reflects the scattered light in a second time period, and generating a feature image corresponding to the target area; and acquiring feature information. By means of the time division, the present invention solves the technical problem of a low acquisition rate for target object information in the prior art. |
| US09432586B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising: a negative first lens unit; a positive second lens unit; a negative third lens unit; and a positive fourth lens unit, wherein the first, second and third lens units move along an optical axis in zooming, the third lens unit moves along the optical axis in focusing, and the conditions: 2.5≦|(1−(β3T)2)×(β4T)2|≦7.0 and 0.5≦BfW/fW≦4.0 (β3T: a lateral magnification of the third lens unit at an infinite object point distance at the telephoto limit, β4T: a lateral magnification of the fourth lens unit at an infinite object point distance at the telephoto limit, BfW: a back focal length of the zoom lens system at the wide-angle limit, fW: a focal length of the zoom lens system at the wide-angle limit) are satisfied. |
| US09432585B2 |
Zoom lens and imaging apparatus
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens group that has a positive refractive power; a second lens group that has a negative refractive power; a third lens group that has a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group that has a positive refractive power. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens group is stationary relative to an imaging surface, and the second lens group is moved to the image side in an optical axis direction so as to decrease a space between the second lens group and the third lens group. The third lens group includes a positive lens, a negative lens, and a cemented lens. The zoom lens satisfies −0.95 |
| US09432583B2 |
Method of providing an adjusted digital image representation of a view, and an apparatus
According to one aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a method of providing an adjusted digital image representation of a view, the method comprising providing a set of images, wherein the images of said set depict a same view and are captured with a digital camera using different configurations of the digital camera; determining an initial representation of the view by providing a primary image based on image data of at least a first image of said set; sending the primary image for presentation of the initial representation on a display; providing a secondary image based on image data of at least a second image of said set, wherein the first image and the second image are different images; and sending, in response to receiving a user command, the secondary image for presentation of an adjusted representation of the view on the display. |
| US09432577B2 |
Image joining apparatus, image joining method, and image joining program
Provided is an image joining apparatus that creates a joined image by joining multiple consecutive still images on a time axis, the image joining apparatus including: a past image confirmation unit that confirms whether there is a past still image located before the previous still image in terms of time in at least a part of a portion to be joined to the target still image; an angle calculation unit that calculates an angle formed between a motion vector associated with the target still image and a motion vector associated with the past still image, when the past image confirmation unit has confirmed that the past still image is present; and a stop processing unit that stops joining of the target still image when the angle calculated by the angle calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle. |
| US09432574B2 |
Method of developing an image from raw data and electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus is described. The electronic apparatus includes: a photographing unit which generates raw data by photographing processing; a non-transitory memory which stores interface information for displaying, on a display unit of an external device, a development interface which receives setting operations that set development parameters used in development processing of the raw data; a communication unit which transmits the interface information to the external device and receives from the external device the development parameters set on the external device; and an image processing unit which, based on the development parameters received from the communication unit, performs the development processing of the raw data and generates development data for display. |
| US09432573B2 |
Apparatus for detecting information overlaid on light and system including the apparatus
An imaging apparatus according to an implementation of the present invention includes: an imaging device unit which converts light coming from an object into an image signal, the light being illuminating light reflected off an object; a light pattern detecting unit which detects a light-dark pattern from the image signal so as to detect information overlaid on the illuminating light, the image signal being converted from the light by the imaging device unit; a comparing unit which compares detection information with predetermined determination information, the detection information being the information detected by the light pattern detecting unit; and a display unit which displays a specific image, depending on a result of the comparison by the comparing unit. |
| US09432572B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic prediction of dynamic exposure
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method is disclosed. An image is provided. The image is transformed. A similarity score is determined. The similarity score corresponds to a comparison of the image and the transformed image. A camera setting is predicted based on the determined similarity score. |
| US09432569B2 |
Imaging device and focus control method
An imaging device, includes: a sensor including first phase difference detecting pixels arranged in a row direction and second phase difference detecting pixels arranged in the row direction; a defocus amount calculating unit which calculates a correlated amount of a first output signal group and a second output signal group while shifting the first output signal group and the second output signal group in the row direction by an arbitrary amount to calculate a defocus amount from a first shift amount of the first output signal group and the second output signal group when the correlated amount is at a maximum. The defocus amount calculating unit changes an upper limit of a shift amount of the first output signal group and the second output signal group in accordance with at least one of an F value, a focal distance, and a position of a focus lens. |
| US09432568B2 |
Pixel arrangements for image sensors with phase detection pixels
An image sensor may include a pixel array having image pixels for capturing image data and phase detection pixels for gathering phase information during automatic focusing operations. Phase detection pixels may form phase detection pixel pairs having first and second pixels with different angular responses. The first and second pixels may have color filters of the same color or may have color filters of different colors. The phase detection pixel pairs may be isolated from other phase detection pixel pairs in the array or may be arranged consecutively in a line. The phase detection pixels may, for example, be provided with color filters to match the color filter pattern of the pixel array. Processing circuitry may adjust red and green pixel signals from a phase detection pixel pair having a red and green color filter and may subsequently determine a phase difference using the adjusted pixel signals. |
| US09432567B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and imaging method that perform focus action following zoom action
An image pickup apparatus capable of performing a focus adjustment with accuracy and in short time even when a focal position deviation is caused due to a delay of a focus action relative to a zoom action performed responding to a zoom operation. When a focal position of the lens unit changes with execution of a zoom operation, a lens controller drives a focus lens group in such a manner that the focus lens group moves following the zoom operation and the focal position is made constant. A focus detector performs focus detection based on an optical image. According to a focus detection result, the focus lens group is driven for focus adjustment. During the follow-up movement of the focus lens group, a camera controller stops the focus adjustment until a defocusing amount obtained from the focus detection result becomes smaller than a first predetermined value. |
| US09432565B2 |
Helmet camera system
A portable video capture device configured to be securely mounted within a conventional sports helmet. The camera is mounted within the front of the frame of the helmet, a id is designed to be flush with the front of the helmet. The components of the camera, including a power source, a lens, a wireless transmitter and an antenna, are configured to be safely housed within the frame of the helmet between the foam padding and the outer housing of the helmet. The transmitting antenna is designed to transmit a video feed via, the wireless transmitter from the camera to a receiver on a static, user-defined frequency, so that multiple iterations of the present invention may be utilized simultaneously on the same playing field. |
| US09432559B2 |
Front cover for a housing enclosing a camera
The invention provides for a front cover (10) adapted for a housing enclosing a camera. The front cover (10) comprises an aperture (12) covered by a window (14) made of a flexible material, the window (14) being fixed to the front cover (10) by a flexible adhesive (16). |
| US09432555B2 |
System and method for AV sync correction by remote sensing
Method and system for measuring audio video synchronization. This is done by having a remote sensing station to measure and process the audio and images from a multimedia terminal that display a television program. The remote sensing station uses an audio sensor to sense the audio signal from the multimedia station and an image sensor to sense the images displayed on the multimedia station. An AV processing circuit in the remote sensing terminal processes the signals from the audio sensor and the image sensor to determine the relative delay between the sensed audio signal and the sensed images. The delay information is then communicated to the multimedia station to adjust the AV synchronization. |
| US09432551B2 |
Image processing apparatus configured to execute correction on scan image data
An image processing apparatus acquires scan data and information about a color specified by a user; executes first correction on the scan data such that brightness of a pixel subject to the first correction increases, the pixel subject to the first correction having a color that falls within a specified range of color, an achromatic color brighter than the specified color falling within the specified range of color, first corrected scan data being generated resulting from execution of the first correction; executes second correction on at least a part of the first-corrected scan data such that a color of a pixel subject to the second correction is changed to a predetermined color if the pixel subject to the second correction is a specified color pixel specified based on the information, second corrected scan data being generated resulting from execution of the second correction; and outputs the second corrected scan data. |
| US09432549B2 |
Information processing device, server device, and peripheral device management method
A user terminal 1, which is communicably connected to a server device 2 via a network 9, includes: an information acquisition unit 101 that acquires terminal information including a terminal ID of the user terminal 1, and acquires peripheral device information including a device type and a serial number of a peripheral device 3 connected to the user terminal 1 via an interface 15 for peripheral device connection, which is different from a network interface 16 connected to the network 9; and a transmission/reception unit 102 that transmits the terminal information and the peripheral device information to the server device 2. |
| US09432547B2 |
Image forming apparatus and density correction method
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section including a rotational member and configured to form an image on the long sheet; a density unevenness cycle acquiring section configured to acquire a cycle of a density profile that represents density variation in a sub scanning direction; a cycle control section configured to operate such that, in a case where a same image is continuously formed on the long sheet, a length of the image in the sub scanning direction is an integer multiple of a cycle length that corresponds to one cycle of the density profile; and a density correction section configured to form a patch image for correction that has a size greater than the cycle length of the density profile on the image bearing member, and perform density correction using correction data created based on a detection result regarding the patch image for correction. |
| US09432542B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of controlling power-saving mode of image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling power-saving modes of the image forming apparatus are provided. The method of controlling power-saving modes of the image forming apparatus includes beginning a first power-saving mode after standing by in a normal mode for first time if no print operation is implemented, and beginning a second power-saving mode after standing by in the normal mode for second standby time if an error occurs under implementation of a print operation, wherein the second time is shorter than the first time, and the second power-saving mode includes a an error-checking mode. |
| US09432541B2 |
Transfer controlling method, transfer controlling apparatus, and storage medium storing program
The data format of image data when an image reading apparatus transfers, to an external apparatus, the image data obtained by reading an original by the image reading apparatus is decided based on system configuration information of the image reading apparatus and setting information corresponding to processing to be executed on the image data in the external apparatus. Control for transferring, from the image reading apparatus to the external apparatus, the image data of the decided data format is performed. |
| US09432540B2 |
Image defect detection device, image defect detection method, and imaging unit
Disclosed are an image defect detection device, method and an imaging unit capable of reliably detecting image defect, such as stripe unevenness or scratches, even if a comparatively inexpensive and low resolution imaging unit is used. An image reading unit has a plurality of read pixels arranged in a second direction intersecting a first direction and reads an image recorded on a recording medium by a single-pass recording head, which is relatively moved in the first direction. A birefringent plate shifts and duplexes the image at least in the second direction by performing birefringence of image light of the image. The birefringent plate makes the width of image defect in the second direction on the read pixels greater than the pitch of the read pixels. A detection unit which detects image defect included in the image and extended in the first direction based on the reading result of the image. |
| US09432535B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes a conveyor configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction along a conveyance path; a first reading unit configured to read an image of a first surface of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor through a first reading surface; a second reading unit configured to read an image of a second surface opposite to the first surface of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor through a second reading surface; a first pressing member, which is made of a resin, is configured to face the first reading surface and is configured to urge the sheet passing through the conveyance path towards the first reading surface; and a second pressing member, which is made of metal, is configured to face the second reading surface and configured to urge the sheet passing through the conveyance path towards the second reading surface. |
| US09432534B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes: an opening/closing portion configured to be rotatable around a hinge shaft; a biasing portion configured to apply a force to the opening/closing portion such that moment of the hinge shaft rotation higher than moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to self-weight of the opening/closing member is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is placed in a range up to a predetermined rotation angle from a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, and moment of the hinge shaft rotation that is balanced with the moment of the hinge shaft rotation according to the self-weight of the opening/closing portion is generated in a state in which the opening/closing portion is opened more than the predetermined rotation angle; and a holding portion configured to maintain the opening/closing portion at the closed position. |
| US09432531B2 |
Input apparatus following task flow and image forming apparatus using the same
An input apparatus includes a command input unit to input a command, a key input unit having at least one key, a navigation key input unit having a rotatable navigation key, and a display panel unit to perform displaying according to manipulation of the command input unit, the key input unit, and the navigation key. In the input apparatus, the command input unit, the key input unit, the navigation key input unit, and the display panel unit are arranged in sequence according to a task flow, so a user-friendly input apparatus can be implemented. |
| US09432529B2 |
Portable handheld device with multi-core microcoded image processor
A portable handheld device includes a CPU for processing a script; a multi-core processor for processing images; and a flash memory connected to the CPU, the flash memory storing therein a table of micro-codes. The multi-core processor includes a plurality of micro-coded processing units. The CPU is configured to read one or more micro-codes from the flash memory and load the one or more micro-codes into the processing unit to execute the script being processed thereby. |
| US09432518B2 |
Method and apparatus for completing a circuit switched service call in an internet protocol network
A method and an apparatus for completing a circuit switched service call in an Internet Protocol network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a session request and queries an tElephone NUmbering Mapping server for a called party, and determines if at least one Naming Authority Pointer resource record associated with the called party is received from the ENUM server. The method determines if a Session Initiation Protocol Universal Resource Identifier is returned, if the at least one NAPTR resource record associated with the called party is received, and processing the session request using the SIP URI, if the SIP URI is returned. The method determines if the processing of the session request using the SIP URI resulted in a successful call completion and processes the session request using a telephone URI, if the processing of the session request using the SIP URI resulted in an unsuccessful call completion. |
| US09432517B2 |
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for generating an action item in response to a detected audio trigger during a conversation
Embodiments include methods, apparatuses, and systems for generating an action item in response to a detected audio trigger during a conversation. Embodiments relate to generation of one or more action items in response to detection of an audio trigger, such as a spoken command, keyword, audio tone or other indicator, which is detected during a conversation, such as an audio or video conference or peer-to-peer conversation. The audio trigger and a portion of the conversation are then used to generate an action item relating to the audio trigger and an accompanying portion of the conversation. By automatically generating action items in real time as part of a conversation, action items can be captured and stored more efficiently, and the participants in the conversation are allowed greater confidence that all items requiring follow up actions are properly stored and organized. |
| US09432514B2 |
Providing and using a media control profile
A media control profile is described herein. The media control profile provides a number of selectable pre-defined and/or user-defined settings to manipulate the functionality of a hybrid telecommunications and entertainment mobile device. Three basic modes of operation, namely a telecommunications-only device mode, an entertainment-only device mode, and a hybrid telecommunications and entertainment device mode are provided. Settings associated with one or more of these basic modes are combined to form a media control profile for the hybrid mobile device. |
| US09432512B2 |
Cloud agent realizing method and system, and cloud agent server
Disclosed is a cloud agent realizing method, including that: an agent is communicatively connected to a cloud agent server, acquires a parameter of the agent and a parameter of the cloud agent server from the cloud agent server, and logs in to the cloud agent server according to the acquired parameters. Also disclosed are a cloud agent realizing system and a cloud agent server. With the disclosure, cloud agent registration and management are realized in a Next Generation Call Center Cloud NGC3. |
| US09432509B2 |
Contact center recording service
A system and method for producing audio messages for use in a contact center. A customer may specify message content, and provide a voice specification, which may identify a preferred voice artist and other aspects of the audio message including the language, accent and tone of the message. The service may produce the recording and provide it to the customer. |
| US09432500B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for timer-based management of communication devices
A method of management of a communication device in an aircraft may include transitioning the communication device from a normal mode to a disabled mode based on a calculated device sleep time based on data associated with transportation information of the device. One of these modes may be a state of the device in which a transceiver of the device is deactivated and the other mode may be a state of the device in which the transceiver is activated. Therefore, the device sleep time determines when the wireless device's transceiver may not be activated. |
| US09432493B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting missing micro-filter
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to detect a missing micro-filter. In embodiments, the detection is performed by measuring the distortion caused by an unfiltered telephone device using a SELT (Single Ended Line Test) technique. According to certain aspects, the signal used to perform the distortion measurement is designed such that it causes minimal impact on vectored lines within the same cable. Embodiments of the invention first determines the estimated loop length, then uses the loop length to select a set of signal parameters that will be used to perform the distortion measurement. The parameters to be selected include transmit frequency band and PSD level. According to further aspects, embodiments of the invention include automatically running a missing filter test immediately following a line drop to determine if the line drop was caused by a missing micro-filter. |
| US09432490B2 |
Portable sliding electronic device operable to disable a touchscreen display when opening and closing the device
A portable electronic device (200), including a first housing (204), a second housing (202) slidably coupled to the first housing, the first housing and the second housing movable between a closed position, an open position and a transition position between the open position and the closed position, at least one input device (212), and at least one position sensor (230, 232) operable to detect whether the portable electronic device is in the open position, the closed position or the transition position. When the at least one position sensor detects the transition position, the at least one input device is disabled. |
| US09432488B2 |
High speed embedded protocol for distributed control systems
A control network communication arrangement includes a second protocol embedded into a first protocol in a way that modules supporting the second protocol may be aware of and utilize the first protocol whereas modules supporting only the first protocol may not be aware of the second protocol. Operation of modules using the second protocol does not disturb operation of the modules not configured to use or understand the second protocol. By one approach, the messages sent using the second protocol will be seen as messages sent using the first protocol but not having a message necessary to understand or as needing a particular response. In another approach, modules using the second protocol can be configured to send message during transmission of first protocol messages by other modules, the second protocol messages being trigger off of expected aspects of the message sent under the first protocol. |
| US09432487B2 |
System and method for network protocol offloading in virtual networks
Disclosed herein are a system and method for network protocol offloading in virtual networks. An embodiment method of offloading a network protocol processing task for a message includes receiving, at a virtual switch, the message from a virtual source node destined for a virtual receiver node. The network protocol processing for the message is offloaded from the virtual source node and deferred when the virtual receiver node is safe for network protocol offloading. When the virtual receiver node is unsafe for network protocol offloading, the network protocol processing task is executed within the virtual switch. When the virtual receiver node is safe for network protocol offloading and a path between the virtual switch and the virtual receiver node includes a physical network interface, the network protocol processing task is executed using the physical network interface. |
| US09432486B2 |
Selective data compression by a distributed traffic management system to reduce mobile data traffic and signaling traffic
Selective data compression by a distributed traffic management system to reduce mobile and/or signaling traffic are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method can include, for example: compressing an uncompressed data chunk in a data stream to be transmitted over the wireless network to generate a compressed data chunk, comparing sizes of the uncompressed data chunk with the compressed data chunk, transmitting an optimized data stream comprising of the uncompressed data chunk or the compressed data chunk over the wireless network, depending on which is smaller in size. In one embedment, a header can be included in the optimized data stream to indicate which of uncompressed data chunk and the compressed data chunk is transmitted. |
| US09432485B2 |
Method and system of an accelerated application-oriented middlewarelayer
In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes the step of instantiating, with at least one processor, a storage object. The storage object includes a unique identifier, a data element and a virtual storage object. The virtual storage object is formed in the storage object. The virtual storage object includes a virtual data element. A set of kernel functions of a client-side computing system utilizing the application-orientedmiddleware layer are invoked. The set of kernel functions implement formation of an application data object. The application data object maps files and directories to the virtual storage object and integrates into a filesystem interface of an operating system of the client-side computing system. The application data object is formed. A data routing service of the application data object is initiated. |
| US09432482B2 |
Asynchronous and synchronous resource links
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing asynchronous and synchronous links to resources. According to one example implementation, a method includes receiving a request for a resource, identifying resources to be referenced by the requested resource, and identifying one or more of the referenced resources that are associated with client-side click tracking, and one or more of the referenced resources that are associated with server-side click tracking. The method also includes providing the requested resource. The provided resource includes one or more client-side click tracking links to the referenced resources that are associated with client-side click tracking, and one or more server-side click tracking links to the referenced resources that are associated with server-side click tracking. |
| US09432480B2 |
Magnetic induction network device
A network device has a housing, a magnetic induction charger, a wireless data link and a processor. The housing has one or more sides. The induction charger is housed by the housing and is arranged to wirelessly charge a rechargeable battery of a portable electronic device. The electronic device is adjacent to or in contact with the housing. The wireless data link communicates with the portable electronic device. The processor communicates with the magnetic induction charger and the wireless data link. In addition, the processor recognizes the portable electronic device and associates a profile with the portable electronic device. The processor delivers content to an associated media device based on the profile. |
| US09432475B2 |
Communication network system of bus network structure and method for transmitting and receiving data using the system
Disclosed is a communication network system in a bus network structure and a data transmitting/receiving method, the system including: a broker processing a message routing; a connector; and a plurality of services connected to the broker via the connector, wherein: the service is a communicable terminal node and a network address identifying each service is allocated to the each service, the connector is a module for mediating a connection between the service and the broker, and the broker is a module for setting up a routing path or a connection with the connector to process the message routing, all brokers connected to each other in a full mesh topology. |
| US09432473B2 |
Online presence management for web sites
Systems and methods to provide online presence management are provided. A presence message is received from a browser associated with a user. One or more channels indicated by the presence message are determined, each channel being associated with an activity of the user. A presence state for each of the one or more channels are then determined, and a presence storage may be updated. Presence information comprising the presence state for the user may be provided to browsers of subscribers who subscribed to the same one or more channels. The presence information may be provided without an explicit request from the browsers. |
| US09432469B2 |
Automated server controlled client-side logging
A request for web content is received from a web client device at a web content server. At least one of a logging enablement status and a logging level associated with the web content is determined Client-side logging executable syntax is configured within the web content based upon the determined logging enablement status and logging level associated with the web content. The web content with the configured client-side logging executable syntax is sent to the web client device. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US09432466B2 |
Member time zone inference
Techniques for inferring a time zone of a user (e.g., a member of an online social network service) are described. According to various embodiments, it is determined that a particular member of an online social networks service is currently located in a particular country. Responsive to determining that a single time zone is associated with the particular country, it is determined that the particular member is currently located in the single time zone. Responsive to determining that multiple time zones are associated with the particular country, an IP address associated with a user login request is accessed, a geographic location associated with the IP address is identified, and a specific one of the multiple time zones that corresponds to the geographic location is identified. It is determined that the particular member is currently located in the specific time zone. |
| US09432465B1 |
Service discovery with beacons having ranked neighboring services
Embodiments of techniques, apparatuses, systems and computer-readable media for consuming services for a user equipment (UE) apparatus are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first signal at a second signal are received respectively from a first and a second beacon apparatus, the signals indicating a service associated with the respective beacon apparatuses, and a list of neighboring services proximately disposed to the respective beacon apparatuses, a list is generated and displayed at the UE apparatus in accordance with ranking criterion of the lists and the first and second signal strengths of the first and second signals received at the UE. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed. |
| US09432461B2 |
Methods, devices, systems, and computer program products for managing and delivering media content
An aspect of managing media content includes a memory device and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device. The processor executes program instructions for causing the processor to perform operations. The operations include providing user-selectable options for managing storage space in the memory device that is allocated for an account. The options include an option for defining a condition for generating an alert when a threshold amount of the storage space is consumed. The operations also include receiving a data stream from a media device assigned to the account, determining an encoding rate corresponding to the data stream, monitoring consumption of the storage space, and upon determining the condition is met, transmitting the alert to the media device. The alert indicates an amount of storage space consumed and an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream before a maximum capacity of the storage space is reached. |
| US09432460B2 |
Computer system and process for transferring multiple high bandwidth streams of data between multiple storage units and multiple applications in a scalable and reliable manner
Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. This random distribution of multiple copies of segments of data improves both scalability and reliability. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units. This combination of techniques results in a system which can transfer multiple, independent high-bandwidth streams of data in a scalable manner in both directions between multiple applications and multiple storage units. |
| US09432456B2 |
Mechanism for clock synchronization
A method and apparatus for synchronizing time between a master device and a target device arranged across a network, wherein the target device communicates to the master device through a PCIe interconnect includes transmitting a first message at a first time from the master device to the target device, the first message including a message indicator; and receiving a reply message at a subsequent time from the target device to the master device, the reply message including the message indicator. |
| US09432451B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for communicating media server capabilities and status information between media servers and a media resource broker
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for communicating media server capabilities and status information between a plurality of media servers and a media resource broker are disclosed. According to one method, messages are received at a media resource broker from a plurality of media servers, where the messages include information indicating capabilities and status of the media servers. The information regarding the capabilities and status of the media servers is cached at the media resource broker, which receives call setup requests and, in response, selects a media server from the plurality of media servers based on the cached media server capabilities and status information. |
| US09432449B2 |
Managing connection failover in a load balancer
In managing communications for a group of servers, each server in the group of servers receives a request from one or more processor units for connection information for generating a set of mappings for a load balancer of the group of servers to replace another set of mappings for another load balancer of the group of servers. A sub-group of servers, in the group of servers, is created comprising servers that have not yet responded to the request for connection information. Responsive to a determination that a route to the server in the group of servers for a communication received from a client device cannot be identified from the set of mappings for the load balancer while the sub-group of servers includes one or more servers that have not yet responded to the request for connection information, the sub-group of servers receives the communication from the one or more processors. |
| US09432448B2 |
Load dispersion system, control method for load dispersion system, and storage medium
A scan server or a task server determines a transfer method of either transferring data to an SLB, or transferring data to a central management server determined by the SLB without transiting the SLB according to the data to be transferred, and transfers data to a central management server according to the determined transfer method. |
| US09432440B2 |
Method of content delivery in LTE RAN, an eNB and communication system
The embodiments of the present invention provide a method of content delivery in LTE RAN, an eNB and communication system. The method includes: receiving, by an eNB from an UE, a client request for requesting content data; checking a segment map according to the client request; acquiring the plurality of segments from one or more eNBs of the RAN according to the index information in the segment map; generating the content data by using the plurality of segments; sending the content data to the UE. In this invention, a content data is divided into a plurality of segments and the segments are distributed in a RAN. Furthermore, the content data is acquired from neighboring nodes of RAN as much as possible, such that cache hit ratio is improved and the link between RAN and CN is saved. |
| US09432434B2 |
Method and apparatus for time stretching to hide data packet pre-buffering delays
A special rendering mode for the first few seconds of play out of multimedia data minimizes the delay caused by pre-buffering of data packets in multimedia streaming applications. Instead of pre-buffering all incoming data packets until a certain threshold is reached, the streaming application starts playing out some of the data packets immediately after the arrival of the first data packet. Immediate play out of the first data packet, for example, results in minimum delay between channel selection and perception, thereby allowing a user to quickly scan through all available channels to quickly get a notion of the content. The immediate play out is done at a reduced speed. |
| US09432432B2 |
Streaming media segment preparation method and apparatus
Embodiments of the present invention provide a streaming media segment preparation method and apparatus. The method includes: determining at least one quality point, where the at least one quality point is separately used to indicate quality of at least one target segment of streaming media in a first time period; and determining, according to the at least one quality point, the at least one target segment of the streaming media in the first time period. In the embodiments of the present invention, streaming media segments are prepared by taking a quality factor of the streaming media segments into consideration, which may avoid the problem that redundant segments are generated during preparation of the streaming media segments according to bit rates, thereby reducing a storage volume of a server. |
| US09432431B2 |
Manifest re-assembler for a streaming video channel
A device is configured to receive a playlist identifying content assets to be played on a streaming video channel. Each of the content assets may include segments. The device may add segment addresses associated with a content asset into a queue. The segment addresses may identify memory locations at which the segments included in the content asset are stored. However, the segments themselves may not be stored by the device or added to the queue. The device may generate a batch of segment addresses from the segment addresses in the queue. The device may publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel including the batch of segment addresses. The content assets may be accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address. The device may periodically update the channel manifest based on the segment addresses in the queue. |
| US09432428B2 |
Methods and systems for dynamic creation of hotspots for media control
Methods, systems, and/or devices for controlling media presentation at a shared media presentation system are described herein. In one aspect, a first electronic device detects user input requesting to indicate availability of a media presentation system for use by one or more other electronic devices. In response to detecting the user input, the first electronic device transmits an indication of availability of the media presentation system for use by the one or more other electronic devices. The first electronic device also receives, from a second electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices, a request for access to the media presentation system. In response to receiving the request, the first electronic device transmits, to the second electronic device, an authentication token that allows the second electronic device to access the media presentation system through submission of media control requests that include the authentication token. |
| US09432425B2 |
Method and system for downloading content
The present document discloses a method and system for realizing content download, including: after a portal site receives a request for triggering download, generating a pseudo uniform resource locator (URL) for a content to be downloaded, establishing corresponding relationship information of the pseudo URL and a real URL of the content, and sending the pseudo URL of the content to a terminal which wants to download the content; the terminal which wants to download the content triggering the download to a download engine according to the pseudo URL; and the download engine inquiring the corresponding relationship information of the pseudo URL and the real URL of the content according to the pseudo URL, acquiring the real URL of the content, and downloading the content to the terminal which wants to download the content according to the acquired real URL. |
| US09432421B1 |
Sharing links in an augmented reality environment
Various embodiments provide methods and systems for users and business owners to share content and/or links to visual elements of a place at a physical location, and, in response to a user device pointing at a tagged place, causing the content and/or links to the visual elements of the place to be presented on the user device. In some embodiments, content and links are tied to specific objects at a place based at least in part upon one of Global Positioning System (GPS) locations, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) orientations, compass data, or one or more visual matching algorithms. Once the content and links are attached to the specific objects of the place, they can be discovered by a user with a portable device pointing at the specific objects in the real world. |
| US09432409B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing emergency calls
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network element operably couplable to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem network where the network element has a controller to receive an SIP request associated with a call, determine whether the SIP request comprises an identifier associated with an Emergency Call Session Control Function (E-CSCF) where the identifier was added to the SIP request by the E-CSCF, and provide the call to an emergency network when the identifier is associated with the E-CSCF. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09432408B2 |
Signalling gateway, method, computer program and computer program product for communication between HTTP and SIP
A signalling gateway is arranged to allow a first client using hypertext transfer protocol, HTTP, to initiate a real-time connection to a SIP, session initiation protocol, client using SIP. The signalling gateway is arranged to use a distributed shared memory to support communication between the first client and the signalling gateway regarding session information of the real-time connection. Corresponding methods, computer programs, and computer program products are also presented. |
| US09432403B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for tagging content on uncontrolled web application
Communications by a device in a private network to a site operating outside of the network can be programmatically inspected. Unstructured data, including messages and application content, originating from outside of the network may be disassembled, analyzed, and categorized into source specific application element types (AETs). A monitoring layer may allow a user of the device in the network to switch between different modes of interaction with the site operating outside of the network. Interactions and activities in different modes can be monitored and processed differently according to internal policies and/or business rules. |
| US09432402B1 |
System and method for uploading files to servers utilizing GPS routing
This invention provides a system and a method to manage the uploading of data files from multiple wireless field devices in multiple locations to multiple data storage servers through the use of location information. |
| US09432398B2 |
Securing cloud computing environments
Some examples of security cloud computing environments can be implemented as methods. A processor of a first computer system that lacks permission to store data in a cloud computing environment receives data to be stored in the cloud computing environment. The data is received from a second computer system implementing the cloud computing environment and having permissions to store data in the cloud computing environment. The processor of the first computer system determines that the received data is safe for storage in the cloud computing environment. The processor of the first computer system determines that the received data is safe for storage in the cloud computing environment. The processor of the first computer system provides a notification to the second computer system indicating that the received data is safe for storage in the cloud computing environment, and an identifier that points to the stored data at the computer-readable storage medium. |
| US09432388B2 |
System and method for recording and monitoring communications using a media server
A communication system including a media server through which communication packets are exchanged for recording and monitoring purposes is disclosed. A tap is associated with each communication endpoint allowing for cradle to grave recording of communications despite their subsequent routing or branching. An incoming communication is routed to a first tap and upon selection of a receiving party; the first tap is routed to a second tap which forwards communication packets on to the receiving party. The taps may be used to forward communication packets to any number of other taps or destinations, such as a recording device, monitoring user, or other user in the form of a conference. |
| US09432387B2 |
Detecting network attacks
This disclosure generally relates to the generation of a packet signature for packets determined to correspond to a network attack, such as a denial of service (“DoS”) attack. Specifically, a set of data packets captured during normal system operations can be analyzed to determine a set of baseline attributes. Additional packets captured during an attack can be compared to the baseline attributes, to determine, for individual packets, a probability that the packet forms a part of the attack. A packet signature can then be generated to identify attributes that are characteristic of the attack. That signature can then be used to filter out packets and mitigate the attack. |
| US09432384B2 |
Methods and nodes for verification of data
A first data handling node (304) is configured to verify data received in a data distribution network with multiple data handling nodes forming a distribution path of a network topology, by obtaining tag information from a hash server (306). The first data handling node (304) receives data (D3) and a hash tag (H3) from a second data handling node (302). The received data (D3) and hash tag (H3) have been generated by the second node based on a previous hash tag (H1, H2) generated by a preceding third data handling node (300a, 300b). The third node has delivered data (D1, D2) to the second node, and the received data (D3) has been generated by the second node based on the data (D1, D2) delivered by the third data handling node. The first data handling node (304) verifies the received data (D3) based on the tag information from the hash server, which indicates whether the received hash tag (H3) corresponds to a “valid hash tag” (Hx) which is calculated by applying a predefined hash algorithm on the previous hash tag (H1, H2). When the received tag corresponds to the valid tag, the data is verified as trustworthy and not faked or manipulated. |
| US09432380B2 |
Network control security
Technologies are generally described for systems, devices and methods effective to allow a network element to retrieve a control command. In some examples, a network controller device may associate an identifier with the control command. The network controller device may send the identifier and the associated control command over a first network with a first level of security to a computing device. The network controller device may send an activation signal to the network element over a second network with a second level of security different from the first level of security. The network controller device may send the identifier to the network element over the second network. The identifier may be effective to allow the network element to retrieve the control command. |
| US09432379B1 |
Dynamic authorization in a multi-tenancy environment via tenant policy profiles
In one example, a method for managing user access includes creating a set of user characteristics for authorization of a user. The user characteristics are compared to application roles included in respective application authorization profiles, each of which corresponds to a different respective application. Matches are identified between the user characteristics and multiple application roles, and matching application roles and associated respective privilege masks are extracted from the application authorization profiles. The extracted information is used to create multiple tokens, each of which corresponds to a respective application. The tokens are returned to the applications and enable access control to be performed by the respective applications to which the tokens are returned. |
| US09432377B2 |
Enhanced communication platform and related communication method using the platform
Pre-authorized communication services and/or transactions are provided via a plurality of networks in response to a request received from a user to provide at least one of a communication service, a transaction and user account information via a plurality of networks of different types. Prior to processing the request, there is verification of the users authorization to receive the at least one of the communication service, the transaction, and the user account information, and that an account associated with the user has a sufficient amount currently available for payment of the at least one of the communication service and the transaction. After verification, an authorized account associated with the user is charged in real time as the at least one of the communication service and the transaction is provided. |
| US09432375B2 |
Trust/value/risk-based access control policy
Generating a resource access control decision is provided. A user trust value associated with a user identifier of a user requesting access to a protected resource is modulated based on an estimated risk value associated with a context of a resource access request. The resource access control decision is generated based on the modulated user trust value associated with the user requesting access to the protected resource. |
| US09432374B1 |
Disabling administrative access to computing resources
Disclosed are various embodiments for disabling administrative access to computing resources. A customer request is obtained to disable administrative access of a provider to one or more computing devices. The provider supplies computing resources of the at least one computing device to the customer. The administrative access of the provider to the computing devices is disabled in response to the request. The administrative access of the provider remains disabled until a reset of the computing devices is performed. |
| US09432373B2 |
One step security system in a network storage system
This is directed to providing access to content stored on a local cloud. In particular, a device can direct a librarian service overseeing the operation of a local cloud to provide another device with access to content stored on the local cloud. The librarian service can generate credentials for the other device, and provide the credentials to the other device. Using the credentials, the other device can connect directly to the local cloud and access the content. In addition, the local cloud can validate the credentials of the other before providing access to the content. The credentials can include, for example, a key to install or load on the device. The librarian may not require, however, the user to create credentials or register with the librarian before being permitted to access the content on the local cloud. |
| US09432372B2 |
Access policy based on collaboration participation
According to example configurations as described herein, an on-line conference management application receives an indication of multiple participants that attend an on-line collaboration meeting. The conference management system stores identities of content shared amongst the multiple participants during the on-line collaboration meeting. Based on identities of the multiple participants and shared content, the conference management system generates an access policy. Subsequent to termination of the on-line collaboration meeting, the conference management system utilizes the access policy to prevent unauthorized access to the shared content. For example, the conference management system can receive a request from a user to access the shared content. The management system checks to determine whether the user was a participant at the on-line collaboration meeting. Responsive to detecting that the user attended the on-line collaboration meeting as specified by the access policy, the management system can provide access to the particular document to the user. |
| US09432357B2 |
Computer network security management system and method
A computer network security management system is provided, in which a corporate computer network can be substantially separated from an external network because the external exposure of the corporate computer network is minimized, and a possibility that a hacker may get into a relay server or a central server can be fundamentally cut off. The computer network security management system is expected to further enhance the security level of a corporate computer network. |
| US09432352B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing authentication request message in a social network
A method and an apparatus for processing an authentication request message in a social network are provided. To improve the inefficiency of existing technology in processing user authentication and request to establish social relationship as well as inadequacy of parameters available for said authentication, the disclosed method includes a social network server detecting an authentication request message sent by a first client to a second client requesting to establish a social relationship with the second client. The social network server obtains information social attributes that are common to the first client and the second client, forwards the authentication request message, and sends the obtained information of common social attributes to the second client. The social attribute information is used by the second client to decide whether or not to authenticate the authentication request message. |
| US09432349B2 |
Service access authentication method and system
An access authentication system for authenticating a subscriber of a service, the access authentication system comprising an operator access authentication system and one or more private access authentication systems, each private access authentication system being communicatively connectable with the operator access authentication system, the operator access authentication system being adapted to provide one or more authentication functions for facilitating authentication of subscribers of the service based on respective subscriber authentication data items associated with credentials of the subscriber; wherein each private access authentication system is adapted to communicate one or more subscriber authentication data items to said operator access authentication system; and wherein each private access authentication system is further adapted to communicate one or more verification data items indicative of the private access authentication system operating in at least one predetermined state. |
| US09432347B2 |
Secure desktop interface
An apparatus and system for providing a secure user interface restricting the access of users to selected functions, files, and communications by implementing a customizable secure graphical user interface. The degree to which the user's access is restricted may depended on levels of authorization granted to the user. The secure user interface may be implemented on a device and employed to aid a user in executing diagnostic, service, maintenance, and data gathering tasks. The secure computing device may be connectable to other computing devices of like of different kind. The secure computing device may provide security against non-authorized users by requiring user identification and disabling the device when proper identification is not given or the device is deemed missing. |
| US09432346B2 |
Protocol for controlling access to encryption keys
A secure remote-data-storage system stores encrypted data and both plaintext and encrypted keys at a server, where data at the server is inadequate to recover the plaintext of the encrypted data; and stores at least one encrypted key at a client system. To decrypt the data, the client must obtain a copy of the encrypted data from the server, and a key to decrypt its locally-stored encrypted key. Once decrypted, the locally-stored key can be used to decrypt the encrypted data, or to decrypt an encrypted key from the server, which may then be used decrypt the encrypted data. |
| US09432341B2 |
Securing data in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a source processing module securing data based on a key stream to produce secured data, where the key stream is derived from a unilateral encryption key accessible only to the source processing module, and sending the secure data to an intermediator processing module, where desecuring the secured data is divided into two partial desecuring stages. The method continues with the intermediator processing module partially desecuring the secure data in accordance with a first partial desecuring stage to produce partially desecured data and sending the partially desecured data to a destination processing module. The method continues with the destination processing module further partially desecuring the partially desecured data in accordance with a second desecuring stage to recover the data, where the destination processing module does not have access to the encryption key or to the key stream. |
| US09432340B1 |
System and method for secure end-to-end chat system
The present invention provides an efficient secure end-to-end messaging system utilizing encrypted ephemeral messages. The method comprises the steps of using a combination of HTTPS for transport security, using symmetric key cryptography with rotating temporary keys for individual message security, and using elliptic curve cryptography for key derivation and message authentication. The key rotation scheme used provides forward secrecy even between messages and perfect forward secrecy between sessions. |
| US09432338B2 |
Secure communications using adaptive data compression
Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for communicating using adaptive data compression. A system is configured to compare operation of an encrypted communications channel to at least one operational threshold for the encrypted communications channel and select a level of compression for the encrypted communications channel based on the comparing. The system is further configured to compress data packets to be transmitted over the encrypted communications channel in accordance with the level of compression, encrypt the data packets, and transmit, via a network, the encrypted and compressed data packets to a destination. |
| US09432336B2 |
Secure electronic device application connection to an application server
The present disclosure presents a system, method and apparatus for creating a secure tunnel between a mobile device and a server. The server can be configured to receive authentication information from the mobile device. The server can be further configured to establish a secure tunnel between the server and mobile device through at least one firewall in response to verification of the authentication information, the secure tunnel allowing the mobile device direct access to at least one application associated with the server. Additionally, the server can be configured to provide, to the mobile device, data associated with the at least one application. |
| US09432333B2 |
Trusted content distribution system
A trusted content distribution system is described comprising a trustworthy enduser device and a network management infrastructure, the enduser device being adapted for communications between the enduser device and the networked infrastructure via a secure tunnel; the end user device comprising a host processor and memory; secure non-volatile memory for storing an operating system, a trusted boot process executed by the host processor to boot the end user device into a known state, means for communicating with a visualization device. |
| US09432332B2 |
Proxy device for a network of devices
A proxy device for a network of devices may include memory, a device status module, a data intercept module, a network interface, and an emulation module. The memory may be configured to store an emulation policy for emulating a device in a network, where the policy includes a status criterion that indicates a status of the device for which the policy applies. The device status module may be configured to monitor the status of the device. The data intercept module may be configured to intercept action requests directed to the device. The network interface may be configured to forward the intercepted action requests to the device when the status of the device fails to satisfy the status criterion. The emulation module may be configured to emulate the device, and respond to the action request without accessing the device, when the status of the device satisfies the status criterion. |
| US09432329B2 |
Network address assignment with duplication detection
Network storage system configuration via a network is disclosed. A network address assignment component is configured to listen for network discovery requests over the network. Responsive to receiving a network discovery request from a network storage system, one or more candidate network addresses are (e.g., randomly) generated until an available candidate network address is generated. For example, if a first candidate network address is determined as available (e.g., not used by another device within the network), then the first candidate network address is offered and/or assigned to the network storage system as an initial configuration network address that may be used to provide configuration access to the network storage system, otherwise a second candidate network address is generated and/or evaluated for availability. As such, configuration access may be provided over the network to the network storage system regardless of whether the network comprises an IP address assigning (e.g., DHCP) server. |
| US09432327B2 |
Facilitating interaction among users of a social network
In one embodiment, a computing device receives an indication of a first user action by a first user. The computing device determines a topic of the first user action based on analyzing content associated with the first user action, and determines whether the first user has a preference to exclude posts associated with the topic or a category associated with the topic. If the first user has not indicated any preference to exclude posts associated with the topic or the category, then the computing device identifies a second user action by a second user and related to the topic, and determines whether the first user has indicated a preference to exclude posts associated with the second user. If the first user has not indicated any preference to exclude posts associated with the second user, a reference associated with the second user action is sent to the first user. |
| US09432322B2 |
Electronic sticky note system, information processing terminal, method for processing electronic sticky note, medium storing program, and data structure of electronic sticky note
Provided is a technology enable to associate electronic sticky data with any application and to execute the application. An electronic sticky note system includes display means for displaying an electronic sticky note, storage means for storing sticky note information which includes header information to be displayed in a display area for the electronic sticky note, sticky note displaying position information indicating a position to be displayed the electronic sticky note, and application associating information corresponding to information for activating the application associated with the electronic sticky note, control means for displaying, by the display means, the electronic sticky note on the basis of the header information and the electronic sticky note displaying position information and for executing the application on the basis of the application associating information, and input means for inputting the sticky note information. In the electronic sticky note system, an application, which is associated with the electronic sticky note, includes other than the application which is indicated by the sticky note displaying position information. |
| US09432321B2 |
Method and apparatus for messaging in the cloud
The distributed message handling system is created by using session states to represent the plurality of session contexts in the message handling system. The session states are flat representations of the session context which completely describe the session. Utilizing the session states to handle system message requests allows the message handling system to distribute the handling of the message requests to a plurality of state machines. Advantageously, the distributed messaging system allows the message handling system to dynamically allocate message handling resources to application instances based on demand. Such dynamic allocation allows providers to efficiently allocate resources to meet demand while meeting application execution demands. |
| US09432320B2 |
System and method for providing an information-centric application
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer readable storage media for providing an information-centric application. The information-centric application enables a user to have access and delivery of information and services customizable according to the user's role and definition, preferences, and usage patterns. A user may receive information from one or more data sources, and the information is determined to be relevant based upon at least one of the user's role and definition, the user's preferences, and behaviors. An associated service is linked with the relevant information based upon at least one of the user's role and definition, the user's preferences, and behaviors. The relevant information and the associated service are presented in a feed item for inclusion into a user's news feed for display in a user interface. |
| US09432307B2 |
Internet protocol broadcasting
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for improving utilization of a communications system through various atom-based techniques for enhancing the viewing experience for Internet protocol content. Some embodiments exploit atom-based processing to determine which content atoms to broadcast (e.g., multicast) over which channels to which subscribers. Other embodiments make atom-based filtering, caching, and/or other determinations at the user terminal. For example, low-level (e.g., physical layer) filtering may be used to limit the amount of user-layer processing needed, and to facilitate delivery of content to those users most likely to desire that content. Still other embodiments allow users to create customized channels of cached content for viewing as a shared channel. Embodiments include techniques for addressing synchronization of channel content and viewing, and social networking, for subscribers to the shared channel. The shared channels may be further used to facilitate social networking among subscribers. |
| US09432306B2 |
System and method for cloud-based implementation of control of focused overload of network element (COFO-NE)
A system and method for cloud-based implementation of control of focused overload of network elements is disclosed. Resource blocks are obtained for a signaling part of a network element from a variety of networked resources. The resource blocks are integrated into a pool and a unified view is presented to applications and services communicating with the signaling part of the network element. The signaling part of the network element controls allocation of resources from a media part of the network element via instructions over virtual private network links. Resource blocks for the media part of the network element are obtained from a variety of networked resources, wherein the resource blocks are integrated into a pool and a unified view is presented to the signaling part of the network element. The media part of the network element uses the resource blocks for the applications and services for a duration of time, and additional borrowed resources are released after successful utilization. |
| US09432305B1 |
Connection redistribution in load-balanced systems
Methods and apparatus for connection redistribution in load-balanced systems that include multiple load balancers each serving multiple nodes. In the connection redistribution method, each node estimates a connection close rate, which may be based on an estimation of the percentage of the overall client traffic received by the respective load balancer that is being handled by the node. The node generates close requests for connections between the respective load balancer and clients according to the connection close rate. The node sends the close requests to its load balancer, which forwards the close requests to the appropriate clients. Upon receiving a close request, a client may close the connection(s) indicated by the request, obtain a public IP address for a load balancer, and initiate new connection(s) to the respective load balancer via the public IP address. |
| US09432303B2 |
Method for aiding the reservation of resources for a packet switched network, and associated management device and aid device
A method intended to aid in the reservation of resources within a packet-switched communication network (CR) comprising a number N of relaying nodes (S1-S4). This method consists i), in determining for some at least of the N nodes (S1-S4) at least one resource reservation plan Pik defined by a plan identifier associated with a stream identifier and at least two ports, and ii) in memorizing for each of the N nodes (S1-S4) the various plans Pik relating to them. |
| US09432302B2 |
Method and system for operating a commissioned E-commerce service provider
A method for operating a commissioned e-commerce service provider provides services to businesses on a computerized network such as the Internet in exchange for a small commission on the commercial transactions generated using those services. Unlike most ISPs that provide services to individuals and businesses, the commissioned e-commerce service provider preferably provides Internet services for businesses operating web sites or other application that generate e-commerce transactions for the business. Instead of paying a monthly fee for the Internet services required to host a web site or operate and e-commerce site, the business contracts with the commissioned e-commerce service provider to provide these services based on receiving a percentage commission of the commercial transactions generated using these services. Preferably, the commission percentage is tiered in accordance with the amount of traffic at the site to provide a nominal level of service at a lower commission rate, yet allow for an exceptional volume of traffic to be accommodated by the site at a higher commission rate without having the site fail or the service become overwhelmed. |
| US09432301B2 |
Defining disjoint node groups for virtual machines with pre-existing placement policies
Disjoint node groups are generated for a node cluster to guarantee hardware redundancy for each service group to be configured on the node cluster. Each service group includes service units, and each service unit is a unit of redundancy for services provided and protected by the service group. Hardware dependency is identified between virtual machines in the node cluster and hardware elements to host the virtual machines. A first node group set (NG set) is formed using a first criterion to select the virtual machines into different node groups based on the hardware dependency, such that there is no common hardware element between any two node groups in the first NG set. The first NG set is mapped to a first set of service groups. Different node groups of the first NG set are mapped to different service units in each service group of the first set of service groups. |
| US09432298B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for improving memory systems
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for a memory system. The system includes a first semiconductor platform including at least one first circuit, and at least one additional semiconductor platform stacked with the first semiconductor platform and including at least one additional circuit. |
| US09432297B2 |
Jitter-based transmission control method
A jitter-based transmission control method is disclosed. In the jitter-based transmission control method, several packets are sent applying a current congestion window size by at least one sender device through a network switch device. An immediate jitter ratio of the network switch device is calculated by the sender device. An average jitter ratio of the network switch device is updated by the sender device according to the immediate jitter ratio and the current congestion window size. The current congestion window size is reduced when the immediate jitter ratio or the updated average jitter ratio is positive and larger than a queued threshold over the current congestion window size, such that the packets are sent applying the reduced current congestion window size. |
| US09432294B1 |
Utilizing user-specified access control lists in conjunction with redirection and load-balancing on a port
In one embodiment a packet of data is received at a network element. At least one field is parsed from the packet of data. A forwarding entry is identified from a plurality of forwarding entries based on the at least one field. The forwarding entry of the plurality of forwarding entries is formed by merging information from at least one load balancing entry and at least one access control list (ACL) entry. The data packet is forwarded through a port of the network element in accordance with the identified forwarding entry. |
| US09432293B2 |
System and method for routing internet traffic over internet links
An apparatus and method for IP transit is described. Embodiments include a platform for routing IP traffic in real time from at least one network user to a plurality of internet links. Embodiments further include assigning different ranks to different internet links based on network monitoring. In one embodiment, a system for routing internet traffic includes an internet route optimizer to generate routing instructions for incoming data packets using financial costs of routing data packets on the internet links, the traffic condition information corresponding to the internet links, and the types of data of the incoming data packets. In another embodiment, a method to generate a routing instruction to route an internet data packet uses financial costs of routing data packets on the internet links serving the end destination, traffic condition information of the internet links serving the end destination, and the type of data of the incoming data packet. |
| US09432286B2 |
Method and system for hitless upgrade of chassis in virtualized environment
Exemplary methods for upgrading route processor virtual machines (RP VMs) and line card virtual machines (LC VMs) include upgrading a second RP VM serving as a standby RPVM with a new RP VM image. The methods further include spawning, using a new LC VM image, a second set of LC VMs to serve as standby LC VMs. The methods also include performing incubation of standby VMs, by configuring a switch to forward data traffic to both the first and second set of LC VMs, thereby allowing system states of the standby VMs to be auto-populated by the data traffic. The methods further include, after the incubation has completed, swapping roles of VMs at the virtual router, such that data traffic are exchanged only between the switch and the upgraded VMs. |
| US09432281B2 |
Apparatus and method for a communication network
A node 800 of a multi-layer communication is capable of routing a message signal via one or more different layers (for example a PSC layer, TDM layer, LSC layer) in the multi-layer communication network. The node 800 comprises a first interface 801 for receiving a path message 803 containing routing information for routing an associated message signal through the multi-layer communication network. One or more second interfaces 805i to 805N are provided for transmitting a message signal to one or more respective layers in the multi-layer communication network. A processing unit 807 is adapted to determine if the path message 803 contains protection information 40 indicating that protection switching is to be performed in one or more different layers of the multi-layer communication network, and if so, establish a protection switching mechanism in the one or more different layers using the protection information 40 provided in the path message 803. |
| US09432280B2 |
Network device configured to generate empty route for limiting number of withdrawal messages
A first network device is configured to originate an actual route by sending a multicast join message to a particular next-hop network device, and in conjunction with originating the actual route, to generate an empty route associated with the next-hop network device for use in limiting a number of withdrawal messages that would otherwise result upon a failure in the actual route. The first network device may be further configured to generate an unreachability indicator message for the empty route indicating that the next-hop network device is unreachable responsive to the failure in the actual route, and to send the unreachability indicator message for the empty route to one or more additional network devices, with the unreachability indicator message causing each such additional network device to delete multiple actual routes to the next-hop network device that are represented by the empty route. |
| US09432279B2 |
Methods and apparatus for home agent discovery in mobile IP using link state advertisements
In one embodiment, an apparatus receives an advertisement from each of one or more Home Agents, the advertisement including a first set of information associated with a corresponding one of the Home Agents, each advertisement being in a first protocol. The apparatus obtains the first set of information associated with a corresponding one of the Home Agents from each advertisement. The apparatus composes a router advertisement including a second set of information associated with at least one of the Home Agents, the router advertisement being in a second protocol. The apparatus then sends the router advertisement. |
| US09432277B2 |
System and method for modeling interdependencies in a network datacenter
The system and method described herein may include a discovery engine that scans a network datacenter to inventory resources in the datacenter and populate a configuration management database with the resource inventory. One or more destination listeners created from the resource inventory may then selectively sample monitored flows in the datacenter to model interdependencies between the inventoried resources. For example, any monitored flows originating outside the datacenter or failing to correlate with the inventoried resources may be dropped, whereby the interdependencies may be modeled from a deliberately reduced sample of the monitored flows that have information relevant to modeling relationships between resources within the datacenter. Furthermore, directionalities for the monitored flows may be determined, wherein the directionalities provide further information relevant to modeling the relationships between the resources within the datacenter. |
| US09432276B1 |
Systems and methods for compensating a channel estimate for phase and sampling phase jitter
A system including a circuit to compensate for sampling phase jitter. The system includes a channel estimator to determine, based on training symbols in a preamble of a data packet received via a communication channel, an estimate of the communication channel and a carrier frequency associated with the communication channel. The circuit compensates, based on the determined carrier frequency, a phase of the estimate of the communication channel to adjust for a carrier frequency offset associated with the communication channel, and, based on a data rate at which the data packet was received via the communication channel, selectively compensates the estimate of the communication channel for sampling phase jitter. |
| US09432270B2 |
Performance and security management of applications deployed in hosted computing environments
Systems and methods for performance and security management of the computing infrastructure that supports an application deployed in a hosted computing environment are described. In one embodiment, for example, a system comprises agents installed on hosts. The agents capture and record system events from operating systems on the hosts that result from application component processes executing on the hosts. The system further includes a collection and analysis engine that obtains captured and recorded system events from the agents, identifies captured and recorded system events that pertain to an application transaction, and produces, from the identified system events, metric data reflecting quantity of computing resources used by the application component processes to process the application transaction. The system also includes a web dashboard that presents the metric data to a user, for example, on a web page. |
| US09432269B2 |
Systems and methods for exporting application details using appflow
The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for lightweight identification of flow information by application. A flow monitor executed by a processor of a device may maintain a counter. The flow monitor may associate an application with the value of the counter and transmit, to a data collector executed by a second device, the counter value and a name of the application. The flow monitor may monitor a data flow associated with the application to generate a data record. The flow monitor may transmit the data record to the data collector, the data record including an identification of the application consisting of the counter value and not including the name of the application. The data collector may then re-associate the data record with the application name based on the previously received counter value. |
| US09432262B2 |
System, method, and computer-readable medium for dynamic device discovery for servers binding to multiple masters
A system that facilitate broadcast of a device discovery beacon by a dynamic physical device wishing to bind to one or more control systems are provided. If the dynamic physical device comprises a server that is configured to bind to multiple master controllers, the dynamic physical device may include a device Type Flag and set the value of the device Type Flag to indicate the dynamic physical device comprises a server. On detection of the beacon, a master controller evaluates the device Type Flag if it is present in the device discovery beacon. If the device Type Flag is present and indicates the dynamic physical device comprise a server which may bind to multiple master controllers, the master controller may automatically load a device Module for the dynamic physical device and commence communications with the dynamic physical device with no manual intervention. |
| US09432259B1 |
Mesh network resiliency
Mesh network resiliency technology, in which a first routing configuration for nodes of a mesh network is determined, the first routing configuration being appropriate when a first power source of the mesh network is available. Routing data that indicates routing responsibilities within the first routing configuration is provided to first nodes of the mesh network. An interruption of the first power source for the mesh network is detected by nodes of the mesh network. In response to detecting the interruption, a second routing configuration for nodes of the mesh network is determined, the second routing configuration being appropriate when the first power source of the mesh network is unavailable. Routing data that indicates routing responsibilities within the second configuration is provided to second nodes of the mesh network, each of the second nodes including a second power source that is different than the first power source. |
| US09432258B2 |
Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks to reduce latency
Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks for latency are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes provisioning logically a virtual private mobile network within a wireless network to reduce latency of a communication associated with a latency sensitive application, determining a mobile device is communicatively coupling to the wireless network via the latency sensitive application, and coupling the mobile device to the virtual private mobile network to reduce latency of the communication associated with the latency sensitive application. |
| US09432256B2 |
Resource management method and resource management system
In a cloud environment where multiple applications having different performance characteristics are operated in a mixture, in order to specify the cause of performance deterioration and to solve the confliction of requests related to a shared resource, the present invention detects the performance deterioration of resources allocated to multiple instances constituting a logical server configuration, and extracts an instance sharing resources existing performance deterioration, and compares a performance tendency of the extracted instance and a performance pattern showing a characteristics extracted from a performance information of the resource in association with a bottleneck factor, to thereby estimate the bottleneck factor by calculating mutual similarities and determining a performance pattern where the calculated similarity becomes maximum. |
| US09432253B1 |
Automated multi-user system detection
Disclosed are various embodiments for automated detection of multi-user computing devices such as kiosks, public terminals, and so on. Network resource requests are obtained from a client computing device. It is determined whether the client computing device is a multi-user system based at least in part on whether the network resource requests embody characteristics associated with multi-user systems. The resulting classification is stored and may be used to customize generation of requested network resources. |
| US09432243B2 |
Re-using asynchronous server-side results generated for a request context of one client to satisfy a request context of a different client
The present invention provides a solution for sharing server generated output to satisfy requests for content originated by different clients. More specifically, a server side resource can analyze a content request and compare this request to a set of active request handling operations. When one of the active operations is capable of satisfying a discrete portion of the content request, an association can be established between the active operation and the content request. When the active operation produces results, these results are returned to satisfy a request of an original client as well as to satisfy a request of a client that issued the content request. The solution can be implemented in a variety of environments, including one where asynchronous server-side operations are conducted by different server-side resources for a single request context. |
| US09432241B2 |
Network performance assessment apparatus, systems, and methods
Various embodiments of network performance assessment apparatus, systems and processes collect performance information pertaining to a current capacity utilization of a network, identify an occurrence of a capacity constraint on a portion of the network that is communicating the program to at least one presentation device, and modify at least one characteristic of the program and/or the communication thereof over the network so that a total capacity utilization of the network is less than a peak capacity of the network. |
| US09432235B2 |
Transmitters, receivers and methods of transmitting and receiving
The receiver comprises a demodulator configured to detect a signal representing the OFDM symbols and to generate a sampled digital version of the OFDM symbols in the time domain. A Fourier transform processor is configured to receive the time domain digital version of the OFDM symbols and to form a frequency domain version of the OFDM symbols, from which the pilot symbol bearing sub-carriers and the data symbol bearing sub-carriers can be recovered. A detector is configured to recover the data symbols from the data bearing sub-carriers of the OFDM symbols and to recover the pilot symbols from the pilot bearing sub-carriers of the OFDM symbols in accordance with the continuous pilot symbol pattern. The continuous pilot symbols are present at the same sub-carrier locations in first OFDM symbols and as second OFDM symbols. A transmitter is also provided. |
| US09432234B2 |
Frequency interleaving and de-interleaving for OFDM modulation
A device implements orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques. In particular, the device includes a frequency interleaver and/or de-interleaver for OFDM modulation. The frequency interleaver provides random frequency interleaving for the symbols transmitted by OFDM modulation. The frequency de-interleaver provides random frequency de-interleaving for the symbols received by OFDM demodulation. |
| US09432230B1 |
Passive equalizer capable of use in a receiver
A passive equalizer includes a first resistive element coupled between a first input node and a first output node, a first capacitive element, a first variable resistor, and a first inductive element coupled in series between the first input node and the first output node, a first transistor having a first current electrode coupled to the first output node, and a first current source coupled to the first current electrode of the first transistor. |
| US09432228B2 |
Digital pre-distortion filter system and method
A digital predistorter for improving the performance of a narrow passband filter near the output is disclosed. The digital predistorter provides amplitude correction to the signal based on the characteristics of the passband filter. A filter group delay predistorter may also be employed to correct group delay variation introduced by the narrow passband filter. |
| US09432225B2 |
Test circuits
Described herein is a feed forward equalizer that is configured to operate in a normal operational mode and in a test operational mode. The feed forward equalizer has an input port and an output port which are used for the normal operational mode. A test input port and a test output port are provided in the feed forward equalizer, and are used for the test operational mode. Buffers may be provided for matching the impedance of respective ones of the input, output, test input, and test output ports. The feed forward equalizer allows testing during development, and once mounted in an integrated circuit, without interfering with the normal operational mode. |
| US09432224B1 |
Method and apparatus for low-complexity ISI estimation using sparse discontinuous time-domain pilots
It is possible to perform ISI estimation for quasi-static band-limited communication channels using a minimal number of discontinuous pilots communicated across different time intervals. In one example, at least two frames are received in different time intervals, and noise vectors are extracted from pilots carried in the respective frames. Spectral estimation is performed on the noise vectors, collectively, to obtain a set of tap coefficients, which are then used to perform ISI equalization on at least one of the frames. In this way, ISI equalization is performed on a frame communicated in one time interval using at least some pilots communicated in another time interval. Using discontinuous pilots to perform channel estimation may enable lower pilot densities in next-generation communication systems. |
| US09432223B2 |
Method of widely linear turbo-equalization in a multi-user context and for a multi-channel multi-antenna receiver
A method of equalizing a signal received by a plurality of antenna elements, the received signal being produced by the transmission of signals by a plurality of transmitters, includes: a step of converting the received signal into the frequency domain; a step of subtracting from the signal an estimate of the intersymbol interference and the interference between users so as to obtain a complex corrective signal; a step of conjoint widely linear filtering of the complex corrective signal and the conjugate complex corrective signal to obtain an equalized signal; a step of converting the equalized corrective signal into the time domain; a step of calculating coefficients of the at least one equalizer filter from the covariance matrix and the pseudo-covariance matrix of the received signal. |
| US09432222B2 |
Broadband amplifier linearization using captured histogram data
A transmitter's operation is characterized using components having relatively low cost and low complexity. A device includes comparator(s) that compare a transmitter's analog output to predetermined level(s) to generate count(s) associated with analog output range bin(s). Each of the predetermined levels is associated with a corresponding one of the analog output range bins. A transfer function of the transmitter is generated using the comparison count values associated with the analog output range bin(s). A histogram may be generated from the comparison count values associated with the various analog output range bins. An equalizer is implemented to process data that will be transmitted by the transmitter. The equalizer uses equalizer parameter(s) that are selected based on the characterization of the transmitter (e.g., its transfer function, its histogram, etc.). The equalizer may use default or start up parameters until the transmitter's operation is characterized. |
| US09432217B2 |
Electronic mail communication apparatus and computer readable recording medium
An email communication apparatus includes: a receiver configured to receive an email; and a transmitter configured to transmit an acknowledgement mail relating to a delivery confirmation of the email. The receiver includes: a first reception unit configured to receive a first type email through an email server, the first type email designating a mail address as a transmission destination of the acknowledgement mail, and a second reception unit configured to receive a second type email without through the email server. If the first reception unit receives the first type email, the transmitter transmits, through the email server, the acknowledgement mail in which a transmission destination is the designated email address. If the second reception unit receives the second type email, the transmitter transmits, without through the email server, the acknowledgement mail in which a transmission destination is a network address of a transmission source device. |
| US09432215B2 |
Hierarchical network managers
Some embodiments provide a network system that includes several host machines for hosting virtual machines, divided into several different domains. The network system includes several local domain management servers. A first local domain management server of a first domain is for (i) initiating creation of a set of distributed virtual switch ports associated with a particular logical network identifier on a host machine within its domain and (ii) attaching a first virtual machine on the host machine to a created port associated with the particular logical network identifier in order for the first virtual machine to send traffic over the logical network. The network system includes a second level management server for coordinating the use of logical network identifiers between multiple different logical domain management servers in order for the first virtual machine to communicate via the logical network with a second virtual machine in a second domain. |
| US09432209B2 |
System and method for controlling the access to a networked control system
A system and method for controlling access to a networked control system, such as a lighting control system or a home control system, include devices connected to the same network and assigned to a particular delimited space, a transmitter device which transmits access information for the devices within the delimited space over a range restricted transmission channel differing from the transmission channel(s) of the networked control system which substantially limits the reception of the access information to the delimited space, wherein the access information includes an access identifier for obtaining access for controlling one or more of the devices in the delimited space, and a receiver device which receives the transmitted access information and controls a device assigned to the delimited space over the network by using the access identifier contained in the received access information. |
| US09432208B2 |
Device abstraction system and method for a distributed architecture heating, ventilation and air conditioning system
The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In an embodiment, the network includes configuring a first system device and a subnet controller. The first system device is configured to receive an initial value of a specified dependent parameter. The subnet controller is configured to determine that a value of said specified parameter has been changed to a modified value after said first system device receives said initial value. The subnet controller is further configured to send to said first system device, in response to said determining, a message updating said specified parameter with said modified value. |
| US09432206B2 |
Testing network communications links
A method and apparatus for testing network links bi-directionally and independently employ local test apparatus (1000) at one end of the link (1105, 1110, 1115) and remote test apparatus (1200) at the opposite end of the link. The local test apparatus transmits test traffic to the remote test apparatus which analyzes the test traffic to determine characteristics of the link in the local-to-remote direction. While the analysis is taking place, the remote test apparatus transmits interim test results to the local test apparatus, i.e., while the remote test apparatus is still running the test and without disrupting the test. Preferably, the remote test apparatus transmits test traffic to the local test apparatus which the latter analyzes to determine characteristics of the link in the remote-to-local direction. The local test apparatus may report the test results for both directions. The network may be a connected or connectionless network. |
| US09432205B2 |
Explicit block encoding of multicast group membership information with bit index explicit replication (BIER)
A network device executes a method to forward a packet that is encoded using an explicit block encoding of multicast group membership information with Bit Index Explicit Replication. The method includes receiving a packet, where the packet includes a bitstring having a set of blocks, each block including a set identifier field and a SubBitString field. The method further includes selecting a block for processing, finding a first bit position of a SubBitString identifying a destination bit-forwarding router (BFR), looking up a forwarding bitmask for the destination BFR and a next-hop to reach the destination BFR in a bit index forwarding table, creating a copy of the packet, applying a bit-wise AND operation on the copy of the packet with the forwarding bitmask, forwarding the copy of the packet to the next-hop, and applying a bit-wise AND operation on the packet with an inverse of the forwarding bitmask. |
| US09432201B2 |
Providing multiple content items for display on multiple devices
Embodiments of methods, systems, and storage medium associated with providing, with a user device, multiple content items for display by multiple receiving devices via multicast transmissions are disclosed herein. In one instance, the method may include forming a multicast data unit with multiple portions of data. Each portion of data may correspond to one of multiple content items to be transmitted to multiple receiving devices by the computing device and each content item is to be displayed by one of the multiple receiving devices. The method may further include transmitting the formed multicast data unit to the multiple receiving devices; and initiating, at each receiving device of the multiple receiving devices, a retrieval from the multicast data unit a portion of data that corresponds to a content item to be displayed by the receiving device, and to display the content item. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09432200B2 |
ANDSF policy controlled access network discovery information
A system for generating by an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function, ANDSF, access network discovery information, ANDI, for transmission to a User Equipment, UE, of a network subscriber. The system includes an ANDI repository storing, for each of a plurality of access networks, an ANDI data entry having ANDI for the respective access network. An ANDI generating policy repository stores a plurality of ANDI generating policies. An association component is configured to associate each of a plurality of network subscriber identifiers with at least one of the ANDI generating policies. An identification component is configured to identify the at least one ANDI generating policy corresponding to a network subscriber identifier associated with the UE. An ANDSF component is configured to apply the at least one identified policy to the ANDI data entries stored in the ANDI repository to generate the ANDI for transmission to the UE. |
| US09432197B2 |
Wireless communications device and authentication processing method
An authentication method is provided which is capable of performing message authentication within an allowable time regardless of the magnitude of the number of messages and performing message authentication high in accuracy within a range for which the allowable time allows. Upon transmission by wireless communications with another mobile or a fixed station, a message authentication code of communication data and a digital signature are generated (S200 and S300). The generated message authentication cod and digital signature are transmitted with being added to the communication data. Upon reception, whether authentication should be done using either one of the message authentication code and the digital signature included in received information is determined according to its own state for the authentication (S400 and S500). This state includes, for example, a load state of a central processing unit or the like that performs an authentication process. |
| US09432193B1 |
Face-based authentication with situational adaptivity
Techniques for implementing face-based authentication with situational adaptivity are provided. In one embodiment, a computing device can create an enrollment template for a user, the enrollment template being derived from one or more enrollment images of the user's face and being usable by a face-based authentication system to authenticate the user's identity. The computing device can further determine a first set of metadata associated with the enrollment image(s) and can store the first set of metadata with the enrollment template. At a later time (e.g., an authentication event), the computing device can capture an input image of the user's face, determine a second set of metadata associated with the input image, and calculate a computational distance between the input image and the enrollment template, the calculating taking into account a degree of difference between the first and second sets of metadata. Finally, the user can be authenticated based on the distance. |
| US09432190B2 |
Computational systems and methods for double-encrypting data for subsequent anonymous storage
Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out receiving level-one encrypted data including at least one associated encrypted identifier; encrypting with a level-two encryption key at least a part of the level-one encrypted data to produce level-two encrypted data; receiving a hash of the at least one associated encrypted identifier; associating the hash with the level-two encrypted data; and transmitting the level-two encrypted data and associated hash of the at least one associated encrypted identifier. |
| US09432188B2 |
Secret sharing system, data distribution apparatus, distributed data transform apparatus, secret sharing method and program
A secret sharing system transforms computational secret shares to homomorphic secret shares. On a data distribution apparatus, a key selector selects K′−1 keys. A pseudorandom number generator generates pseudorandom numbers from the keys. An encryption part generates a ciphertext from information using the pseudorandom numbers. A key division part divides the keys into N shares fg(n) using an arbitrary sharing. A ciphertext division part divides the ciphertext into N shares fc(n) using an arbitrary sharing. When K shares fsj(i) are input into distributed data transform apparatuses, a reconstruction part generates a reconstructed value Uj by reconstructing shares fsj(i) using the secret sharing, and when K shares fc(i) are input, generates the reconstructed value Uj by reconstructing shares fc(i) using the arbitrary sharing. A redivision part divides reconstructed value Uj into N shares fUj(n) using a homomorphic secret sharing. A transformer generates share ga(i) of the information from K′ shares fUj. |
| US09432181B2 |
Device, method, and program for format-preserving encryption, and device, method, and program for decryption
[Subject] To provide a format-preserving encryption device and the like that enables efficient and secure encryption/decryption while maintaining the data format.[Solution] An encryption device 10 includes: an unit block tweakable encryption module 101 that encrypts a specific digit of a plain text by using numerical values of remaining respective digits excluding the specific digit of the plain text and an external tweak that is input concurrently with the plain text; a block permutation module 102 that permutates respective digits including the encrypted specific digit of the plain text per digit based on a predetermined rule; and a counter update module 103 that causes processing by the unit block tweakable encryption unit and the block permutation unit to repeat for a predetermined number of times. A decryption device 20 performs the reverse processing to the encryption device 10. |
| US09432180B2 |
Method and system for a programmable parallel computation and data manipulation accelerator
Methods and systems are provided for a programmable parallel computation and data manipulation accelerator that may be used, for example, in cryptographic calculations. They allow acceleration of a broad variety of cryptographic algorithms and/or portions of algorithms, and are not algorithm specific. This system comprises a butterfly and inverse butterfly multiplexing permuter network and a lookup table. This system may allow replication of input registers, “expansion,” so that an individual bit may be used in multiple calculations in parallel, accelerating completion of the cryptographic algorithm. The system may allow “diffusion” of the expanded bits through the system's butterfly and inverse butterfly network, and may provide for “confusion” of the resulting bits through the system's lookup table. In some implementations, the system may allow completion of a computation within an algorithm within one clock cycle. |
| US09432178B2 |
Clock and data recovery circuit using an injection locked oscillator
A clock and data recovery circuit includes a sampler, a skew compensation block, a pulse generator, and an injection locked oscillator. The injection locked oscillator generates a recovered clock signal, the pulse generator generates a pulse signal according to input data for controlling the injection locked oscillator, the skew compensation block compensates the input data and generate compensated data, and the sampler samples the compensated data according to the recovered clock signal. |
| US09432177B2 |
Communication apparatus and reception method
In a communication apparatus for receiving signals of frequency channels, a synchronization determiner determines whether synchronization of a demodulated signal is established. A BER calculator calculates a pseudo BER of the demodulated signal with the synchronization established. A comparator detects a frequency channel having the lowest pseudo BER, that is, the best value of the evaluation scale defined for transmission quality. A correction value calculator calculates a correction value for a symbol clock frequency in each frequency channel, based on a symbol clock frequency deviation in the frequency channel having the best value of the evaluation scale. |
| US09432169B2 |
Systems and methods for power optimized framing
Power dissipation within a network service unit, such as digital-subscriber-line access multiplexer (DSLAM), is treated as a resource that is to be shared among subscribers. In this regard, the total amount of available power dissipation is quantified, and the framing for the data streams communicated across the subscriber lines are controlled to ensure that specified power dissipation limits are not exceeded, accounting for one or more factors, such as traffic load, service level agreement (SLA) specifications, available power, and temperature. |
| US09432168B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving channel status information (CSI) for supporting 256QAM in wireless access system
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving channel status information (CSI) for supporting 256 QAM in a wireless access system are disclosed. A method for transmitting a Channel Quality Indication (CQI) index for 256 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) in a wireless access system includes: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a message including a 256 QAM indicator indicating use of a 256 QAM scheme; performing channel measurement of a downlink channel through which downlink data is transmitted; and transmitting a CQI index in response to the channel measurement result to a base station (BS), wherein the UE simultaneously manages a first CQI feedback table for supporting a legacy modulation scheme and a second CQI feedback table for supporting the 256 QAM scheme. |
| US09432167B2 |
Self-organized distributed assignment, optimization, and use of physical cell IDs
At a base station in a wireless network, interference is determined for a plurality of pairs of cells. Each pair of cells is between an individual one of one or more serving cells formed by the base station and an individual one of other cells that surround the one or more serving cells. At the base station, values for physical cell identifications are allocated for the one or more serving cells based on the interference for the plurality of pairs of cells. Systems, methods, apparatus, programs, and program products are disclosed. The examples may also take into account modulo 30, modulo 3, and modulo 6 collisions. |
| US09432161B2 |
Shared channel resource allocation
Fair sharing of physical resources (e.g., symbols, etc.) of a communication channel shared by multiple terminals associated with terminal-specific code-points. Fair sharing of symbols may include allocating amounts of at least a subset of symbols of the communication channel to at least a subset of terminals in amounts determined based on the amount of the subset of symbols in relation to the number of terminals of the subset of terminals. The respective re-allocated shares may be independent of respective spectral efficiency values associated with the respective code-points for the subset of the terminals. The subset of terminals may be identified according to code-point and/or a determined operating condition such as a location of the terminal within a service area, antenna pointing error, rain fade, and the like. Bit rate service thresholds may be applied to fair sharing of symbols. |
| US09432160B2 |
Allocating resources and transmitting data in mobile telecommunication systems comprising machine type communication applications
A method of communicating data in a wireless telecommunications system between plural base stations and plural terminal devices using plural Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, OFDM, sub-carriers spanning a first frequency bandwidth. The method includes: communicating data between a first base station and a first terminal device using a first group of the OFDM sub-carriers distributed across the first frequency bandwidth, communicating data between a second base station, geographically separated from the first base station, and a second terminal device using a second group of the OFDM sub-carriers distributed across a second frequency bandwidth, and communicating control-plane data between the first base station and the first terminal device using a combination of the first and second groups of the OFDM sub-carriers. Guard regions may be provided in the frequency domain between frequencies of transmissions associated with the first base station and frequencies of transmissions associated with the second base station. |
| US09432158B2 |
Systems and methods for handling a type-2 carrier
A User Equipment (UE) for handling a type-2 carrier is described. The UE includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. The instructions stored in the memory are executable to apply a configuration with one or more serving cells including at least one type-2 secondary cell (SCell). The instructions stored in the memory are also executable to obtain a measurement for each of the one or more serving cells except for the at least one type-2 SCell. The instructions stored in the memory are further executable to set a measurement list to include the measurement for each of the one or more serving cells except for the at least one type-2 SCell. The instructions stored in the memory are additionally executable to send the measurement list. |
| US09432154B2 |
Frequency domain duplication in a long-range wireless local area network
A method for generating OFDM signals is implemented in a device operating according to a communication protocol. The protocol defines non-duplicate mode data units corresponding to single component channels of a BSS channel, and non-duplicate mode data units corresponding to sets of adjacent component channels. Non-duplicate mode data units corresponding to a set of component channels have more lower-edge and/or upper-edge guard tones than non-duplicate mode data units corresponding to single component channels. The method includes determining that a duplicate mode will be utilized for an OFDM transmission in the set of component channels and, in response, generating a duplicate mode data unit. The duplicate mode data unit has fewer lower-edge and/or upper-edge guard tones than a non-duplicate mode data unit corresponding to a set of component channels, and includes one duplicate of the non-duplicate mode data unit corresponding to the single component channel for each adjacent component channel. |
| US09432152B2 |
Video multimode multimedia data communication systems
Multimode multimedia mobile wireless data communication system provides received demodulated location finder signal with a mobile device generated photo camera generated signal into a cross-correlated in-phase and quadrature-phase filtered baseband signal and modulates and transmits the cross-correlated signal. Mobile device for receiving and converting a video signal, generated in mobile device, into an OFDM video signal and providing OFDM video signal to a modulator and transmitter. Mobile device receives and demodulates a modulated spread spectrum baseband signal and provides the spread spectrum baseband signal to an OFDM baseband unit for modulation and transmission of OFDM baseband signal. Converting a user generated touch screen signal into a touch screen control signal, for control of mobile device. |
| US09432151B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic repeat reQuest (ARQ) in broadband wireless access system
An apparatus and a method for Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) in a broadband wireless access system are provided. The method includes driving a timer which operates by a preset period to synchronize ARQ between the transmitter and a receiver; after transmitting data to the receiver without error, when a driving time of the timer expires, checking whether there is data to transmit to the receiver; when there is no data to transmit to the receiver, initializing the timer; and transmitting an ARQ reset message to the receiver. Hence, the air resource consumption and the power consumption in ARQ reset can be lowered by reducing unnecessary ARQ reset. |
| US09432150B2 |
Apparatus and method to efficiently send device trigger messages
With the proliferation of Machine-Type Communication (MTC), an excessive use of device trigger messages in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network can have negative effects on user equipment (UE). These effect can include a shortening of UE battery life and/or excessive signalling caused by the frequent changing from an idle mode to an active mode. An MTC Interworking Function (MTC-IWF) can be configured to determine the status of a UE to which a device trigger message is intended. If the device trigger message is low priority and the UE is in an idle state, the MTC-IWF or Mobile Management Entity (MME)/Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)/Mobile Switching Center (MSC) can buffer the device trigger message. |
| US09432148B2 |
Uplink coverage via autonomous retransmission
A device (110) receives consecutive negative acknowledgments (NACKs) (540), measures a downlink channel quality (530) associated with the device (110), and triggers autonomous retransmission (430) when power is limited in the device (110), when the device (110) is using a minimum usable enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transport format combination (ETFC), and when one of a number of consecutive NACKs (540) is greater than a predefined number or the measured downlink channel quality (530) is less than a predefined threshold. |
| US09432146B2 |
Method for communication in a wireless network and communication device
The invention relates to a method for communication between nodes in a wireless network further comprising a router node (2), comprising : a first (1) and second (3) transmitting nodes sending a first (a(t)) and second (b(t))data signals to be respectively transmitted to a first (4) and second (5) receiving nodes, the router node (2) receiving a mixed signal (MDATA[a,b](t)) resulting from interference of the first (a(t)) and second (b(t)) data signals, and sending respectively to the first (4) and second (5) receiving nodes a first and second router analog acknowledgment signals comprising information representative of the hearing duration during which the mixed signal has been received by the router node, the router node (2) sending the mixed signal(MDATA[a,b](t)) to the first (4) and the second (5) receiving nodes, the first (4) and second (5) receiving nodes decoding the mixed signal, based on the respective router analog acknowledgment signals. The invention also relates to a communication device and a network therefor. |
| US09432144B2 |
Precision time transfer systems and methods in optical networks
A precision time transfer method, in a first node that communicates with a second node, to determine a difference in time between the first node and the second node, the precision time transfer method includes receiving a departure time, TD-A, from the second node, wherein the departure time is determined by the second node based on detecting a timing marker in a Forward Error Correction (FEC) frame or logical layer; determining an arrival time, TA-B, based on detecting the timing marker in the FEC frame; and determining a time difference based on the departure time and the arrival time wherein the timing marker is detected at a last point in a transmitter of the second node and at a first point in a receiver of the first node, during FEC processing. |
| US09432141B2 |
Optical network unit, method for processing data in an optical network and communication system
An optical network unit has a tunable laser. The tunable laser is tunable such that a point-to-point connection to another optical network unit is established via an optical fiber. There is also provided a method for processing data in an optical network and a corresponding communication system. The tunable laser can be adjusted based on a detected collision, and a frequency grid can be supplied from a centralized component. |
| US09432139B2 |
Optical module having composite prism to multiplex optical beams
An optical module that installs a plurality of laser diodes (LDs) and a composite prism to condense optical beams emitted from the LDs is disclosed. The LDs are arranged on a line so as to level the optical beams within a plane. The composite prism includes input surfaces and output surfaces each corresponding to respective one of the input surfaces. The composite prism outputs optical beams whose intervals are narrowed compared with intervals of the optical beams entering therein. |
| US09432131B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling inter-modulation interference in a network node capable of FDD communications
There is provided a method of handling interference caused by inter-modulation in a network node. The method comprises detecting an interference level on an uplink carrier frequency band for stations, and determining whether the interference level indicates probable inter-modulation interference. If the interference level indicates probable inter-modulation interference, the method proceeds with scheduling an uplink transmission grant for at least one of the stations. The uplink transmission grant is valid for a first transmission time interval. The uplink transmission grant is transmitted to the station. A transmit level on the downlink carrier frequency band is assigned at the first transmission time interval such that inter-modulation interference is reduced on the uplink carrier frequency band at the first transmission time interval. An uplink transmission from the station is received at the first transmission time interval. Further methods, computer programs, a network node and a network node site are also disclosed. |
| US09432129B2 |
Communication with an underwater vehicle
A method of communicating with an underwater vehicle comprising a propulsion system for propelling the vehicle through the water. A series of data sets are encoded and transmitted to the underwater vehicle in a series of signal bursts, and decoded at the underwater vehicle. The propulsion system is operated in a series of thrust pulses separated by drift periods such that the propulsion system operates at a relatively high rate during the thrust pulses and at a relatively low (or zero) rate during the drift periods. The drift periods are timed such that each signal burst arrives at the underwater vehicle during a drift period and not during a thrust pulse. The method may be performed with a single vehicle or a plurality of underwater vehicles. The encoded data signals are broadcast simultaneously to the underwater vehicles in the series of signal bursts. |
| US09432126B1 |
Reconfigurable filter
A receiver includes an interface for translating an optical signal into two differential electrical signals for a first amplifier. The first amplifier modifies the two differential electrical signals to produce a first signal that is the amplitude of difference between the two differential electrical signals, which contains the information from the optical signal. A variable gain track and hold amplifier (VGTHA) receives the first signal and a clock signal and provides a conditioned analog signal for digital processing. A clock source provides the clock signal, which is aligned with the peak amplitude of the first signal. |
| US09432124B2 |
Inter-channel interference management for optical super-channels
The transmission of data from a transmitter to a receiver over an optical super-channel including a set of sub-channels of different frequencies includes partitioning the data into a set of data streams including one data stream for each sub-channel and partitioning each data stream into a set of sub-streams. Each sub-stream of each data stream is encoded with different forward error correction (FEC) codes to produce a set of encoded sub-streams for each data stream, and the set of encoded sub-streams of each data stream are superimposed with different powers to produce a set of encoded data streams. The set of encoded data streams is multiplexed to produce an optical signal transmitted over the set of sub-channels of the optical super-channel. |
| US09432122B2 |
Optical networking unit (ONU) packaging
A bidirectional optical subassembly (BOSA) optical networking unit (ONU) generally includes a BOSA housing. A tunable laser is located in the BOSA housing and is configured to generate a first optical signal for transmission at a first selected wavelength based on temperature control. The tunable laser is a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode. A thermal management device is also located in the BOSA housing and is configured to provide the temperature control. A photo diode is further located in the BOSA housing and is configured to receive a second optical signal at a second selected wavelength. The BOSA housing comprises an alloy of stainless steel or an alloy of Kovar. |
| US09432120B2 |
Probabilistic bandwidth control in a passive optical network (PON)
Embodiments provide systems and methods for a probabilistic reporting mode, where an Optical Network Unit (ONU) sends a REPORT message only when it has data to transmit. The absence of a REPORT message from an ONU is treated by the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) as indicating absence of data to transmit at the ONU. In another aspect, embodiments include systems and methods for an unsolicited burst mode, where an ONU can be configured to transmit data in the upstream in an unsolicited manner. The unsolicited burst mode includes mechanisms to ensure that no data is lost due to potential collisions between ONUs. |
| US09432109B2 |
Satellite communication terminal installation
A satellite communication terminal may comprise an outdoor part and an indoor part. Either the indoor part or the outdoor part may comprise a modem configured for communicating with a hub of a satellite communication system via a satellite and the outdoor part of the terminal. Methods are presented for sending indications from the outdoor part of the terminal to the modem, for example, to provide a person that may be installing the terminal with some control over the flow of the installation process while remaining outside (e.g., in the vicinity of the outdoor part of the terminal). In some embodiments, such indications may be used for triggering cross-polarization measurements and/or providing more elaborate information to the person installing the terminal without the need to leave the outdoor part of the terminal. |
| US09432108B2 |
Augmented aircraft communication system
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to aircraft communication, and more particularly to a non line-of-sight communication path to augment a line-of-sight communication path. |
| US09432106B2 |
Communication method in relay nodes and destination nodes for aligned interference neutralization in interference channel
A communication method in relay nodes and destination nodes for neutralization of aligned interferences in an interference channel is provided. A communication method of a first relay node in a network including a first source node, the first relay node, a first destination node, a second source node, a second relay node, and a second destination node, includes receiving, from the first source node, streams X and Y. The communication method further includes receiving, from the second source node, a stream Z. The communication method further includes generating a signal in which the streams Y and Z are aligned in a space. The communication method further includes transmitting, to the first destination node and the second destination node, the stream X and the signal. |
| US09432099B2 |
Method and apparatus for reporting channel state information in wireless communication system
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for reporting channel state information. According to one embodiment of the present invention, receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) based on CSI-RS setting information that is provided by a base station; and reporting to the base station the CSI generated by using the CSI-RS, wherein the CSI includes precoding information selected from a specific codebook, wherein elements of the specific codebook are configured based on a precoding vector W, wherein the precoding vector W is W = [ W 1 aW 2 ] , W1 is a precoding vector applied to a first domain antenna group having a 2D antenna structure, W2 is a precoding vector applied to a second domain antenna group having the 2D antenna structure, and wherein “a” can be a value representing phase difference between the first domain antenna group and the second domain antenna group. |
| US09432095B2 |
Distributed antenna system for MIMO technologies
A method and system for supporting MIMO technologies which can require the transport of multiple spatial streams on a traditional Distributed Antenna System (DAS). According to the invention, at one end of the DAS, each spatial stream is shifted in frequency to a pre-assigned band (such as a band at a frequency lower than the native frequency) that does not overlap the band assigned to other spatial streams (or the band of any other services being carried by the DAS). Each of the spatial streams can be combined and transmitted as a combined signal over a common coaxial cable. At the other “end” of the DAS, the different streams are shifted back to their original (overlapping) frequencies but retain their individual “identities” by being radiated through physically separate antenna elements. |
| US09432089B2 |
Configuration method of a multimedia system
A configuration method of a multimedia system comprising a first device and at least one adjacent device having a mechanism to communicate with the first device. The first device comprises a mechanism to read/write data from/to an NFC data carrier. The method comprises a set-up phase and an exploitation phase. |
| US09432086B2 |
Method and system for authorizing execution of an application in an NFC device
A method for executing an application in an NFC device, including steps during which: a contactless link is established between a first and a second NFC devices, the first NFC device transmits through the contactless link an identifier memorized by the first NFC device, the second NFC device transmits through the contactless link an application identifier, the second NFC device transmits to an application server the identifier of the first NFC device and the application identifier, the application server transmits to an authentication server the identifier of the first NFC device and the application identifier, the authentication server verifies the identification data, and if the first NFC device and the application are identified, the authentication server authorizes the two NFC devices to execute the application by transmitting to the application server an identifier of a user of the first NFC device, corresponding to the identifier of the first NFC device. |
| US09432085B2 |
Method for recognizing movement trajectory of operator, microcontroller and electronic device
A method for recognizing a movement trajectory of an operator, a microcontroller and an electronic device are provided. The method is applied to an electronic device provided with an antenna and a sensor, and the antenna is connected to the sensor and is in a first operation mode. The method includes: obtaining a capacitance signal which is generated by the antenna in the first operation mode during a first time period and is collected by the sensor; generating data of a distance between the operator and the antenna during the first time period according to the capacitance signal; and analyzing the data of the distance and obtaining the movement trajectory of the operator formed during the first time period. |
| US09432080B2 |
Probing and estimation of cross-coupling
For each channel of a plurality of channels of a Vector transmission system, a sequence of cross-coupling test signals representing a sequence of complex numbers may be transmitted or received. And for each channel of the plurality of channels a sequence of the real part of the sequence of complex numbers is different to a sequence of the imaginary part of the sequence of complex numbers. |
| US09432078B2 |
Method and device for searching cell
Provided are a method and device for searching a cell, and the method comprises: timeslot synchronization is performed; a primary scrambling code group is identified and a frame synchronization is performed according to hashed values of code numbers of secondary synchronization codes (SSCs) in any several consecutive timeslots; and a primary scrambling code is obtained in the primary scrambling code group according to the primary scrambling code group, so as to complete cell searching. |
| US09432072B2 |
Docking system for a wireless communication device
There is provided a docking system comprising a mobile communication device comprising an accelerometer, a first docking station configured to hold the communication device at a first tilt angle; and a second docking station configured to hold the communication device at a second tilt angle, the second angle being different from the first angle, wherein the communication device further comprises processing circuitry configured to, when the communication device is placed in the docking station: detect an electrical connection between the mobile device and docking station; enable the accelerometer and detect a tilt angle of the communication device; and based on the detected tilt angle, identify a docking station and set charging properties of the communication device. There is also provided a method for setting properties of a mobile device based on a measured tilt angle. |
| US09432066B2 |
Multi-channel communication terminal
A multi-channel communication terminal has at least two communication channels including a first communication channel and a second communication channel. The first communication channel is established by a first service provider system, and is configured to acquire subscriber identity information assigned by a remote server and provide service sharing. The second communication channel is established by a second service provider system according to the subscriber identity information, and is configured to acquire a service provided by the second service provider system. A subscriber acquires appropriate subscriber identity information according to actual requirements, and communicates with a corresponding service provider system according to the subscriber identity information to acquire a service provided by the service provider system, thereby acquiring an international, any-service provider, any-technology and mode, or any-service network access service. |
| US09432056B2 |
Fast decoding based on ZigZag deconvolution for random projection code
Multi-level symbols generated by applying a Random Projection Code (RPC) to a source bit sequence are received at a receiver via a noisy channel. The received multi-level symbols are represented in a bipartite graph as constraint nodes connected via weighted edges to binary variable nodes that represent the source bit sequence. A decoder uses ZigZag deconvolution to generate constraint node messages as part of an iterative belief propagation to decode the source bit sequence from the received multi-level symbols. |
| US09432053B1 |
High speed LDPC decoder
A method and decoder are provided to decode a Low Density Parity Check codeword. An additional check processor performs hard-decision processing functions on the LDPC codeword in order to avoid running unnecessary decoder iterations. The method comprises: receiving the ECC codeword at a memory, the received ECC codeword comprising ECC data bits, ECC parity bits, and error detection code bits; soft-decision decoding the received ECC codeword at a soft-decision decoder, to update the ECC codeword according to ECC parity check equations; hard-decision processing the received ECC codeword at a check processor, while the soft-decision decoder performs the soft-decision decoding, to verify the ECC data bits using the error detection code bits; terminating the soft-decision decoding when the ECC data bits are verified, regardless of whether the updated ECC codeword satisfies all of the ECC parity check equations; and, outputting the decoded ECC codeword from the memory after termination of the decoding. |
| US09432048B2 |
D/A conversion circuit, oscillator, electronic apparatus, and moving object
A D/A conversion circuit includes a plurality of resistors connected to each other in series, a plurality of MOS transistors connected to each other so as to correspond to a plurality of contacts, and a plurality of dummy electrodes respectively disposed on sides opposite to the plurality of MOS transistors with a resistive element interposed therebetween when seen in a plan view of a semiconductor substrate. Each of the dummy electrodes is set to be in a second potential state when a gate electrode of the MOS transistor disposed on a side opposite thereto with the resistive element interposed therebetween is in a first potential state, and is set to be in a first potential state when the gate electrode of the MOS transistor is in a second potential state. |
| US09432037B2 |
Apparatus and method for analog-digital converting
Provided is an apparatus for analog-digital converting that includes a Most Significant Bit (MSB)-Digital Analog Converter (DAC) for converting a digital signal into an analog signal, a trim capacitor, a Least Significant Bit (LSB)-DAC, coupled to the trim capacitor, for converting a digital signal into an analog signal, a bridge capacitor connecting the MSB-DAC and the LSB-DAC, a comparator for measuring a voltage value at the MSB-DAC and LSB-DAC and outputting a result of comparing with a sampled voltage value, and a controller for generating first measurement data by digital converting a first measurement value output from the comparator by applying a reference voltage to a unit capacitor of the MSB-DAC, for generating second measurement data by digital converting a second measurement value output from the comparator by applying the reference voltage to the LSB-DAC, and controlling the trim capacitor by comparing the first and second measurement data. |
| US09432034B2 |
Low-power oscillator
An integrated oscillator circuit comprises an oscillator configured to be switched between a first frequency and a second frequency. A switching circuit receives an input representing a target frequency and switches the oscillator between the first and second frequencies at intervals determined by the input, so as to cause the average output frequency of the oscillator to approximate the target frequency. |
| US09432033B2 |
System and method for enabling maximum performance operation within an extended ambient temperature range
A system method of initializing operation of a semiconductor device including detecting de-assertion of an external reset signal while the semiconductor device in a reset state, monitoring a temperature level of the semiconductor device, and while the temperature level is below a predetermined minimum operating temperature level that allows the semiconductor device to operate at a maximum performance level, keeping the semiconductor device in the reset state and asserting at least one operating parameter on the semiconductor device at an elevated level to generate heat on the semiconductor device, and releasing the reset condition when the temperature level is at least the predetermined minimum operating temperature level. The operating parameter may be clock frequency or supply voltage level or a combination of both. Different elevated clock frequencies and/or different minimum operating temperature levels are contemplated. Additionally turning off an external cooling system during the heating process is contemplated. |
| US09432032B2 |
Sample-rate conversion in a multi-clock system sharing a common reference
A method comprises determining a reference ratio based on a first division ratio of a first phase-locked loop (PLL) and a second division ratio of a second PLL, and converting a first discrete sequence to a second discrete sequence based on a sequence of multiples of the reference ratio. The first and second PLLs operate under a locked condition and share a common reference oscillator. An apparatus includes comprises a clock generator including first and second phase-locked loops (PLLs) and configured to generate first and second clock signals, respectively, and a sample-rate converter configured to convert a first discrete sequence to a second discrete sequence based on a sequence of multiples of a reference ratio. The reference ratio is determined based on a first division ratio of the first PPL and a second division ratio of the second PLL. |
| US09432030B2 |
Circuit and operating method of PLL
A phase locked loop (PLL) includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a loop filter, and a feedback control unit. The VCO is configured to generate a first oscillating signal and a second oscillating signal according to a VCO control signal. The loop filter is configured to output the VCO control signal by low-pass filtering a signal at an input node of the loop filter. The feedback control unit has an output node coupled to the input node of the loop filter, the feedback control unit is configured to apply a first predetermined amount of current, along a first current direction, to the first feedback control output node during a variable period of time; and to apply one of K second predetermined amounts of current, along a second current direction opposite the first current direction, to the first feedback control output node during a predetermined period of time. |
| US09432021B2 |
Reconfigurable magnetoelectronic processing system
Magnetoelectronic (ME) logic circuits and methods of operating the same are disclosed for use in energy constrained applications in which logic operations are carried out using a minimal number of physical operations. Microsystems of different circuits made from different types of ME devices can be constructed and employed in applications such as sensors, smart dust, etc. including in clockless applications. |
| US09432019B2 |
Control chip and system using the same for power saving
A control chip for power saving is provided. The control chip is configured to operatively receive a first voltage and a first bias voltage. The control chip includes a microcontroller unit and a low power module. The low power module is coupled to the microcontroller unit. The microcontroller unit receives the first voltage to control the operation of at least one component under an operating mode and to stop receiving the first voltage under a power saving mode. The low power module operatively receives the first bias voltage. When the microcontroller unit switches from the operating mode to the power saving mode, the low power module operatively generates a first control signal to cause the microcontroller unit to stop receiving the first voltage. When the low power module detects a trigger signal, the power module operatively generates a second control signal to cause the microcontroller unit to continue receiving the first voltage. |
| US09432016B2 |
Semiconductor device
Provided is a semiconductor device exemplified by an inverter circuit and a shift register circuit, which is characterized by a reduced number of transistors. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor. One of a source and a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first wiring, and the other thereof is electrically connected to a second wiring. One of a source and a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor, and the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to one electrode of the capacitor, while the other electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to a third wiring. The first and second transistors have the same conductivity type. |
| US09432015B2 |
Hysteresis comparator circuit having differential input transistors with switched bulk bias voltages
A first signal received at a first transistor is compared to a second signal received at a second transistor taking into account a hysteresis value to generate a comparison output. At least one of the first and second transistors has a floating bulk. A switching circuit selectively applies first and second bulk bias voltages to the floating bulk of the first or second transistor in dependence on the comparison output. A third and fourth input signals, setting the hysteresis value, are received at third and fourth transistors and compared to generate differential outputs. At least one of the third and fourth transistors has a floating bulk. A differential amplifier determines a difference between the differential outputs for application to the floating bulk of the at least one of the third and fourth transistor and further for use as one of the first and second bulk bias voltages. |
| US09432010B2 |
Buffer control circuit and multi-chip package including the same
A buffer control circuit includes: an activation control block suitable for generating a buffer activation control signal by detecting a first input of a repeatedly provided chip select signal; and a buffer suitable for buffering the chip select signal in response to the buffer activation control signal after the generation of the buffer activation control signal. |
| US09432009B2 |
Circuit delay monitoring apparatus and method
A circuit delay monitoring apparatus has a ring oscillator with a plurality of delay elements, a signal transition being propagated through the delay elements of the ring oscillator, and a plurality N of sampling points being distributed around the ring oscillator. Selection circuitry selects, in dependence on the indication of the current location of the signal transition generated by the fine sampling circuitry, one of the M transition counter circuits whose associated location is greater than said predetermined amount from the current location of the signal transition. Output generation circuitry then generates a count indication for a reference time period dependent on a sampled count value of the transition counter circuit selected by the selection circuitry, the indication of the current location of the signal transition within the ring oscillator, and reference count data relating to the start of the reference time period. |
| US09432007B1 |
Out-of-band (OOB) detection circuit for serial/deserializer (SERDES)
An out-of-band (OOB) detection circuit includes: a positive input node; a negative input node; a resistive circuit comprising a first resistor coupled between a first supply node and a first node, a variable resistor coupled between the first node and a second node, and a second resistor coupled between the second node and a ground; a first comparator configured to compare a difference between a positive input signal received at the positive input node and a negative input signal received at the negative input node against a positive threshold value, and a second comparator configured to compare the difference between the positive input signal received at the positive input node and the negative input signal received at the negative input node against a negative threshold value. |
| US09432004B2 |
Automatic gain and offset compensation for an electronic circuit
Gain offset and voltage offset compensation for a controllable gain element of a circuit is effected in response to a gain offset value and voltage offset value. A current operating condition of the circuit is sensed and compared to a nominal operating condition. If the current operating condition is outside the nominal operating condition by more than a threshold, a calibration operation to set the gain and voltage offset values is performed. The gain offset value is selected as a function of the sensed current operating condition. With respect to the voltage offset, differential input terminals of the controllable gain element are shunted and the output is measured. The measured output value of the controllable gain element is applied as the voltage offset value. The operating conditions at issue may be one or more of supply voltage and temperature. |
| US09432002B2 |
High-speed voltage level shifter circuit
A level shifter includes a latch having first and second branches, first and second outputs, first and second control switches in series between the respective branches and outputs, and a controller receiving first and second output signals and outputting first and second control signals to the first and second control switches for controlling activation thereof. In an initial state, the first output signal is in the first state, the first control switch is activated, the second output signal is in the second state, and the second control switch is deactivated. In a final state, the first output signal is in the second state, the first control switch is deactivated, the second output signal is in the first state, and the second control switch is activated. The controller changes the first and second control signals only after the first and second output signals reach the respective second and first states. |
| US09431999B1 |
Intelligent mechanical balancing apparatus for slide screw tuners
An intelligent, independent and universal mechanical balancing apparatus for automatic microwave multi-probe slide screw tuners allows stable on-wafer testing of sub-micrometric devices. Low loss rigid airlines (bend-lines) used to connect the multi-probe tuner with the chips, in order to improve the tuning range at the DUT reference plane, causes mechanical movements of the wafer probes attached to the rigid bend-lines, when the tuner mobile carriages move horizontally. Stabilizing the center of gravity (balancing) of the tuner by means of exactly controlled counter-weights, driven by the same firmware which controls the tuner motors, allows for synchronized compensation of the probe movement and safe on wafer load pull operation. |
| US09431988B2 |
Stacked chip device
The present disclosure relates to a stacked chip device including a first stack unit comprising a plurality of electrode patterns respectively disposed for a unit device region and common electrode patterns formed to be connected to cross the unit device regions, a second stack unit disposed on a top portion of the first stack unit and comprising a plurality of first conductor patterns, and a third stack unit disposed on a bottom portion of the first stack unit and comprising a plurality of second conductor patterns, wherein the first and second conductor patterns are formed on a plurality of sheets, the first and second conductor patterns formed on one sheet are formed across a plurality of unit device regions, and the first and second conductor patterns are connected vertically through vias formed penetrating through at least some of the sheets. |
| US09431986B2 |
Sound processing apparatus and sound processing method
A sound processing apparatus includes an information acquisition unit which acquires control information including at least one of mode information for designating a reproduction mode of the sound processing apparatus and attribute information for designating an attribute of an audio content represented by a sound signal, a frequency band expansion unit which performs frequency band expansion processing for adding an expanded component generated from the sound signal to the sound signal, and a control unit which changes parameters to be applied to the frequency band expansion processing in accordance with the control information acquired by the information acquisition unit. |
| US09431985B2 |
Dynamic adjustment of master and individual volume controls
Techniques for controlling the volumes of multiple audio output devices using a collective (master) volume control and an individual volume control for each audio output device. In one set of embodiments, each individual volume control can be configured to indicate the current absolute volume level of its corresponding audio output device. When the master volume control is manually adjusted, the individual volume controls can be automatically adjusted in a manner proportional to the manual adjustment of the master volume control. In addition, when an individual volume control is manually adjusted to a setting or value that exceeds the master volume control, the master volume control can be automatically adjusted to be equal to, or greater than, the manually adjusted setting for the individual volume control. In this scenario, the other individual volume controls can remain unchanged. |
| US09431984B2 |
Acoustic apparatus
An acoustic apparatus includes a signal processor configured to generate an analog audio signal based on a digital audio signal. The digital audio signal includes a first silent part and a sound part subsequent to the first silent part. The signal processor starts an operation in a period during which the first silent part is input. |
| US09431982B1 |
Loudness learning and balancing system
A loudness learning and balancing system for one or more audio channels. The system learns user volume preferences from manual interventions, providing effective and robust loudness learning to provide a consistent and balanced sonic experience. The system also reduces and/or eliminates incorrect attenuation or over-amplification of quiet interludes in the audio material, thereby eliminating artifacts such as noise pumping or breathing. In addition, the system reduces low level noise in the audio signals while preserving a wide dynamic range at most listening levels. |
| US09431980B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for adjusting output audio volume based on user location
Systems and methods are operable to adjust an output audio volume level of presented audio content that is output as sound from one or more speakers in a media presentation environment. An exemplary embodiment detects movement of a user who is listening to the audio content; increases the output audio volume level when the detected user movement is away from a predefined location in the media presentation environment; and decreases the output audio volume level when the detected user movement is closer to the predefined location in the media presentation environment. |
| US09431979B2 |
Method and apparatus for emulating sound
A method of emulating a sound of an audio apparatus by using a sound emulation apparatus includes obtaining k past samples (where k is a natural number that is equal to or greater than 1) by delaying a current sample of an audio signal; applying a plurality of characteristic functions indicating an input/output relationship of the audio apparatus to the current sample and the k past samples, respectively; and adding the current sample and the k past samples, to which the plurality of characteristic functions have been applied, respectively, to generate an emulation sound of the audio apparatus. |
| US09431973B2 |
Pulse-width modulation generator
The present application relates to a pulse-width modulation generator for generating a pulse-width modulated signal, the PWM generator comprising: a PWM modulator; and a loop filter, wherein the loop filter is configured to receive an input signal and to output a filtered signal to the PWM modulator, and the PWM modulator is configured to receive the filtered signal from the loop filter and to output a pulse-width modulated signal, the PWM generator further comprising: a feedback loop coupling an output of the PWM modulator to an input of the loop filter, wherein the feedback loop includes a comb filter. |
| US09431971B2 |
Reduced-power dissipation for circuits handling differential pseudo-differential signals
In an example, a differential amplifier is disclosed that is configured to realize low noise with decreased overall system current. The differential amplifier may include a first amplifier stage and a second amplifier stage arranged in series, wherein a pull-up current iH flowing as a single bias current iB=iH flows into the first stage. A single pull-down current iT sources to ground from the second stage, wherein iH=iT=iB substantially. In certain embodiments, the transconductance of the second stage may be increased by providing two transconductors coupled at their base nodes. |
| US09431969B2 |
Doherty power amplifier with tunable impedance load
Radio frequency (RF) amplification devices are disclosed that include Doherty amplification circuits and control circuits along with methods of operating the same. In one embodiment, the Doherty amplification circuit includes a quadrature coupler having an isolation port and a tunable impedance load coupled to the isolation port and configured to provide a tunable impedance. The control circuit is configured to tune the tunable impedance of the tunable impedance load at the isolation port dynamically as a function of the RF power of the Doherty amplification circuit. In this manner, the control circuit can provide dynamic load modulation, thereby increasing the power efficiency of the Doherty amplification circuit, particularly at backed-off power levels. The load modulation provided by the control circuit also allows the Doherty amplification circuit to provide broadband amplification in various RF communication bands. |
| US09431967B2 |
Dynamic amplifier supply
A method of providing a power supply of an amplifier of a wireless transmission system comprising, determining the power at an antenna when transmitting a signal to be transmitted by the amplifier, determining the modulation scheme for transmitting the signal, determining the frequency allocation of the signal to be transmitted, determining a transmit channel characteristic, and adjusting a parameter of the power supply of the amplifier based on the determining steps to maintain amplifier linearity. |
| US09431966B2 |
High efficiency and high linearity adaptive power amplifier for signals with high papr
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for controlling operations of a power amplifier in a wireless transmitter. During operation, the system receives a baseband signal to be transmitted, and dynamically switches an operation mode of the power amplifier between a high power back-off mode having a first power back-off factor and a normal mode having a second power back-off factor based on a level of the baseband signal. |
| US09431964B2 |
Operational amplifier and method of operating the operational amplifier
An operational amplifier comprises a first input pair, a second input pair, a switch and a first current mirror. The first input pair comprises a different type of MOS transistor from the second input pair. The switch determines which one of the first or the second input pair is functioning and the operating input pair is configured to output voltage. The switch is further connected to the first input pair and the first current mirror. The first current mirror is further connected to the second input pair, and is configured to copy a current passing through the switch to the second input pair. Therefore an increase of transconductance of the first input pair is compensated by a decrease of transconductance of the second input pair, and the operational amplifier has a substantially constant transconductance no matter which of the first input pair and the second input pair is functioning. |
| US09431960B2 |
Solution testing equipment
There is provided solution testing equipment which can detect an output variation of a THz oscillation device using a THz wave (hν) by contacting a liquid or cells on an RTD oscillation device, and can reduce the size and weight thereof. The solution testing equipment includes: a THz oscillation device configured to radiate the THz wave Is; a THz detection device configured to receive the THz wave Is; and a solution as a test object disposed on the THz oscillation device, in which the solution is tested on the basis of output characteristics of the terahertz wave varying in response to a relative permittivity of the solution. |
| US09431953B2 |
Height adjustment bracket for roof applications
A roof mount for mounting at least one solar panel to a roof surface including a base. The roof mount includes a clamp connected to the base and a first recess sized to support a first solar panel. The first recess has a first height extending between a first top flange and a first bottom flange. The clamp also includes a second recess sized to support one of a second solar panel and a skirt flange. The second recess has a second height extending between a second top flange and a second bottom flange. The roof mount further includes a fastener connected to the clamp. The second fastener is operable to adjust the first and second heights, such that upon tightening of the second fastener, the first height increases and the second height decreases, and upon loosening of the second fastener, the first height decreases and the second height increases. |
| US09431951B2 |
Direct torque control motor controller with transient current limiter
An AC motor controller is provided that utilizes a direct torque controller and primary and secondary control loops. The primary control loop operates in a relatively conventional manner, determining a voltage vector that sets the inverter switching variables for the motor's power inverter, where the voltage vector is based on the motor's torque and flux as estimated from the measured voltage and current of the motor. Application of the voltage vector determined by the primary loop is delayed until initiation of the next primary control loop cycle. The secondary loop, utilizing a faster sampling rate than that of the primary loop, compares the measured phase current to a preset current limit. If the secondary loop determines that the measured phase current has exceeded the preset current limit, it sets a null voltage vector, thereby limiting transient over currents. |
| US09431947B2 |
Input vector set for position detection of PM motors
A method of determining angular position (A) of a rotor of an N-phase permanent magnet motor (PMM). A processor having an associated stored angular position determination (APD) algorithm is programmed to implement the algorithm to cause an associated motor controller to execute steps including forcing one vector at a time a phase vector set of current or voltage vectors to stator terminals of windings for the N-phases a positive and negative magnitude vector, wherein the vector magnitude is sufficiently small to not move the rotor, and a time duration for the forcing current or voltage vectors is essentially constant. The resulting stator current or voltage levels are measured for each current or voltage vector. An N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is generated from superposition of the resulting stator current levels or resulting stator voltage levels. The N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is used to determine angular position. |
| US09431943B2 |
Assembly operating in a variable regime
The invention relates to electromechanical assemblies comprising an alternator, especially of high power, typically greater than or equal to IMW, and a converter, the alternator comprising a rotor driven in rotation, by a wind turbine for example, and more particularly to wound rotor synchronous alternators. The drive can also take place by means of a tide-driven, hydraulic or marine-current-driven generator. An alternator comprises in a manner known per se a field winding, generally at the rotor, supplied with DC current either by split rings and brushes, or by an exciter, so as to generate in an armature winding, generally at the stator, an AC voltage. |
| US09431941B1 |
Method and apparatus for detecting alternator rectifier diode short fault
Methods for detecting a short fault of an alternator rectifier electronic component include sampling a field winding voltage or current signal of an alternator, during operation of the alternator, and determining a fault ripple period at which the alternator field winding signal exceeds a fault threshold. A short fault of an electronic component of a rectifier coupled to the alternator is detected in the event that the fault ripple period closely matches an alternator armature period. Alternatively or additionally, the sampled field winding signal is band pass filtered, and a short fault is detected in the event that an amplitude of the band pass filtered field winding signal exceeds a fault threshold. The methods can be implemented, for example, by an apparatus that includes a hysteresis frequency counter, a frequency comparator, and a countdown timer. |
| US09431934B2 |
Motor controller with drive-signal conditioning
An embodiment of a motor controller includes a motor driver and a signal conditioner. The motor driver is operable to generate a motor-coil drive signal having a first component at a first frequency, and the signal conditioner is coupled to the motor driver and is operable to alter the first component. For example, if the first component of the motor-coil drive signal causes the motor to audibly vibrate (e.g., “whine”), then the signal conditioner may alter the amplitude or phase of the first component to reduce the vibration noise to below a threshold level. |
| US09431932B2 |
Converter unit for an asynchronous machine
A converter unit having at least one output. The at least one output is configured to be connected to a coil of an asynchronous machine. The converter unit is configured to provide several voltage levels at the at least one output. |
| US09431931B2 |
Controller for a brushless motor
A controller for a brushless motor that includes a PWM module configured in half-bridge or full-bridge mode. The PWM module outputs control signals for controlling the excitation of a winding of the motor, and one of the duty cycle and the period of the PWM module defines a time at which the winding is commutated. |
| US09431927B2 |
System for harvesting energy from door or door hardware movement
An electrical generation system for a doorway including a door includes a lock mechanism movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position to allow the door to move between a closed position and an open position and a cam coupled to the door. A piezo-electric generator is coupled to the cam. The cam is rotatable with respect to the piezo-electric generator. The piezo-electric generator is operable to produce an electrical current in response to rotation of the cam with respect to the piezo-electric generator, and the electrical current has a frequency that is greater than the number of revolutions made by the cam with respect to the piezo-electric generator. |
| US09431925B2 |
Half bridge circuit, full bridge circuit constructed with half bridge circuit, and three-phase inverter circuit constructed with half bridge circuit
In a half bridge circuit according to one aspect of the present disclosure, when a voltage between a first terminal and a third terminal or a voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal is greater than or equal to a threshold voltage, a current is passed from the second terminal to the third terminal or from the third terminal to the second terminal according to a polarity of the voltage between the second terminal and the third terminal. When the current is passed from the third terminal to the second terminal, the voltage between the second terminal and the third terminal changes with respect to the voltage applied between the first terminal and the third terminal within a range where the voltage between the first terminal and the third terminal is less than or equal to the threshold voltage. |
| US09431923B2 |
Power converter
An operation area of a motor is increased without increasing the capacity of a switching element. A current limiter which limits a current flowing in switching elements to prevent the current from exceeding a predetermined current limit value is provided. A current limit value controller which decreases the current limit value if a loss generated in the switching elements increases at a same current value, and increases the current limit value if the loss decreases at a same current value, is provided. |
| US09431920B2 |
Non-isolated DC/DC converter with 2 inductors and zero voltage switching
Zero-voltage switching of a switching element (Q2) is achieved by turning off a switching element (Q1) and then turning on switching element (Q2) while the parasitic diode (DQ2) of switching element (Q2) is turned on. Subsequently, switching element (Q2) is turned off when the current flowing through switching element (Q2) changes from negative to positive (in a direction from the drain towards the source) and the current reaches a prescribed threshold value. Then, zero-voltage switching of switching element (Q1) is achieved by turning on switching element (Q1) while the parasitic diode (DQ1) of switching element (Q1) is turned on. |
| US09431912B2 |
Control device for rectifiers of switching converters
A control device controls a rectifier of a switching converter that is supplied with an input voltage and provides an output current. The rectifier is configured to rectify the output current of the converter and has at least one transistor. The control device, when the at least one transistor is turned off, provides a slow discharge path to ground in a normal operation condition and provides a fast discharge path to ground for discharging the control terminal of the at least one transistor in response to detecting a zero cross event of the current flowing through said at least one transistor. |
| US09431910B1 |
Energy recycling system and recycling method thereof
An energy recycling system and an energy recycling method are disclosed. The energy recycling system includes several working circuits and a first energy recycling circuit. The working circuits include at least one first working circuit and at least one second working circuit. The first energy recycling circuit is coupled between the first working circuits and the second working circuits. The first alternating-current-type (AC-type) voltage source is supplied to the first working circuits and the second working circuits. The energy loss of the first AC-type voltage source is replenished by a direct-current-type (DC-type) voltage source. The first energy recycling circuit includes an inductor and pairs of switches, and the pairs of switches are configured for conducting in different time sequences and transferring the energy of the first AC-type voltage source between the first working circuits, the inductor and the second working circuits. |
| US09431901B2 |
Charge pump stage and a charge pump
A charge pump cell, comprising: an input node; an output node; Q channels, where Q is an integer greater than one, and where at least two of the channels comprise: a capacitor; a unidirectional current flow device; an output diode; and a channel drive signal node; and wherein a first current flow node of the unidirectional current flow device is connected to a first node of the capacitor at a channel node, a second node of the capacitor is connected to the channel drive signal node, a second current flow node of the unidirectional current flow device is connected to the input node, and the output diode is connected between the channel node and the output node. |
| US09431898B2 |
Bidirectional DC-to-DC converter
A bidirectional DC-to-DC converter is configured to convert electrical energy from a first and second DC source. The bidirectional converter includes an output capacitor providing an output voltage and a first and second inductor. The first inductor is arranged between a positive connection of the second DC source and a first contact of a first switch. The second inductor is arranged between a negative connection of the first DC source and a second contact of the first switch. A buffer capacitor is arranged between a negative output of the first DC source and a positive output of the second DC source. A second and third switch are arranged in series with the first switch. The second switch is arranged between the first contact of the first switch and the positive DC output. The third switch is arranged between the second contact of the first switch and the negative DC output. |
| US09431897B2 |
Electric device
Provided is an electric device, including: a secondary battery; and a power supply circuit for dropping an input voltage which is input from the secondary battery to an output voltage and outputting the output voltage to a load, in which the output voltage is stepwise dropped in accordance with the drop of the input voltage. |
| US09431887B2 |
Lens positioning system
An actuator includes an inner element coupled to an outer element by a linear-motion bearing that provides a single degree of translational movement of the inner element with respect to the outer element along a longitudinal axis. The inner element includes a permanent magnet and the outer element includes a conductive winding with a first coil wound in first direction around a first pole of the permanent magnet and a second coil wound in a second direction around a second pole of the permanent magnet. |
| US09431886B2 |
Method of manufacturing a magnet plate for a linear motor
A method for producing a magnet plate for a linear motor is provided. The magnet plate comprises a base plate and a plurality of magnets juxtaposed to one another on a surface of the base plate. The method comprises providing the plurality of magnets on a surface of the base plate at a certain interval, placing the base plate into a mold, supplying a resin material into the mold, so as to form a resin molding covering the plurality of magnets on the surface of the base plate by means of injection molding, and magnetizing the plurality of magnets. |
| US09431878B2 |
Electric machine with enclosed, autonomous cooling medium circuit
An electric machine has a base body with a stator, a rotor shaft mounted in the base body, and a heat exchanger. Cooling ducts for a liquid cooling medium are arranged in the base body. The rotor shaft is embodied as a hollow shaft through which the liquid cooling medium can flow. The heat exchanger dissipates heat contained in the liquid cooling medium to the surroundings of the electric machine. The heat exchanger, the rotor shaft and the cooling ducts are fluidically connected in series, producing a closed circuit for the liquid medium. A feed element is arranged to co-rotate with the rotor shaft. The feed element is inserted in the closed circuit for the liquid cooling medium to forcibly circulate the liquid cooling medium in the closed circuit as the rotor shaft for the liquid cooling medium rotates. |
| US09431874B2 |
Meter unit including step motor and braking spring
A meter unit includes a step motor, a gear, a braking spring and a case. The gear has a gear body and a rotation shaft. The braking spring urges the gear in a direction of an axis of rotation of the gear. The case accommodates the step motor, the gear body, a part of the rotation shaft, and the braking spring therein. The braking spring has a shape through which the first part of the rotation shaft passes. A first face of the gear body is formed with a recessed portion which accommodates the braking spring. A first part of the case supports a second face of the gear body. A second part of the case is configured to press the braking spring so that entire part of the braking spring is accommodated in the recessed portion. |
| US09431867B2 |
Rotating electrical machine
A rotating electrical machine includes a stator, a rotor, a case, a seal member, and a terminal board. The stator has a conductor line wound thereon. The rotor is disposed inside the stator. The terminal board is to make an electrical connection between the conductor line and an external power line connected to a power supply. The terminal board is contained in the case and includes a relay conductor and a storage chamber containing the relay conductor. The relay conductor is to make a connection between the conductor line and the external power line. The storage chamber is hermetically closed by the seal member with respect to an outside of the case. The storage chamber has a discharge hole that allows communication between the storage chamber and the outside. |
| US09431865B2 |
Standby generator with removable panel
A standby generator includes a base and a number of walls extending from the base including a wall having a removable panel. A cover is coupled to the wall having the removable panel and is moveable between a closed position and an open position. When the cover in the open position, the removable panel may be removed from the standby generator. |
| US09431863B2 |
Insulation component for an electric machine and method of assembly
An electric machine includes a core with a plurality of teeth that extends between end faces of the core. Slots are defined in the core between adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth. The slots each have a radial opening formed between end portions of the adjacent teeth. An insulation sheet is positioned on the core to obstruct the radial openings to the slots. The insulation has at least two spaced circumferential members that respectively overlap the end faces of the core. The insulation sheet also has a plurality of spaced axial members connected to the circumferential members. The axial members are positioned within the slots to obstruct the radial openings to the slots. |
| US09431862B2 |
Motor
A winding structure which is disposed over an armature and a commutator includes an equalizer. The equalizer includes a going portion and a return portion which are wound across one group of teeth through a slot and connected between two identical segments. In a case where an integer number is an expansion value among values which are integer multiples of a value which is acquired by dividing the total number of the slots by the total number of pole pairs, when one group of the teeth having the same total number as the expansion value is given as an element teeth group, the going portion and the return portion are wound across the element teeth group through the slots positioned at both sides of the element teeth group. |
| US09431861B2 |
Fixing permanent magnets to a rotor
A rotor for an electrical machine includes a base body, a plurality of permanent magnets which are arranged axially in rows on an outer surface of the base body. At least two of the permanent magnet rows are arranged so as to be mutually offset in an axial direction. First and second locking plates are respectively arranged at axial end faces of the base body to secure the rows of permanent magnets in the axial direction, with the first and second locking plates each having a surface which rests on respective axial ends of the permanent magnet rows. A bandage is wound around the base body to fix the permanent magnets to the outer surface of the base body. |
| US09431860B2 |
Rotor and method of manufacturing rotor
A rotor that can reduce the used amount of resin for securing a permanent magnet is provided. The rotor includes a rotor core provided fixedly to a rotation shaft and having a magnet insertion hole extending in an axial direction formed therein, a permanent magnet embedded in the magnet insertion hole and extending in the axial direction and extending in a direction inclined relative to a radial direction of the rotor core, and a resin layer that secures the permanent magnet to the rotor core. The resin layer covers a surface of the permanent magnet and is in contact with an inner surface of the magnet insertion hole. A hollow space extending in the axial direction is left in the magnet insertion hole at an inner side in the radial direction relative to the permanent magnet. Part of the inner surface of the magnet insertion hole is exposed to the hollow space. |
| US09431856B2 |
Power transmission
An improved device and system for power transmission. A power transmission device comprises a primary winding magnetically coupled to a resonant secondary which comprises a plurality of magnetic resonators, each magnetic resonator comprising a magnetic winding. The magnetic resonators are connected in series and arranged so that the magnetic axis of each magnetic resonator is coupled to the primary winding. In operation, a power source supplies alternating current at an operating frequency to the primary of a power transmission device used as a transmitter. A load is coupled to the primary of a power transmission device used as a receiver. Collectors may be coupled to either or both of the transmit or receive device. A return line may be coupled to either or both of the transmit or receive device. |
| US09431854B2 |
Multiple UPS system having multi-way power tie system and intelligent power sharing control
A multiple UPS system includes a plurality of multi-module UPS subsystems coupled to a power tie cabinet, each multi-module UPS subsystem having a plurality of UPS modules. The power tie cabinet includes one or more controllers, collectively referred to as PTC (power tie cabinet) controls. The PTC controls periodically determine a power error message for each of the multi-module UPS subsystems and pass it to the respective multi-module UPS subsystem. A controller of the multi-module UPS subsystem uses the power error message to determine error data that is provided to a power average control loop used in control of power sharing among the UPS modules of the multi-module UPS subsystem. |
| US09431852B2 |
Power supply device
A power supply device includes an input terminal to which an electric power is supplied from a commercial power source; an output terminal connected to an electric load; a power storage device to be charged by the electric power supplied from the input terminal and supplying the electric power to the output terminal; a primary battery; and a controller supplying an output of the primary battery to the output terminal, when monitoring a voltage of the commercial power source, which is applied to the input terminal, and a charged state of the power storage device, and detecting that the voltage of the commercial power source falls to a specified voltage value or less and the charged state of the power storage device indicates a specified value or less. |
| US09431849B2 |
Method for controlling the temperature of at least one battery element, battery and motor vehicle with such a battery
A method for controlling the temperature of at least one battery element, a battery, and a motor vehicle that has the battery includes specifying a temperature value, and determining the cool-down behavior of the at least one battery element beginning at a first temperature. A first point in time, at which the battery temperature will have reached or fallen below the temperature value, is determined by evaluating the cool-down behavior. Subsequently, a second point in time for a beginning of the charging or discharging of the at least one battery element is determined. If tmin |
| US09431848B2 |
Method and apparatus for protecting wireless power receiver from excessive charging temperature
An apparatus and a method for protecting a wireless power receiver from excessive temperature caused by charging are provided. The wireless power receiver includes a power receiver for receiving wireless power in an Alternate Current (AC) form from a wireless power transmitter; a regulator for regulating the wireless power; a power management unit for controlling charging by providing the regulated wireless power to a battery; a temperature measurement unit for measuring a temperature of a point in the wireless power receiver during reception of the wireless power; and a controller configured to provide a control signal for the wireless power receiver to be charged with a regulated charging power if a temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit exceeds a preset temperature. |
| US09431846B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling battery charging
Systems and methods for controlling battery charging are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a method can include receiving battery state information; determining, based on the battery state information, whether to adjust battery models; and, if so, adjusting the battery models. |
| US09431844B2 |
System and method for wireless power control communication using bluetooth low energy
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for connecting with a charging device via a wireless communications network. In one aspect, a wireless charger comprises a transmitter configured to transmit a power signal. The wireless charger further comprises a device scanner configured to scan for one or more connection solicitations transmitted by devices. The wireless charger further comprises a receiver configured to receive a connection solicitation via the wireless communications network from the charging device in response to the transmitted power signal. The transmitter may be configured to transmit a connection request to establish a connection with the charging device in response to the received connection solicitation. |
| US09431842B1 |
Regulate the charging of a mobile device
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for charging a battery of a first mobile device from a battery of a second mobile device. In particular embodiments, a request is received identifying an amount of charge to provide from the battery of the second device to the battery of the first device. Accordingly, a determination is made as to whether the amount of charge requested is likely to result in a battery charge of the second device dropping below a threshold value before the battery of the device is recharged based on historical battery charge usage data of the device over a past period of time. If the amount of charge is not likely to result in the battery charge dropping below the threshold value, then the battery of the first device is charged with the amount of charge from the battery of the second device. |
| US09431839B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for optimized device-to-device charging
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments provide device-to-device charging. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method comprises receiving, by a first device, a user's selection of a charging criterion for balancing stored charges in the first device's own battery and in a second device's rechargeable battery; determining, by the first device, that recharging of the second device's rechargeable battery is required; computing, by the first device, an amount of charging required for the second device's rechargeable battery, in order to satisfy the user's selected charging criterion; and transmitting, by the first device, power provided by the first device's own battery, to the second device, for charging the second device's rechargeable battery until the present level of stored battery charge in the second device's rechargeable battery reaches the computed amount of charging required. |
| US09431835B2 |
Street light mounted network-controlled charge transfer device for electric vehicles
A network-controlled charge transfer device for transferring charge between a local power grid and an electric vehicle is mounted to a street light. The charge transfer device includes the following: an electrical receptacle to receive an electrical connector for connection to the electric vehicle; an electric power line that couples the power grid to the electrical receptacle through a wiring box; a control device to switch the receptacle on and off; a current measuring device to measure current flowing through the electric power line; and a controller to operate the control device and to monitor output from the current measuring device. |
| US09431828B2 |
Multi-source, multi-load systems with a power extractor
Apparatuses and systems enable power transfer from one or more energy sources to one or more loads. The input power from the energy sources may be unregulated, and the output power to the loads is managed. The power transfer is based on a dynamic implementation of Jacobi's Law (also known as the Maximum Power Theorem). In some embodiments, the energy sources are selectively coupled and decoupled from the power transfer circuitry. In some embodiments, the loads are selectively coupled and decoupled from the power transfer circuitry. Power transfer to the loads is dynamically controlled. |
| US09431826B2 |
Determining the power supply and receive relationships among a plurality of devices based upon power consumptions of each of the devices
An information processing system includes an obtaining unit, a specifying unit, and an output unit. The obtaining unit obtains information indicating a state of the use of each of plural electrical apparatuses. The specifying unit specifies a power supply-and-receive relationship between the plural electrical apparatuses, on the basis of a change in power associated with the obtained information concerning each of the plural electrical apparatuses. The output unit outputs information indicating the power supply-and-receive relationship. |
| US09431825B2 |
Systems and methods to reduce the number and cost of management units of distributed power generators
Apparatuses and methods for configuring and managing solar panels to form strings of photovoltaic energy generators with improved performance and reduced cost. The photovoltaic energy generators are connected via one or more combined local management units (CLMUs), each having a plurality of direct current converters connected to and configured to receive direct current power from a respective solar panel. A controller unit shared by the CLMU's direct current converters is utilized to separately control the operation of each converter such that the power extracted from the solar panels is maximized. A communications unit coupled with the controller unit is utilized to facilitate communications between the controller unit and a system unit remote from the CLMU to report measurements and receive control signals. |
| US09431824B2 |
DC-DC converter comprising DC power sources to be connected in parallel or in series
The power supply system includes a first DC power source, a second DC power source, and a power converter having a plurality of switching elements and reactors. The power converter is configured to be switchable, by the control of the plurality of switching elements, between a parallel connection mode in which DC voltage conversion is executed with the DC power sources connected in parallel with a power line and a series connection mode in which DC voltage conversion is executed with the DC power sources connected in series with the power line. Each of the switching elements is arranged to be included both in a power conversion path between the first DC power source and the power line PL and a power conversion path between the second DC power source and the power line. |
| US09431820B2 |
Vehicle or environment-controlled unit having a multiphase alternator with a protected high-voltage bus
A mobile environment-controlled unit, such as an over-the-road compartment trailer, having an environmental-control system, such as a refrigeration unit, powered by an alternator and having a high-voltage alternating current (AC) bus. The unit incorporates a high resistance ground scheme and can incorporate a solid-state input module to detect phase-chassis faults. This combination provides an improvement in protection for mobile applications that cannot have a voltage reference (or neutral point) solidly connected to earth ground. |
| US09431818B2 |
Protection circuits and methods for electrical machines
An assembly includes an electrical machine connected to a power converter by a three-phase circuit having three conductors, e.g. cables Each conductor is associated with a switching device such as a contactor or the like that connects the conductor to a common conductor or terminal. In the event of a fault current being developed in the circuit or the power converter the switching devices are operated to close the fault current and connect together the conductors of the three-phase circuit to provide a full three-phase short circuit. |
| US09431815B1 |
Cable fitting with grip assembly
An adjustable cable fitting with a removable grip assembly secures and retains a cable passing therethrough. The grip assembly has a flexible tightening member and a resilient grommet inserted in the tightening member. The grip assembly is further disposed between a connector and a compression cap, such that the tightening member assists the grommet in creating and maintaining a watertight seal with the cable when tightening the compression cap to the connector. The tightening member also assists the grommet in securing and retaining the cable by preventing it from being pulled out of the fitting. The tightening member has a plurality of spaced apart retaining arms. Each arm has a retaining flange at one end that overhangs past an end of the grommet and which has gripper elements formed thereon for directly gripping the cable. |
| US09431813B2 |
Redundant wired pipe-in-pipe telemetry system
A system and method for providing redundant wired pipe-in-pipe telemetry is described. The redundant wired pip-in-pipe telemetry system includes an outer pipe and an inner pipe disposed within the outer pipe. Within the outer pipe, two or more conductive elements may be provided as well as a wired path controller that may selectably switch between available conductive paths. The wired path controller may identify conductive paths with good electrical characteristics and select those paths for transmission. If a conductive path develops a fault, the wired path controller may select one of the alternative redundant conductive paths for transmission to avoid the fault. The wireless controller may further transmit information about the location of faults to a drill operator at the surface. |
| US09431812B1 |
Dynamic capacitors for tuning of circuits
A circuit includes a signal line formed of at least one conductive element and a shield at least partially encompassing the signal line. The circuit further includes a first dynamic capacitor located between the shield and the signal line. The first dynamic capacitor is configured to provide a first variable amount of capacitance. |
| US09431808B1 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector for connecting an electrical conduit to a wall of a junction box having an opening therein and having edges surrounding the opening. The connector includes a connector body defining a conduit-supporting passageway having a conduit central axis, a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall extending between the proximal and distal ends, the distal end formed with a locating collar substantially encircling the connector body, the locating collar functioning to engage the edges of the opening in the junction box. The connector further includes a pressure lock mechanism for selectively and removably securing the connector body to the opening in the junction box. |