Document Document Title
US09496420B2 Molybdenum barrier metal for SiC Schottky diode and process of manufacture
A method for fabricating a diode is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a Schottky contact on an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide (SiC) and annealing the Schottky contact at a temperature in the range of 300° C. to 700° C. The Schottky contact is formed of a layer of molybdenum.
US09496408B2 Semiconductor device including oxide semiconductor stack with different ratio of indium and gallium
A highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor is provided by preventing a change in its electrical characteristics. A semiconductor device which includes a first oxide semiconductor layer which is in contact with a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer which serves as a main current path (channel) of a transistor is provided. The first oxide semiconductor layer serves as a buffer layer for preventing a constituent element of the source and drain electrode layers from diffusing into the channel. By providing the first oxide semiconductor layer, it is possible to prevent diffusion of the constituent element into an interface between the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer and into the second oxide semiconductor layer.
US09496406B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
An embodiment is to include an inverted staggered (bottom gate structure) thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer and a buffer layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The buffer layer having higher carrier concentration than the semiconductor layer is provided intentionally between the source and drain electrode layers and the semiconductor layer, whereby an ohmic contact is formed.
US09496399B2 FinFET devices with multiple channel lengths
A method including patterning a continuous fin having a first segment and a second segment in a semiconductor layer, the first segment is arranged at an angle relative to the second line segment, and forming a first gate and a second gate substantially parallel to each other, the first gate substantially covering sides and a top of a portion of the first segment of the continuous fin, the second gate substantially covering sides and a top of a portion of the second segment of the continuous fin.
US09496392B2 Integrated vacuum microelectronic structure and manufacturing method thereof
An integrated vacuum microelectronic structure is described as having a highly doped semiconductor substrate, a first insulating layer placed above said doped semiconductor substrate, a first conductive layer placed above said first insulating layer, a second insulating layer placed above said first conductive layer, a vacuum trench formed within said first and second insulating layers and extending to the highly doped semiconductor substrate, a second conductive layer placed above said vacuum trench and acting as a cathode, a third metal layer placed under said highly doped semiconductor substrate and acting as an anode, said second conductive layer is placed adjacent to the upper edge of said vacuum trench, the first conductive layer is separated from said vacuum trench by portions of said second insulating layer and is in electrical contact with said second conductive layer.
US09496389B2 Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes at least one gate electrode on a substrate structure, at least one drain region doped with impurities of a first conductivity type, a first well region doped with impurities of the first conductivity type under the at least one drain region, and at least one source region doped with impurities of the first conductivity type. The device also includes a first barrier impurity region and a second barrier impurity region. The first barrier impurity region is doped with impurities of the first conductivity type and electrically insulating upper and lower portions of the substrate structure from each other. The second barrier impurity region is doped with impurities of a second conductivity type. A portion of the second barrier impurity region has an uneven shape and overlaps the at least one drain region.
US09496385B2 Structure and method of forming semiconductor device
The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating semiconductor device. The method includes forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a gate structure over a first portion of the first dielectric layer, forming a sidewall spacer over a second portion of the first dielectric layer and on the gate structure, converting the second portion of the first dielectric layer and an exposed third portion of the first dielectric layer to a first portion of a second dielectric layer and a second portion of the second dielectric layer, respectively, removing the second portion of the second dielectric layer and a portion of the substrate to form a recess in the substrate adjacent the sidewall spacer, forming a source/drain (S/D) feature in the recess and removing the gate electrode and the first portion of the first dielectric layer to form a gate trench.
US09496383B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming the same
A semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to, a semiconductor substrate having a first gate groove; a first fin structure underneath the first gate groove; a first diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate, the first diffusion region covering an upper portion of a first side of the first gate groove; and a second diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate. The second diffusion region covers a second side of the first gate groove. The second diffusion region has a bottom which is deeper than a top of the first fin structure.
US09496382B2 Field effect transistor, termination structure and associated method for manufacturing
The present disclosure discloses a field effect transistor (“FET”), a termination structure and associated method for manufacturing. The termination structure for the FET includes a plurality of termination cells arranged substantially in parallel from an inner side toward an outer side of a termination area of the FET. Each of the termination cells comprises a termination trench and a guard ring region located underneath the bottom of the termination trench in the semiconductor layer. Each termination trench is lined with a termination insulation layer, and is filled with a first conductive spacer and a second conductive spacer respectively against an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall of the termination trench and spaced apart from each other with a space, and a dielectric layer filling the space between the first and the second spacers.
US09496380B2 Compound semiconductor device comprising compound semiconductor layered structure having buffer layer and method of manufacturing the same
At least one kind of impurity selected from, for example, Fe, C, B, Ti, Cr is introduced into at least a buffer layer of a compound semiconductor layered structure from a rear surface of the compound semiconductor layered structure to make a resistance value of the buffer layer high.
US09496378B2 IGBT with buried emitter electrode
There are disclosed herein various implementations of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) with buried emitter electrodes. Such an IGBT may include a collector at a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate, a drift region having a first conductivity type situated over the collector, and a base layer having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type situated over the drift region. In addition, such an IGBT may include deep insulated trenches extending from a semiconductor surface above the base layer, into the drift region, each of the deep insulated trenches having a buried emitter electrode disposed therein. The IGBT may further include an active cell including an emitter, a gate trench with a gate electrode disposed therein, and an implant zone situated, between adjacent deep insulated trenches. The implant zone is formed below the base layer and has the first conductivity type.
US09496374B2 Method for manufacturing thin-film transistor substrate
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a thin-film transistor substrate, which has a simple process and achieves an excellent contact interface between an oxide semiconductor layer and source/drain terminals through successive film forming so as to prevent crowding effect resulting from excessive contact resistance. Further, by using a metallic material containing tantalum to make the source/drain terminals and applying an etchant solution containing hydrogen peroxide to carry out etching in an etching process of the source/drain terminals, damages of the oxide semiconductor layer caused by traditional etchant solution can be prevented and quality of the thin-film transistor substrate can be enhanced. Further, it is not necessary to additionally form an etch stopper layer to protect the oxide semiconductor layer in the back channel so as to achieve relatively high channel width/length ratio (W/L), and also simplify the structure of the thin-film transistor substrate, simplify the manufacturing process, reduce the manufacturing cost, and enhance yield rate.
US09496366B2 Method for manufacturing silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device by introducing nitrogen concentration of 5X1019 cm-3 or more at a boundary surface between thermal oxide film and the SiC substrate and then removing the thermal oxide film
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a thermal oxide film on one surface of an SiC substrate by thermal oxidation at a temperature of 1150° C. or above in a gas atmosphere including nitrogen and oxygen, and introducing highly-concentrated nitrogen to one surface of the SiC substrate while forming the thermal oxide film; forming a highly-concentrated n-type SiC layer on one surface of the SiC substrate such that the thermal oxide film is removed from one surface of the SiC substrate by etching and, thereafter, one surface of the SiC substrate is exposed to radicals so that Si—N bonded bodies and C—N bonded bodies on one surface of the SiC substrate are removed while leaving nitrogen introduced into a lattice of SiC out of highly-concentrated nitrogen introduced into one surface of the SiC substrate; and forming an ohmic electrode layer on one surface of the SiC substrate.
US09496365B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method for the same
A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes: an SiC layer; a gate insulating film provided on a surface of the SiC layer, the gate insulating film including an oxide film or an oxynitride film in contact with the surface of the SiC layer, the oxide film or the oxynitride film containing at least one element selected from B, Al, Ga (gallium), In, Sc, Y, La, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, a concentration peak of the element in the gate insulating film being on the SiC side of the gate insulating film, the concentration peak of the element being in the oxide film or the oxynitride film, the gate insulating film having a region with a concentration of the element being not higher than 1×1016 cm−3 on the opposite side to the SiC layer with the concentration peak; and a gate electrode on the gate insulating film.
US09496364B2 Field effect semiconductor component and methods for operating and producing it
In accordance with one component, a power field effect transistor is proposed, including a substrate, a channel, a gate electrode, and a gate insulator. The gate insulator is arranged at least partly between the gate electrode and the channel and includes a material having a hysteresis with respect to its polarization, such that a switching state of the transistor produced by a voltage applied to the gate electrode is maintained after the voltage has been switched off. Furthermore, a half-bridge circuit is proposed, including a high-side transistor in accordance with the construction according to the disclosure, and a low-side transistor, and also methods and circuits for driving.
US09496363B1 FinFET isolation structure and method for fabricating the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor device and a semiconductor fin on the semiconductor substrate, in which the semiconductor fin has a fin isolation structure at a common boundary that is shared by the two cells. The fin isolation structure has an air gap extending from a top of the semiconductor fin to a portion of the semiconductor substrate. The air gap divides the semiconductor fin into two portions of the semiconductor fin. The fin isolation structure includes a dielectric cap layer capping a top of the air gap.
US09496362B1 Contact first replacement metal gate
A technique relates to forming a semiconductor device. Sacrificial gates are formed on a channel region of a substrate. Epitaxial layers are grown on source-drain areas between the sacrificial gates. A contact liner and contact material are deposited. The liner and the contact material are removed from above the sacrificial gates. Contact areas are blocked with one or more masking materials and etched. The masking material is removed. The contact material is partially recessed and a nitride liner deposited. An oxide layer is deposited and the sacrificial gate is removed. A metal gate is formed on the channel region and recessed. Insulator material and metal gate material are recessed and a cap is formed over the gate.
US09496359B2 Integrated circuit having chemically modified spacer surface
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes depositing a first dielectric material onto a semiconductor surface of a substrate having a gate stack thereon including a gate electrode on a gate dielectric. The first dielectric material is etched to form sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the gate stack. A top surface of the first dielectric material is chemically converted to a second dielectric material by adding at least one element to provide surface converted sidewall spacers. The second dielectric material is chemically bonded across a transition region to the first dielectric material.
US09496356B2 Under-spacer doping in fin-based semiconductor devices
A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device and a method of fabricating the FinFET are described. The device includes a fin formed on a substrate, the fin including a channel region of the device and a spacer and a cap formed over a dummy gate line separating a source and drain of the device. The device also includes an epitaxial layer formed over portions of the fin, the epitaxial layer being included between the fin and the spacer.
US09496346B2 Silicon carbide device and a method for forming a silicon carbide device
A silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide substrate, an inorganic passivation layer structure and a molding material layer. The inorganic passivation layer structure laterally covers at least partly a main surface of the silicon carbide substrate and the molding material layer is arranged adjacent to the inorganic passivation layer structure.
US09496345B2 Semiconductor structure, semiconductor device, and method for producing semiconductor structure
The present invention provides a semiconductor structure which includes at least a p-type silicon carbide single crystal layer having an α-type crystal structure, containing aluminum at impurity concentration of 1×1019 cm−3 or higher, and having thickness of 50 μm or greater. Further provided is a method for producing the semiconductor structure of the present invention which method includes at least epitaxial growth step of introducing silicon carbide source and aluminum source and epitaxially growing p-type silicon carbide single crystal layer over a base layer made of silicon carbide single crystal having α-type crystal structure, wherein the epitaxial growth step is performed at temperature conditions of from 1,500° C. to 1,700° C., and pressure conditions of from 5×103 Pa to 25×103 Pa.
US09496344B2 Semiconductor device including well regions with different impurity densities
In a JBS diode using a wide band gap semiconductor, the wide band gap semiconductor has a large built-in voltage, which sometimes causes difficulties for the pn diode portion to turn on, resulting in a problem that resistance to surge currents is not sufficiently ensured. In order to solve this problem, in the wide-band-gap JBS diode, a pn junction of the pn diode is formed away from the Schottky electrode, and well regions are formed so as to have a width narrowed at a portion away from the Schottky electrode.
US09496341B1 Silicon germanium fin
A method includes forming a multilayered stack on a surface of a supporting layer. The multilayered stack is composed of alternating layers of compressively strained Silicon Germanium (Si1-xGex) and tensily strained Carbon-doped Silicon (Si:C). The method further includes etching the multilayered stack to form at least one Fin precursor structure and annealing the Fin precursor structure to remove Carbon from the strained Si:C layers to form Carbon-depleted layers and to diffuse Germanium from the Si1-xGex layers into the Carbon-depleted layers producing a Si1-xGex Fin. A structure that is disclosed includes a Semiconductor on Insulator (SOI) layer disposed on a layer of buried oxide and a multilayered stack on a surface of the SOI layer. The multilayered stack is composed of alternating layers of compressively strained Si1-xGex and tensily strained Si:C. The structure further includes a hardmask layer disposed on a top surface of the multilayered stack.
US09496340B2 Semiconductor device, antenna switch circuit, and radio communication apparatus
A semiconductor device includes: a laminated body including a channel layer that is configured of a compound semiconductor; and at least one gate electrode that is provided on a top surface side of the laminated body, wherein the laminated body includes a first low-resistance region that is provided on the top surface side of the laminated body, the first low-resistance region facing the at least one gate electrode, and a second low-resistance region that is provided externally of the first low resistance region on the top surface side of the laminated body, the second low-resistance region being continuous with the first low-resistance region.
US09496336B2 Semiconductor device having vertical channels and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which can prevent leakage current caused by gate electrodes intersecting element isolation layers in a major axis of an active region, and which further has vertical channels to provide a sufficient overlap margin, and a semiconductor device manufactured using the above method. The device includes gate electrodes formed on element isolation layers that are disposed between active regions and have top surfaces that are higher than the top surfaces of the active regions. Since the gate electrodes are formed on the element isolation layers, leakage current in a semiconductor substrate is prevented. In addition, the gate electrodes are formed using a striped shape mask pattern, thereby obtaining a sufficient overlap margin compared to a contact shape or bar shape pattern.
US09496335B2 Super junction semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
There is provided a super junction semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. A super junction semiconductor device includes an n-type semiconductor region disposed in a substrate, two or more p-type semiconductor regions disposed adjacent to the n-type semiconductor region alternately in a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate, a p-type body region disposed on at least one of the p-type semiconductor regions, and a source region disposed in the p-type body region, and an n-type ion implantation region is formed along a lower end of the n-type semiconductor region and lower ends of the p-type semiconductor regions.
US09496334B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type, a third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type, a fourth semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, a gate electrode, an insulating layer, and a first electrode. The first semiconductor layer includes first semiconductor regions. The second semiconductor regions are provided respectively between the first semiconductor regions. The insulating layer is provided between the gate electrode and the third semiconductor region. The first electrode includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is connected to the first semiconductor region. The second portion is provided on the fourth semiconductor region side of the first portion. The first electrode is provided on the first semiconductor region and on the second semiconductor region. The first electrode is provided around the fourth semiconductor region.
US09496330B2 Oxide semiconductor film and semiconductor device
A crystalline oxide semiconductor film which can be used as a semiconductor film of a transistor or the like is provided. In particular, a crystalline oxide semiconductor film with less defects such as grain boundaries is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a crystalline oxide semiconductor film which is provided over a substrate and has a region including five or less areas where a transmission electron diffraction pattern showing discontinuous points is observed when an observation area is changed one-dimensionally within a range of 700 nm, using a transmission electron diffraction apparatus with an electron beam having a probe diameter of 1 nm.
US09496326B1 High-density integrated circuit via capacitor
A capacitor can be fabricated within an integrated circuit (IC) by creating, in a top surface of a dielectric layer of the IC, a recess having at least one side and a bottom, the bottom adjacent to a first conductive structure. A first plate of the capacitor may be formed by depositing a conductive liner onto the at least one side and the bottom of the recess. A conformal dielectric film may be deposited onto the first plate within the recess, and a second plate of the capacitor may be formed by filling a portion of the recess that is not filled by the conformal dielectric film with an electrically conductive material that is electrically insulated, by the conformal dielectric film, from the first plate.
US09496321B2 Organic light emitting display and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light emitting display and a method of manufacturing the same that reduces the number of the masks needed and improves production yield by forming alignment marks during an SGS crystallization process for producing a thin film transistor. The organic light emitting display includes a substrate having a display region and a non-display region, at least one pixel region formed of a thin film transistor and an organic light emitting element electrically coupled to each other in the display region of the substrate, and at least one alignment mark formed in a non-display region of the substrate by the SGS crystallization process.
US09496319B2 Pixel circuit and display apparatus including the same
A display apparatus including: a display unit including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including: a light-emitting circuit including a light-emitting device; and a heating circuit adjacent to the light-emitting circuit, the heating circuit including: a heating device; and a controller configured to generate and output an emission signal for controlling an operation of the light-emitting circuit; and generating and output a heating signal for controlling an operation of the heating circuit, wherein: a first end of the light-emitting circuit is connected to a first power supply voltage; a second end of the light-emitting circuit is connected to a second power supply voltage; a first end of the heating circuit is connected to a first heating power supply voltage; and a second end of the heating circuit is connected to a second heating power supply voltage.
US09496313B2 CMOS-based thermopile with reduced thermal conductance
An integrated circuit containing CMOS transistors and an embedded thermoelectric device is formed by forming isolation trenches in a substrate, concurrently between the CMOS transistors and between thermoelectric elements of the embedded thermoelectric device. Dielectric material is formed in the isolation trenches to provide field oxide which laterally isolates the CMOS transistors and the thermoelectric elements. Germanium is implanted into the substrate in areas for the thermoelectric elements, and the substrate is subsequently annealed, to provide a germanium density of at least 0.10 atomic percent in the thermoelectric elements between the isolation trenches. The germanium may be implanted before the isolation trenches are formed, after the isolation trenches are formed and before the dielectric material is formed in the isolation trenches, and/or after the dielectric material is formed in the isolation trenches.
US09496310B2 Photodetector, method of manufacturing photodetector, radiation detector, and radiation detection apparatus
A photodetector according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor substrate with a first and second faces; a groove formed on the second face; pixels disposed to the semiconductor substrate, each pixel including: light detection cells disposed on the first face, each light detection cell having a first and second terminals, each light detection cell being surrounded by the groove; a first wiring line disposed on the first face to connect to the first terminal of each of the detection cells; a first opening formed in the second face and penetrating the semiconductor substrate; a first insulating film covering the second face, a side face of the first opening, and a side face and a bottom of the groove; a second opening formed in the first insulating film; a first and second electrodes disposed in the first and second openings respectively; and a light blocking material filled to the groove.
US09496308B2 Process module for increasing the response of backside illuminated photosensitive imagers and associated methods
Backside illuminated photosensitive devices and associated methods are provided. In one aspect, for example, a backside-illuminated photosensitive imager device can include a semiconductor substrate having multiple doped regions forming a least one junction, a textured region coupled to the semiconductor substrate and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation where the textured region includes surface features sized and positioned to facilitate tuning to a preselected wavelength of light, and a dielectric region positioned between the textured region and the at least one junction. The dielectric region is positioned to isolate the at least one junction from the textured region, and the semiconductor substrate and the textured region are positioned such that incoming electromagnetic radiation passes through the semiconductor substrate before contacting the textured region. Additionally, the device includes an electrical transfer element coupled to the semiconductor substrate to transfer an electrical signal from the at least one junction.
US09496306B2 Solid-state imaging device, method for manufacturing the same, and imaging apparatus
Realization of an adequate hole accumulation layer and reduction in dark current are allowed to become mutually compatible. A solid-state imaging device 1 having a light-receiving portion 12 to photoelectrically convert incident light is characterized by including a film 21, which is disposed on a light-receiving surface 12s of the above-described light-receiving portion 12 and which lowers an interface state, and a film 22, which is disposed on the above-described film 21 to lower the interface state and which has a negative fixed charge, wherein a hole accumulation layer 23 is disposed on the light-receiving surface 12s side of the light-receiving portion 12.
US09496304B2 Image sensor pixel cell with switched deep trench isolation structure
A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed in an epitaxial layer in a first region of semiconductor material to accumulate image charge. A floating diffusion is disposed in a well region disposed in the epitaxial layer in the first region. A transfer transistor is coupled to selectively transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion. A deep trench isolation (DTI) structure disposed in the semiconductor material. The DTI structure isolates the first region of the semiconductor material on one side of the DTI structure from a second region of the semiconductor material on an other side of the DTI structure. The DTI structure includes a doped semiconductor material disposed inside the DTI structure that is selectively coupled to a readout pulse voltage in response to the transfer transistor selectively transferring the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion.
US09496303B2 Solid state imaging device, method of manufacturing solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus
The present technique aims to provide a solid-state imaging device that reduces shading and color mixing between pixels. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device. The present technique further relates to a solid-state imaging device that enables provision of an electronic apparatus that uses the solid-state imaging device, a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus.The solid-state imaging device includes a substrate, pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit formed in the substrate, and a color filter layer formed on the light incidence surface side of the substrate. The solid-state imaging device also includes a device isolating portion that is formed to divide the color filter layer and the substrate for the respective pixels, and has a lower refractive index than the refractive indexes of the color filter layer and the substrate.
US09496302B2 Crosstalk improvement through P on N structure for image sensor
The present disclosure provides an image sensor semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first type of dopant; a semiconductor layer having a second type of dopant different from the first type of dopant and disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and an image sensor formed in the semiconductor layer.
US09496301B2 Imaging apparatus and electronic system
An imaging apparatus includes: a lens group formed of one or more lens elements; and an imaging device having a light receiving surface on which the lens group forms an image of an object, wherein the light receiving surface of the imaging device is a curved surface that is concave toward the lens group, and the light receiving surface of the imaging device has an aspheric shape so shaped that a tangential angle that is an angle between a tangential line circumscribing an edge of the light receiving surface and a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens group is smaller than the tangential angle provided when the light receiving surface has a spherical shape.
US09496296B1 Optically-tuned electronic components
The present disclosure is directed to optically-tuned electronic components including one or more layers of photosensitive semiconductive materials. In some embodiments, an optically-tuned electronic component includes a plurality of device layers have different bandgap characteristics. One or more selected layers can be optically activated (i.e. made substantially conductive) by illuminating at least a portion of each selected layer with illumination having a wavelength shorter than or substantially equal to the activation wavelength of each selected layer. Accordingly, various parameters can be tuned or a circuit can be switched between alternative paths by providing one or more selected wavelengths of illumination.
US09496294B2 Array substrate, manufacturing method and display device
A method for manufacturing an array substrate comprising: using a mask plate (4), and controlling exposure energy to obtain a first exposure feature size, so as to form a gate metal layer on the array substrate; and using the mask plate again, and controlling exposure energy to obtain a second exposure feature size larger than a size of the gate metal layer, so as to form low doped regions (8) located at opposite sides of the gate metal layer and having a same length. The method can form the two low doped regions of the LTPS-TFT having the same length and guarantee the ability of the LTPS-TFT to suppress the leakage current.
US09496293B2 Pixel circuit and method for driving the same, display panel and display apparatus
A pixel circuit and a method for driving the same, a display panel and a display apparatus are configured to improve the lifespan of the pixel circuit. The pixel circuit comprises: a charging sub-circuit (1), a capacitor (CST), a first driving sub-circuit (2) and a second driving sub-circuit (3); a first terminal of the capacitor (CST) is connected to a first terminal of the first driving sub-circuit (2) and a first terminal of the second driving sub-circuit (3), and a second terminal of the capacitor (CST) is connected to the charging sub-circuit (1); a second terminal of the first driving sub-circuit (2) is connected to a first light emitting device (D1), a second terminal of the second driving sub-circuit (3) is connected to a second light emitting device (D2), wherein a driving current (I1) flowing from the first driving sub-circuit (2) to the first light emitting device (D1) is in an opposite direction to a driving current (I2) flowing from the second driving sub-circuit (3) to the second light emitting device (D2); the charging sub-circuit (1) is configured to charge the capacitor (CST), and when the capacitor (CST) is discharged, the first driving sub-circuit (2) drives the first light emitting device (D1) to emit light or the second driving sub-circuit (3) drives the second light emitting device (D2) to emit light.
US09496289B2 Thin film transistor array panel and manufacturing method thereof
A thin film transistor array panel includes: a substrate; a gate line and a common voltage line electrically separated from each other and elongated parallel with each other on the substrate; a gate insulating layer on the gate line and the common voltage line; a first passivation layer on the gate insulating layer; a common electrode on the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer on the common electrode; and a pixel electrode and a connection member on the second passivation layer and electrically separated from each other. The connection member is elongated in a horizontal direction parallel with the gate line and connects the common voltage line and the common electrode to each other.
US09496287B2 Semiconductor device and production method therefor
This semiconductor device (100A) includes: a transparent conductive layer (3); an insulating layer (5) which is formed to cover the transparent conductive layer (3) and which has a hole (5u) that overlaps at least partially with the transparent conductive layer (3); a metal layer (7d) formed on the insulating layer (5) and inside the hole (5u); and a contact portion (90) connecting the transparent conductive layer (3) and the metal layer (7d) together. In the contact portion (90), a refractory metal nitride layer (20) is arranged between the transparent conductive layer (3) and a portion of the metal layer (7d) which is located inside the hole (5u). The refractory metal nitride layer (20) is in contact with the upper surface of the transparent conductive layer (3).
US09496285B2 Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
The semiconductor device includes a transistor, first to N-th switches (N is a natural number of three or more), and first to (N−1)-th capacitors. A first terminal of the first capacitor (or a J-th capacitor) is electrically connected to a gate of the transistor (or a second terminal of a (J−1)-th capacitor (J is a natural number of two or more and (N−1) or less)). A first (or K-th) potential is supplied to the gate of the transistor through the first switch (or a second terminal of a (K−1)-th capacitor through a K-th switch (K is a natural number of two or more and N or less)). A capacitance value of the first capacitor is preferably equal to a gate capacitance value of the transistor, and a capacitance value of the J-th capacitor is preferably equal to a capacitance value of the (J−1)-th capacitor.
US09496281B2 Dual isolation on SSOI wafer
A method of forming fins in a dual isolation complimentary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device that includes a p-type field effect transistor device (pFET) and an n-type field effect transistor (nFET) device and a CMOS device with dual isolation are described. The CMOS device includes an n-type field effect transistor (nFET) region, the nFET region including one or more fins comprised of strained silicon, the one or fins in the nFET region being formed on an insulator. The CMOS device also includes a p-type field effect transistor (pFET) region, the pFET region including one or more fins comprised of silicon (Si) or silicon germanium (SiGe) on epitaxially grown silicon and including a shallow trench isolation (STI) fill to isolate the one or more fins of the pFET region from each other.
US09496278B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor storage device
A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of electrode films stacked in a first direction; a silicon pillar piercing the stacked electrode films and separated therefrom by a block insulating film; a charge storage film provided between the block insulating film and the silicon pillar; and a tunnel insulating film provided between the charge storage film and the silicon pillar. The tunnel insulating film comprises a first insulating film having silicon oxide as a base material and containing an added element, wherein a density of the element increases from the silicon pillar toward the charge storage film.
US09496277B2 Vertical-type semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same
In a vertical-type memory device and a method of manufacturing the vertical-type memory device, the vertical memory device includes an insulation layer pattern of a linear shape provided on a substrate, pillar-shaped single-crystalline semiconductor patterns provided on both sidewalls of the insulation layer pattern and transistors provided on a sidewall of each of the single-crystalline semiconductor patterns. The transistors are arranged in a vertical direction of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, and thus the memory device may be highly integrated.
US09496276B2 CMP fabrication solution for split gate memory embedded in HK-MG process
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, at least one logic device and a split gate memory device. The at least one logic device is located on the substrate. The split gate memory device is located on the substrate and comprises a memory gate and a select gate. The memory gate and the select gate are adjacent to and electrically isolated with each other. A top of the select gate is higher than a top of the memory gate.
US09496273B2 Three-dimensional nonvolatile memory device
A semiconductor device includes word lines stacked in a cell region of a substrate and each of the word lines includes a first conductive layer. At least one selection line is stacked on top of the word lines and includes a second conductive layer. At least one gate line is formed in a peripheral region of the substrate and includes the second conductive layer.
US09496271B2 3DIC system with a two stable state memory and back-bias region
A 3D IC based system, including: a first layer including first transistors; a second layer overlying the first layer, the second layer includes a plurality of second transistors, where the second layer includes at least one through second layer via having a diameter of less than 400 nm, and where at least one of the plurality of second transistors forms a two stable state memory cell including a back-bias region.
US09496261B2 Low power semiconductor transistor structure and method of fabrication thereof
A structure and method of fabrication thereof relate to a Deeply Depleted Channel (DDC) design, allowing CMOS based devices to have a reduced σVT compared to conventional bulk CMOS and can allow the threshold voltage VT of FETs having dopants in the channel region to be set much more precisely. The DDC design also can have a strong body effect compared to conventional bulk CMOS transistors, which can allow for significant dynamic control of power consumption in DDC transistors. The semiconductor structure includes an analog device and a digital device each having an epitaxial channel layer where a single gate oxidation layer is on the epitaxial channel layer of NMOS and PMOS transistor elements of the digital device and one of a double and triple gate oxidation layer is on the epitaxial channel layer of NMOS and PMOS transistor elements of the analog device.
US09496260B1 Tall strained high percentage silicon germanium fins for CMOS
A silicon germanium alloy (SiGe) fin having a first germanium content is provided within first and second device regions. Each SiGe fin is located on a sacrificial material stack and an oxide material surrounds each SiGe fin. A germanium layer is formed atop each SiGe fin within one of the device regions, while a SiGe layer having a second germanium content less than the first germanium content is formed atop each SiGe fin within the other device region. An exposed surface of each of the germanium layer and the SiGe layer is then bonded to a base substrate. The sacrificial material stack is removed and thereafter the oxide material is recessed to expose a portion of each SiGe fin in the first and second device regions. Each SiGe fin contacting the germanium layer compressively strained, and each SiGe fin contacting the SiGe layer is tensely strained.
US09496257B2 Removal of semiconductor growth defects
After semiconductor material portions and gate structures are formed on a substrate, a dielectric material layer is deposited on the semiconductor material portions and the gate structures. An anisotropic etch is performed on the dielectric material layer to form gate spacers, while a mask layer protects peripheral portions of the semiconductor material portions and the gate structures to avoid unwanted physical exposure of semiconductor surfaces. A selective epitaxy can be performed to form raised active regions on the semiconductor material portions. Formation of semiconductor growth defects during the selective epitaxy is prevented by the dielectric material layer. Alternately, a selective semiconductor deposition process can be performed after formation of dielectric gate spacers on gate structures overlying semiconductor material portions. Semiconductor growth defects can be removed by an etch while a mask layer protects raised active regions on the semiconductor material portions.
US09496256B2 Semiconductor device including a vertical gate-all-around transistor and a planar transistor
A semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a second transistor. Each of the first and second transistors includes a channel. The channel of the first transistor extends in a substantially vertical direction. The channel of the second transistor extends in a substantially horizontal direction. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09496253B2 Miniature passive structures, high frequency electrostatic discharge protection networks, and high frequency electrostatic discharge protection schemes
According to various embodiments, a miniature passive structure for electrostatic discharge protection and input/output matching for a high frequency integrated circuit may be provided. The structure may include: either a transmission line or an inductor for providing at least one electrostatic discharge path; and a capacitor with a first end connected to the transmission line or inductor and a second end connected to ground.
US09496249B2 3DIC package and methods of forming the same
A package includes a first molding material, a first device die molded in the molding material, a Through Via (TV) penetrating through the first molding material, and a redistribution line over the first molding material. The redistribution line is electrically connected to the TV. A second device die is over and bonded to the first device die through flip-chip bonding. A second molding material molds the second device die therein.
US09496248B2 Interposer for integrated circuit chip package
An interposer for an electronic circuit chip package may include a substrate, a recess, first conductive vias, and second conductive vias. The substrate may have a first surface, a second surface substantially parallel to and opposite the first surface, a third surface substantially parallel to the first surface and the second surface, and an orthogonal surface that is substantially orthogonal to and intersects the first surface and the third surface. The recess may be formed in the substrate and defined by the third surface and the orthogonal surface. The first conductive vias may pass from the second surface to the first surface. The second conductive vias may pass from the second surface to the third surface.
US09496247B2 Integrated camera module and method of making same
A camera module and method of making same, includes a substrate of conductive silicon having top and bottom surfaces, a sensor device, and an LED device. The substrate includes a first cavity formed into the bottom surface of the substrate and has an upper surface, an aperture extending from the first cavity upper surface to the top surface of the substrate, and a second cavity formed into the top surface of the substrate and having a lower surface. The sensor device includes at least one photodetector, is disposed at least partially in the first cavity, and is mounted to the first cavity upper surface. The LED device includes at least one light emitting diode, is disposed at least partially in the second cavity, and is mounted to the second cavity lower surface.
US09496244B2 Light emitting module and light irradiating apparatus
A light emitting module includes: a substrate; at least one light emitting element line including a plurality of light emitting elements that are arrayed on the substrate in a first direction; and at least one sealing lens sealing the at least one light emitting element line, and including a plurality of lens sections. The lens sections each include a spherical light emission surface having a convex shape, and are provided corresponding to the respective light emitting elements and continuous in the first direction. The lens sections each satisfy predetermined expressions (1) and (2).
US09496243B2 Microelectronic assembly with opposing microelectronic packages each having terminals with signal assignments that mirror each other with respect to a central axis
A microelectronic assembly can include a microelectronic package connected with a circuit panel. The package has a microelectronic element having a front face facing away from a substrate of the package, and electrically connected with the substrate through conductive structure extending above the front face. First terminals provided in first and second parallel grids or in first and second individual columns can be configured to carry address information usable to determine an addressable memory location from among all the available addressable memory locations of the memory storage array. The first terminals in the first grid can have signal assignments which are a mirror image of the signal assignments of the first terminals in the second grid.
US09496240B2 Systems and methods for optimizing looping parameters and looping trajectories in the formation of wire loops
A method of forming a wire loop in connection with a semiconductor package is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) providing package data related to the semiconductor package to a wire bonding machine; (2) providing at least one looping control value related to a desired wire loop to the wire bonding machine, the at least one looping control value including at least a loop height value related to the desired wire loop; (3) deriving looping parameters, using an algorithm, for forming the desired wire loop; (4) forming a first wire loop on the wire bonding machine using the looping parameters derived in step (3); (5) measuring actual looping control values of the first wire loop formed in step (4) corresponding to the at least one looping control value; and (6) comparing the actual looping control values measured in step (5) to the at least one looping control value provided in step (2).
US09496233B2 Interconnection structure and method of forming same
An embodiment bump on trace (BOT) structure includes a contact element supported by an integrated circuit, an under bump metallurgy (UBM) feature electrically coupled to the contact element, a metal ladder bump mounted on the under bump metallurgy feature, the metal ladder bump having a first tapering profile, and a substrate trace mounted on a substrate, the substrate trace having a second tapering profile and coupled to the metal ladder bump through direct metal-to-metal bonding. An embodiment chip-to-chip structure may be fabricated in a similar fashion.
US09496232B2 Semiconductor device and its manufacturing method
The present invention makes it possible to: reduce the manufacturing cost of a semiconductor device having a redistribution layer; and further improve the reliability of a semiconductor device having a redistribution layer.A feature point of First Embodiment is that an opening and a redistribution layer gutter are formed integrally in a polyimide resin film of a single layer as shown in FIG. 5. It is thereby possible to: form a redistribution layer in the polyimide resin film of a single layer; and hence inhibit a wiring material (silver) including the redistribution layer from migrating.
US09496225B1 Recessed metal liner contact with copper fill
A method of fabricating a contact above a source or drain region of an integrated circuit includes depositing a first liner conformally in a bottom and along a sidewall of a trench formed above the source or drain region, depositing a second liner conformally over the first liner, and stripping the first liner and the second liner from a portion of the sidewall from an opening of the trench to a height above the bottom of the trench. The method also includes depositing a third liner conformally over the second liner on the bottom and to the height above the bottom of the trench and on the portion of the sidewall, and depositing a metal fill to fill the trench.
US09496224B2 Semiconductor device having air gap structures and method of fabricating thereof
One method includes forming a conductive feature in a dielectric layer on a substrate. A first hard mask layer and an underlying second hard mask layer are formed on the substrate. The second hard mask layer has a higher etch selectivity to a plasma etch process than the first hard mask layer. The second hard mask layer may protect the dielectric layer during the formation of a masking element. The method continues to include performing plasma etch process to form a trench in the dielectric layer, which may also remove the first hard mask layer. A cap is then formed over the trench to form an air gap structure adjacent the conductive feature.
US09496222B2 Semiconductor device including insulating films with different moisture resistances and fabrication method thereof
A semiconductor device has a structure including a substrate, a first insulating film formed over a part of a principal plane of the substrate, a conductive portion formed over a surface of the first insulating film, and a second insulating film which covers the principal plane of the substrate, the first insulating film, and the conductive portion and whose moisture resistance is higher than moisture resistance of the first insulating film. The first insulating film is placed between the substrate and the conductive portion to prevent the generation of parasitic capacitance. The first insulating film is covered with the second insulating film whose moisture resistance is higher than the moisture resistance of the first insulating film. The second insulating film prevents the first insulating film from absorbing moisture.
US09496220B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a multilayer interconnect, a first spiral inductor formed in the multilayer interconnect, and a second spiral inductor formed in the multilayer interconnect. The first spiral inductor and the second spiral inductor collectively include a line, the line being spirally wound in a first direction in the first spiral inductor toward outside of the first spiral inductor, and being spirally wound in a second direction in the second spiral inductor toward inside of the second spiral inductor. The first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.
US09496218B2 Integrated circuit device having through-silicon-via structure
An integrated circuit device including a through-silicon-via (TSV) structure and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The integrated circuit device may include the TSV structure penetrating through a semiconductor structure. The TSV structure may include a first through electrode unit including impurities of a first concentration and a second through electrode unit including impurities of a second concentration greater than the first concentration.
US09496217B2 Method and apparatus of forming a via
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device that includes, a substrate; a first conductive line located over the substrate and extending along a first axis, the first conductive line having a first length and a first width, the first length being measured along the first axis; a second conductive line located over the first conductive line and extending along a second axis different from the first axis, the second conductive line having a second length and a second width, the second length being measured along the second axis; and a via coupling the first and second conductive lines, the via having an upper surface that contacts the second conductive line and a lower surface that contacts the first conductive line. The via has an approximately straight edge at the upper surface, the straight edge extending along the second axis and being substantially aligned with the second conductive line.
US09496216B2 Semiconductor package including stacked semiconductor chips and a redistribution layer
Semiconductor packages including stacked semiconductor chips are provided. The semiconductor packages may include first semiconductor chips and a second semiconductor chip that are stacked sequentially on a board. The semiconductor packages may also include a wiring layer on the memory chips and the wiring layer may include redistribution patterns and redistribution pads. Each of the memory chips may include a data pad. The data pads of the first semiconductor chips may be electrically connected to the board via the second semiconductor chip, some of redistribution patterns, and some of redistribution pads.
US09496213B2 Integrated device package comprising a magnetic core inductor with protective ring embedded in a package substrate
An integrated device package includes a die and a package substrate. The package substrate includes at least one dielectric layer (e.g., core layer, prepeg layer), a magnetic core in the dielectric layer, a first plurality of interconnects configured to operate as a first protective ring, and a second plurality of interconnects configured to operate as a first inductor. The second plurality of interconnects is positioned in the package substrate to at least partially surround the magnetic core. At least one interconnect from the second plurality of interconnects is also part of the first plurality of interconnects. In some implementations, the first protective ring is a non-contiguous protective ring. In some implementations, the first inductor is a solenoid inductor. In some implementations, the magnetic core includes a carrier, a first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer.
US09496209B2 High density organic bridge device and method
Embodiments that allow multi-chip interconnect using organic bridges are described. In some embodiments an organic package substrate has an embedded organic bridge. The organic bridge can have interconnect structures that allow attachment of die to be interconnected by the organic bridge. In some embodiments, the organic bridge comprises a metal routing layer, a metal pad layer and interleaved organic polymer dielectric layers but without a substrate layer. Embodiments having only a few layers may be embedded into the top layer or top few layers of the organic package substrate. Methods of manufacture are also described.
US09496208B1 Semiconductor device having compliant and crack-arresting interconnect structure
A power converter (300) has a first transistor chip (310) conductively stacked on top of a second transistor chip (320) attached to a substrate (301). A first metallic clip (360) has a plate portion (360a) and a ridge portion (360c) bent at an angle from the plate portion. The plate portion is attached to the terminal of the first transistor chip opposite the second transistor chip. The ridge portion extends to the substrate is and is configured as a plurality of parallel straight fingers (360d). Each finger is discretely attached to the substrate using attachment material (361), for instance solder, and operable as a spring-line cantilever to accommodate, under a force lying in the plane of the substrate, elastic elongation based upon inherent material characteristics.
US09496205B2 Power semiconductor package
A semiconductor package that includes a substrate having a metallic back plate, an insulation body and a plurality of conductive pads on the insulation body, and a semiconductor die coupled to said conductive pads, the conductive pads including regions readied for direct connection to pads external to the package using a conductive adhesive.
US09496199B2 Heat spreader with flexible tolerance mechanism
A semiconductor device packaging system includes a substrate, a heat spreader, a stiffener attached to the substrate, and at least one die electrically coupled to the substrate and thermally coupled to the heat spreader. The semiconductor device packaging system further includes at least one stud coupled to one of the stiffener and the heat spreader and at least one orifice formed through one of the stiffener and the heat spreader. In addition, the at least one orifice is aligned with the at least one stud.
US09496198B2 Integration of backside heat spreader for thermal management
A microelectronic device includes semiconductor device with a component at a front surface of the semiconductor device and a backside heat spreader layer on a back surface of the semiconductor device. The backside heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.
US09496193B1 Semiconductor chip with structured sidewalls
A semiconductor chip includes a body having a frontside, a backside opposite the frontside, and sidewalls extending between the backside and frontside, at least a portion of each sidewall having a defined surface structure with hydrophobic characteristics to inhibit travel of a bonding material along the sidewalls during attachment of the semiconductor chip to a carrier with the bonding material.
US09496192B2 Test pattern of semiconductor device
A test pattern of a semiconductor device is provided, which includes first and second fins formed to project from a substrate and arranged to be spaced apart from each other, first and second gate structures formed to cross the first and second fins, respectively, a first source region and a first drain region arranged on the first fin on one side and the other side of the first gate structure, a second source region and a second drain region arranged on the second fin on one side and the other side of the second gate structure, a first conductive pattern connected to the first and second drain regions to apply a first voltage to the first and second drain regions and a second conductive pattern connecting the first source region and the second gate structure to each other.
US09496190B2 Feedback of layer thickness timing and clearance timing for polishing control
During polishing of a first substrate at a first polishing station, a sequence of measurements by a first in-situ monitoring system is monitored to determining a first time at which the first sequence exhibits a first predefined feature indicating a predetermined thickness of an overlying layer, and during polishing of the first substrate at a second polishing station, a sequence of measurements by a second in-situ monitoring system is monitored to determine a second time indicating clearance of the overlying layer and exposure of the underlying layer. The first time is used to calculate a first adjusted polishing pressure for a second substrate at the first polishing station, and the second time is used to calculate a second adjusted polishing pressure for the second substrate at the second polishing station.
US09496188B2 Soldering three dimensional integrated circuits
A method for soldering three-dimensional integrated circuits is provided. A three-dimensional integrated circuit is heated to a base temperature, wherein the base temperature is lower than the melting point of a solder, and wherein the three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a plurality of solder bumps. A first on-chip heat source reflows a first portion of the plurality of solder bumps that is within a first local-hot-zone. A second on-chip heat source reflows a second portion of the plurality of solder bumps that is within a second local-hot-zone.
US09496187B2 Setup for multiple cross-section sample preparation
A multiple-sample-holder polishing setup for cross-section sample preparation and a method of making a device using the same are presented. The multiple-sample-holder polishing setup includes a frame. The frame has a hollow center, one or more long and short rods and a recess for accommodating a polishing head. The setup includes one or more sample holders. The sample holder is to be attached to the one or more long and short rods of the frame. A paddle is affixed to each sample holder. A sample is attached to the paddle. The sample is coated with a thin epoxy layer prior to polishing thereby allowing for easy inspection for site of interests as well as quick material removal.
US09496186B1 Uniform height tall fins with varying silicon germanium concentrations
A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a first fin in a first semiconducting material layer disposed over a substrate, the first semiconducting material layer comprising an element in a first concentration; and forming a second fin in a second semiconducting material layer disposed over the substrate and adjacent to the first semiconducting material layer, the second semiconducting material layer comprising the element in a second concentration; wherein the first concentration is different than the second concentration.
US09496185B2 Dual channel finFET with relaxed pFET region
Fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a strained semiconductor material (SSM) layer disposed on a dielectric layer, forming a first plurality of fins on the SSOI structure, at least one fin of the first plurality of fins is in a nFET region and at least one fin is in a pFET region, etching portions of the dielectric layer under portions of the SSM layer of the at least one fin in the pFET region, filling areas cleared by the etching, forming a second plurality of fins from the at least one fin in the nFET region such that each fin comprises a portion of the SSM layer disposed on the dielectric layer, and forming a third plurality of fins from the at least one fin in the pFET region such that each fin comprises a portion of the SSM layer disposed on a flowable oxide.
US09496183B1 Selective thickening of pFET dielectric
A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device and a method of fabricating a CMOS device are described. The method includes forming an interfacial layer in a trench on a substrate in both a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) area of the CMOS device and an n-channel FET (nFET) area of the CMOS device, depositing a high-k dielectric on the interfacial layer in both the pFET area and the nFET area, selectively forming a first metal layer on the high-k dielectric in only the pFET area, and depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer in the pFET area and on the high-k dielectric in the nFET area. The method also includes performing an anneal that increases a thickness of the interfacial layer in only the pFET area.
US09496179B2 Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an active pattern and a gate electrode crossing the active pattern on a substrate, forming a first contact connected to the active pattern at a side of the gate electrode, forming a second contact connected to the gate electrode, and forming a third contact connected to the first contact at the side of the gate electrode. The third contact is formed using a photomask different from that used to form the first contact. A bottom surface of the third contact is disposed at a level in the device lower than the level of a top surface of the first contact.
US09496178B2 Semiconductor device having fins of different heights and method for manufacturing the same
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device comprises: a semiconductor layer; a first fin being formed by patterning the semiconductor layer; and a second fin being formed by patterning the semiconductor layer, wherein: top sides of the first and second fins have the same height; bottom sides of the first and second fins adjoin the semiconductor layer; and the second fin is higher than the first fin. According to the present disclosure, a plurality of semiconductor devices with different dimensions can be integrated on the same wafer. As a result, manufacturing process can be shortened and manufacturing cost can be reduced. Furthermore, devices with different driving capabilities can be provided.
US09496170B2 Interconnect having air gaps and polymer wrapped conductive lines
A method includes depositing a first polymer layer over a first dielectric layer, forming a first opening and a second opening using an etching process, wherein the first opening and the second opening are partially through the first polymer layer, filling the first opening and the second opening with a conductive material to form a first metal line and a second metal line, applying a selective thermal curing process to the first polymer layer until portions of the first polymer layer surrounding the first metal line and the second metal line are cured, removing uncured portions of the first polymer layer through a cleaning process and depositing a second dielectric layer to form an air gap between the first metal line and the second metal line.
US09496162B2 Method for supplying inert gas to STB in semiconductor wafer production system and semiconductor wafer production system using the same
A method for supplying inert gas to a side track buffer (STB) in a semiconductor wafer production system includes a step of sensing that a front opening unified POD (FOUP) is loading on the STB and generating a first input signal, and a step of opening a valve for inert gas and supplying nitrogen gas to the FOUP based on the first input signal, and to a semiconductor wafer production system using the method.
US09496161B2 Methods and devices for securing and transporting singulated die in high volume manufacturing
A method includes identifying a wafer position for a plurality of die on a wafer, storing the wafer position for each of the plurality of die in a database, dicing the wafer into a plurality of singulated die, positioning each of the singulated die in a die position location on a tray, and storing the die position on the tray for each of the singulated die in the database. The database includes information including the wafer position associated with each die position. The tray is transported to a processing tool, and at least one of the plurality of singulated die is removed from the die position on the tray and processed in the processing tool. The processed singulated die is replaced in the same defined location on the tray that the singulated die was positioned in prior to the processing. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09496156B2 Semiconductor crystal body processing method and semiconductor crystal body processing device
A semiconductor crystal body processing method includes providing a semiconductor crystal body, sandwiching the semiconductor crystal body between a pair of conductive pressurizing tools, applying a pulse-like current between the pair of pressurizing tools to heat the semiconductor crystal body to a target temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the semiconductor crystal body is plastically deformed by pressurization and lower than its melting point, and applying pressure and a pulse-like current between the pair of pressurizing tools to thereby maintain the temperature of the semiconductor crystal body at the target temperature and mold the semiconductor crystal body into a target shape by plastic deformation.
US09496153B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
Even when a stiffener is omitted, the semiconductor device which can prevent the generation of twist and distortion of a wiring substrate is obtained.As for a semiconductor device which has a wiring substrate, a semiconductor chip by which the flip chip bond was made to the wiring substrate, and a heat spreader adhered to the back surface of the semiconductor chip, and which omitted the stiffener for reinforcing a wiring substrate and maintaining the surface smoothness of a heat spreader, a wiring substrate has a plurality of insulating substrates in which a through hole whose diameter differs, respectively was formed, and each insulating substrate contains a glass cloth.
US09496145B2 Electrochemical plating methods
An electrochemical process for applying a conductive film onto a substrate having a seed layer includes placing the substrate into contact with an electrochemical plating bath containing cobalt or nickel, with the plating bath having pH of 4.0 to 9.0. Electric current is conducted through the bath to the substrate. The cobalt or nickel ions in the bath deposit onto the seed layer. The plating bath may contain cobalt chloride and glycine. The electric current may range from 1-50 milli-ampere per square cm. After completion of the electrochemical process, the substrate may be removed from the plating bath, rinsed and dried, and then annealed at a temperature of 200 to 400 C to improve the material properties and reduce seam line defects. The plating and anneal process may be performed through multiple cycles.
US09496140B2 Silicon wafer based structure for heterostructure solar cells
A multi-junction photovoltaic device includes a silicon substrate and a dielectric layer formed on the silicon substrate. A germanium layer is formed on the dielectric layer. The germanium includes a crystalline structure that is substantially similar to the crystalline structure of the silicon substrate. A first photovoltaic sub-cell includes a first plurality of doped semiconductor layers formed on the germanium layer. At least a second photovoltaic sub-cell includes a second plurality of doped semiconductor layers formed on the first photovoltaic sub-cell that is on the germanium layer that is on the dielectric layer.
US09496137B2 Methods of forming reverse side engineered III-nitride devices
Group III-nitride devices are described that include a stack of III-nitride layers, passivation layers, and conductive contacts. The stack includes a channel layer with a 2DEG channel, a barrier layer and a spacer layer. One passivation layer directly contacts a surface of the spacer layer on a side opposite to the channel layer and is an electrical insulator. The stack of III-nitride layers and the first passivation layer form a structure with a reverse side proximate to the first passivation layer and an obverse side proximate to the barrier layer. Another passivation layer is on the obverse side of the structure. Defected nucleation and stress management layers that form a buffer layer during the formation process can be partially or entirely removed.
US09496136B2 Group IV nanoparticle fluid
A silicon nanoparticle fluid including a) a set of silicon nanoparticles present in an amount of between about 1 wt % and about 20 wt % of the silicon nanoparticie fluid; b) a set of HMW binder molecules present in an amount of between about 0 wt % and about 10 wt % of the silicon nanoparticle fluid; and c) a set of capping agent molecules, such that at least some capping agent molecules are attached to the set of silicon nanoparticles. Preferably, the silicon nanoparticle fluid is a shear thinning fluid.
US09496135B2 Epitaxial silicon wafer and method for fabricating the same
An epitaxial silicon wafer includes a bulk wafer having a first doping concentration, a first epitaxial layer formed over the bulk wafer, the first epitaxial layer having a second doping concentration which is higher than the first doping concentration, and a second epitaxial layer formed over the first epitaxial layer, the second epitaxial layer having a third doping concentration which is lower than the second doping concentration.
US09496131B2 Liquid chemical for forming protecting film
Disclosed is a liquid chemical for forming a water-repellent protecting film. The liquid chemical contains an agent for forming a water-repellent protecting film, and a solvent. The agent is for provided to form a water-repellent protecting film on a wafer after a cleaning step for the wafer and before a drying step for the wafer, the wafer having at its surface an uneven pattern and containing at least one kind element of titanium, tungsten, aluminum, copper, tin, tantalum and ruthenium at surfaces of recessed portions of the uneven pattern, the water-repellent protecting film being formed at least on the surfaces of the recessed portions. The liquid chemical is characterized in that the agent for forming a water-repellent protecting film is a compound represented by the following general formula [1].
US09496129B2 Method for manufacturing a circular wafer by polishing the periphery, including a notch or orientation flat, of a wafer comprising crystal material, by use of polishing tape
Provided is a method for producing a circular wafer using a grinding tape to grind the edge of a wafer comprising a crystalline material. A primary grinding step is provided for contacting a grinding body to the peripheral portion of a wafer placed centered on a horizontal stage and rotating the stage, thus grinding the peripheral portion. The radius of the wafer is measured, and a radius is set that is no greater than the measured smallest radius, and the difference Δr between the set radius and the measured wafer radius along the peripheral portion is determined. The portions of the peripheral portion at which Δr is greater than a predetermined value are determined and a secondary grinding step is provided for contacting the peripheral portion and the grinding body, rotating the stage forwards and backwards in a predetermined range of rotational angles, and grinding the peripheral portion.
US09496125B2 Interfacing with a digital microfluidic device
Described are techniques for use in connection with analyzing a droplet. One or more droplets of a sample are formed on a surface of a digital microfluidic device. The droplets are manipulated to perform processing using said one or more droplets generating one or more resulting droplets. The one or more resulting droplets may be transferred from the microfluidic device to another device for analysis. The one or more droplets may also be provided to the digital microfluidic device from yet another device or analysis instrument.
US09496124B2 Laser ablation cell
A laser ablation cell (1) comprises a flow channel (11) having an essentially constant cross-sectional area so as to ensure a strictly laminar flow in the flow channel. A sample chamber (21) is provided adjacent to a lateral opening (14) of the flow channel. A laser beam (41) enters the sample chamber (21) through a lateral window (16) and impinges on a surface (24) of a sample (23) to ablate material from the sample. The sample may be positioned in such a distance from the flow channel that the laser-generated aerosol mass distribution has its center within the flow channel. This leads to short aerosol washout times. The laser ablation cell is particularly well suited for aerosol generation in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), including imaging applications.
US09496121B2 Antenna units, substrate treating apparatuses including the same, and substrate treating methods using the apparatuses
Provided is a substrate treating apparatus, which includes a process chamber having an inner space, a substrate support part disposed within the process chamber, and supporting a substrate, a gas supply part supplying a process gas into the process chamber, an antenna configured to supply high frequency power into the process chamber to excite the process gas within the process chamber, and a driving part varying a size of the antenna.
US09496118B2 Analytical cell
An analytical cell includes first and second holders. The first and second holders each contain a substrate having a through-hole and a transmission membrane with an electron beam permeability so as to cover the through-hole. The first and second holders are stacked to form an overlapping portion such that the transmission membranes face each other. The through-holes face each other across the transmission membranes to form an observation window. Negative and positive electrode active materials are separated from each other and contact the electrolytic solution in the observation window. The negative and positive electrode active materials are electrically connected to negative and positive electrode collectors, respectively, in the overlapping portion. At least one of the negative and positive electrode collectors has an electrically insulating isolation membrane for avoiding contact with the electrolytic solution.
US09496112B2 Electric device
An electric device is disclosed. In an embodiment, the device includes an electric element having an element terminal and a conductive spring being deflected, the spring being electrically coupled to the element terminal by a fusible joint. The device further includes a switch including a first monitor terminal and a second monitor terminal, the switch having a state that is changeable between a first connection state, where the first monitor terminal and the second monitor terminal are electrically coupled, and a second connection state, where the first monitor terminal and the second monitor terminal are electrically decoupled, and wherein the electrical device is configured such that when the joint fuses, the spring relaxes, thereby decoupling the spring and the element terminal and changing the state of the switch.
US09496110B2 Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) structure and design structures
Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and usage, and design structures are disclosed herein. The method includes applying a first voltage polarity to an actuator of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structure to place the MEMS structure in a predetermined state for a first operating condition. The method further includes applying a second voltage polarity which is opposite from the first voltage polarity to the actuator of the MEMS structure during a subsequent operating condition.
US09496108B2 Electronic component, connection structure of electronic component and terminal fitting, and electrical junction box having electronic component
Provided is an electronic component that can reduce housing space in the fitting direction of terminals and terminal fittings. A relay has a relay main body of which the outer shape is a rectangular solid, and a plurality of plate-shaped terminals that protrudes from the relay main body and that is fitted in the terminal fittings. The relay main body has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, opposite lateral surfaces, and opposite lateral surfaces. The terminals of the relay are four terminals, with two protruding from the lateral surface and two protruding from the opposite lateral surface. Specifically, the terminals protrude from the lateral surfaces parallel to the fitting direction of the terminal fittings and the terminals in the relay main body. These terminals protrude from the lateral surfaces and bend perpendicularly toward the bottom surface.
US09496105B2 System for dynamically adjustable detent
Dynamically adjustable rotary actuator devices are described. As a knob is rotated on an electronic system such as a radio and a limit is approached and ultimately reached (such as a volume limit), the described systems and methods create a progressive haptic force on the knob to indicate to the operator that the limit is being approached and/or has been reached. For example, when a maximum volume limit has been reached in a radio application, the haptic force can prevent the knob from rotating any further.
US09496104B1 Luminous keyboard
A luminous keyboard includes a keypad module, plural light-emitting elements, an illumination circuit board and a light guide plate. The illumination circuit board has a light amount control structure. The light amount control structure is disposed on a circuit board main body or a protective layer of the illumination circuit board, and arranged between the light guide plate and the illumination circuit board. When the plural light-emitting elements emit light beams to the illumination circuit board, the light beams are projected on the light amount control structure, and the reflected fraction of the light beams is reduced. Since the light beams are not very centralized, the problem of generating bright spots will be diminished.
US09496103B2 Nested key assembly
The invention relates to a nested key assembly (101) that can for example be used in a remote-control, a mobile phone or the like. In general, the key assembly comprises at least one inner-key (130; 140) surrounded by an outer-key (120; 130), wherein the inner-key (130; 140) comprises at least one flexible arm (132; 142) that extends below the outer-key (120; 130) and that directly or indirectly touches a carrier structure (110, 150). In a preferred embodiment, the key assembly comprises an “OK-key”(140) surrounded by a “cursor-key”(130), which in turn is surrounded by a “diamond-key”(120). The OK-key (140) comprises flexible arms (142) that extend below the cursor-key, while the cursor-key (130) comprises flexible arms (132) that extend below the diamond-key (120).
US09496099B2 Apparatus for microscopic detection of hardness
An adjustable stage mount includes a housing having a base defining a hole and an adjustable stage including a ball joint extension that rotatably engages the hole and is rotatably securable about the x-, y-, and z-axes. An adjustable indenter mount includes a housing defining a hole and an adjustable indenter including a ball joint extension that rotatably engages the hole and is rotatably securable about the x-, y-, and z-axes. A collision protection switch includes a first plate having three pairs of electrically conductive spaced apart pins wired to a voltage source in an open circuit, and a second plate having three electrically conductive balls. A spring pulls the first and second plates together causing the three balls to complete the circuit. A sufficient force against the second plate causes a ball to disengage and open the circuit. A two-objective microscope includes two parallel objectives, upper and lower light sources, three half-mirrors, and a camera. The camera and the half-mirrors are configured such that the camera views through either objective depending on which light source is on.
US09496096B2 Capacitor
The present application provides a capacitor in which the operability of the pressure valve, and valve deformation during operation, can be stabilized. A capacitor (1) comprising: a capacitor element (6) obtained by overlapping and winding a positive electrode foil (8) and a negative electrode foil (7) with an electrolytic paper (9) interposed therebetween, and impregnating the foils with an electrolytic solution; a bottomed cylindrical outer case (4) for housing the capacitor element (6); and a sealing body (2) for sealing the opening of the outer case (4). The inner bottom part of the outer case (4) has formed thereon a recess (21) having: a first inclined surface (22) spreading in a radial manner from the center region of the inner bottom part, the center region being the deepest part; and a second inclined surface (23) which is continuous from the outer edge of the first inclined surface (22) and which is steeper than the first inclined surface (22). A weakened section is formed in the recess, and a groove is formed on the outside of the inner bottom part of the outer case.
US09496095B2 Compound and carrier system having the compound
A novel compound represented by general formula (1), a carrier system including a carrier having the novel compound fixed thereon, and a photoelectric conversion device having the carrier system. In formula (1), Z is a C1-C50 conjugated group; R1 is a C6-C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group, a C7-C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group substituted by an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, or a C1-C20 aliphatic hydrocarbon group, each substituted by carboxyl, cyano, amino, amide, or nitro, the aliphatic hydrocarbon group being optionally interrupted by —O—, etc.; R2 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted C1-C20 hydrocarbon group; R30, R31, R32, R33, R40, R41, R42, R43, and R44 are each hydrogen or optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, and adjacent two of them may be connected to form a ring; R5 is hydrogen or cyano; and R11 is represented by formula (11-1) or (11-2), wherein n, ring A, and the like are as defined in the description.
US09496092B2 Flame-retardant electrolytic capacitor
Provided is a flame-retardant electrolytic capacitor which is capable of maintaining flame-retardant effect even after a prolonged period of time. This is an electrolytic capacitor comprising an anode foil that is provided with an oxide film on the surface, a cathode foil, a separator, and an electrolytic solution that contains a solute in a solvent, wherein a phosphoric acid ester amide represented by the following general formula (1) is contained in the electrolytic solution: in which n is 1 or 2, and R1 and R2 each independently represent a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and Rf represents a linear or branched fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms).
US09496089B2 Power connecting apparatus for vehicle
A power connecting apparatus for a vehicle is provided to prevent noise generated from one electric device from interfering with other electrical devices. The apparatus includes a power plate that includes a common power portion configured to receive power from a battery, a plurality of individual power portions radially disposed around the common power portion and separated from each other, and a power connecting portion that connects the common power portion and the individual power portions. A ground plate includes a common ground portion grounded to a vehicle body, a plurality of individual ground portions radially disposed around the common ground portion and separated from each other, and a ground connecting portion that connects the common ground portion and the individual ground portions. In addition, a dielectric material plate is disposed between the power plate and the ground plate.
US09496088B2 Electronic component and method of manufacturing electronic component
An electronic component comprises an element body and an outer electrode. The element body has a pair of end faces opposing each other, a pair of main faces opposing each other while extending so as to connect the pair of end faces to each other, and a pair of side faces opposing each other while extending so as to connect the pair of main faces to each other. The outer electrode is formed on the end face side of the element body and covers a portion of the main and side faces adjacent to the end face. At least a surface of an electrode portion of the outer electrode located on the side face side thereof is covered with an insulating layer.
US09496087B2 Multilayer ceramic capacitor
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor in which an increase in conductor resistance at an end of an internal electrode layer is suppressed, and in which a gap between the internal electrode layer and a dielectric layer is reduced. A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a stacked body including dielectric layers and internal electrode layers alternately laminated; and an external electrode disposed on an end surface of the stacked body and connected to the internal electrode layers, the internal electrode layers each including a connection electrode portion connected to the external electrode, and an internal electrode portion which is connected to the connection electrode portion and extends toward an inner side of the stacked body, a ratio of a material having a melting point higher than that of a conductive material being higher in the connection electrode portion than in the internal electrode portion.
US09496085B2 Method of manufacturing an inductor coil
A plurality of cores are arranged in a loop between an inner wall and an outer wall. A gap filler is arranged circumferentially between each of the plurality of cores. A high thermal conductivity potting material is arranged around both the inner and outer edges of the core segments. A winding wraps around each of the plurality of core segments. The windings may be embedded within the high thermal conductivity potting material.
US09496079B2 Electronically-controlled solenoid
A solenoid assembly includes a switching regulator and a solenoid electrically connected to an output signal connection of the switching regulator, the solenoid electrically actuable between an extended position and a pull-in position. The assembly includes an output level switch electrically connected to an input switching connection and the output signal connection of the switching regulator, and a timer connected to an output of the switching regulator and an input of the output level switch. The timer generates a signal at the output of the output level switch, thereby causing the output level switch to generate a hold signal at the input switching connection of the switching regulator after sensing a signal at the output signal connection. Upon receiving the hold signal at the input switching connection, the switching regulator causes an output signal on the output voltage connection to switch from a switching level to a hold level.
US09496077B2 Chip resistor, method of producing chip resisitor and chip resistor packaging structure
[Object]A method for efficiently manufacturing chip resistors is provided.[Means]The method includes the steps of preparing at least three conductive elongated boards 711 made of an electrically conductive material and a resistive member 702 made of a resistive material, arranging the at least three conductive elongated boards 711 apart from each other along a width direction crossing a longitudinal direction in which one of the at least three conductive elongated boards 711 is elongated, forming a resistor aggregate 703 by bonding the resistive member 702 to the at least three conductive elongated boards 711, and collectively dividing the resistor aggregate 703 into a plurality of chip resistors by punching so that each of the chip resistors includes two electrodes and a resistor portion bonded to the two electrodes.
US09496074B2 Laser etching method for transparent conductive plate and transparent conductive plate prepared thereby
A laser etching method for a transparent conductive plate includes the steps as follows: providing a transparent conductive plate having a transparent conductive layer; continuingly emitting a plurality of laser beams to the transparent conductive layer, and controlling the center points of the laser beams to move in a front path and a rear path partially overlapping a beginning portion of the front path for forming an end connection groove connecting the beginning and the end thereof, or controlling the center points of the laser beams to move in a transverse path and a longitudinal path without overlapping the transverse path for forming a T-shaped groove, or controlling the center points of the laser beams to sequentially move in a first path, a curve path, and a second path substantially perpendicular to the first path for forming a curve groove.
US09496071B2 Shield wire
In a shield wire, a sheet shaped metal foil shield member is provided so as to envelop an inner wire part having a plurality of conductors and insulators. In the shield wire, the inner wire part is enveloped by the metal foil shield member so that the inner wire part is held and an end part of the metal foil shield member is avoided from collapsing or the end is avoided from bounding.
US09496063B2 Liquid crystal display and method of fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display and a method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD), the LCD including a substrate; gate wiring including a gate pad, a gate electrode, and a gate line, which are formed on the substrate; a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate wiring; an electrode pattern including a connecting electrode, which is disposed on the gate insulating layer and is electrically connected to the gate pad, a source electrode and a drain electrode, which partially overlap the gate electrode; a pixel electrode, which is electrically connected to the drain electrode; a data line, which intersects the gate line; a semiconductor layer disposed on the gate electrode; first auxiliary wiring overlapping the data line and spaced from the semiconductor layer; and second auxiliary wiring overlapping the gate line.
US09496058B2 Devices and methods for managing noncondensable gasses in nuclear power plants
Systems passively eliminate noncondensable gasses from facilities susceptible to damage from combustion of built-up noncondensable gasses, such as H2 and O2 in nuclear power plants, without the need for external power and/or moving parts. Systems include catalyst plates installed in a lower header of the Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) condenser, a catalyst packing member, and/or a catalyst coating on an interior surface of a condensation tube of the PCCS condenser or an annular outlet of the PCCS condenser. Structures may have surfaces or hydrophobic elements that inhibit water formation and promote contact with the noncondensable gas. Noncondensable gasses in a nuclear power plant are eliminated by installing and using the systems individually or in combination. An operating pressure of the PCCS condenser may be increased to facilitate recombination of noncondensable gasses therein.
US09496057B2 Fail-safe control rod drive system for nuclear reactor
A control rod drive system (CRDS) for use in a nuclear reactor. In one embodiment, the system generally includes a drive rod mechanically coupled to a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) operable to linearly raise and lower the drive rod along a vertical axis, a rod cluster control assembly (RCCA) comprising a plurality of control rods insertable into a nuclear fuel core, and a drive rod extension (DRE) releasably coupled at opposing ends to the drive rod and RCCA. The CRDM includes an electromagnet which operates to couple the CRDM to DRE. In the event of a power loss or SCRAM, the CRDM may be configured to remotely uncouple the RCCA from the DRE without releasing or dropping the drive rod which remains engaged with the CRDM and in position.
US09496055B2 Semiconductor memory device including flag cells
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a row direction and a column direction, a plurality of word lines each connected to memory cells in a row among the memory cells, and a majority of bit lines each connected to memory cells in a column among the memory cells. One or more memory cells are distributed as flag cells among memory cells connected to each word line, and flag cells connected to a first word line and flag cells connected to a second word line that is disposed adjacent to the first word line among the word lines are connected to first and second bit lines, respectively.
US09496054B1 Driving test circuit and semiconductor device including the same
Disclosed is a driving test circuit including a driving circuit that drives a sub-word line based on a first voltage and a driving signal, and a test element circuit that adds a resistance component between the driving circuit and the first voltage based on a test mode signal.
US09496052B2 System and method for handling memory repair data
In a system on chip (SOC) device, continuity of a memory repair signature chain, which is accessible by all enabled memory systems, is provided, even when certain memory systems are gated (off) for certain SOC configurations. A mechanism for converting between compressed and uncompressed memory repair data within the repair chain is provided so that memory systems that support either uncompressed memory repair data (such as ternary content addressable memories) or compressed memory repair data can be incorporated in the SOC.
US09496050B2 Methods and apparatuses for stacked device testing
Various embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods having multiple dies arranged in a stack in which the dies or a logic chip in communication with the dies stores a flag for indicating whether a threshold number of cells of the dies have failed during test operations.
US09496043B1 Dynamically optimizing flash data retention or endurance based on data write frequency
In a data storage system including a non-volatile memory array, a controller determines a write frequency of a logical address mapped to a physical subset of the non-volatile memory array. Based on the determined write frequency of the logical address, the controller dynamically adjusts at least one operating parameter of a program/erase (P/E) cycle to optimize at least one of endurance of the block and data retention time of the physical subset of the non-volatile memory array. The at least one operating parameter includes one or more of a set including a pulse budget, a verify voltage and a verify threshold.
US09496040B2 Adaptive multi-page programming methods and apparatus for non-volatile memory
A method is provided for programming a memory cell connected to a selected word line in a memory device. The method includes performing one programming pass of a multi-pass programming operation for the memory cell, wherein a first set of program pulses is applied to the selected word line during the one programming pass, determining a number of the program pulses applied to the selected word line during the one programming pass, determining a difference between the determined number of program pulses applied to the selected word line during the one programming pass and a predetermined number of program pulses, adjusting a parameter of a second set of program pulses for the another programming pass based on the determined difference, and performing the another programming pass for the set of memory cells, wherein the second set of program pulses is applied to the selected word line during the another programming pass.
US09496038B1 Three-dimensional flash memory device including dummy word line
A three-dimensional flash memory device includes a plurality of cell strings arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The three-dimensional flash memory includes a first dummy word line disposed between a ground selection line and a main word line, and a second dummy word line disposed between the main word line and a string selection line and being asymmetric with respect to the first dummy word line. Voltages of different levels are respectively applied to the first and second dummy word lines during a read operation.
US09496031B2 Method and apparatus for faster determination of a cell state of a resistive memory cell using a parallel resistor
A device for determining an actual cell state of a resistive memory cell having a plurality M of programmable cell states comprising a sensing circuit, a settling circuit, a prebiasing circuit, and a resistor coupled in parallel to the resistive memory cell, wherein the resistor is configured to reduce an effective resistance seen by the prebiasing circuit. The sensing circuit is configured to sense a sensing voltage of the resistive memory cell and output a resultant value in response to the sensing voltage which is indicative for the actual cell state. The settling circuit is configured to settle the sensing voltage to a certain target voltage representing one of the M programmable cell states. The prebiasing circuit is configured to prebiase a bitline capacitance of the resistive memory cell such the sensing voltage is close to the certain target voltage.
US09496030B2 Resistive memory device implementing selective memory cell refresh
A resistive memory device implements a selective refresh operation in which only memory cells with reduced sense margin are refreshed. In some embodiments, the selective refresh operation introduces a sense margin guardband so that a memory cell having programmed resistance that falls within the sense margin guardband will be refreshed during the read operation. The selective refresh operation is performed transparently at each read cycle of the memory cells and only memory cells with reduced sense margins are refreshed.
US09496027B2 Static random access memory device including write assist circuit and writing method thereof
A static random access memory device may include a write driver configured to float one of a first bitline and a second bitline connected to a memory cell and apply a write voltage to the other bitline in response to a logic state of a data signal; a write failure detector configured to receive a voltage of the floated bitline and output a write failure signal; and an assist voltage generator configured to generate a write assist voltage in response to the write failure signal. The write driver may additionally provide the write assist voltage to a bitline to which the write voltage is applied.
US09496025B2 Tunable negative bitline write assist and boost attenuation circuit
An apparatus and method are provided for implementing write assist with boost attenuation for static random access memory (SRAM) arrays. The apparatus includes a memory array comprising a plurality of SRAM cells. The apparatus further includes a write driver connected to each of a differential pair of bit lines in each of the plurality of SRAM cells of the memory array. The apparatus further includes a write assist attenuation circuit connected to the write driver, the write assist attenuation circuit comprising a clamping device configured to modify a control signal as a function of supply voltage and process to attenuate an amount of boost applied to pull one of the bit lines below ground in an active phase of a write cycle.
US09496024B1 Automatic latch-up prevention in SRAM
A system on a chip (SOC) includes a processor and a memory system coupled to the processor. The memory system includes a static random access memory (SRAM) bank and a memory controller. The SRAM bank includes a first switch coupled to a SRAM array power supply and a source of a transistor of an SRAM storage cell in an SRAM array. The SRAM bank also includes a second switch coupled to a NWELL power supply and a bulk of the transistor of the SRAM storage cell. The second switch is configured to close prior to the first switch closing during power up of the SRAM array.
US09496022B2 Semiconductor device including power management unit for refresh operation
To provide a novel semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a circuit including a memory cell including a transistor using an oxide semiconductor; and a refresh timing determination unit including a capacitor, a transistor using an oxide semiconductor, and a comparator circuit. The potential of a floating node in the refresh timing determination unit is directly or indirectly input to the comparator circuit and compared with a reference potential. When the potential of the floating node becomes a certain value, a power switch operating in accordance with an output of the comparator circuit is turned on, power is supplied to the circuit including the memory cell, and then the reference potential is also changed. After that, refresh operation of the memory cell is performed. When the refresh operation is finished, the power switch is turned off.
US09496020B2 Six-transistor thyristor SRAM circuits and methods of operation
A memory cell based upon cross-coupled thyristors for an SRAM integrated circuit can be implemented in different combinations of MOS and bipolar select transistors with the thyristors in a semiconductor substrate with shallow trench isolation. Standard CMOS process technology can be used to manufacture the SRAM cells.
US09496012B2 Method and apparatus for reference voltage calibration in a single-ended receiver
According to at least one example embodiment, a method and corresponding system, or circuit, for calibrating a reference voltage of a single-ended receiver, include applying a clock signal and a reference voltage signal as inputs to the differential amplifier of the single-ended receiver. The differential amplifier provides an output signal, the output signal is processed, and an indication of a duty cycle associated with an output signal of the amplifier is evaluated. Based on the evaluated indication of the duty cycle, a control logic module, or circuit, adjusts a level of the reference voltage signal. The process of evaluating the indication of the duty cycle and adjusting the reference voltage level is repeated for a number of iterations.
US09496011B2 Semiconductor memory device, memory system including the same and operating method thereof
A semiconductor memory device includes a program and read unit suitable for programming program data in a memory cell array and for reading read data stored in the memory cell array, and a control unit suitable for generating a control signal for controlling the program and read unit in response to a command input from the outside of the semiconductor memory device, in which the control unit controls the program and read unit to read the read data in a state of storing a first bit data of the program data when a read command is input while programming the program data.
US09496010B2 Semiconductor device and memory system including the same
A semiconductor device and a memory system including the same are disclosed, which relate to a technology for reducing a toggle current of a global input output (GIO) of a semiconductor device configured to use a data bus inversion (DBI) scheme. The semiconductor device includes:a local input/output (LIO) line driver configured to perform inversion or non-inversion of data of a global input/output (GIO) line according to a control signal, and to output the inversion or non-inversion result to the LIO line; and an inversion processor configured to combine an inversion control signal and mat information, and output the control signal for controlling inversion or non-inversion of data to the LIO line driver.
US09496006B2 Memory module and memory controller for controlling a memory module
The memory module having a plurality of memory chips and a plurality of connections for connecting the memory module to a processor. At least part of the connections is configurable to be grouped into N sets of address and control connections for N separatively controllable groups of memory chips of the plurality of memory chips (N≧2).
US09496005B2 Electronic apparatus, display control method and program for displaying an image for selecting a content item to be reproduced
An electronic apparatus includes an operation reception unit that receives a switching operation for switching between a list display screen where index images for selecting content items belonging to one or a plurality of groups are disposed on a display surface of a display unit, and a group display screen where the index images are disposed on the display surface, and a display control unit that displays one of the list display screen and the group display screen on the display unit based on the switching operation, moves the index images with content item units from predetermined positions on one screen of the list display screen and the group display screen, displayed at the time of receiving the corresponding switching operation to predetermined positions on the other screen displayed after the corresponding switching operation is received, and displays the index images by animation during the movement.
US09496002B1 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium
The present invention comprises an input part for inputting image data, a receiving part for receiving production information relating to production transmitted from another apparatus, a recording part for recording the production information received by the receiving part and image data input by the input part, a detection part for detecting a recording position on a recording medium at an editing point of image data recorded by the recording part, and a transmission part for transmitting information of the recording position detected by the detection part, whereby identification information for identifying image data and voice data is recorded in a recording medium or a recording device, this relieving a burden on a photographer and an editor and facilitating extraction of image data and voice data.
US09495994B2 Optical disc capable of recording address information with the same modulation on sides of adjacent grooves
An optical disc medium includes a land and a groove at which information can be recorded. A predetermined number of address information units which record address information of the land or groove are provided in a circumferential direction of the optical disc medium. The address information unit of the land includes three or more address recording areas capable of recording address information. The address information is recorded on one area selected from among the three or more address recording areas. The address information unit of the land has address information which is recorded, in the same modulation, on the side of the inner adjacent groove and on the side of the outer adjacent groove. The one area to be selected from among the three or more address recording areas for recording the address information of the land is different among three address information units adjacently arranged in a radial direction.
US09495993B2 Holographic device and method for data reading using the same
A holographic device includes a holographic storage device, a shearing interferometer, and an optical receiver. The holographic storage device is configured to provide a disk with a reading light beam to make the reading light beam become a diffracted light beam after the reading light beam is diffracted in the disk. The shearing interferometer is configured to receive the diffracted light beam and to transform the diffracted light beam into a first light beam and a second light beam. The optical receiver is configured to receive the first light beam and the second light beam provided by the shearing interferometer.
US09495988B1 Dependent write fault threshold
Systems, apparatuses, and processes having a dependent write fault threshold are disclosed. A first sector may have a first write fault threshold and a second sector, adjacent to the first sector, may have a second write fault threshold, and the write fault thresholds can be variable based on a position error signal value of an adjacent sector. In some embodiments, the adjacent sectors may each be in an adjacent track. In other embodiments, the adjacent sectors may be in the same track. Further, a track may have two write fault thresholds, a positive direction threshold and a negative direction threshold; in some embodiments, only one direction's threshold may be variable based on the position error signal of the adjacent sector, while the opposite direction's threshold may be set to a default (e.g. pre-determined not on a sector by sector basis) value.
US09495987B1 Noise mitigation for write precompensation tuning
The disclosed technology provides techniques for mitigating write-to-write bit error rate fluctuations that decrease accuracy of write precompensation (WPC) tuning. According to one implementation, such write-to-write bit error rate fluctuations are mitigated if a predetermined pattern is written at a particular radial offset from a target data track prior to testing a WPC register in association with the target data track. Selection of the particular radial offset can be performed according to an iterative offset track clean-up disclosed herein.
US09495984B2 Waveguide with reflective grating for localized energy intensity
An apparatus includes a waveguide with first and second sections, and a junction coupling the first and second waveguide sections together. The first waveguide section has a first reflective device and the second section comprising a second reflective device arranged to generate a standing wave in the waveguide with maximum energy wave intensity at a target region of the waveguide in response to an incident energy wave being provided into at least one of the waveguide sections.
US09495983B2 Magnetic head with microwave-generating element and ground line therefor
A magnetic head includes a microwave-generating element connected to a ground line. The ground line is made shorter by connecting the ground line to a conductive slider substrate so that the microwave-generating element is in a nearly short-circuited end condition. This allows a microwave excitation current to be efficiently supplied to the microwave-generating element, thus enabling effective microwave-assisted recording.
US09495982B2 Current-limiting in an amplifier system
One example includes an amplifier system. The system includes a gain stage configured to conduct a gain current in response to an input voltage. The system also includes a current limit stage coupled to the gain stage and being configured to one of source and sink the gain current and to define a limit amplitude of the gain current during a current limit condition. The system further includes an output stage coupled to the gain stage and configured to conduct an output current through an output node in response to the gain current, the output current having a maximum amplitude during the current limit condition that is proportional to the limit amplitude.
US09495980B1 Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with a coil including two coil portions
A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section includes a yoke section, and a coupling section coupling the yoke section to the main pole. The coil includes a first coil portion surrounding at least part of an outer peripheral surface of the coupling section, and a second coil portion surrounding at least part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The winding of the coil includes a common portion used in common to form part of the first coil portion and part of the second coil portion.
US09495967B2 Collaborative audio conversation attestation
Disclosed in some examples are systems, methods, devices, and machine readable mediums which may produce an audio recording with included verification from the individuals in the recording that the recording is accurate. In some examples, the system may also provide rights management control to those individuals. This may ensure that individuals participating in audio events that are to be recorded are assured that their words are not changed, taken out of context, or otherwise altered and that they retain control over the use of their words even after the physical file has left their control.
US09495962B2 System and method for evaluating intent of a human partner to a dialogue between human user and computerized system
A system and method for assigning relative scores to various possible intents on the part of a user approaching a virtual agent, the method comprising predicting priority topics, including gathering first data and employing the first data to discern and seek user confirmation of at least one possible intent on the part of the user; and subsequent to receipt of the confirmation, gathering second data and employing the second data to provide service to the user to suit the user's confirmed intent.
US09495960B1 IVR engagements and upfront background noise
Speech recognition error may be reduced or eliminated when background noise is detected at a customer's location. For example, when background noise is detected at the customer's location, the customer may be prompted to use dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF).
US09495951B2 Real time audio echo and background noise reduction for a mobile device
An audio enhancement system includes a display unit configured to exhibit a waveform corresponding to a microphone signal that is subject to an audio interference. The audio enhancement system also includes an interference reduction unit coupled to the microphone signal and configured to provide a reduction in the audio interference, wherein a reduced audio interference is indicated by the waveform in real time. A microphone signal enhancement method is also provided.
US09495949B2 Acoustic module
The invention relates to an acoustic module for influencing, particularly reducing, sound reflections and/or sound transmissions in a space. The module is constructed as a three-dimensional hollow body, comprising at least one sheet material made of thin-walled flexurally elastic material, which is placed under bending stress by at least one additional sheet material so as to form a cavity, in such a manner that said thin-walled flexurally elastic material assumes a curved shape. The module is characterized by particularly good acoustic properties and can be produced economically.
US09495944B1 Drum frame fixer
A drum frame fixer provided for fastening at least one drum rim to a drum body includes: a main body, for being arranged on a circumferential face of the drum body, formed with at least one assembling hole, an inner wall of each assembling hole being formed with a first internal threaded portion; at least one screwed portion, each screwed portion having a first external threaded portion screwed in each first internal threaded portion and a second internal threaded portion; at least one fixing portion, each fixing portion having an abutting head and a second external threaded portion, each fixing portion provided for being disposed through the drum rim, the abutting head abutting against a side of the drum rim, the second external threaded portion being screwed to a second internal threaded portion of the screwed portion located by the other side of the drum rim.
US09495942B2 Shoulder support for a musical instrument
A shoulder support for a musical instrument is proposed, which includes a holding device, by means of which the shoulder support is fixable or fixed to the musical instrument, at least one arm, which is fixable or fixed to the holding device, and a shoulder abutment element, which is fixable or fixed on the at least one arm and has a pad and a pad holder, the pad holder being movably held on an arm connecting part of the shoulder abutment element by means of a pad holder joint device.
US09495941B2 Tuning mechanism
A tuning mechanism (1) for a stringed instrument (2), including: a body (3); a neck (4) extending from the body (3); strings (5) secured to a headstock (6) by a headstock string retainer (7) and to the body (3) by a tailpiece (8). The strings (5) are tensioned over a span formed between a first (10) and a second string supports (11), respectively located on the body (3) and at, or adjacent, the headstock (6). The tuning mechanism (1) includes a manually adjustable tensioning mechanism (13), locatable on the body (3) and connected to at least one movable string deflector (14), contacting a string (5) between the first string support (10) and the tailpiece (8) along a deflection path (28) co-incident with the longitudinal axis of the string (5) between the first string support (10) and the tailpiece (8). Tensioning mechanism (13) adjustment produces a commensurate string deflector (14) movement generating lateral deflection of the string (5) along the deflection path (29) from contact with the string deflector (14).
US09495940B2 Keyboard device and keyboard instrument
A keyboard device including a plurality of wippens that respectively rotate in the vertical direction in response to the respective depressions of the plurality of keys aligned alongside each other, a plurality of hammers that swing in response to the respective rotation of the plurality of wippens and then respectively add an action load to the plurality of keys, and a wippen holding member having a plurality of wippen flanges that are integrally formed along a direction in which the keys are aligned and that rotatably hold the respective plurality of wippens. Therefore, the plurality of wippen flanges do not need to be individually manufactured and assembled, and thus the plurality of wippen flanges can be easily disposed at once by just installing the wippen holding member.
US09495938B2 Display apparatus
A display apparatus including a display module and a solar cell module is provided. The display module displays image content and provides a charging light, wherein the energy of the charging light is related to the image content. The solar cell module is disposed at one side of the display module to receive the charging light and proceed to charge, wherein the efficiency of charging for the solar cell module is related to the image content displayed by the display module.
US09495935B2 Capacitive in-cell touch screen panel having a common electrode layer provided with sensing and driving electrodes
The present invention discloses a capacitive touch module, a capacitive in-cell touch screen panel and a display device, in which an integrally connected common electrode layer in an array substrate is split to form touch sensing electrodes and touch driving electrodes which are insulated from each other; and the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes are subjected to time-sharing drive to achieve the touch function and the display function. Moreover, each touch sensing electrode includes a plurality of touch sensing sub-electrodes; each touch driving electrode includes a plurality of touch driving sub-electrodes; and opposing sides of adjacent touch sensing sub-electrodes and touch driving sub-electrodes are broken lines. Therefore, the opposing area between the adjacent touch driving electrodes and the adjacent touch sensing electrodes can be increased, and hence the mutual capacitance between the touch driving electrodes and the touch sensing electrodes within the unit area can be increased, and consequently the sensing sensitivity of the touch screen in the touch-control process can be improved.
US09495929B2 Shift register, driver circuit and display device
A shift register is configured so that each of first and second intermediate stages includes (i) a first input terminal supplied with a clock signal, (ii) a second input terminal supplied with a clock signal different in phase from the clock signal supplied to the first input terminal, (iii) an output terminal connected to the first input terminal via an output transistor, and (iv) a setting circuit, which is connected to the second input terminal and the output transistor, for setting an electric potential of a control terminal of the output transistor, the second intermediate stage includes a control circuit which is (i) connected to the setting circuit of the second intermediate stage and (ii) supplied with a control signal, an operation period (i) starts at a time when a shift start signal supplied to an initial stage is activated and (ii) ends at a time when an output of a final stage changes from activation to inactivation, and when the clock signal supplied to the first input terminal of the second intermediate stage is initially activated after the operation period starts, the clock signal supplied to the second input terminal of the second intermediate stage is inactive.
US09495928B2 Driving circuit, driving method, display apparatus and electronic apparatus
A driving circuit includes: a clock signal generating unit, for generating clock signals, where transitions from first level to second level, in each clock signal, trigger a scan driving circuit to generate scanning signals, the transitions from first level to second level are defined as effective signal edges of the clock signals, and an interval between adjacent effective signal edges is defined as a clock time interval; and a control unit, for controlling clock time intervals of each clock signal to be non-identical, the clock time intervals including a first clock time interval and second clock time interval, the second clock time being longer than the first clock time, and the control unit is configured to control the clock time interval to be the second clock time interval at least once during displaying one frame of image by a display panel.
US09495927B2 Liquid crystal display apparatus, driving method for same, and driving circuit for same
The liquid crystal display apparatus is provided with a display unit, a video signal driving circuit, a scanning signal driving circuit, a common electrode potential controlling circuit, and a synchronizing circuit. The display unit has a scanning electrode, a video signal electrode, a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in matrix form, a plurality of switching elements which transmit video signals to the pixel electrodes, and a common electrode. After the scanning signal driving circuit scans the entire scanning electrodes and transmits video signals to the pixel electrodes, the common electrode potential controlling circuit changes the potential of the common electrode into a pulse shape, overdrives video signals, or increases a torque required to return to a state in which no voltage is applied.
US09495926B2 Variable frame refresh rate
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for preventing charge accumulation on a display panel of a display. A display pipeline is configured to drive a display using a variable frame refresh rate. The display may also be driven by a polarity inversion cadence to alternate the polarity on the display panel on back-to-back frames. In some cases, the frame refresh rate cadence, as specified in frame packets which contain configuration data for processing corresponding frames, can cause a charge accumulation on the display panel if an odd number of frames are displayed at a first frame refresh rate before switching to a second frame refresh rate. Accordingly, in these cases, the display pipeline may override the frame refresh rate setting for a given frame to cause an even number of frames to be displayed at the first frame refresh rate.
US09495925B2 Display device and source driver
A display device includes display panel includes a first source driver including a first input terminal and a first output terminal connected to the display panel; a first gate driver including a first input-output terminal, a second input-output terminal connected to the first input-output terminal, and a second output terminal connected to the display panel; a timing controller including a first terminal for outputting or inputting a first signal to or from the first input-output terminal and a second terminal; a first signal line connected to the first terminal; a second signal line connected to the second terminal; and a third signal line connected to the first source driver and the timing controller for transmitting a second signal indicating a display direction of the image data. The first source driver operates according to the first signal from the first terminal or the second terminal selected.
US09495923B2 Liquid crystal display device, method of driving liquid crystal display device, and television receiver
Data signal lines, scanning signal lines, and pixels are formed in each of first and second regions of a liquid crystal panel, and the first half of a current frame and the second half of the current frame are written to the first and second regions, respectively. A data signal with polarity inverted for each vertical scanning period is supplied to each data signal line. A scanning direction of the first region is identical to a scanning direction of the second region and the first and second regions are arranged to line up in this order in the scanning direction. In the first and second regions, the potential of the data signal is corrected according to a distance from a scanning start end portion.
US09495921B2 Video display device and television receiving device with luminance stretching
Areas of a video signal that represent light emission are detected, the luminance levels at which said light emission areas are displayed are enhanced, emphasizing the areas, and the luminance stretching is controlled in accordance with the brightness of the surrounding environment, thereby increasing the resulting sense of brightness and improving the appearance of the video. A light emission detector counts pixels to generate a histogram of a prescribed feature quantity and identifies areas that fall within a prescribed range at the upper end of said histogram as being light emission areas. An area-active-control/luminance-stretching portion performs luminance stretching, increasing the luminance of a backlight portion and reducing the luminance of non-light emission areas of the video signal. The area-active-control/luminance-stretching portion switches between control curves, defining the relationship between the brightness-related index and the amount of stretching, in accordance with the brightness of the surroundings of the device.
US09495918B2 Methods for driving electro-optic displays
A method is provided for driving electro-optic displays, especially bistable displays, to avoid edge effects when driving a limited area of the display. Pixels in an edge elimination region, at least one pixel wide and substantially surrounding the limited area, are driven from their original gray level to an intermediate gray level, and then back to their original gray level.
US09495916B2 Method of displaying three-dimensional stereoscopic image and display apparatus for performing the method
A method of displaying a three-dimensional stereoscopic image includes generating a plurality of left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color data using a left-eye or right-eye data frame, calculating a plurality of left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color dimming levels using the left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color data, sequentially outputting a plurality of left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color data frames, corrected based on the left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color dimming levels, to a display panel, and sequentially providing a plurality of left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color lights, generated from a light source part based on the left-eye or right-eye virtual primary color dimming levels, to the display panel.
US09495906B2 Pixel circuit for displaying gradation with accuracy and display device using the same
A pixel circuit is provided which includes a light-emitting element; a driving transistor configured to control an amount of current supplied from a first power line to the light-emitting element according to a pixel voltage; a capacitor having one end connected to a second power line and the other end connected to a gate of the driving transistor and configured to hold the pixel voltage; a first switch transistor configured to selectively switch the pixel voltage provided through a data signal line into the capacitor; and a second switch transistor configured to selectively connect the first power line and the second power line. The first and second power lines are separated during a period where the capacitor is charged by the pixel voltage, and are shorted during a period where the driving transistor operates according to the pixel voltage.
US09495905B2 Display apparatus
According to one embodiment, a display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels and a plurality of control lines. A pixel circuit of each of the pixels includes a driving transistor, an output switch, a pixel switch and a storage capacitance. A number of pixels PX of the plurality of pixels which are adjacent to one another in a column direction share the output switch.
US09495903B2 Display device
A display device including a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area. The non-display area includes a test data line (TDL) which receives a test data signal from an external source, a plurality of connection line units (CLUs) which connect the data lines and the TDL, and a dummy line unit which is formed in the non-display area. Each of the CLUs includes a test switch having an input terminal connected to the TDL, an output terminal connected to one of a plurality of data lines disposed in the display area, and a control terminal connected to a test switch control line which receives a test switch control signal from an external source. At least one of the CLUs includes a disconnection portion which interrupts the TDL, wherein both ends of the disconnection portion are connected to the dummy line unit by bypass connection lines, respectively.
US09495902B2 Electro-optical device having a plurality of subpixel electrodes within a single display element
An electro-optical device including: first display elements divided into at least a first region and a second region, for displaying a first image, and second display elements each divided into at least a third region and a fourth region, for displaying a second image, the first and second display elements being arranged such that each third region is disposed between the first region and the second region of the adjacent first display element and each second region is disposed between the third region and the fourth region of the adjacent second display element; a parallax barrier layer provided on a side of the display elements adjacent to a viewer, the parallax barrier having light transmitting regions at positions thereof corresponding to boundaries between adjoining first and third regions as well as between adjoining second and fourth regions; and a spacer layer separating the display elements from the parallax barrier layer.
US09495900B2 Display device
When normal driving is switched to intermittent driving simultaneously with switching from a video image to a still image, a flicker may occur due to a response delay caused by dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystal. A display device has a first mode (video image driving) in which driving is performed at a first frame frequency and a second mode (still image driving) in which the driving is performed at a second frame frequency lower than the first frame frequency. When the first mode is switched to the second mode, the display device first performs the driving at a frame frequency higher than the second frame frequency for at least one frame and then, the driving is switched to be performed at the second frame frequency.
US09495899B2 Contactless data communication using in-plane magnetic fields, and related systems and methods
Embodiments described herein are related to contactless data communication. Related systems and methods for contactless data communication are disclosed herein. For example, a magnetic field-based contactless transmitter is disclosed that includes a substrate, a pair of dipole coils disposed on the substrate, and a drive circuit electrically coupled to the pair of dipole coils. To transmit data to a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) receiver disposed on a second substrate, the drive circuit is configured to drive the pair of dipole coils so as to generate a magnetic field in-plane to the MTJ receiver. Data can be transmitted from the magnetic field-based contactless transmitter to the MTJ receiver using the magnetic field.
US09495898B2 Self-compensating gate driving circuit
The present invention provides a self-compensating gate driving circuit, comprising: a plurality of GOA units which are cascade connected, and a Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit comprises a pull-up controlling part, a pull-up part, a transmission part, a first pull-down part, a bootstrap capacitor part and a pull-down holding part; the pull-up part, the first pull-down part, the bootstrap capacitor part and the pull-down holding circuit are respectively coupled to a Nth gate signal point Q(N) and the Nth horizontal scanning line G(n), and the pull-up controlling part and the transmission part are respectively coupled to the Nth gate signal point Q(N), and the pull-down holding part is inputted with a DC low voltage VSS. The present invention is designed to have the pull-down holding part with self-compensating function to promote the reliability of the long term operation for the gate driving circuit. The influence of the threshold voltage drift to the operation of the gate driving circuit is diminished; the pull-down holding part can be designed to be controlled by a set of DC signal source. The design space of the circuit patterns can be saved and the overall power consumption of the circuit can be decreased.
US09495896B2 Liquid crystal display apparatus with brightness/luminance holding ratio compensation and a driving method thereof
The invention discloses a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus and a brightness/luminance holding ratio compensation method. A backlight module of the LCD apparatus may form a plurality of backlight shield-blocking periods in a display frame cycle or adjust output brightness gradually, for compensating a brightness/luminance bias caused by a transmittance variance of liquid crystal cell in the low refresh rate driving LCD apparatus, so as to avoid some abnormal display effects, such as screen flicker. Besides, the LCD apparatus has better energy efficiency by utilizing a low-voltage gray level driving method or saving the power consumption of the backlight module.
US09495891B2 Display device and method of assembling the same
A display device and method of assembling the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a display device includes a display panel bent in a first direction and a guide unit for fastening the display panel in a bent state. The guide unit includes a first frame member bent corresponding to curvature of the display panel in the first direction and combined with an edge of the display panel in the first direction, and a second frame member combined with an edge of the display panel in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09495885B2 Method and apparatus for illumination and recording of internal cavity of medical simulator and integrating simulation data
A method and apparatus for illuminating and recording an internal cavity of a medical simulator and integrating simulator data is disclosed. An apparatus for illuminating and recording an internal cavity of a medical simulator and integrating simulator data comprising: at least one light source configured for illuminating the internal cavity with light outside of the visible spectrum during an operator session, at least one video camera having a field of vision including at least part of the internal cavity for video recording an operator session; and a synchronizing system receiving and storing the at least one video recording of the at least one video camera and the at least one data output of the medical simulator.
US09495884B2 Assignment sharing device, assignment sharing method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium
An assignment sharing device includes an assignment-related information storage unit configured to store assignment-related information including assignment information, challenger identification information, assignment approval information, and assignment achievement status information; an assignment information receiving unit configured to receive the assignment information and so forth; an assignment-related information accumulating unit configured to accumulate the assignment information and so forth as a single piece of assignment-related information; an assignment information transmitting unit configured to transmit corresponding assignment information to a challenger; an assignment approval receiving unit configured to receive assignment identification information identifying an assignment approved by the challenger; an assignment approving unit configured to set assignment approval information; and an assignment result information receiving unit configured to receive assignment result information, which is information regarding an execution result of an assignment represented by the assignment information corresponding to the set assignment approval information.
US09495882B2 Systems and methods for computerized interactive skill training
The present invention is directed to interactive training, and in particular, to methods and systems for computerized interactive skill training. An example embodiment provides a method and system for providing skill training using a computerized system. The computerized system receives a selection of a first training subject. Several related training components can be invoked, such as reading, watching, performing, and/or reviewing components. In addition, a scored challenge session is provided, wherein a training challenge is provided to a user via a terminal, optionally in video form.
US09495881B2 System and method for displaying multiple applications
Systems, methods, and computer program products for displaying multiple applications on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) are provided. An application control system (“ACS”) may determine which applications should be displayed, and ACS may determine an optimal layout for the application on the GUI. ACS may move and/or resize the applications and automatically determine an optimal layout such that the applications substantially fill a portion of the GUI. Additionally, ACS may facilitate communication between the applications using an application programming interface (“API”). An application may obtain information from any other application on the GUI by transmitting requests via the API.
US09495878B2 Method and device for automatically managing a flight path change on an aircraft, in particular for a low-level flight
A method and device are disclosed for automatically managing a flight path change on an aircraft, in particular for a low-level flight. The method determines a first deviation between the current position and a current path of the aircraft and a second deviation between this current position and a new path of the aircraft and changes the flight path by replacing the current path by the new path, if at least the absolute value of the difference between this first deviation and this second deviation is less than or equal to a maximal allowed distance during at least a predefined time period.
US09495877B2 Airspace deconfliction system and method
An aircraft deconfliction system including a registration system having an airspace database, a registered airspace, wherein registration details of the registered airspace are logged in the airspace database, and an aircraft assigned to the registered airspace, the aircraft including a flight control system, a guidance computer controlling the flight control system based on a pilot input, and an override unit in communication with the guidance computer, wherein the override unit overrides the pilot input when the aircraft breaches the registered airspace.
US09495875B2 Obstacle evaluation technique
A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode may engage in an obstacle evaluation technique that includes employing a sensor system to collect data relating to a plurality of obstacles, identifying from the plurality of obstacles an obstacle pair including a first obstacle and a second obstacle, engaging in an evaluation process by comparing the data collected for the first obstacle to the data collected for the second obstacle, and in response to engaging in the evaluation process, making a determination of whether the first obstacle and the second obstacle are two separate obstacles.
US09495872B2 System and method for effective communication of location and other information about automobiles
Communications with an automobile are in the form of messages. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. Messages may contain a recall notice to the automobile, map information or advertising information concerning selected entities depending on the current location of the automobile. Messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain location of the automobile or dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile.
US09495869B2 Assistance to law enforcement through ambient vigilance
A method, system and computer program product of using cameras in a plurality of vehicles within a geographic area to aid in identifying a location of a vehicle of interest for authorities.
US09495868B2 Traffic data simulator
In one embodiment, traffic data that originates from sensors, cameras, or observations is analyzed. The traffic data is associated with multiple repeating time epochs or intervals. The traffic data is divided into clusters using a clustering technique. The clustering technique may include clusters of variable sizes. Each of the clusters is analyzed to calculate statistical parameters including but not limited to an average value for one or more clusters and a standard deviation value for one or more clusters. In response to a request for traffic data, simulated traffic data may be generated by providing the average value and the standard deviation value for one or more of the clusters.
US09495867B2 Traffic information processing system, server device, traffic information processing method, and program
A traffic information processing system includes on-board unit configured to be installed in a vehicle, an on-board unit-equipped vehicle number-detecting unit configured to detect the number of vehicles equipped with on-board unit entering a sample area based on information received from the on-board unit, a total vehicle number-detecting unit configured to detect the number of all vehicles entering the sample area, a vehicle ratio operation unit configured to calculate a value related to a ratio based on the number of vehicles equipped with the on-board unit detected by the on-board unit-equipped vehicle number-detecting unit and the number of all vehicles detected by the total vehicle number-detecting unit, and a total vehicle number-estimating operation unit configured to calculate a total number of vehicles in the zone.
US09495866B2 Communicating with residential electrical devices via a vehicle telematics unit
A method of communicating with residential electrical devices using a vehicle telematics unit includes receiving information identifying a residential electrical device to control; displaying in a vehicle one or more controlled features of the identified residential electrical device; receiving from a vehicle occupant a selection of the displayed controlled features of the residential electrical device; sending an instruction from the vehicle telematics unit to the residential electrical device via a wireless carrier system in response to the received selection; and controlling the residential electrical device using the sent instruction.
US09495864B1 Alarm signaling technology
Techniques are described for handling an event where a control panel or an alarm signaling device is tampered with or destroyed by a disablement tactic, e.g., a “crash and smash intrusion.”
US09495861B2 System and method for take-over protection for a security system
A secure communications and monitoring system includes a control unit and a plurality of modules distributed in a region to be monitored. The control unit has an assigned identifier. When a module is installed in the system, the control unit transmits the identifier to the module, which stores the identifier. Before a module communicates with the control unit, the identifier is requested from the control unit. The identifier received from the control unit is compared to the stored identifier. The module will only communicate with the control unit where the identifier received at the module corresponds to the identifier stored at the module.
US09495860B2 False alarm identification
Methods and systems, such as home automation gateways and television receivers, are disclosed for distinguishing between false alarms and actual events. Aspects include transmitting sensor data, such as a video feed from a closed-circuit video system, to a display to allow a user to confirm whether an alarm event is a false alarm or an actual alarm event. Sensor data is optionally recorded to allow later review of the sensor data.
US09495859B2 Home appliance and method of outputting signal sound for diagnosis
Provided are a home appliance and a method of outputting a signal sound for diagnosis. The home appliance includes: a selection unit for receiving a diagnosis command on the home appliance from a user; a memory for storing diagnosis data on the home appliance; a controller for processing the diagnosis data stored in the memory in order to generate a packet according to a diagnosis command input through the selection unit; a conversion unit for generating a frame including a combination of symbols, which respectively correspond to four different carrier frequencies, on the basis of data constituting the packet, according to a Quadrature Frequency Shift Keying (QFSK) method.
US09495858B2 Smart key reminder system for a vehicle
Described herein is a smart key reminder system. The smart key reminder system prevents a user from mistakenly leaving a vehicle with a wireless smart key in his possession when the vehicle is running, which would otherwise result in the next driver being without a key and stranded once the vehicle is turned off. When the smart key travels more than a predefined distance from the vehicle when the vehicle is running, the smart key reminder system will give the person in possession of the smart key and/or vehicle occupants a warning not to leave the next driver without a key. A system for a vehicle can include a wireless smart key operable to receive an alert in response to a location of the wireless smart key with respect to the vehicle if the vehicle is operating.
US09495854B2 Monitoring system
A monitoring system includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an alarming unit, and a controlling unit. The RFID reader is buried in a predetermined area and reads identification information of an item. The controlling unit is coupled between the RFID reader and the alarming unit, the controlling unit receives the identification information from RFID reader and controls the alarming unit according to the identification information.
US09495850B2 Panic device with 2-way communication
A panic device operable in conjunction with a local device is configured to unlock a locking mechanism. The panic device can take the form of an electronic key fob, a key shaft, or a key holder. A first trigger on the panic device triggers a local alarm that is on-board or off-board the panic device. A second trigger on the panic device can activate an alarm circuitry that utilizes a local device to provide position information to a distant dispatch station. The local device uses a GPS-aware circuitry or other non-GPS means such as triangulation to determine the position information. The position information can then be sent to the distant dispatch station with or without the aid of the local device.
US09495846B2 Tactile feedback apparatus
A tactile feedback apparatus is provided, which includes a signal generator and a tactile feedback structure. The signal generator provides a driving signal. The tactile feedback structure is connected to the signal generator and provides a tactile feedback signal in response to the driving signal when an object surface is touched or a housing of the tactile feedback apparatus is touched. The tactile feedback signal is related to a tactile sensation. The tactile feedback signal is related to an electrical property of the driving signal.
US09495843B2 Gaming machine and method for a bonus game with increasing payout rate
When a trigger condition is established in a normal game, a gaming machine 300 executes a process of shifting to a bonus game in which a re-trigger condition which is less stringent than the trigger condition may be established, a process of executing a free game at least once in the bonus game, and a process of increasing the payout rate of the free game in the bonus game when the re-trigger condition is established in the bonus game.
US09495838B2 Method and apparatus for settlement of processor based tournament competition
A method of providing or receiving value from or to a participant value in a game tournament wherein a plurality of participants play a casino-style game, includes calculating an expected value for the position of each participant in the tournament, the expected value based upon the number of wagering units held by the participant at the point in time, the number of wagering units held by each other participant in the tournament at the point in time and a payout table for the tournament.
US09495837B2 Passively triggered wagering system
Systems and methods for a gambling hybrid game that provides passively trigger wagering are disclosed. In an entertainment game, passively actuated enabling elements are provided. Passively actuated enabling elements are enabling elements that are consumed through game play of the entertainment game but not directly through player action by a player. An entertainment system engine of the gambling hybrid game provides the entertainment game and determines when a passively actuated enabling element is consumed in the game. A game world engine of the gambling hybrid game determines when a gambling event in a gambling game is to be provided based upon the consumption of the passively actuated enabling element. The game world engine then requests that a real world engine of the gambling hybrid game resolve the gambling event in the gambling game. The real world engine then resolves the gambling event and associated wagers on the outcome of the gambling event.
US09495835B2 Viral progressive jackpot
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for setting an initial value to the jackpot of a first player. The jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet by the first player in the computer game. Additionally, the jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet made by friends of the first player in the computer game. The friends of the first player have a social connection with the first player, and the jackpot of the first player is independent from bets in the computer game of players that are not friends of the first player. The method further includes an operation for resetting the jackpot of the first player to the initial value when the first player or when any friend of the first player wins the jackpot.
US09495830B2 Cashless play system based on proprietary monetary systems
A cashless play system for arcade games at retail locations of a company utilizes a card reader to read patron account information. The card reader sends the patron account information to a game play server and receives game play authorization information based on the patron account information and patron data stored in a patron database. The card reader activates the arcade game based on the game play authorization information and causes game play data to be stored in a game play database. Further, the game play server uploads game play data to a remote server, at a geographic location other than the geographic location of the retail location, and downloads game play server updates.
US09495826B2 Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a game in which players position selectors within a field of selections based on values masked by the selections
A gaming system displays a plurality of spaced-apart selections each associated with a masked award. One or more selectors are each associated with one or more players, and are visible to each player. The selectors are moveable amongst the spaced-apart selections based on a plurality of player inputs. For a play of the game, the players provide inputs to move the selectors amongst the spaced-apart selections. During such movement, the gaming system temporarily reveals the award associated with any spaced-apart selection in the vicinity of any selector to at least one player, such as the player whose selector is near the selection. After the play of the game has ended (e.g., based on an amount of elapsed time), the gaming system provides awards to the players based on the ending positions of the one or more selectors with respect to the plurality of spaced-apart selections.
US09495825B2 Game system and game control method
A game system is provided that can control power-feeding of a power-feeding device according to playing of a game. In a game system that executes an arcade game and that is provided with a power-feeding device that feeds a personal terminal device, it is determined whether or not the arcade game is being executed, and the power-feeding function of the power-feeding device is controlled on the basis of the result of that determination.
US09495824B2 Lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game
A lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game includes at least one detection device operative to detect selected event occurrences of an electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event or series of events occurring on an electronic gaming device and an interface device in information transmission connection with the detection device, the interface device operative to detect and receive event occurrence signals from the detection device, analyze and translate the event occurrence signals and output lottery entry dispensing commands. Finally, a lottery entry device is in information transmission connection with the interface device and in information transmission connection with a central lottery system, the lottery entry device operative to receive the lottery entry dispensing commands output by the interface device and output at least one entry ticket into a lottery event via and in connection with the central lottery system.
US09495821B2 Device for handling notes of value
A device (10) for handling notes of value has a box receiving area (14) for receiving cash boxes (18) and a first transport unit (22) for transporting of notes of value between the cash boxes (18) and a head module (12). A first switch (50) is provided at a head module side-end of the first transport unit (22). Further, the device (10) has a stacking unit (26), an input and/or output compartment (28) and a reject and retract container (30). In addition, a second transport unit (24) for transporting notes of value between the stacking unit (26), the input and/or output compartment (28) and the reject and retract container (30) is provided. In a first switch position, the first switch (50) guides a note of value removed from the box receiving area (14) to the stacking unit (26) and in a second switch position to the second transport unit (24).
US09495820B1 Electronic combination lock
Disclosed herein is an electronic combination lock mainly characterized by miniature size and easy-to-use electronic identification access-gaining method that enables a vast variety and type of access codes for user setting and choice. Another battery operated electronic key unit, incorporated with programmed access code to provide as an alternative choice for locking, unlocking and backup power, can be used in conjunction with the electronic combination lock.
US09495819B2 Lock device and electronic key system for use with vehicle charging inlet
A lock device is arranged in a vehicle including an inlet used for charging. The vehicle is configured to perform a predetermined control operation in accordance with a control request signal transmitted through wireless communication from an electronic key when a normal operation is performed on a control switch of the electronic key. The lock device includes a lock mechanism configured to switch a locking subject related with the inlet between a lock state and an unlock state. A controller controls the lock mechanism to switch the locking subject between a lock state and an unlock state when detecting a special operation performed on the control switch.
US09495809B2 Guaranteed postage
A system and method for managing a value of a descending register of a postal security device (PSD) in accordance with a guarantee is disclosed. Mailing data including a guarantee rate, and a public rate of postage disbursed for a mailpiece franked under terms of the guarantee, can be received. The public rate and the guarantee rate can be compared, and if the public rate is equal to or less than the guarantee rate, postage funds can be downloaded from an account corresponding to a lessee of the PSD.
US09495801B2 Pose tracking an augmented reality device
An augmented reality device including a plurality of sensors configured to output pose information indicating a pose of the augmented reality device. The augmented reality device further includes a band-agnostic filter and a band-specific filter. The band-specific filter includes an error correction algorithm configured to receive pose information as filtered by the band-agnostic filter and reduce a tracking error of the pose information in a selected frequency band. The augmented reality device further includes a display engine configured to position a virtual object on a see-through display as a function of the pose information as filtered by the band-agnostic filter and the band-specific filter.
US09495793B2 Method and device for generating an image view for 3D display
There is described a method for generating an image view from at least one input image for a 3D display using a backward processing enabling post processing for handling holes in the image view.
US09495792B2 Method and apparatus for traversing binary tree in ray tracing system
A restart method of traversing a binary tree in a ray tracing system includes traversing a tree consisting of a hierarchical acceleration structure using one-bit stacks respectively assigned to levels of the binary tree and restarting at a highest level at which a corresponding one-bit stack has a value indicating that a child node has not yet been traversed, thereby decreasing the capacity of a stack memory required.
US09495791B2 Resolution enhanced 3D rendering systems and methods
Systems and methods are provided for rendering 3D images or video without significantly losing resolution or increasing the resolution. The systems and methods for 3D rendering technology can work with different types of 3D data frames that include left eye image and right eye image sub-frames. The 3D data frames render 3D imagery with side-by-side (SXS), top-and-bottom (TB), and frame packing (FP), as well as others such as full high definition 3D (FHD3D), frame sequential 3D, passive 3D rendering or the like. System and methods are provided for creating inverse pixel strips, and preparing 3D images that include the inverse pixel strips. Systems and methods are provided for expanding images in a plane without significant loss of resolution.
US09495788B2 Apparatus and method for developing robot contents
An apparatus and method for developing contents which may direct motions of a robot according to time and synchronize motions of a robot with a media. The apparatus for developing robot contents outputs an interface including an editing area and a motion event track and includes a drawer configured to implement and provide a three-dimensional robot model in the editing area, and a motion editor which generates a robot motion event according to a motional manipulation with respect to the robot model of the editing area and providing the robot motion event on the motion event track according to time.
US09495781B2 Early sample evaluation during coarse rasterization
A technique for early sample evaluation during coarse rasterization of primitives reduces the number of pixel tiles that are processed during fine rasterization of the primitive. A primitive bounding box determines when a primitive is small and may not actually cover any samples within at least one fine raster tile. Early sample evaluation is performed for the small primitive during coarse rasterization and the small primitive is discarded when no samples are actually covered by the small primitive. When the small primitive lies on a boundary between at least two fine raster tiles, early sample evaluation is performed during coarse rasterization to correctly identify which, if any, of the at least two fine raster tiles includes samples that are actually covered by the small primitive.
US09495779B1 Computer-implemented system and method for placing groups of cluster spines into a display
A computer-implemented system and method for placing groups of cluster spines into a display is provided. A shape is provided within a display and sectors are designated around the shape. One or more spine groups are placed into the display. Each spine group has two or more vectors of documents clusters and is placed adjacent to the shape within one of the sectors. A further spine group is placed into the display adjacent to one of the placed spine groups most similar to the further spine group. A determination is made that the further spine group overlaps the most similar placed spine group. The further spine group and the most similar placed spine group are translated away from the shape when rotation of the overlapping further spine group, away from the most similar placed spine group, places the further spine group into a different sector.
US09495771B2 Systems and methods for motion correction in positron emission tomography imaging
Systems and methods for compensating motion artifacts in positron emission tomography (“PET”) imaging based on medical images acquired with a medical imaging system are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes acquiring PET data from a subject with a PET system during which at least a portion of the subject is undergoing motion, and providing medical images acquired from the subject using a medical imaging system, the medical images including regions depicting motion. The method also includes estimating, from the medical images, motion information associated with the motion of the at least a portion of the subject, and reconstructing a motion-corrected PET image using the PET data using a reconstruction algorithm that incorporates the motion information into a system matrix.
US09495770B2 Practical model based CT construction
A method for a practical model based computed tomography construction may include assuming that a filtered back projection reconstruction of a computed tomography image is available and acquiring a deviate of a multivariate random variable computed tomography data set. A filtered back projection reconstruction of the image may be estimated, and the filtered back projection reconstruction may be identified as a deviate of a multivariate random variable. A maximum a posteriori estimate may be generated for the filtered back projection reconstruction.
US09495768B1 Modular display and controller
A modular display and controller for providing information from user configurable display comprising a series of interconnected display modules. Users are able to physically attach and electrically attach arrayed rows of lighting elements together to form a variety of shaped signs for the display of scrolling information.
US09495758B2 Device and method for recognizing gesture based on direction of gesture
A device and method for recognizing a gesture according to movement directions of an object.
US09495757B2 Image processing apparatus and image processing method
In the image processing apparatus, the control unit generates a plurality of divided regions by dividing the image in accordance with similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations, and identifies a selection range constituted by one or more of the plurality of divided regions in accordance with the selection operation received by the input unit. The control unit performs erosion processing with respect to the selection range by reducing a number of pixels constituting the selection range, and performs dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing by increasing the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the erosion processing. The number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the dilation processing is greater than the number of pixels constituting the selection range before the erosion processing.
US09495755B2 Apparatus, a method and a computer program for image processing
There is provided methods, apparatuses and computer program products for image segmentation in which pixel data of an image and information of a first set of pixels of the image indicative of pixels belonging to a foreground of the image are obtained. A color model of the image is estimated. To obtain a geodesic distance map at least one geodesic distance from a pixel of the first set of pixel to another pixel of the image which is not in the first set of pixels is determined. An energy function is optimized on the basis of the geodesic distance map to obtain a segmentation of the image.
US09495754B2 Person clothing feature extraction device, person search device, and processing method thereof
A person's region is detected from input video of a surveillance camera; a person's direction in the person's region is determined; the separability of person's clothes is determined to generate clothing segment separation information; furthermore, clothing features representing visual features of person's clothes in the person's region are extracted in consideration of the person's direction and the clothing segment separation information. The person's direction is determined based on a person's face direction, person's motion, and clothing symmetry. The clothing segment separation information is generated based on analysis information regarding a geometrical shape of the person's region and visual segment information representing person's clothing segments which are visible based on the person's region and background prior information. A person is searched out based on a result of matching between a clothing query text, representing a type and a color of person's clothes, and the extracted person's clothing features.
US09495749B2 Method and system for detecting pose of marker
A pose detecting system includes: a marker using a microlens array; a camera; and a computer receiving a marker image. The marker includes: a lens area constituted of the microlens array and a mark array having a plurality of marks arrayed with a pitch similar to that between a plurality of lenses constituting the microlens array so as to produce a moiré pattern; and four reference points. The computer performs: determining the pose of the marker based on the four reference points; analyzing the moiré pattern so as to calculate an angle formed by the marker and a straight line connecting the center of an integrated mark that emerges at the lens area as the moiré pattern and is similar in shape to each of the plurality of marks to a viewpoint at the marker; and correcting the pose of the marker by using the angle.
US09495743B2 Method and apparatus for automated placement of scanned laser capsulorhexis incisions
Systems and methods are described for cataract intervention. In one embodiment a system comprises a laser source configured to produce a treatment beam comprising a plurality of laser pulses; an integrated optical system comprising an imaging assembly operatively coupled to a treatment laser delivery assembly such that they share at least one common optical element, the integrated optical system being configured to acquire image information pertinent to one or more targeted tissue structures and direct the treatment beam in a 3-dimensional pattern to cause breakdown in at least one of the targeted tissue structures; and a controller operatively coupled to the laser source and integrated optical system, and configured to adjust the laser beam and treatment pattern based upon the image information, and distinguish two or more anatomical structures of the eye based at least in part upon a robust least squares fit analysis of the image information.
US09495740B2 Mask inspection apparatus and mask inspection method
A mask inspection apparatus including, a driving unit configured to drive a stage holding an inspection target mask, in which a pattern is formed, or a calibration mask, a light irradiation device configured to irradiate light on the inspection target mask or the calibration mask, an image sensor configured to detect a light quantity signal of transmitted light or reflected light of the inspection target mask or the calibration mask at a plurality of pixels. A sensor amplifier configured to amplify an output of the image sensor with respect to each pixel, generates an optical image, and normalizes a gain and an offset of signal amplitude, wherein at a first setting the sensor amplifier sets the gain and the offset using the calibration mask, and at a second setting the sensor amplifier sets the gain and offset of the inspection target mask based on the first setting.
US09495737B2 Thermal sound inspection system
A method and apparatus for inspecting a structure. Images of heat generated by an inconsistency in the structure are received. A final image is generated from the images using portions of the images having a greatest amount of heat.
US09495731B2 Debanding image data based on spatial activity
A method for attenuating banding in image data may involve receiving a stream of input pixels. The method may then include applying a bi-lateral filter to a first portion of the stream of input pixels to generate a first filtered output and applying a high pass filter to a second portion of the stream of input pixels to generate a second filtered output. The method may then determine a local activity and a local intensity associated with the first portion of the stream. The method may then include blending the first filtered output with the first portion of the stream of input pixels based at least in part on the local activity and the local intensity to generate a third filtered output. Afterward, the method may combine the third filtered output with the second filtered output to generate a fourth filtered output that may be output as the image data.
US09495728B2 Method for edge detection, method for motion detection, method for pixel interpolation utilizing up-sampling, and apparatuses thereof
A pixel interpolation method for interpolating a pixel value of a target pixel in a target picture is disclosed. The pixel interpolation method includes performing up-sampling upon the target picture for generating an up-sampled picture corresponding to the target picture, and interpolating the target pixel according to the up-sampled picture. The step of performing up-sampling upon the target picture includes interpolating and generating a third pixel in between a first pixel and a second pixel that are a pair of two adjacent pixels of each pixel line of the target picture, whereof a pixel value of the third pixel is an average of pixel values of the first pixel and the second pixel.
US09495726B1 System and method for morphing a CAD design element
A system and method for morphing a design element which precisely and efficiently morphs a design element within a data file to new target parameters by changing its general proportions, dimensions or shape. The present invention is generally a computer software program which loads an existing data file which includes one or more design elements, such as parts or an assembly of parts, and then automatically morphs the design element's dimensions, proportions and/or shapes to meet target parameters input by a user. The present invention will create several groups of points corresponding to each surface and associated bounding curves of the existing design. It will then morph each group into a new shape as per the input requirements by the user, fit the morphed group into an infinite surface, create boundary curves for each morphed group and then trim the infinite surface to create the new, morphed design element.
US09495725B2 Method and apparatus for medical image registration
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for registering images having different modalities. The medical image registration method includes performing, at an initial register, multi-modality registration of a reference image from a plurality of first images captured during a first breathing period and a second image; performing, at the initial register, single-modality registration of the reference image and each of the other first images; generating registration images between the plurality of first images and the second image based on the multi-modality registration and the single-modality registration; acquiring a third image captured after the first breathing period; and detecting an image corresponding to the third image from the registration images.
US09495724B2 Single precision vector permute immediate with “word” vector write mask
The present invention is generally related to the field of image processing, and more specifically to an instruction set for processing images. Vector processing may involve performing a plurality of permute operations to arrange vector operands in desired locations of a register prior to performing vector operation, for example, a cross product. The permute instructions may be dependent on one another and may require the use of temporary registers. Embodiments of the invention provide a permute instruction wherein a mask field may be used to specify a particular location of a target register in which to transfer data, thereby reducing the number of instructions for arranging data, reducing dependencies between instructions, and the usage of temporary registers.
US09495723B2 Scale-up techniques for multi-GPU passthrough
A device for processing graphics data includes a plurality of graphics processing units. Each graphics processing unit may correspond to a virtualized operating system. Each graphics processing unit may include a configuration register indicating a 3D class code and a command register indicating that I/O cycle decoding is disabled. The device may be configured to transmit a configuration register value to a virtualized operating system indicating a VGA-compatible class code. The device may be configured to transmit a command register value to the virtualized operating system that indicates that I/O cycle decoding is enabled. In this manner, legacy bus architecture of the device may not limit the number of graphics processing units deployed in the device.
US09495714B2 Implementing menu pages in a social networking system
A social networking system can generate or utilize a social menu in a social network page. The social menu can be generated based on a crowd-sourced user interaction, an external database of business offerings, an administrator interface of the social network page, or any combination thereof. A user interaction of one user account with a menu item of a social menu can be presented to another user account. A user account can select the menu item by querying the social networking system for creating a reference link to the menu item.
US09495708B2 Systems and methods for managing electronic interactive gaming-based investments
The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating investments through interactive online gaming. In one embodiment, an interactive electronic gaming system includes a game server for hosting a Web application game, accessible over a data network. One or more client communication devices are configured to access the game server. An index fund server is accessible over said data network for maintaining electronic investment portfolios. The game server is configured to intercept any electronic payment transactions over a payment gateway server through the Web application game from one or more client devices and redirect the intercepted transaction to the index fund server.
US09495705B2 Process of and system for facilitating cash collections deposits and deposit tracking
A process of facilitating cash collection deposits and deposit tracking includes identifying by a retailer an amount of cash collected by that retailer, including respective amounts of currency by denomination of the collected cash, creating a deposit ticket containing at least a unique identification code associated therewith, depositing the created deposit ticket and the collected cash into a deposit bag, transporting the deposit bag to a cash processing facility, and counting at the cash processing facility the collected cash contained in the transported deposit bag to verify that the amount previously identified by the retailer corresponds to the counted amount. Particularly additional novel features include at least the following: the manner in which the retailer identifies the amount of collected cash; the manner in which the deposit bag may be scheduled for pickup; providing advance credit to the retailer for the cash deposits during various stages of cash handling/processing; and the particular manner of tracking the status of each of the deposit bags of a retailer's multiple stores.
US09495704B2 System and method for managing educational institution borrower debt
A system is disclosed that makes it easy for educational institutions to contact and counsel student loan borrowers to promote successful loan repayment. The system is a web-based tool that automates borrower communication through telephone, letter and email campaigns, using loan information that is obtained through third-party loan servicers by the educational institution and then uploaded into the system. The self-service default prevention tool aggregates loan data form multiple sources in one place to perform borrower outreach, offers targeted communication campaigns to address borrowers in repayment, displays real-time estimated default rate trends, and provides on-demand reports. A dashboard is generated that provides a snapshot of the educational institution's entire portfolio, projected cohort default rates, trending analysis charts, important messages and a history of file imports.
US09495702B2 Dynamic auction monitor with graphic interpretive data change indicators
A method, system, and computer program product for updating an auction monitor display with highlighting or emphasis in the form of graphic data change indicators. The method commences by capturing a first set of auction variables, the auction variables pertaining to an ecommerce auction involving a plurality of auction participants in the ecommerce auction. Then, for ongoing real-time display, the method introduces a delay of a variable duration of time, the variable duration of time based on the length of time before the end of the auction. At various points within each delay period, the method captures a second set of auction variables which are compared to the first set of auction variables to identify a candidate set of changed auction variables for emphasis. The determination of the manner of emphasis is based on the changed auction variable and characteristics of the type of change of the changed auction variable.
US09495695B2 Reconciling detailed transaction feedback
Reconciling detailed transaction feedback by detecting a rating of a transaction, where the rating indicates a negative experience, mining the sentiment of words in feedback text that is included with or as part of the rating to detect whether the words indicate positive sentiment or negative sentiment, responsive to determining that the words in the feedback text indicate that the feedback text connotes a positive sentiment, adjusting the rating of the transaction. The mining may include testing words in the feedback text to detect whether the words indicate positive sentiment or negative sentiment by calculating a sentiment score.
US09495694B1 Product recommendations based on analysis of social experiences
A method for recommending products. The method may include receiving an identification element associated with an image or a visual code captured by a user. The method may include identifying a first item associated with the identification element, whereby the first item is a product or a service. The method may include identifying at least one of a tag and a keyword associated with the first item. The method may include identifying social media interactions within a social media network that reference at least one of the first item, the tag, and the keyword, whereby the social media network is associated with the user. The method may further include identifying a second item referenced in the social media interactions, whereby the second item is a product or a service. The method may also include determining a score for the second item based on an algorithm.
US09495692B2 Conversion and display of a user input
Described herein are methods and systems allowing a company to market and advertise its brands, products and/or services in a mobile platform by use of an application converting a user input into a corresponding branded icon, logo or image and displaying the same. The user input is in the form of a text entry from the device keyboard, e.g., a brand name or a generic search word, or a voice or sound input or audio demand from the device speaker. By providing various menu functions associated with the displayed icons, logos or images, the application combines mobile texting with online search or browsing to provide for a much simpler and more convenient mobile experience.
US09495682B2 Converged marketing architecture and related research and targeting methods utilizing such architectures
Disclosed herein are converged marketing architectures that may be utilized by retailers in conjunction with and/or independent of consumer loyalty programs in order to improve targeted marketing efforts. Such architectures enable participating retailers to constantly generate and compile consumer activity and preferences information from a plurality of in-store and out of store activities, including e-commerce web site activity, television viewing and recording activity, and retail location activity. In certain embodiments, retail location activity may be monitored by one or more of RFID tracking sub-systems, smart shopping cart sub-systems, and point-of-sale information sub-systems.
US09495669B2 Text-augmented interactive self-service terminal sessions
Various embodiments include text-augmented interactive self-service terminal sessions as may be implemented in whole or in part according to one or more of the systems, methods and software illustrated and described herein. One method embodiment includes an SST and a remote service representative terminal device. The remote service representative terminal device captures live audio and video to form a multimedia stream and performs speech-to-text processing against the audio to obtain text. The text is then added to the multimedia stream. In some embodiments, the multimedia stream is then provided over a network to the SST. The SST may then provide a view of audio and video of the multimedia stream along with a view of the text. The text in such embodiments is presented synchronously with the audio and video.
US09495664B2 Delivering electronic meeting content
A method, computer program product, and system for delivering content in an electronic meeting. An electronic meeting is associated with a calendar appointment. Content associated with the electronic meeting is identified. A portion of the content is provided to a computing device associated with a user based upon, at least in part, receiving an indication that the user intends to participate in the electronic meeting, wherein the indication is associated with the calendar appointment.
US09495660B2 Inferring social groups through patterns of communication
Software authenticates the user of a social networking service which maintains one or more lists of contacts associated with the user that can be used by the user to selectively share content. The software ascertains a proposed group of contacts from at least one of the lists. The user and members of the proposed group are related by a plurality of communications and the communications are associated with one or more attributes including at least one of geographic locations associated with the communication, time of communication, or medium of communication. The software presents the proposed group of contacts to the user, with a recommendation that the user create a new list of contacts associated with the user from the proposed group of contacts. The software creates the new list of contacts from the proposed group, if the user indicates acceptance of the recommendation.
US09495659B2 Apparatus, method, and a computer program for a form identification number
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to an apparatus and a method that are configured to receive a request to generate a form identification number for a particular form and generate a form identification number for the particular form in response to the request. The apparatus and method also configured to transmit a message comprising the form identification number to a form generator.
US09495651B2 Cohort manipulation and optimization
An approach is provided to visually depict cohort data to a user. The approach includes receiving a cohort display request (e.g., from a user, etc.). In response to the request, the approach retrieves a plurality of cohort data records, with each of the cohort data records corresponding to a cohort selected from a group of cohorts. In this approach, the group of cohorts represent similar computer systems. The approach displays a set of graphic user interface (GUI) controls on a display device, with each of the GUI controls corresponds to one of the retrieved cohort data records. A user selection is received that corresponds to a selected one of the GUI controls. The system responds by executing a cohort action on the cohort corresponding to the selected GUI control.
US09495648B1 Training a similar passage cognitive system using ground truth from a question answering cognitive system
A mechanism is provided in a data processing system comprising at least one processor and a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to train a similar passage cognitive system. The mechanism receives a question and answer key for a question answering cognitive system, the question and answer key comprising a list of question and answer specification pairs. Each question is a text string and each answer specification references one or more text passages from a corpus of information. The mechanism uses the question and answer key to generate a similar passage map for the similar passage cognitive system, the similar passage map comprising a list of text relation pairs. Each text relation pair comprises a sample input text component and a list comprising one or more sample output text components. The mechanism trains a similar passage machine learning model of the similar passage cognitive system using the similar passage map.
US09495645B2 Method and system of iteratively autotuning prediction parameters in a media content recommender
In one exemplary embodiment, a method of a computerized media-content recommender includes receiving a user-judgment score based on an historical user-listening data with respect to a media content. A first prediction score for a user with respect to the media content is calculated with a media-content recommender. The media-content recommender includes a first set of prediction parameters. A first prediction error including a difference between the user-judgment score and the first prediction score is determined. At least one parameter value of the first set of prediction parameters is modified with a machine-learning optimization technique to generate a second set of prediction parameters. A second prediction score for the user with respect to the media content is calculated with a media-content recommender. A second prediction error including a difference between the user-judgment score and the second prediction score is calculated.
US09495640B1 Inferring application type based on input-output characteristics of application storage resources
Operational characteristic I/O patterns of each storage volume of a storage volume group, and at least one operational characteristic of each storage volume associated with an application, are determined. Unsupervised learning is used to form clusters of storage volumes of similar characteristics. Labels are generated, assigned, and aggregated for each characteristic of each storage volume. Templates are received that includes labels of storage volume characteristics of known application types. An application type associated with the storage volume group is inferred, based on a best-fit match of the aggregate labels of the storage volumes of the storage volume group to the labels included in the templates of storage volume characteristics of known application types.
US09495639B2 Determining document classification probabilistically through classification rule analysis
A classification application identifies patterns and evidences within representative documents. The application constructs a classification rule according to an entity and an affinity determined from the patterns and evidences. The application processes the representative documents with the classification rule to evaluate whether the rules meet acceptance requirements. Subsequent to a successful evaluation, the application identifies confidence levels for patterns and evidences within other documents.
US09495637B2 System and method for annotating and ranking reviews with inferred analytics
The present invention is directed towards methods and computer readable media for annotating and ranking user reviews on social review systems with inferred analytics. A reference framework is provided by creating context according to previous activity, bias, or background information of a given reviewer. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a first query identifying a given content item, generating a collection of content items based on one or more identical objective attributes associated with the given content item, identifying one or more subjective attributes associated with a given item in the collection of items, and providing a reference framework to interpret the subjective attributes associated with each item in the collection.
US09495636B2 Determining a threat level for one or more individuals
A system and computer-implemented method for determining a threat level for one or more individuals includes accessing a data structure to obtain aggregated data stored therein, wherein the aggregated data comprises at least one of communication history data or transaction history data for one or more individuals. One or more predetermined metrics are applied to the obtained aggregated data, to determine threat level information for the one or more individuals. The determined threat level information is provided for display.
US09495619B2 Systems and methods for image object recognition based on location information and object categories
Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can identify a set of regions corresponding to a geographical area. A collection of training images can be acquired. Each training image in the collection can be associated with one or more respective recognized objects and with a respective region in the set of regions. Histogram metrics for a plurality of object categories within each region in the set of regions can be determined based at least in part on the collection of training images. A neural network can be developed based at least in part on the histogram metrics for the plurality of object categories within each region in the set of regions and on the collection of training images.
US09495614B1 Verifying labels for images using image recognition
Implementations relate to verifying labels for images using image recognition. In some implementations, a method includes obtaining an image associated with location information, obtaining one or more descriptor labels associated with the location information, determining one or more recognized image features depicted in the image, comparing the recognized image features with the descriptor labels, and determining one or more verified labels from the one or more descriptor labels. The verified labels are determined to describe at least one of the one or more recognized image features depicted in the image based on the comparing of the recognized image features with the descriptor labels.
US09495610B2 Technique for presuming positions of organs
An apparatus for presuming positions of organs is configured to transform plural organs included in a template that is a model including the plural organs so as to match a predetermined target organ among the plural organs in the template to a corresponding organ in volume data; and perform a first processing and a second processing a predetermined number of times. The first processing includes transforming a first organ selected among the plural organs in the template according to a corresponding first organ in the volume data, and the second processing includes transforming, for each of second organs that are predetermined organs, which are influenced by transformation of the first organ, the second organ according to transformation performed for third organs that are predetermined organs, which influence the second organ in the template.
US09495604B1 Intelligent management of computerized advanced processing
Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically managing how and when computerized advanced processing techniques (for example, CAD and/or other image processing) are used. In some embodiments, the systems and methods discussed herein allow users, such as radiologists, to efficiently interact with a wide variety of computerized advanced processing (“CAP”) techniques using computing devices ranging from picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”) workstations to handheld devices such as smartphone and tablets. Furthermore, the systems and methods may, in various embodiments, automatically manage how data associated with these CAP techniques (for example, results of application of one or more computerized advanced processing techniques) are used, such as how data associated with the computerized analyzes is reported, whether comparisons to prior abnormalities should be automatically initiated, whether the radiologist should be alerted of important findings, and the like.
US09495603B2 Method for determining whether a vehicle can pass through an object by means of a 3-D camera
A method and a device determine whether a vehicle can pass through a passage of an object, based on image data from a 3-D camera, which records an image of surroundings of the vehicle. A trajectory of the vehicle is ascertained. From the image data, it is determined whether an object located above the trajectory is recognized and whether the object has at least one connection to the ground. The dimensions and the shape of an entry area or a passage space between the object and the roadway, through which the vehicle is to pass, are determined from the image data. By comparing the dimensions and shape of the entry area or the passage space with the dimensions and shape of the vehicle, it is determined whether and how the vehicle can pass through the entry area or passage space.
US09495601B2 Detecting and reporting improper activity involving a vehicle
Disclosed are various embodiments for detecting and reporting improper activity, such a traffic violation. In one embodiment, a computing device receives multiple image frames from a client device. The computing device detects that a vehicle shown in at least one of the image frames is in violation of a rule. The computing device generates an evidence package based on at least one of the image frames. The computing device transmits the evidence to an evidence review device for review by an enforcement individual.
US09495600B2 People detection apparatus and method and people counting apparatus and method
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a people counting apparatus including: a reception unit which receives a video of an area including an entrance captured by a video capture device; a line setting unit which sets an inline at the entrance and sets an outline such that a specific region is formed on a side of the inline; a detection unit which detects moving objects in the video using information differences between frames of the received video and detects human moving objects among the detected moving objects; a tracking unit which tracks the movement of each of the detected moving objects; and a counting unit which determines whether each of the moving objects passed the inline and the outline based on the tracked movement of each of the moving objects and counts the number of people based on the determination result.
US09495598B2 Advertisement detection system and method based on fingerprints
An advertisement detection system based on fingerprints, including a content stream storage unit storing broadcast content in real time, a section selection unit selecting a reference section and a test section from broadcast content stored by the storage unit, a fingerprint extraction unit extracting fingerprints from the reference section and test section selected by the selection unit, a fingerprint matching unit comparing fingerprints from the test section and reference section, extracted by the extraction unit, with each other and then performing matching between the fingerprints, an advertisement section determination unit determining advertisement segments from the test section based on results of the matching performed by the matching unit, an advertisement DB management unit storing segment information about the advertisement segments determined by the determination unit in an advertisement DB and managing the DB, and a section update unit changing the reference section and test section selected by the selection unit.
US09495587B2 Document unbending and recoloring systems and methods
According to one aspect, a system for processing a document image is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes an edge-detection unit configured to identify an edge of a document from a document image. The system also includes a keystone-correction unit and a flattening unit. The keystone-correction unit is configured to correct keystone distortion in the document image. The flattening unit is configured to flatten content of the document in the document image.
US09495584B1 System and method for facial recognition using images captured from a target illuminated with infrared light
Various implementations of the invention perform facial recognition on a target image compared against a color image from an image gallery, where the target image was acquired by an infrared-sensitive camera of a target that was illuminated with infrared light. According to various implementations of the invention, a blue component and a green component of the pixels in the color image are suppressed or eliminated, and facial recognition is performed between the target image and the color-suppressed image.
US09495580B2 Face recognition apparatus and method using plural face images
A face recognition apparatus and method using plural face images includes detecting a reference face image from an image input for registration in advance, calculating plural face feature information from a frontal face image if the detected reference face image includes the frontal face image, generating plural compared face images using the calculated plural face feature information, and determining whether the input face image matches the generated plural compared face images by comparing the input face image with the plural compared face images. Face images having diverse points of view are generated through single user registration, and thus the face recognition ratio can be heightened.
US09495578B2 Face detection device, imaging apparatus and face detection method
A face detection device for detecting the face of a person in an input image may include the following elements: a face detection circuit including a hardware circuit configured to detect a face in an input image; a signal processing circuit configured to perform signal processing based on an input image signal in accordance with a rewritable program including a face detection program for detecting a face in an input image; and a controller configured to allow the face detection circuit and the signal processing circuit to perform face detection on an image of a frame or on respective images of adjacent frames among consecutive frames, and to control face detection by the signal processing circuit on the basis of a face detection result obtained by the face detection circuit.
US09495575B2 Ring-type mobile terminal
A ring-type terminal including a main body configured to be placed on and surround a user's finger and including an insertion region in which the finger is inserted; a fingerprint sensor provided on at least one region of an inner circumferential surface of the main body and configured to recognize a fingerprint of the finger; a guide module provided on the inner circumferential surface such that the finger comes in contact with the fingerprint sensing module while the finger is inserted in the insertion region; and a controller configured to execute a function based on the fingerprint sensed by the fingerprint sensing module.
US09495574B2 Stack barcode reader and stack barcode reading method
A stack barcode reader may include an imager configured to image the stack barcode; an image memory configured to store an image datum of the stack barcode; and a data processor including a decoder configured to decode an encoded information expressed as the stack barcode, on the basis of the image datum. The decoder may be configured to measure width of a bar and a space of the stack barcode; measure a T-sequence, being a sequence of numerical values, according to line width of a bar and a space of the stack barcode; obtain a code-word corresponding to the T-sequence; and compare a cluster value obtained from the T-sequence with a theoretical cluster value, and modify the T-sequence by using the theoretical cluster value and the conversion table of T-sequence/code-word if there appears a difference between the two cluster values.
US09495568B2 Integrated timing system and method having a highly portable RFID tag reader with GPS location determination
A system and method for determining a time of an event participant passing a detection point having a participant identifier number by a proximity detector at a detection point, a highly portable device with a transceiver and a location detector for selectively receiving a participant number read, and determining a location of the portable device, and a timing system having the geographic location of the proximity detector, receiving the geographic location of the handheld device, the handheld read participant number and a handheld determined time, determining that the timing system has not received a usable tag read time from the proximity detector and determining a time of passing of the participant by the detection point by determining a delta time between the proximity detector and the handheld device and an adjusted time of participant passing based on the determined delta time and handheld determined time.
US09495567B2 Use of a tag and reader antenna for a simulated theremin effect
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for providing an audible feedback based on a proximity or a link quality between an external reader and a tag. The external reader transmits power to the tag with a radio frequency electromagnetic signal. The tag may rectify the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and create a rectified voltage. This rectified voltage may be used to power various components of the tag. Once it receives power from the reader, the tag may communicate information back to the external reader. The information communicated back to the reader is communicated by modulating an antenna impedance of the tag. By modulating the impedance, the tag will backscatter radiation transmitted by the reader. The reader is able to create an audio output based on determining the proximity or link quality from the reader to the tag based on the backscatter radiation it receives from the tag.
US09495563B2 Analog integrator system and method
Systems and methods are disclosed to integrate signals. Some embodiments include an integrator comprising an active input; a passive input; a first integrator having a first integrator input and a first integrator output; a second integrator having a second integrator input and a second integrator output; a first plurality of switches coupled with the first integrator input, the second integrator input, the active input, and the passive input; a second plurality of switches coupled with the first integrator output and the second integrator output; and a controller. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the first plurality of switches to switch the active input between the first integrator input and the second integrator input, and control the operation of the first plurality of switches to switch the passive input between the first integrator input and the second integrator input.
US09495555B2 Client computer for querying a database stored on a server via a network
The invention relates to a client computer for querying a database stored on a server via a network, the server-being coupled to the client computer via the network, wherein the database comprises a set of first relations, wherein each first relation in the set of the first relations comprises first data items, wherein for each first relation the first data items are encrypted with a respective first cryptographic key in the first relation, wherein the first data items form a partially ordered set in each first relation, in each first relation the partial order being formed with respect to the first data items of said first relation in non-encrypted form.
US09495553B2 Providing path-level access control for structured documents stored in a database
An improved method and system for providing path-level access control to a structured document in a collection stored in a database, where the structured document includes a plurality of nodes is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing an access control policy for the collection, where the access control policy comprises a plurality of access control rules, generating a path for each node of the plurality of nodes in the document, and generating for each path associated with a node a corresponding value expression based on at least one access control rule of the plurality of access control rules. According to the method and system of the present invention, the corresponding value expression is utilized during access control evaluation to determine whether a user is allowed to access a node in the structured document.
US09495552B2 Integrated data deduplication and encryption
The subject disclosure is directed towards encryption and deduplication integration between computing devices and a network resource. Files are partitioned into data blocks and deduplicated via removal of duplicate data blocks. Using multiple cryptographic keys, each data block is encrypted and stored at the network resource but can only be decrypted by an authorized user, such as domain entity having an appropriate deduplication domain-based cryptographic key. Another cryptographic key referred to as a content-derived cryptographic key ensures that duplicate data blocks encrypt to substantially equivalent encrypted data.
US09495551B1 Sharing digital libraries
In some implementations, a first user associated with a first user account may send a request to exchange digital libraries with a second user associated with a second user account. Upon acceptance, the second user receives first library information associated with the first user account that identifies content items that may be accessed by the second user due to the exchange. Similarly, the first user receives second library information associated with the second user account that identifies second content items that may be accessed by the first user. In other examples, a user may access the digital library of a selected person or entity, such as a historical figure, celebrity, author, friend, or organization. Additionally, in some cases, a user may view content of a content item that a selected person is currently reading, and which may include annotations made to the content item by the selected person.
US09495550B2 System and method for sharing of data securely between electronic devices
A system for securely sharing data and conducting transactions in an electronic environment. The system may include a personal information device having a processor, memory and biometric sensor. Personal data is stored in the memory of the personal information device. The personal information device may be registered with a centralized system. Data stored on the personal information device may be uploaded to an access device upon verification of a user's identity using a biometric recognition technique.
US09495544B2 Secure data transmission and verification with untrusted computing devices
Techniques from the proposed invention relate to providing enhanced security. For example, techniques described herein allow a computer system, such as a mobile device, to support a wide variety of security functions and security sensitive applications on a mobile device by providing enhanced security via secure input and output data transmission and verification through a secure module. The secure module may cause user interfaces to be provided to users by providing obfuscated user interface data to the operating system that do not reveal elements that are part of the user interfaces. The secure module may receive obfuscated user input values representing user input values, and de-obfuscate these user input values, whereby the actual input values are not exposed to the underlying operating system. The secure module may track the flow of user input/output data through the computing device to ensure the integrity and authenticity of this data.
US09495543B2 Method and apparatus providing privacy benchmarking for mobile application development
A method operates, during development of an application program intended to be run on a mobile user device, to perform a computer assisted analysis of the application program to determine at least one user privacy-related aspect of the application program; and to present the determined at least one user privacy-related aspect. The determined at least one user privacy-related aspect may be presented to a developer of the application program. An apparatus and system for performing the method are also disclosed.
US09495542B2 Software inspection system
A method for software inspection analyzes a body of computer code to assess whether the body of computer code contains malware. Various embodiments extract the executable elements of the body of computer code and modify those elements using rules defining the format of instructions for the programming language in which the computer code was written, and using rules defined from the security specification of that programming language, to produce a model of the body of computer code. The method then analyzes the model using a model checking system, which determines whether any of the language rules have been violated, in which case the method flags the computer code as potentially including malware.
US09495541B2 Detecting return-oriented programming payloads by evaluating data for a gadget address space address and determining whether operations associated with instructions beginning at the address indicate a return-oriented programming payload
Systems, methods, and media for detecting the presence of return-oriented programming (ROP) payloads are provided, comprising; identifying a potential gadget address space; determining if a piece of the data corresponds to an address of the potential gadget address space; and in response to determining that the piece of the data corresponds to an address of the potential gadget address space: determining whether a plurality of operations, each associated one of a plurality instructions beginning at the address, indicates that an ROP payload is present in the data, and indicating that an ROP payload is present in the data in response to making a determination that a plurality of operations indicates that an ROP payload is present in the data a given number of times.
US09495538B2 Graduated enforcement of restrictions according to an application's reputation
Security software on a client observes a request for a resource from an application on the client and then determines the application's reputation. The application's reputation may be measured by a reputation score obtained from a remote reputation server. The security software determines an access policy from a graduated set of possible access policies for the application based on the application's reputation. The security software applies the access policy to the application's request for the resource. In this way, the reputation-based system uses a graduated trust scale and a policy enforcement mechanism that restricts or grants application functionality for resource interactivity along a graduated scale.
US09495536B2 Method and apparatus for determining input
A method and apparatus for determining an input are provided. The method includes authenticating an external device, when the external device approaches in a predetermined range; determining an area approached by the external device and determining whether the determined area is valid; and outputting a predetermined indication to a predetermined area related to the area approached by the external device.
US09495532B1 Image based tile puzzle CAPTCHA system
This invention is an image-based CAPTCHA system that relies on human users changing location and orientation of multiple partial fragments of complete images. The underlying source images represent objects, symbols, concepts or text recognizable by a human user. Such source images are fragmented by the system into a group of image fragments, with selected portions of resulting fragments being omitted and optionally distorted in order to prevent automated assembly of the resulting group of fragments into a representation of the source image by simple means of boundary inspection. Once the user arranges the fragment tiles into the orientation that they believe represents the original image and submits their answer to the system, the user's answer is evaluated to determine whether the challenge posed by the system was passed successfully.
US09495523B2 Projector and control method for projector
A projector can be connected in cascade to another projector. Either a first mode for the projector to operate as a leading projector in the cascade connection or a second mode for the projector to operate as a second or subsequent projector in the cascade connection is set. The projector is made available for use based on success of authentication by an authentication unit or on reception of use permission information of the projector by a receiving unit.
US09495521B2 System self integrity and health validation for policy enforcement
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for enforcing system self integrity validation policies. The method includes accessing, by a policy enforcer, a plurality of policies configured to enforce system integrity, monitoring system performance to determine actions executed by the system, and based on at least one of the plurality of policies, comparing the system performance with system performance required by the at least one or the plurality of policies. The method further includes, based on the comparison, determining that the system has performed in a manner contrary to the requirements of the at least one policy, and in response, prohibiting access of the system to services provided by a service provider.
US09495520B2 System and method for preventing observation of password entry using face detection
A method of preventing observation of password entry on an electronic device is provided. The electronic device has a processor coupled to a camera, a display, and a memory. The method comprises activating the camera to acquire an image when the electronic device is in a password entry mode; detecting one or more faces present in the image; and presenting a warning when more than one face is present in the image.
US09495519B2 Communications security management
Implementing communications security includes creating levels of permissions for association with inbound communications. The levels of permissions are indicative of components of the communications enabled for transmission to a recipient computer. The communications security also includes creating conditions upon which currently-assigned levels of permissions are adjustable to a next level of the levels of permissions. In response to identifying an inbound communication received from a sender, the communications security evaluates content of the inbound communication, determines a trust value for the inbound communication responsive to the evaluating, applies the conditions to the inbound communication and the sender, determines an assignment of one of the levels of permissions for the inbound communication in response to applying the conditions, and transmits the inbound communication to the recipient computer, including any components enabled for transmission, based on the assignment of the level of permissions.
US09495508B2 System and apparatus for feeding, solubilizing, growing and discharging a biological material
Apparatus useful for feeding a particulate starter material comprising nutrient and bacteria to a mixing tank, for solubilizing the starter material inside the mixing tank, for promoting growth of the bacteria and for discharging an aqueous slurry comprising the bacteria from the mixing tank. The apparatus preferably has a gravity-flow feeder and discharge port, does not require a pump, and comprises disposable parts.
US09495504B2 Using traces of original model to verify a modified model
Method, apparatus and product for using traces of an original model to verify a modified model. The method comprising obtaining a trace exemplifying a checker failing in a model; obtaining a modified model, wherein the modified model is a modified version of the model which was modified in an attempt to resolve the checker failing in the model; re-simulating the trace in the modified model to generate a second trace, wherein said re-simulating is performed by a processor; comparing the trace and the second trace to identify a common prefix, wherein the common prefix ends immediately before a cycle in which a state according to the trace is different than a state according to the second trace; and guiding verification of the modified model using values derived from the common prefix.
US09495500B2 Method of making stacked chip layout
A method of making a stacked chip layout includes placing a first active circuit block over a central processing chip having a first area, the first active circuit block having a second area less than the first area. The method further includes placing a second active circuit block over the first active circuit block, the second active circuit block having a third area less than the first area, wherein the second active circuit block partially overlaps the first active circuit block and exposes a portion of the first active circuit block. The method further includes placing a third active circuit block over the second active circuit block wherein the third active circuit block partially overlaps at least one of the first active circuit block or the second active circuit block, and the third active circuit block exposes at least a portion of the first and second active circuit blocks.
US09495497B1 Dynamic voltage frequency scaling
A method, system, and computer program product to perform dynamic voltage frequency scaling of an integrated circuit include performing statistical timing analysis using a canonical form of a clock, the canonical form of the clock being a function of variability in voltage. Obtaining a canonical model expressing timing slack at each test location of the integrated circuit is as a function of one or more sources of variability, one of the one or more sources of variability being voltage, and performing the dynamic voltage-frequency scaling based on selecting at least one of a clock period and the voltage using the canonical model.
US09495496B2 Non-invasive insertion of logic functions into a register-transfer level (‘RTL’) design
A method of non-invasive insertion of logic functions into a register-transfer level (RTL) design, including: selecting a logic function to insert into a RTL design; identifying each hierarchical level executing at least a portion of the logic function; identifying a highest hierarchical level amongst hierarchical levels having each hierarchical level executing at least a portion of the logic function; and inserting all connections necessary to execute the logic function into a hardware description representation of the highest hierarchical level, without modifying a hardware description representation of any other hierarchical levels.
US09495487B2 Iterative inversion of data from simultaneous geophysical sources
Method for reducing the time needed to perform geophysical inversion by using simultaneous encoded sources in the simulation steps of the inversion process. The geophysical survey data are prepared by encoding (3) a group of source gathers (1), using for each gather a different encoding signature selected from a set (2) of non-equivalent encoding signatures. Then, the encoded gathers are summed (4) by summing all traces corresponding to the same receiver from each gather, resulting in a simultaneous encoded gather. (Alternatively, the geophysical data are acquired from simultaneously encoded sources.) The simulation steps needed for inversion are then calculated using a particular assumed velocity (or other physical property) model (5) and simultaneously activated encoded sources using the same encoding scheme used on the measured data. The result is an updated physical properties model (6) that may be further updated (7) by additional iterations.
US09495485B2 Information processing device, information processing method, computer readable storage medium storing information processing program, thickness area setting device, thickness area setting method, and computer readable storage medium storing thickness area setting program
An information processing device includes target object information obtaining unit configured to obtain target object information indicating a position and an area of a target object in a virtual space, surface information obtaining unit configured to obtain surface information indicating a position and an area of a thickness area that is defined by a surface in the virtual space and a predetermined thickness imparted to the surface, and collision determining unit configured to carry out collision determination, based on the target object information and the surface information, so as to determine whether the target object has collided against the surface.
US09495484B2 Nesting using rigid body simulation
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for nesting objects in 2D sheets and 3D volumes. In one embodiment, a nesting application simplifies the shapes of parts and performs a rigid body simulation of the parts dropping into a 2D sheet or 3D volume. In the rigid body simulation, parts begin from random initial positions on one or more sides and drop under the force of gravity into the 2D sheet or 3D volume until coming into contact with another part, a boundary, or the origin of the gravity. The parts may be dropped according to a particular order, such as alternating large and small parts. Further, the simulation may be translation- and/or position-only, meaning the parts do not rotate and/or do not have momentum, respectively. Tighter packing may be achieved by incorporating user inputs and simulating jittering of the parts using random forces.
US09495483B2 Automated Systems for manufacturing patient-specific orthopedic implants and instrumentation
Disclosed herein are devices, systems and methods for the automated design and manufacture of patient-specific/patient-matched orthopedic implants. While the embodiments described herein specifically pertain to unicompartmental resurfacing implants for the knee, the principles described are applicable to other types of knee implants (including, without limitation, other resurfacing implants and joint replacement implants) as well as implants for other joints and other patient-specific orthopedic applications.
US09495481B2 Providing answers to questions including assembling answers from multiple document segments
A method, system and computer program product for generating answers to questions. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an input query, identifying a plurality of candidate answers to the query; and for at least one of these candidate answers, identifying at least one proof of the answer. This proof includes a series of premises, and a multitude of documents are identified that include references to the premises. A set of these documents is selected that include references to all of the premises. This set of documents is used to generate one or more scores for the one of the candidate answers. A defined procedure is applied to the candidate answers to determine a ranking for the answers, and this includes using the one or more scores for the at least one of the candidate answers in the defined procedure to determine the ranking for this one candidate answer.
US09495480B2 Compact focused search interface
A graphical user interface for searching information related to business objects includes a search interface having one or more user input fields for receiving data from a user related to one or more attributes associated with business objects. The search interface presents the one or more user input fields in response to a user context. A first tab displays information related to a set of business objects in response to a search based on the data provided to the one or more user input fields. A second tab displays information related to a business object in the set of business objects.
US09495476B2 Panoptic visualization of an illustrated parts catalog
An apparatus is provided for panoptic visualization of an illustrated parts catalog (IPC). The system includes a layout engine configured to generate a layout of pages of an IPC for a complex system, panoptically arranged in a manner that reflects logical relationships between the pages, which may in turn reflect relationships between the elements of the complex system. These logical relationships may be established by links between pages, which may be identified by information provided in associated metadata for the pages. This type of arrangement may enable a user to see the content in a single view, and in an arrangement that facilitates a better understanding of the relationships between the pages and elements they depict, which may be otherwise technically complex. This may in turn ease the difficulty and time required to search and/or navigate even the most massive amounts of information contained in some IPCs.
US09495472B1 Systems and methods for newsroom management with electronic-publish-point integration
Presently described are systems and methods for newsroom management with electronic-publish-point integration. One example embodiment takes the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a set of steps to be carried out for submitting content to an electronic publish point. The set of steps includes providing a newsroom script to a user via a user interface; receiving a selected portion of an on-air text portion of the newsroom script from the user via the user interface; and retrieving, from a media database, media associated with the newsroom script. The set of steps further includes submitting content to the publish point, wherein the content includes text associated with the selected portion of the on-air text portion, and wherein the content further includes the retrieved media.
US09495467B2 System and method for managing news headlines
Systems and methods are provided related to a news-editing environment that may facilitate expedited editing, creation, and dispatching of news headlines. Articles are acquired from a plurality of information sources, preprocessed, and then queued for creation of a headline by one or more editors. Metadata may also be associated with an article, a headline, or both. Once a headline has been composed, the editor dispatches it, and the headline may subsequently be send to one or more consumers.
US09495465B2 System and method for providing the identification of geographically closest article dispensing machines
A system and method of searching for physical media articles available from article dispensing machines within a geographic proximity is provided. Searching may include matching keywords in search criteria or using predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of media content. The method includes receiving a search request including search criteria, and searching the metadata database for a physical media article matching the search criteria. The method also includes determining the availability of the matching media article at an article dispensing machine. The geographic location of article dispensing machines with available matching media articles is determined, based on personally identifying information such as an IP or MAC address. The geographic location may be limited by a proximity from an audio/visual display interface. A search result set with the matching media articles is provided, based on their availabilities.
US09495458B2 Method and apparatus for generating a web page
A method, apparatus and computer readable medium generate a webpage using keywords identified from user input and user email communications. The keywords are identified, ranked, and transmitted to a server where a search engine uses one or more of the keywords to identify items of interest such as articles or videos. A web page is generated using selected items of interest or links to the items of interest which may then be displayed to a user as the user's homepage.
US09495454B2 User apparatus, system and method for dynamically reclassifying and retrieving target information object
A system, method and user apparatus dynamically reclassify and retrieve target information object(s) among multiple information objects stored on a memory. Multiple attribute classifiers are corresponsive to the information objects. Displayable dynamical reclassifying hints (DRHs) are provided according to user input signal(s). When a first attribute classifier is determined by a central processing unit according to the user input signal, second attribute classifier(s) is determined and combined with one of the attribute classifiers together visibly on a display unit; wherein the second attribute classifier and the combined one of attribute classifier corresponds to same one(s) of the information objects. The DRH(s) combines the attribute classifiers with the same search results together, so as to eliminate possible repeated steps or processes that lead to the same search result(s), and also to reduce the remained selectable attribute classifiers and the following steps to retrieve the target information objects.
US09495450B2 Audio animation methods and apparatus utilizing a probability criterion for frame transitions
According to some aspects, a method of providing an interactive audio presentation, at least in part, by traversing a plurality of audio animations, each audio animation comprising a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames comprising a duration, at least one audio element, and at least one gate indicating criteria for transitioning to and identification of a subsequent frame according to one or more probabilities, and/or a subsequent animation is provided. The method comprises rendering a first audio animation, receiving input from the user associated with the presentation, selecting a second audio animation based, at least in part, on the input, and rendering the second audio animation. Some aspects include a system for performing the above method and some aspects include a computer readable medium storing instructions that perform the above method when executed by at least one processor.
US09495435B2 System and method for intelligent database backup
Systems and methods are provided for backing up database storage. A protection policy for database storage is activated at a remote host, wherein the database storage is not physically accessible by the computing device, such that the out-of-band storage is not in communication with the remote host through the computing device. A backup request is transmitted to the remote host comprising data indicative of a volume on the database storage to back up according to the protection policy. A response to the backup request is received comprising staging disk requirements including a required size for a staging disk. A staging disk is determined based on the response. The staging disk is presented to the remote host so that the remote host can perform a backup of the volume to the staging disk using a database backup tool provided by a vendor of the database storage.
US09495431B2 Multi-instance redo apply
A method, apparatus, and system for multi-instance redo apply is provided for standby databases. A multi-instance primary database generates a plurality of redo records, which are received and applied by a physical standby running a multi-instance standby database. Each standby instance runs a set of processes that utilize non-blocking, single-task threads for high parallelism. At each standby instance for the multi-instance redo, the plurality of redo records are merged into a stream from one or more redo strands in logical time order, distributed to standby instances according to determined apply slave processes using an intelligent workload distribution function, reemerged after receiving updates from remote instances, and applied in logical time order by the apply slave processes. Redo apply progress is tracked at each instance locally and also globally, allowing a consistent query logical time to be maintained and published to service database read query requests concurrently with the redo apply.
US09495426B2 Techniques for interactive decision trees
Techniques for providing interactive decision trees are included. For example, a system is provided that stores data related to a decision tree, wherein the data includes one or more data structures and one or more portions of code. The system receives input corresponding to an interaction request associated with a modification to the decision tree. The system determines whether the modification requires multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system generates an application layer modified decision tree when the generating requires no multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system facilitates server layer modification of the decision tree when the modification requires multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system generates a representation of the application layer modified decision tree or the server layer modified decision tree.
US09495423B2 Prefetching RDF triple data
Query requests for RDF triples are obtained, wherein the query request(s) contain(s) at least one triple pattern; for each triple pattern, the corresponding elementary pattern is determined, and each triple pattern is converted to a weighted elementary pattern. The occurrence frequency of each elementary pattern is computed based on the weighted elementary patterns; at least one elementary pattern is chosen at least according to the occurrence frequency; and the RDF triples corresponding to the chosen at least elementary pattern are prefetched into the buffer. The corresponding apparatus is also provided. With the above method and apparatus, the frequently accessed RDF triples can be determined and prefetched into the buffer, which improves the query efficiency.
US09495420B2 Distributed feature collection and correlation engine
A distributed feature collection and correlation engine is provided, Feature extraction comprises obtaining one or more data records; extracting information from the one or more data records based on domain knowledge; transforming the extracted information into a key/value pair comprised of a key K and a value V, wherein the key comprises a feature identifier; and storing the key/value pair in a feature store database if the key/value pair does not already exist in the feature store database using a de-duplication mechanism. Features extracted from data records can be queried by obtaining a feature store database comprised of the extracted features stored as a key/value pair comprised of a key K and a value V, wherein the key comprises a feature identifier; receiving a query comprised of at least one query key; retrieving values from the feature store database that match the query key; and returning one or more retrieved key/value pairs.
US09495415B2 Method and system for searching for content in a user device
A system and method for searching for content in a user device includes a receiver receiving a plurality of data objects. The user device includes a search module comprising a parsing module parsing search data from the plurality of data objects and a memory interface module storing search data within a memory of the user device. The search module comprises a search performance module searching the search data in response to a search query. The search module comprises a search results module generating search results from the search data. The user device is associated with a display that displays the search results.
US09495414B2 Cluster computation using random subsets of variables
A computing device to compute clusters using random subsets of variables is provided. Each data point of a plurality of data points is associated with a variable to define a plurality of variables. A subset of the plurality of variables is randomly selected. The subset does not include all of the plurality of variables. A number of clusters into which to segment the received data is determined. Cluster data that defines each cluster of the determined number of clusters is determined by executing a clustering algorithm with the received data using only the plurality of data points defined for each observation that are associated with the randomly selected subset of the plurality of variables. The determined cluster data is stored to cluster second data into the determined number of clusters. The second data is different from the received data.
US09495413B2 Systems and methods for accessing data from a database
Systems and methods for accessing data from a database are provided. A user selection of a database object may be received. One or more input fields for obtaining user input associated with the selected database object may be dynamically generated and presented to the user. User input associated with the selected database object may be received via the one or more generated input fields. A database query may then be generated utilizing the received user input, and the database may be queried utilizing the constructed database query.
US09495412B1 Technical electronic discovery action model
Embodiments of the present invention provide for an end-to-end system and method for identifying custodians, preserving, collecting, processing, reviewing, analyzing, producing, presenting, and dispositioning data responsive to a legal discovery request.
US09495411B2 Increased parallelism performance of batch requests
A system selectively dequeues journal requests instead of dequeuing on a first come, first served basis. A database system detects that a request for access from a client is a journal batch, which includes multiple journal requests. The system queues the journal batch in a queue with other journal batches for processing. The system selectively dequeues journal requests from the journal batch queue, including selecting at least one journal request from multiple different journal batches. Thus, the journal requests do not conflict for shared resources, and the system can improve parallelism in processing the journal batches.
US09495409B1 Techniques for performing data validation
Described are techniques for processing a request from a client for performing an operation that is received by a business logic provider. First processing is performed by the business logic provider to process the request that includes communicating with other providers for information in connection with the request, performing validation processing using the information obtained from the other providers to determine whether one or more restrictions are violated, each of said one or more restrictions identifying a required state of one or more objects for performing an operation of the request, determining whether any restrictions are violated, and performing one or more actions responsive to determining that any restrictions are violated.
US09495408B2 Maintaining a data structure with data set names and pointers to a plurality of catalogs
A plurality of catalogs are maintained, and wherein each catalog of the plurality of catalogs includes data sets and attributes of the data sets. An indication that a new data set is to be defined is received. A selected catalog is determined from the plurality of catalogs, wherein the selected catalog is suitable for including the new data set and attributes of the new data set. An entry that indicates a data set name corresponding to the new data set and an index to the selected catalog is inserted in a group table.
US09495407B2 Embedded change logging for data synchronization
Embodiments of the present invention provide for synchronization client coordination with a change log service (CLS). In an embodiment of the invention, a change tracking thread on a synchronization client provided as part of a pervasive device is initiated. A synchronization message is sent to the CLS upon detecting a change to data. Synchronization is performed and upon completing synchronization, a synchronization stop message is sent to the CLS. Upon sending the synchronization stop message to the CLS, the change tracking thread on the synchronization client is stopped.
US09495403B2 Method and system for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system
Systems and methods are provided for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system. A system receives a plurality of records from an on-demand system. The system identifies a record from the plurality of records that matches a stored record for a customer relationship management system. The system determines whether to update the stored record using the identified record. The system updates the stored record using the identified record in response to a determination to update the stored record using the identified record.
US09495402B2 Managing a table of a database
A method, a system, and a computer program product for managing a database are disclosed. Managing the database includes managing a table of the database, the table having a set of fields including a first field in a first row of the table. Managing the table includes selecting, in the first field, a first input value configured to identify a first dynamic data function utilized to determine a first output value for the first field. Managing the table includes determining the first output value for the first field using the first dynamic data function. Managing the table includes returning (for a read request) the first output value for the first field.
US09495400B2 Dynamic output selection using highly optimized data structures
A node container is constructed with multiple binary tree views. A processing device creates a primary view binary tree within the node container based on a primary key. A set of records that match fields of the primary key is chained to the primary view. The processing device also creates one or more alternate views within the node container to allow access to the same set of records via one or more alternate keys, which are subsets of the fields of the primary key. The chain of records is extracted from the node container when matched to a subsequent query search.
US09495396B2 Increased database performance via migration of data to faster storage
According to an aspect, a computer implemented method for managing a database in real-time is provided. The method includes scanning for predetermined data in a predetermined workload stream during real-time operation of the database, and determining a workload priority for located predetermined data according to one or more workload rules. A storage priority of located predetermined data is determined according to a physical location of the located predetermined data. The located predetermined data are moved during the real-time operation of the database to a different physical location if the storage priority and the workload priority do not match.
US09495394B2 Pluggable session context
A method and apparatus are described for sharing a session to access a database. A database server receives, in a session, a session context identifier and a command. The session context identifier identifies a session context to use for the session. The session context is a set of information or commands that plug into a session state and specify how commands in the session are to be performed for a particular user or privilege level. In response to receiving the identifier, the database server associates the session context with the database session for the connection. The database server uses the session context to process the command. The session context may then be detached from the session, allowing another user to attach to the session via another session context.
US09495389B2 Client-server based dynamic search
Method, mobile device, computer program product and apparatus for performing a search are disclosed. The method of performing a search comprises receiving one or more images of an environment in view of a mobile device, generating a simultaneous localization and mapping of the environment using the one or more images, wherein the simultaneous localization and mapping of the environment comprises a plurality of map points representing a plurality of surfaces in a three dimensional coordinate system of the environment, sending a set of the plurality of map points as a search query to a server, receiving a query response from the server, and identifying an object in the environment based at least in part on the query response.
US09495387B2 Images for a question answering system
A method for providing content relevant images for an input question to a deep question answering system is disclosed. The method can include formulating, in response to receiving the input question, an answer to the input question. The method can also include identifying, based on the answer to the input question, a set of candidate images from a corpus of information. The set of candidate images may relate to the answer. The method can also include determining, based on a confidence value of the set of candidate images and a designated display specification, a first subset of the set of candidate images to provide in a display area. The method can also include selecting the first subset to be provided in the display area.
US09495386B2 Identification of items depicted in images
In an example embodiment, a method of identifying an item depicted in an image is provided. In this method, the image depicting the item is accessed; in addition, other images and their item identifiers are also accessed. A match of the image with one of the other images is identified. The match can be based on a variety of matching techniques, such as the application of an edge detection algorithm and the conversion of the images into color histograms. With a match, the image is then associated with an item identifier of the matched image. In one example, a template associated with one of the item identifiers can be accessed.
US09495385B2 Mixed media reality recognition using multiple specialized indexes
An MMR system for searching across multiple indexes comprises a plurality of mobile devices, a pre-processing server or MMR gateway, and an MMR matching unit, and may include an MMR publisher. The MMR matching unit receives an image from the pre-processing server or MMR gateway and sends it to one or more of the recognition units to identify a result including a document, the page, and the location on the page. The MMR matching unit includes a distributor for distributing the image to corresponding content type specific index tables and an integrator for integrating recognition results. The result is returned to the mobile device via the pre-processing server or MMR gateway. The techniques described herein also include a number of novel methods including a method for processing content-type specific image queries and for processing queries across multiple indexes.
US09495384B2 Making address book a source of latitude and longitude coordinates
A method for determining latitude and longitude coordinates for geographic addresses input into an address book on a mobile device is provided. For each geographic address received for storing in a contact record, latitude and longitude coordinates are automatically determined and associated with the geographic address in a database of contact records. In some embodiments, for each geographic address to be input, the method first searches existing contact records for the geographic address and if the latitude and longitude coordinates for the geographic address are in an existing contact record, the contact record for the contact is cross-referenced to the existing record for accessing the latitude and longitude coordinates.
US09495379B2 Locality aware, two-level fingerprint caching
The present disclosure provides for implementing a two-level fingerprint caching scheme for a client cache and a server cache. The client cache hit ratio can be improved by pre-populating the client cache with fingerprints that are relevant to the client. Relevant fingerprints include fingerprints used during a recent time period (e.g., fingerprints of segments that are included in the last full backup image and any following incremental backup images created for the client after the last full backup image), and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good temporal locality. Relevant fingerprints also include fingerprints associated with a storage container that has good spatial locality, and thus are referred to as fingerprints with good spatial locality. A pre-set threshold established for the client cache (e.g., threshold Tc) is used to determine whether a storage container (and thus fingerprints associated with the storage container) has good spatial locality.
US09495377B2 Secure deletion operations in a wide area network
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for performing a secure delete operation in a wide area network (WAN) including a cache site and a home site. A method includes identifying a file for deletion at the cache site, determining whether the file has a copy stored at the home site, detecting a location of the copy at the home site prior to a disconnection event of the cache site from the home site, deleting the file from the cache site during the disconnection event, and performing a secure deletion of the copy at the home site immediately after a reconnection event of the cache site to the home site.
US09495375B2 Battery pack with supplemental memory
Features are disclosed relating to a case for a mobile device that provides supplemental battery power and supplemental storage space to the mobile device. Additional features are disclosed relating to an external storage device that can provide supplemental battery power and/or supplemental storage space for one or more devices. Further features are disclosed relating sharing and searching for files. Files may be shared across multiple (e.g., two or more) devices, operated by or associated with multiple users, providing multiple file storage locations. Files may be searched across the multiple devices using, e.g., search terms, tags, and/or other search options. Searching may also be performed with respect to activities performed in connection with subject files.
US09495373B2 File versions within content addressable storage
A request to access to a logical location in a file stored in a content addressable storage (CAS) system can be processed by retrieving first tree data from a first node in a first hash tree that represents a first version of the file. Based on the first tree data, a second node is selected from which a CAS signature is compared to a reserved CAS signature to determine the proper file version. In response to a match, a third node is accessed in a second hash tree that represents a second version of the file. Tree data is retrieved from a third node.
US09495364B2 Enhanced quick search features, low-barrier commenting/interactive features in a collaboration platform
Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for enhanced quick search features, low-barrier comenting/interactive features in a collaboration platform, which may be a cloud-based platform. The disclosed technology enhances the user experience (both web and mobile user experience) by providing the ease with which the manner in which content and users can be discovered and browsed. Additionally, enhanced social features surrounding content is also disclosed. The disclosed technology further enhances the user experience by providing the ability to ‘like’ a file as a quick, easy way users/collaborators can note approval, attention, or preference of a file/work item.
US09495361B2 A priori performance modification based on aggregation of personality traits of a future audience
Mechanisms, in a natural language processing (NLP) system comprising a processor and a memory, are provided. The NLP system receives information for identifying a plurality of audience members of an audience for an upcoming performance and retrieves personality trait information for the plurality of audience members from one or more personality trait information sources. The NLP system generates an aggregate audience model based on the personality trait information for the plurality of audience members. The aggregate audience model specifies an aggregate personality trait of the audience. The NLP system modifies a portion of the performance to tailor the performance to the aggregate personality trait of the audience as specified in the aggregate audience model.
US09495354B2 Using inverse operators for queries on online social networks
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client device of a first user of an online social network, a structured query comprising references to one or more selected objects associated with the online social network, parsing the structured query to identify a first query constraint and one or more second query constraints, identifying an inverse constraint associated with the first query constraint, wherein the first query constraint has been previously flagged as identifying greater than a threshold number of objects, and generating a query command based on the structured query, wherein the query command comprises the inverse constraint and the one or more second query constraints.
US09495352B1 Natural language determiner to identify functions of a device equal to a user manual
Embodiments described herein of the natural language determiner (NLD) illustrate the ability to determine, at runtime, the conversion of natural language text into a computer-usable form. The natural language determiner's function is used to identify all functions of a device equal to a user manual for the device and displays at least one function of the device equal to the user manual for the device.
US09495350B2 System and method for determining expertise through speech analytics
Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for determining expertise through speech analytics. The system associates speakers with respective segments of an audio conversation to yield associated speaker segments. The system also identifies a number of times a speaker has spoken about a topic in the audio conversation by searching the associated speaker segments for a term associated with the topic. The system then ranks the speaker as an expert in the topic when the number of times the speaker has spoken about the topic in the audio conversation exceeds a threshold. The audio conversation can include a compilation of a plurality of audio conversations. Moreover, the system can tag the associated speaker segments having the term with keyword tags and match a respective segment from the associated speaker segments with the speaker, the respective segment having a keyword tag.
US09495347B2 Systems and methods for extracting table information from documents
Systems and methods for extracting table information from documents are provided herein. Exemplary methods may include annotating a document with annotations that identify table cell data included therein, generating a candidate table for each of a plurality of table models using the annotated table cell data, scoring each of the candidate tables, selecting a highest scoring candidate table, and annotating the highest scoring table to produce a final table.
US09495343B2 Horizontal and vertical line detection and removal for document images
A vertical and horizontal line detection method for document images includes generating multiple binary images from the input grayscale document image based on multiple binarization thresholds, detecting horizontal and vertical lines in each of the multiple binary images independently, and merging the detection results from the multiple binary images. The line detection process for each binary image include applying an opening operation using a vertical or horizontal line as the structuring element, and removing connected components that are not vertical or horizontal lines based on a stroke width analysis. The boundaries of the detected lines are obtained using horizontal and vertical projections.
US09495342B2 System and method for automatically inserting correct escaping functions for field references in a multi-tenant computing environment
Methods and systems are provided for automatically correcting escaping functions in a module of page rendering code. The method includes: providing an HTML escaping schema and a script escaping schema; identifying a first character sequence having a first escaping function; determining whether the first character sequence is coded in HTML or coded as a scripted element; correcting the first escaping function using the HTML escaping schema if the first character sequence is coded in HTML; and correcting the first escaping function using the script escaping schema if the first character sequence is coded as a scripted element.
US09495332B2 Detection and repositioning of pop-up dialogs
An embodiment of the invention provides a method where a file is displayed on a display screen of a mobile device; and, a pop-up is identified outside of the visible area on the display screen of the mobile device. The identification of the pop-up includes detecting a document object model change in the file, the presence of one or more non-active elements in the file, and/or a change in luminance in an area outside of the visible area on the display screen. A controller moves the pop-up to the visible area on the display screen, or the visible area on the display screen is moved to the pop-up.
US09495327B2 Service configuration method, device and system
The present invention discloses a service configuration method, apparatus and system. The provided method includes steps as follows: configuring a VLAN ID of a port on an intermediate device according to preset configuration information, where the port is connected to a client; after a DHCP request message which is from the client through the intermediate device is received, obtaining a MAC address in the DHCP request message, and obtaining an IP address corresponding to the MAC address from the configuration information; and sending a response message carrying the IP address and the VLAN ID to the client through the intermediate device, so that the client sets a local virtual local area network identifier to the VLAN ID and sets a local IP address to the IP address after receiving the response message.
US09495325B2 Remote direct memory access (RDMA) high performance producer-consumer message processing
A method, system and computer program product for remote direct memory access (RDMA) optimized producer-consumer message processing in a messaging hub is provided. The method includes initializing a shared memory region in memory of a host server hosting operation of a messaging hub. The initialization provides for a control portion and one or more data portions, the control portion storing an index to an available one of the data portions. The method also includes transmitting to a message producer an address of the shared memory region and receiving a message in one of the data portions of the shared memory region from the message producer by way of an RDMA write operation on a network interface of the host server. Finally, the method includes retrieving the message from the one of the data portions and processing the message in the messaging hub in response to the receipt of the message.
US09495323B2 Copying data onto an expandable memory
This document describes a method for synchronizing files on an expandable memory card coupled to a first computing device with an application running on a second computing device, where downloading of files is performed wirelessly without user involvement.
US09495315B2 Information processing device and data communication method
An information processing device may include a master device and at least one slave device, which may be connected each other by using two types of signal lines comprising a serial clock line and a serial data line. A datum may be transmitted between the master device and the slave device according to a predetermined communication method by using the two types of signal lines. If either the master device resets the slave device, or a power supply to the master device and the slave device is turned on, the slave device may commence a starting operation. A notification of a starting condition may be provided to the master device by way of at least one of the serial clock line and the serial data line.
US09495310B2 Computing system with hardware bus management and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a computing system includes: reconfigurable hardware devices having first application fragment and second application fragment; configuring virtual bus module having virtual bus for electrically coupling the reconfigurable hardware devices; allocating a physical port in the virtual bus, based on availability, for coupling the first application fragment and the second application fragment through the virtual bus; implementing an application through the virtual bus including transferring application data between the first application fragment and the second application fragment; activating a signal buffer interface by the virtual bus module: activating a pin buffer dispatch module for storing the application data from application input buffer, and activating memory request port by roll-back table module, storing the application data, in response to the pin buffer dispatch module; and alerting a roll-back detector including dismissing the application data exceeds a roll-back threshold or restoring memory interface module by the roll-back module.
US09495306B1 Dynamic management of a processor state with transient cache memory
According to some embodiments, a method for controlling a processor state with transient cache memory is described. The method may include identifying, via a processor, a memory section having a memory address, retrieving, via the processor, memory control information, and controlling the processor state by allowing a memory access to the transient cache memory based on the memory control information.
US09495305B1 Detecting pointer errors for memory protection
A method, a processing system, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured with instructions to carry out a method of determining access permission for or during dereferencing a memory address in an allocated portion of memory of a processing system. The method comprises: providing a pointer that has a tag field and a control-structure-pointer field; and entering content in the control-structure-pointer field to point to a control structure for the allocated portion of memory. The control structure's location or content indicates the portion of memory. The method assigning a tag value for the portion in the tag fields of the pointer and of the control structure. Determining access permission including ascertaining whether the contents of the tag fields of the pointer and of the control structure match.
US09495302B2 Virtualization of memory for programmable logic
A processing sub-system is configured to execute a program using a set of virtual memory addresses to reference memory locations for storage of variables of the program. A programmable logic sub-system is configured to implement a set of I/O circuits specified in a configuration data stream, each of the I/O circuits having a respective ID and configured to access one of the variables. A memory management circuit is configured to map the virtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses of a memory and map IDs to the physical address used to store the corresponding variables. A TLB is configured to receive a memory access request, from the I/O circuits, each request indicating an ID and provide, to the memory, a memory access request indicating the physical memory address that is mapped to the ID.
US09495301B2 System and method for utilizing non-volatile memory in a cache
In one embodiment, a computing system includes a cache having one or more memories, a cache journal operable to store data associated with one or more portions of the cache, and a configuration manager operable to access the cache and the cache journal. The configuration manager is operable to determine whether the cache journal includes data associated with a first portion of the cache, and to create, in the cache journal, data associated with the first portion of the cache if the cache journal does not yet comprise data associated with the first portion of the cache. The configuration manager is also operable to determine whether the first portion of the cache is valid for use, and to communicate with a memory manager associated with the first portion of the cache regarding whether the first portion of the cache is valid for use.
US09495299B2 Data processing device utilizing way selection of set associative cache memory based on select data such as parity data
Part of a plurality of ways are selected from among the ways according to a value of select data created based on tag address information which is part of address information, and cache tags are read. Further, when performing cache fill, the cache memory performs the cache fill on a cache entry selected from part of the ways according to the value of the select data. For select data used for selecting a way, e.g. parity data in connection with tag address information is used. A way to read a cache tag from is selected based on a value of parity data and further, the way of a cache entry to perform cache fill on is selected.
US09495294B2 Enhancing data processing performance by cache management of fingerprint index
Various embodiments for improving hash index key lookup caching performance in a computing environment are provided. In one embodiment, for a cached fingerprint map having a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of data fingerprints, reference count information is used to determine a length of time to retain the plurality of entries in cache. Those of the plurality of entries having a higher reference counts are retained longer than those having lower reference counts.
US09495293B1 Zone consistency
A computer implemented method, system, and computer program product for enabling consistency between zones comprising creating a lease agreement between a first zone and at least a second zone; wherein the lease indicates that the first zone is the owner of an object; wherein the lease agreement dictates that a notification is to be sent before a cached object in the first zone is updated if the lease is still valid; wherein the lease indicates the first zone is to send a heartbeat to the second zone within the predetermined period of time if the object has not been changed and the lease is still valid; and setting up heartbeats from the first zone to at least a second zone within a predetermined amount of time; wherein the heartbeat indicates that the lease is still valid and the object has not been changed.
US09495288B2 Variable-size flash translation layer
A method for using a variable-size flash translation layer is disclosed. Step (A) receives a read request to read data corresponding to a logical block address from a nonvolatile memory. Step (B) reads a particular entry of a map to obtain (i) a physical address of a particular page of the nonvolatile memory, (ii) an offset in the particular page to compressed data previously stored and (iii) a length of the compressed data. The particular entry is associated with the logical block address. Step (C) converts the offset and the length to (i) an address of a given read unit in the particular page and (ii) a number of the read units to be read. Step (D) reads from the particular page at most the number of the read units starting from the given read unit. An offset and length granularity are finer than one read unit.
US09495287B2 Solid state memory device logical and physical partitioning
Embodiments relate to solid state memory device including a storage array having a plurality of physical storage devices and the storage array includes a plurality of partitions. The solid state memory device also includes a controller comprising a plurality of mapping tables, wherein each of the plurality of mapping tables corresponds to one of the plurality of partitions. Each of the plurality of mapping tables is configured to store a physical location and a logical location of data stored in its corresponding partition.
US09495280B2 Operation verifying apparatus, operation verifying method and operation verifying system
An operation verifying apparatus of a first embodiment acquires a log indicating the content of a sequence of operations performed on a predetermined device, identifies corresponding functions from the log, and automatically generates a program based on the identified functions. Input data, which is to serve as an argument of each of these functions, is set. Execution sets as well as test scenarios are each structured by combining a program and input data. Then each execution set is continuously executed. As a result, an operation test using a test program is executed.
US09495279B2 Method and apparatus for efficient statistical profiling of video game and simulation software
Efficient statistical profiling in embedded computing devices, such as video games, uses a hybrid random distribution of sampling points for more accurate reconstruction of executing code. Transmission of only function start addresses and corresponding representation of the call graph data reduces the memory overhead and increases communication speed.
US09495275B2 System and computer program product for deriving intelligence from activity logs
Techniques for segregating one or more logs of at least one multitasking user to derive at least one behavioral pattern of the at least one multitasking user are provided. The techniques include obtaining at least one of at least one action log, configuration information, domain knowledge, at least one task history and open task repository information, correlating the at least one of at least one action log, configuration information, domain knowledge, at least one task history and open task repository information to determine a task associated with each of one or more actions and segregate the one or more logs based on the one or more actions, and using the one or more logs that have been segregated to derive at least one behavioral pattern of the at least one multitasking user. Techniques are also provided for deriving intelligence from at least one activity log of at least one multitasking user to provide information to the at least one user.
US09495274B1 Adaptive runtime for a multiprocessing API
A computer-implemented method includes selecting a runtime for executing a program. The runtime includes a first combination of feature implementations, where each feature implementation implements a feature of an application programming interface (API). Execution of the program is monitored, and the execution uses the runtime. Monitor data is generated based on the monitoring. A second combination of feature implementations are selected, by a computer processor, where the selection is based at least in part on the monitor data. The runtime is modified by activating the second combination of feature implementations to replace the first combination of feature implementations.
US09495270B2 User interface for monitoring the status of an object in a virtual computing environment
A graphical user interface for monitoring a status of objects included in a virtualized computing environment including a plurality of host computers, each having one or more virtual machines running therein, includes a first second and a second section. The first section displays a first graph depicting utilization during a first period of time of a first computing resource associated with a first object included in the virtualized computing environment. The second section displays a listing of one or more objects included in the virtualized computing environment that are related to the first object, where, in response to receiving a selection of a second object from the listing of one or more objects, the first section displays a second graph depicting utilization during the first period of time of the first computing resource associated with the second object.
US09495269B1 Mobility validation by trial boot using snap shot
An approach is provided for migrating a live instance of a virtual machine from a source computer system to a target computer system. The approach operates by creating a consistent snap shot image of an operating system environment that is running the live instance of the virtual machine on the source computer system. A test virtual machine container is created based on an actual virtual machine container that corresponds to the live instance of the virtual machine. Based on the snap shot image of the operating system environment, a test virtual machine is created in the test virtual machine container. The generated test virtual machine is tested with a migration of the live instance of the virtual machine being performed in response to a successful test of the test virtual machine. The migration is aborted in response to an unsuccessful test of the test virtual machine.
US09495268B2 Systems and methods for error simulation and code testing
A method for error simulation in a data storage subsystem providing abstractions of one or more storage devices. The method includes dividing the data storage subsystem into two or more hierarchically organized subsystems, wherein the subsystems interact using IO Request Packets (IORPs), such that relatively higher level subsystems create and populate IORPs and pass them to relatively lower level subsystems for corresponding processing. The method further includes defining an IORP modifier configured to attach to matching IORPs based on one or more attributes of the IORP modifier and to modify at least one of the processing and one or more attributes of the IORP in order to simulate errors in the data storage subsystem.
US09495265B2 Test executive system with processing of results data in chunks
Test executive system and method of use. The system includes a test executive engine, configured to execute at least one test executive sequence to test at least one unit under test (UUT), a process model that specifies one or more function sequences for pre-test or post-test functionality for the test executive sequences, and a plug-in framework, configured to selectively incorporate one or more process model plug-in instances in the process model. Each process model plug-in instance specifies at least one respective function sequence for pre-test or post-test functionality for the test executive sequences.
US09495263B2 Redundant SAS storage virtualization subsystem and system using the same, and method therefor
A redundant external storage virtualization computer system. The redundant storage virtualization computer system includes a host entity for issuing an IO request, a redundant external SAS storage virtualization controller pair coupled to the host entity for performing an IO operation in response to the IO request issued by the host entity, and a plurality of physical storage devices for providing storage to the computer system. Each of the physical storage devices is coupled to the redundant storage virtualization controller pair through a SAS interconnect. The redundant storage virtualization controller pair includes a first and a second SAS storage virtualization controller both coupled to the host entity. In the redundant SAS storage virtualization controller pair, when the second storage virtualization controller is not on line, the first storage virtualization controller will take over the functionality originally performed by the second storage virtualization controller.
US09495262B2 Migrating high activity volumes in a mirror copy relationship to lower activity volume groups
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for migrating high activity volumes in a mirror copy relationship to lower activity volume groups. A determination is made of usage rates of multiple volume groups, wherein each volume group is comprised of source volumes at a primary site whose data is copied to volumes at a secondary site. A first selected volume group and a second selected volume group are selected based on the determined usage rates of the volume groups. A first volume in the first selected volume group is migrated to a second volume in the second selected volume group. Updates to the first volume, received while migrating the first volume to the second volume, are copied to a mirror first volume mirroring the first volume at the secondary site.
US09495257B2 Networking support for zone clusters based on virtualization of servers
An aspect of the present invention provides a corresponding exclusive communication stack (e.g., TCP/IP stack) for each zone entity of a server system. In an embodiment, multiple server systems together implement a zone cluster containing such zone entities provided on corresponding server systems. As a result, when an application executing on a first zone entity of a first server is moved to a second zone entity of a zone cluster on a second server, the application continues to communicate using exclusive communication stack provided for the second zone entity. In view of the dedicated resources for network communication, applications executing in any zone entity of such a zone cluster, may have a desired level of predictable throughput performance and security for the communicated data packets.
US09495255B2 Error recovery in a storage cluster
A plurality of storage nodes within a single chassis is provided. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to communicate together as a storage cluster. The plurality of storage nodes has a non-volatile solid-state storage for user data storage. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to distribute the user data and metadata associated with the user data throughout the plurality of storage nodes, with erasure coding of the user data. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to recover from failure of two of the plurality of storage nodes by applying the erasure coding to the user data from a remainder of the plurality of storage nodes. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to detect an error and engage in an error recovery via one of a processor of one of the plurality of storage nodes, a processor of the non-volatile solid state storage, or the flash memory.
US09495251B2 Snapshot readiness checking and reporting
An information management system according to certain aspects may determine whether snapshot operations will work prior to executing them. The system may check various factors or parameters relating to a snapshot storage policy to verify whether the storage policy will work at runtime without actually executing the policy. Some examples of factors can include: availability of primary storage devices for which a snapshot should be obtained, availability of secondary storage devices, license availability for snapshot software, user credentials for connecting to primary and/or second storage devices, available storage capacity, connectivity to storage devices, etc. The system may also check whether a particular system configuration is supported in connection with snapshot operations. The result of the determination can be provided in the form of a report summarizing any problems found with the snapshot storage policy. The report can include recommended courses of action or solutions for resolving any identified issues.
US09495249B1 Precomputed redundancy code matrices for high-availability data storage
Techniques described and suggested herein include systems and methods for precomputing regeneration information for data archives (“archives”) that have been processed and stored using redundancy coding techniques. For example, regeneration information, such as redundancy code-related matrices (such as inverted matrices based on, e.g., a generator matrix for the selected redundancy code) corresponding to subsets of the shards, is computed for each subset and, in some embodiments, stored for use in the event that one or more shards becomes unavailable, e.g., so as to more efficiently and/or quickly regenerate a replacement shard.
US09495246B2 Raid erasure code applied to partitioned stripe
The disclosure presents examples of a RAID storage system, method and computer program product where a stripe is logically partitioned into two or more sub-stripes and at least one RAID erasure code is applied to each sub-stripe independently of any other of the sub-stripe(s). Consequently, in some of these examples, a larger packet size may be used than if the stripe had not been partitioned. A larger packet size may in some cases allow for accelerated encoding and/or decoding.
US09495245B2 High speed flash controllers
A high speed USB memory controller includes a microprocessor, flash memory, memory buffers directly accessible to the microprocessor and flash memory, and a USB interface for writing data directly into the memory buffers. This allows devices with multiple flash die to operate at full bus speed.
US09495243B2 Error correcting code encoder supporting multiple code rates and throughput speeds for data storage systems
Embodiments of ECC encoders supporting multiple code rates and throughput speeds for data storage systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, an encoder can provide for flexible and scalable encoding, particularly when quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check code (QC-LDPC) encoding is used. The encoder can be scaled in size based on, for example, the desired encoding throughput and/or computational cycle duration. The encoder can thus be used to support multiple code rates and throughput speeds. Accordingly, encoding speed and efficiency and system performance is improved.
US09495241B2 Systems and methods for adaptive data storage
A storage module is configured to store data segments, such as error-correcting code (ECC) codewords, within an array comprising two or more solid-state storage elements. The data segments may be arranged in a horizontal arrangement, a vertical arrangement, a hybrid channel arrangement, and/or vertical stripe arrangement within the array. The data arrangement may determine input/output performance characteristics. An optimal adaptive data storage configuration may be based on read and/or write patterns of storage clients, read time, stream time, and so on. Data of failed storage elements may be reconstructed by use of parity data and/or other ECC codewords stored within the array.
US09495240B2 Encrypting data for storage in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module encrypting a plurality of data segments of the data using a plurality of encryption keys to produce a plurality of encrypted data segments and generating a plurality of deterministic values from the plurality of encrypted data segments. The method continues with the DS processing module establishing a data intermingling pattern and generating a plurality of masked keys by selecting one or more of the plurality of deterministic values in accordance with the data intermingling pattern and performing a masking function on the plurality of encryption keys and the selected one or more of the plurality of deterministic values. The method continues with the DS processing module appending the plurality of masked keys to the plurality of encrypted data segments to produce a plurality of secure data packages and outputting the plurality of secure data packages.
US09495237B1 Detection of corruption of call stacks
Corruption of call stacks is detected by using guard words placed in the call stacks. A called function executing on a processor of a computing environment checks a guard word in a stack frame of a calling function. The checking determines whether the guard word has an expected value. Based on determining the guard word has an unexpected value, an indication of corruption of the stack frame is provided.
US09495229B2 Methods, apparatus and computer programs for managing persistence
Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for managing persistence within a data processing system such as a messaging system, database system or file system. The method for managing persistence includes a deferred evaluation (230,330,430) of at least one criterion associated with costs and/or benefits of saving to persistent storage, instead of persistence behavior being fully predefined. The evaluation may be performed when a disk write is about to be performed (240,340,440), or at various times during processing of a data update and at various points within a data processing network. In a messaging solution, the method for managing persistence includes a dynamic evaluation (230,330,430) of costs and/or benefits of saving to persistent storage, with the evaluation being performed at various points in the messaging network after the message has been created and sent by the originating entity. The method includes determining whether message data and/or log records relating to the message require saving to persistent storage, in accordance with the costs and/or the benefits of saving to persistent storage. The benefits of persisting may be determined with reference to a message value (400).
US09495224B2 Switching a locking mode of an object in a multi-thread program
A mechanism is provided for switching a locking mode of an object in a multi-thread program. The mechanism acquires, during execution of the program, access information related to accesses to the object by a plurality of threads. The object supports a single-level locking mode and a multi-level locking mode. The single-level locking mode is a mode capable of locking the object. The multi-level locking mode is a mode capable of locking the object and fields in the object respectively. The mechanism switches the locking mode of the object between the single-level locking mode and the multi-level locking mode based on the access information.
US09495217B2 Empirical determination of adapter affinity in high performance computing (HPC) environment
A method, apparatus and program product utilize an empirical approach to determine the locations of one or more IO adapters in an HPC environment. Performance tests may be run using a plurality of candidate mappings that map IO adapters to various locations in the HPC environment, and based upon the results of such testing, speculative adapter affinity information may be generated that assigns one or more IO adapters to one or more locations to optimize adapter affinity performance for subsequently-executed tasks.
US09495215B2 Optimizing virtual machines placement in cloud computing environments
Placement of instances of virtual machine (VM) images in a cloud computing environment is optimized. A request is received to deploy a new VM image instance. User-specific and generic VM resource usage profiles are read that include resource consumption data. Resource pool profiles for multiple resource pools are read that include resource consumption data for the resource pools. For each of the resource pool profiles, a selected VM resource usage profile is analyzed and aligned with the resource pool profiles. An aggregated resource consumption profile is calculated. A determination is made of one of multiple resource pools with the least aggregated resource consumption.
US09495207B1 Cataloging data sets for reuse in pipeline applications
The present disclosure relates to cataloging data sets for reuse in pipeline applications. One example method includes identifying a data set produced by a particular pipeline object included in a first pipeline instance, the first pipeline instance including a plurality of pipeline objects, each pipeline object configured to perform a computation, and the particular pipeline object configured to perform a particular computation; determining a set of metadata for the data set, the set of metadata including identifying information for the data set to identify the data set to pipeline instances separate from the first pipeline instance; and allowing pipeline instances separate from the first pipeline instance to retrieve the data set based at least in part on the set of metadata, wherein the pipeline instances avoid performing the particular computation by using the retrieved data set.
US09495205B2 Constructing a logical tree topology in a parallel computer
Constructing a logical tree topology in a parallel computer that includes compute nodes, where each compute node includes a hardware acceleration unit and executes an identical number of tasks and the tasks of each node have a rank, includes: creating hardware acceleration groups, with each hardware acceleration group including one task from each node, where the one task from each node has the same rank; assigning one task of a root compute node as a global root of the logical tree topology; assigning tasks of the root compute node other than the global root as local children of the global root; and assigning each of the global root and local children of the root compute node as a root of a subtree of tasks, wherein each subtree comprises the tasks of a hardware acceleration group.
US09495204B2 Constructing a logical tree topology in a parallel computer
Constructing a logical tree topology in a parallel computer that includes compute nodes, where each compute node includes a hardware acceleration unit and executes an identical number of tasks and the tasks of each node have a rank, includes: creating hardware acceleration groups, with each hardware acceleration group including one task from each node, where the one task from each node has the same rank; assigning one task of a root compute node as a global root of the logical tree topology; assigning tasks of the root compute node other than the global root as local children of the global root; and assigning each of the global root and local children of the root compute node as a root of a subtree of tasks, wherein each subtree comprises the tasks of a hardware acceleration group.
US09495202B2 Transaction digest generation during nested transactional execution
Generating a digest in a transactional memory environment for performing transactional executions, the transactional memory environment supporting transaction nesting is provided. Included is generating for a transaction, by a computer system, a computed digest based on the execution of at least one of a plurality of instructions of the transaction; based on beginning a nested transaction, executed within the transactional region of the transaction, saving a snapshot of the computed digest as a nesting level snapshot; beginning execution of the nested transaction: updating, by the computer system, the computed digest based on the execution of at least one of a plurality of instructions of the nested transaction; and based on an abort of the nested transaction, restoring the computed digest from the nesting level snapshot and restarting the nested transaction.
US09495200B2 System for partitioning batch processes
A system for processing a batch job comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to receive a job name for a job submitted to execute, to receive one or more job parameters, and to determine one or more nodes to run the job. The processor is configured to determine one or steps, where for each step: a step is executed on a node using a state of data associated with a start state of the step; and upon completion of executing the step, a result is stored to a durable storage. The durable storage stores the state of data associated with the start state of the step and the completion state of the step and are accessible by other execution processes as associated with either the start state of the step or the completion state of the step. The memory of the system is coupled to the processor and configured to provide processor with instructions.
US09495199B2 Management of bottlenecks in database systems
Management is provided for threads of a database system that is subject to a plurality of disparate bottleneck conditions for resources. A monitor thread retrieves, from a first thread, first monitor data for first bottleneck condition of a first type. The monitor thread compares the first monitor data to a trigger level for the first bottleneck condition and then determines, in response to the comparison of the first monitor data to the trigger level, a potential source of the first bottleneck condition. A potential blocker thread is identified based upon the potential source of the first bottleneck condition. The monitor thread retrieves, from the potential blocker thread, second monitor data for a second type of bottleneck condition that is different from the first type of bottleneck condition. Based upon monitor data, a blocking thread is identified, and a particular blocking solution is applied to the blocking thread.
US09495198B1 Cloud thread synchronization
A system, apparatus, and method for thread synchronization is provided. In one embodiment, a network system receives a signal from a first computing machine, and determines whether one or more processes are waiting for the signal. The network system also transmits the signal to one of the one or more processes on the first computing machine or a second computing machine to execute a thread of the process.
US09495189B2 Live replication of a virtual machine exported and imported via a portable storage device
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems receive a request to initiate replication of a virtual machine (VM). In response to the request, a copy of the VM disk is exported to a locally attached portable storage device while the VM continues running. In response to receiving indication of the VM disk being imported from the portable storage device locally within a destination data center, the host computer determines VM data within the source data center is different from or not included within the exported copy of the VM disk and transmits the VM data to the destination data center via a network connection while the VM continues running. An indication that the virtual machine data within the destination data center is within a threshold of similarity with virtual machine data within the source data center is transmitted to the destination data center via the network connection.
US09495188B1 Synchronizing a honey network configuration to reflect a target network environment
Techniques for synchronizing a honey network configuration to reflect a target network environment are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system for synchronizing a honey network configuration to reflect a target network environment includes a device profile data store that includes a plurality of attributes of each of a plurality of devices in the target network environment; a virtual machine (VM) image library that includes one or more VM images; and a virtual clone manager executed on a processor that instantiates a virtual clone of one or more devices in the target enterprise network using a VM image selected from the VM image library that is customized based on one or more attributes for a target device in the device profile data store.
US09495186B1 Automatic discovery of a javascript API
An approach to creating a canonical representation of a JavaScript API. Objects associated with the JavaScript API are instantiated, creating entry points for analysis. A list of discovered objects is created based on parsing a document object model associated with the JavaScript API. The objects are instrumented and statically analyzed, creating an infrastructure associated with the JavaScript API. The infrastructure is updated based on analyzing the objects while the interface is being used and the objects are executing. A canonical representation, based on the updated infrastructure, is generated for further operations.
US09495178B2 Electronics apparatus able to revise micro-program and algorithm to revise micro-program
An electronic apparatus is disclosed, where the apparatus revises the micro-program thereof reliably. The apparatus provides a master and slave CPUs each having a memory. The micro-program to be revised is temporarily set in the memory of the slave CPU. Interrupting the master CPU, and connecting the slave CPU with the master CPU via an auxiliary interface independent of the inner interface (bus), the micro-program to be revised and stored in the memory of the slave CPU is transferred to the memory of the master CPU through the auxiliary interface. Auxiliary interface is cut during the normal operation of the master CPU.
US09495174B2 Agnostic processing of resource requests to message queues and sequential files
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for agnostic processing of message queues and sequential files. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for agnostic processing of message queues and sequential files can be provided. The method can include receiving an access request for a resource that is uniform for both a message queue and a sequential file and identifying a resource type of the resource. In response to identifying the resource type as a message queue, a corresponding access request specific to a message queue can be invoked in the message queue. Otherwise a corresponding access request specific to a sequential file can be invoked responsive to identifying the resource type as a sequential file.
US09495173B2 Systems and methods for managing data in a device for hibernation states
The present application is directed to systems and methods for managing data in a device for hibernation states. In one implementation, the device includes an interface and a processor. The interface is coupled with a first memory and a second memory. The processor is in communication with the first and second memories via the interface. The processor is configured to read first data from the first memory, generate image data of the data stored in the first memory based on the first data, and write to the second memory prior to the device entering an initial hibernation state the image data of the data stored in the first memory. The processor is further configured to, after the device awakes from the initial hibernation state, read the image data from the second memory, reconstruct the first data based on the image data, and write the first data to the first memory.
US09495171B1 Baseboard management controller (BMC) provided with sensor list
A system for baseboard management controller (BMC) operation is provided. The system includes a computing system including hardware on which an operating system is operable and sensors disposed to sense various attributes of the hardware and a BMC. The BMC is disposed in signal communication with the computing system and is bootable and operative independent of an execution of the operating system. Upon boot initialization of the BMC, the BMC includes an empty reserved database, issues to the computing system a query for a list of the sensors and builds and populates in the reserved database a sensor attribute repository in accordance with sensor data received from the computing system in response to the query and sensor attribute data associated with the sensor data.
US09495170B2 Determining each stall reason for each stalled instruction within a group of instructions during a pipeline stall
During a pipeline stall in a processor, until a next to complete instruction group completes, a monitoring unit receives, from a completion unit of a processor, a next to finish indicator indicating the finish of an oldest previously unfinished instruction from among a plurality of instructions of a next to complete instruction group. The monitoring unit receives, from functional units of the processor, finish reports including completion reasons for separate instructions. The monitoring unit determines at least one stall reason from among multiple stall reasons for the oldest instruction from a selection of completion reasons from a selection of finish reports aligned with the next to finish indicator from among the finish reports. Once the monitoring unit receives a complete indicator from the completion unit, indicating the completion of the next to complete instruction group, the monitoring unit stores each determined stall reason aligned with each next to finish indicator in memory.
US09495166B2 Method and apparatus for performing a shift and exclusive or operation in a single instruction
Method and apparatus for performing a shift and XOR operation. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes execution resources to execute a first instruction. In response to the first instruction, said execution resources perform a shift and XOR on at least one value.
US09495163B2 Address generation in a data processing apparatus
A data processing apparatus is provided comprising processing circuitry and an instruction decoder responsive to program instructions to control processing circuitry to perform the data processing. The instruction decoder is responsive to an address calculating instruction to perform an address calculating operation for calculating a partial address result from a non-fixed reference address and a partial offset value such that a full address specifying a memory location of an information entity is calculable from said partial address result using at least one supplementary program instruction. The partial offset value has a bit-width greater than or equal to said instruction size and is encoded within at least one partial offset field of said address calculating instruction. A corresponding data processing method, virtual machine and computer program product are also provided.
US09495161B2 QoS based dynamic execution engine selection
In one embodiment, a processor includes plural processing cores, and plural instruction stores, each instruction store storing at least one instruction, each instruction having a corresponding group number, each instruction store having a unique identifier. The processor also includes a group execution matrix having a plurality of group execution masks and a store execution matrix comprising a plurality of store execution masks. The processor further includes a core selection unit that, for each instruction within each instruction store, selects a store execution mask from the store execution matrix. The core selection unit for each instruction within each instruction store selects at least one group execution mask from the group execution matrix. The core selection unit performs logic operations to create a core request mask. The processor includes an arbitration unit that determines instruction priority among each instruction, assigns an instruction for each available core, and signals the instruction store.
US09495156B1 Accuracy of operand store compare prediction using confidence counter
Technical solutions are described for dynamically managing an operand-store-compare (OSC) prediction table for load and store operations executed out-of-order. One general aspect includes a method that includes receiving a request to retire a queue entry corresponding to an instruction. The method also includes identifying an OSC prediction for the instruction based on an OSC prediction table entry, where the OSC prediction indicates if the instruction is predicted to hit an OSC hazard. The method also includes determining if the instruction hit the OSC hazard. The method also includes in response to the OSC prediction indicating that the instruction is predicted to hit the OSC hazard and the instruction not hitting the OSC hazard, invalidating the OSC prediction table entry corresponding to the instruction. The present document further describes examples of other aspects such as methods, computer products.
US09495152B2 Automatic baselining of business application service groups comprised of virtual machines
An example method of automatically establishing a baseline of virtual machines operating in a network may include parsing service group ontology information stored of an established service group to determine components of a business application service group that are communicating with one another. The example method may also include tracking the current state of the business application service group to determine if any changes have occurred since a previous service business application service group configuration, and, if so, updating the ontology information to reflect those changes, and generating a list of candidate virtual machines that are candidates for participating in the established baseline.
US09495148B2 Calculating confidence values for source code based on availability of experts
Software that uses machine logic to identify expert(s) for functional components of source code, determining a confidence value for each functional component based on the availability of its respective expert(s), by performing the following steps: (i) receiving a first functional component of a set of source code; (ii) receiving a set of knowledgeable person(s) information including identifying information for at least one person and respectively associated availability information for each identified person, where each person identified in the set of knowledgeable person(s) information has knowledge of the first functional component; and (iii) calculating, based, at least in part, on the identified person(s) and their respectively associated availability information, a confidence value for the first functional component relating to the availability of person(s) with knowledge of the first functional component.
US09495146B2 Host and method of upgrading connection manager of dongles
A host device with a function dongle includes a first connection manager and a first version file. The host upgrades the first connection manager and the first version file. The host gets a second version file which is saved in the dongle. The dongle includes a second connection manager corresponding to the second version file. The host determines whether the upgraded first connection manager is newer than the second connection manager according to the upgraded first version file and the second version file. The host upgrades the second connection manager if the upgraded first connection manager is newer than the second connection manager.
US09495145B1 Customized electronic product configuration
An electronic product can be configured by a method that includes attaching a machine-readable identification (ID) tag containing an ID code to a hardware unit of the electronic product. The ID code is associated with a particular configuration of the electronic product, and can be read or scanned with a mobile device configured to send the ID code to a provider server device. In response to receiving the ID code, the provider server device can send product configuration instructions and a product configuration application to the mobile device. The product configuration instructions can guide a user through a customized series of electronic product configuration operations. The product configuration application can assist the user in performing configuration operations, can provide customized configuration help, and can establish a wireless link between the mobile device and the electronic product, allowing the user to interact with the electronic product.
US09495144B2 Systems and methods for controlling application updates across a wireless interface
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products for managing connections between a mobile device and a network server over a network connection in a bandwidth-efficient manner. In one embodiment, a mobile device includes a processor, and there are a plurality of services executed by the processor, each of the services receiving information updates over a network connection from a server. At least one update interval function executed by the processor assigns an update interval to each of the services, the update intervals governing when each of the respective services request updated information over the network connection.
US09495140B2 Optimizing if statements in computer programming
A method for optimizing if statements in a program includes obtaining, by a processing device, for each of conditional expressions of a plurality of if statements in the program, a set of conditional expressions having an inclusion relation; computing, for each of the set, a position with low execution frequency in the program as a move destination of a conditional expression having an inclusion relation, using information of the set in which the conditional expression is included; and moving the conditional expression to the computed move destination of the conditional expression.
US09495132B2 Release management systems and methods
Progress of a development cycle, such as for the development of a release of a software product, is tracked and managed using a release management system. Such a system allows groups and managers to retain any project planning or status files, in any appropriate structure. A manager can simply upload the file to the system as information is updated, and the system will apply appropriate templates and store the information in such a way that reporting and tracking can be done for any aspect of the development process at any level. For example, a single system can provide a high-level executive overview down to a detail level view of a particular group, using substantially current data for all aspects the process.
US09495128B1 System and method for simultaneous touch and voice control
For a mobile computing device, enhanced functionality may be provided by associating actions with combined speech and touch gestures. A touch gesture is received into the device and simultaneously or near-simultaneously speech is received into the device. The touch gesture and speech are processed to determine a result and the device performs an action based on the result. In particular embodiments, commands for a mapping application may be based on spoken search terms and geographic areas marked by touch gestures.
US09495125B2 Electronic device and display method
An electronic device and a display method includes a main body apparatus with a processing unit which generates a first image and performs display control; a first fixing apparatus connected with the main body apparatus, which maintains a relative location relationship between the electronic device and at least a part of body of a user when the user wears the electronic device; and a first display unit arranged on the main body apparatus and/or the first fixing apparatus, which outputs the first image; wherein the first display unit comprises a first display component which displays the first image, and a first optical component which receives light corresponding to the first image emitted from the first display component, and changes the light path of the light corresponding to the first image to form a magnified virtual image corresponding to the first image.
US09495124B1 Device for displaying a remote display according to a monitor geometry
A computing device that is configured to coordinate a remote display is described. The computing device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory. The computing device establishes a remote session corresponding to a node. The computing device also obtains a monitor geometry corresponding to two or more remote display devices. The computing device further maps the monitor geometry to a virtual display space. The computing device further displays at least a part of the virtual display space.
US09495120B2 Print system, usability information generation device, usability information generation method, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with usability information generation program
An information processing apparatus transmits a print job to a server and generates print status information including user identification information and a print condition included in the print job. Each of one or more image forming apparatuses transmits a transmission request, forms an image based on the print job, and generates device information including state information indicating its operating state. The server transmits a print job that includes the same user identification information as the user identification information included in the transmission request, to the image forming apparatus that has transmitted the transmission request. One of the server, the one or more image forming apparatuses, and the portable information device generates usability information indicating usability in a case where the print job is executed in each image forming apparatus, based on the device information and the print status information. The portable information device outputs the generated usability information.
US09495119B1 Static load balancing for file systems in a multipath I/O environment
A data processing system includes a file server and a storage controller linking the file server to a storage array. There are alternative data paths between the file server and the storage controller for accessing logical units of storage (LUNs) in the storage array. A file system is striped across the LUNs. For load balancing, the file server is programmed with a facility for selecting mappings between the LUNs and the data paths. Upon mounting the file system, the facility is invoked to get a next mapping between the LUNs and the data paths, and this next mapping is used during read and write access to the mounted file system. The facility can also be invoked to get another mapping when another file system is mounted on the LUNs.
US09495118B2 Storing data in a directory-less dispersed storage network
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module of a dispersed storage network (DSN) sending a plurality of sets of encoded data slices to DSN memory for storage in accordance with a plurality of sets of DSN data addresses. The method continues with the DS processing module generating retrieval data that is based on a data object number and data storage information. The method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding the retrieval data to produce a set of encoded retrieval data slices and generating a set of DSN retrieval data addresses based on the data name and on retrieval data storage information. The method continues with the DS processing module sending the set of encoded retrieval data slices to the DSN memory for storage in accordance with the set of DSN retrieval data addresses.
US09495117B2 Storing data in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a processing module of a dispersed storage network (DSN) sending a set of write commands to storage units of the DSN regarding storage of a set of current revision level encoded data slices and receiving a write acknowledgement in response to a write command. The method continues with the processing module determining whether a write threshold number of write acknowledgements have been received. When the write threshold number of write acknowledgements have been received, the method continues with the processing module issuing a set of commit commands to the storage units. The method continues with the processing module determining whether to issue a set of finalize commands, where a finalize command instructs a storage unit regarding storage of a corresponding current revision level encoded data slice and storage of a previous revision level encoded data.
US09495111B2 System and method for reducing information leakage from memory
A system and method includes a processing unit connected with a memory, the processing unit configured to access data from the memory. A memory transaction unit is added between the processing unit and the memory. The memory transaction unit is configured to perform dummy read- and write-operations at random memory locations at random times and/or insert random delays before real accesses by the processing unit from the memory.
US09495109B2 Storage controller, virtual storage apparatus, and computer readable recording medium having storage control program stored therein
A storage controller that controls a virtual storage apparatus is provided, the storage controller includes: a performance measuring unit that obtains performance information on a plurality of volumes present in the virtual storage apparatus; a grouping unit that groups the plurality of volumes into a plurality of performance groups, each of the plurality of performance groups having a different performance requirement, based on the performance information on the plurality of volumes and a grouping rule; and a storage pool managing unit that adds, to a storage pool, one of volumes grouped into the plurality of performance groups until a requirement condition for the storage pool is met, the performance groups from which a virtual volume being to be reserved.
US09495104B2 Automated space management for server flash cache
Techniques for automatically allocating space in a flash storage-based cache are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system collects I/O trace logs for a plurality of virtual machines or a plurality of virtual disks and determines cache utility models for the plurality of virtual machines or the plurality of virtual disks based on the I/O trace logs. The cache utility model for each virtual machine or each virtual disk defines an expected utility of allocating space in the flash storage-based cache to the virtual machine or the virtual disk over a range of different cache allocation sizes. The computer system then calculates target cache allocation sizes for the plurality of virtual machines or the plurality of virtual disks based on the cache utility models and allocates space in the flash storage-based cache based on the target cache allocation sizes.
US09495102B2 Input/output (I/O) interceptor that re-orders a plurality of write I/O into combined with I/O with intelligent flush control logic
Inventive aspects include an input/output (I/O) interceptor logic section having an I/O interface coupled with a storage stack. The I/O interface can intercept write I/Os, read I/Os, and flush requests from an application. A temporary write holding buffer can store the write I/Os. A re-order logic section can change an order of the write I/Os, and combine the re-ordered write I/Os into a combined write I/O. An intelligent flush control logic section can receive the flush requests from the I/O interface, communicate write I/O completion of the write I/Os to the application without the write I/Os having been written to a non-volatile storage device, and cause the combined write I/O to be written to the non-volatile storage device responsive to at least one of a predefined Nth flush request from among the plurality flush requests, a threshold amount of data being accumulated, or an expiration of a predefined time period.
US09495095B2 System and method for identifying inputs input to mobile device with touch panel
A system and a method of identifying a type of touch input to a mobile device with a touch panel are provided. The system includes a touch screen comprising a touch panel, a memory for storing information to execute a function of an application, corresponding to a touch area size and a touch interaction, and a controller. The controller identifies, when a touch is detected via the touch panel, the touch area size and the touch interaction. The controller determines information to execute a function corresponding to the identified touch area size and the identified touch interaction by referring to the memory. The controller controls a function of the application that is currently being executed.
US09495093B2 Mobile terminal and control method based on body parts signals
A mobile terminal includes a communication unit, a sensor to sense a first body signal from a first body part and a controller. The controller determines a first target device corresponding to the first body signal and generates a signal for output to the first target device through the communication unit. The first body signal includes information indicative of a characteristic of the first body part. Alternatively, the first target device may be determined by a server coupled to the mobile terminal.
US09495089B2 Mobile communication terminal and control method thereof
A mobile communication terminal including a display unit; a controller configured to display, on a screen of the display unit, a first list including a plurality of tasks; and an input unit configured to select at least one of the plurality of tasks. The controller is further configured to visually and discriminately divide the screen, display information corresponding to a task selected, display a second list including icons corresponding to tasks that are being currently executed, display progress state information indicating a progress state of the currently executing tasks on the bottom screen, and update the second list based on a detection result of the tasks being currently executed, and scroll through the icons listed in the second list so as to display other icons not being displayed in the bottom screen when a scroll signal indicating a scroll of the second list is received from the input unit.
US09495084B2 Method and apparatus for widget and widget-container distribution control based on content rules
A method includes receiving an instruction used to define a widget-container containing a service module associated with a widget. The widget-container is a procedural software framework configured to be executed at a widget-container processing device in response to a reference to the widget-container being accessed from a content aggregation point. The widget-container has a portion configured for receiving the widget. The method also includes determining whether processing of the widget within the portion of the widget-container is restricted and/or allowed.
US09495080B2 Method for configuring a graphical user interface
In order to configure a graphical user interface (6′) for displays of various terminals, a graphical configuration interface (81′) is presented, which comprises a miniaturized presentation of a desktop for the graphical user interface (6′). Configuration instructions are received in order to select widgets (W′) and in order to arrange the widgets (W′) on the desktop by positioning miniaturized presentations of the widgets on the desktop presented in miniature. Further configuration instructions selectively associate one or more defined parts of the desktop with the terminals, and the graphical user interface (6′) is defined for a particular terminal on the basis of the associated parts of the desktop and the widgets (W′) arranged thereon.
US09495079B2 Persistent feeder component for displaying feed items received from information feeds of online social networks
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer readable storage media for providing a persistent feeder component in a user interface to display in near real-time feed items when received in information feeds of online social networks. The feed items can come from feeds of multiple online social networks to be displayed in a single feeder component, and the feeder component may be configured to display proximate to each feed item a graphical indicator identifying the information feed of the feed item. The feeder component can be displayed in one of multiple display formats. The feeder component may also be configured to track activity on an online social network and display a notification when activity on the online social network has met one or more milestones determined by the user.
US09495078B2 Display apparatus and method for managing health
A display apparatus and a method for managing health are provided. The display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a photographing unit which photographs a user image, a display unit which displays the photographed user image, a user interface unit which receives a user command regarding the displayed user image, and a controller which changes at least part of the displayed user image and displays the changed user image, and sets health management information corresponding to the displayed changed user image according to a user command. Accordingly, a user may set a goal for exercise and diet while watching a user image where a size has been changed, which is displayed on a display apparatus.
US09495077B2 Display device, display method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium
A display device that displays electronic books includes a display unit configured to display information indicating that an unread electronic book is present, in a case that an application for displaying contents of an electronic book is not full-displayed on a screen.
US09495074B2 Information processing system, storing medium, information processing device, and display method
An example information processing device includes: a selection unit that selects a predetermined number of contents including at least one of first contents available at an information processing device and at least one of second contents usable with restriction; a display controller that displays objects each corresponding to a content included in the selected at least one of first contents and the selected at least one of second contents; and an execution unit that executes a processing corresponding to an object included in the displayed objects in response to designation of the object by a user.
US09495067B2 Method and apparatus for providing three-dimensional user interface in an electronic device
Methods and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional user interface in an electronic device are provided. An editing mode of a three-dimensional user interface screen is executed in which a plurality of content items is displayed in a three-dimensional space. It is determined whether a content item from among the plurality of content items is moved in the editing mode. When it is determined that the content item is moved, it is determined whether the content item overlaps a portion of an area of another content item from among the plurality of content items. When it is determined that the content item overlaps the portion of the area of the other content item, the content item is moved a minimum distance along a Z-axis direction so that the content item no longer overlaps the portion of the area of the other content item. The Z-axis direction indicates perspective information.
US09495065B2 Cursor assist mode
Described herein are implementations of various technologies for a method and apparatus for providing marine electronic data. In one implementation, a screen may display marine electronic data. A cursor may be provided that is movable by placement of a finger over the cursor. A request to display the cursor at a position such that the cursor is not obstructed from view by the finger may be received. The requested cursor may be displayed at the position on the screen.
US09495056B2 Touch panel system and electronic device
In a touch panel system (1) of the present invention, a stylus pen (3) produces output that indicates that a quantitative characteristic value is increased from the characteristic value of a previous output by using a waveform that corresponds to an (L+1)-th drive line (DLL+1) other than L numbers of drive lines (DL1 to DLL) and, meanwhile, produces output that indicates that the quantitative characteristic value is decreased from the characteristic value of the previous output by using a waveform that corresponds to an (L+2)-th drive line (DLL+2) other than the L numbers of drive lines (DL1 to DLL). A touch panel controller (10) includes a conversion output unit (19) that converts and outputs the quantitative characteristic value by using the sum of the initial value of the quantitative characteristic value and the number of outputs×the unit amount of increase or decrease in the waveform that corresponds to the (L+1)-th drive line (DLL+1) or in the waveform that corresponds to the (L+2)-th drive line (DLL+2).
US09495055B2 User interface and methods
One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic tactile user interface includes: sensing a capacitance value across a portion of a cavity, a tactile layer defining a deformable region and a peripheral region, the peripheral region adjacent the deformable region, and the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to define the cavity; estimating a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to the sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity; manipulating a fluid pressure within the cavity to modify a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a difference between the estimated vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region and a target vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region; and sensing an input on the tactile surface according to a change in capacitance value across the portion of the cavity.
US09495054B2 Touch control system and coordinate correction method thereof
A touch control system includes first and second sensing regions. At least one sensor monitors the first sensing region to generate a first sensing amount. At least one second sensor monitors the second sensing region to generate a second sensing amount. An initial coordinate generating module generates an initial coordinate according to the first and second sensing amounts, and determines whether a touch point is in an intersection region. When the determination result of the initial coordinate generating module is affirmative, a correction value generating module generates a correction value according to the first and second sensing amounts. A corrected coordinate generating module multiplies the initial coordinate by a first weight to generate a first weighted result, multiplies the correction value by a second weight to generate a second weighted result, and adds the first and the second weighted results to generate a corrected coordinate.
US09495053B2 Touch screen panel and display device
The present invention discloses a touch screen panel and a display device, the touch screen panel comprises an array substrate and an assembling substrate which are arranged opposite to each other, and a touch detection chip for detecting a touch, wherein the array substrate comprises: a first predetermined number of first self capacitive electrodes and first leads; the assembling substrate comprises: a second predetermined number of second self capacitive electrodes and second leads; projections of the first self capacitive electrodes on the assembling substrate fall within a region on the assembling substrate without the second self capacitive electrodes. In solutions of the present invention, width of the frame region of the array substrate or the assembling substrate can be reduced accordingly, and narrow frame of the touch screen panel can be realized.
US09495052B2 Active input device support for a capacitive sensing device
A processing system, input device, and method are disclosed to provide active input device support for a capacitive sensing device. The method includes operating, during a first time period, a plurality of sensor electrodes to receive an input signal from an active input device at a processing system, and determining an exclusion region based on a determined position of the active input device during the first time period. The method further includes operating, during a different second time period, the plurality of sensor electrodes to receive capacitive sensing data corresponding to a passive input device. A portion of the plurality of sensor electrodes corresponding to the exclusion region is excluded from use in determining input to the processing system during the second time period.
US09495048B2 High resistivity metal fan out
The formation of metal traces in the border areas of a touch sensor panel to provide improved reliability, better noise rejection, and lower manufacturing costs is disclosed. The metal traces can be coupled to rows on the touch sensor panel in an interleaved manner, so that any two successive rows can be coupled to metal traces in border areas on opposite sides of the touch sensor panel. In addition, by utilizing the full width available in the border areas in some embodiments, the metal traces can be formed from higher resistivity metal, which can reduce manufacturing costs and improve trace reliability. The wider traces can also provide better noise immunity from noise sources such as an LCD by providing a larger fixed-potential surface area and by more effectively coupling the drive lines to the fixed potential.
US09495046B2 Parasitic capacitance filter for single-layer capacitive imaging sensors
An approach is provided for estimating and correcting parasitic responses of a touch sensor device. The input device measures a first capacitance signal generated by a first pixel that is covered at least partially by an input object. The input device measures a second capacitance signal generated by a second pixel that is covered at least partially by the input object. The input device measures a third capacitance signal generated by a third pixel. Based on at least the first capacitance signal and the second capacitance signal, the input device identifies a position of the input object within the sensing region. Based on the position of the input object, the input device identifies a trace covered by the input object and associated with the third pixel. The input device calculates an updated third capacitance signal by subtracting a correction amount from the third capacitance signal.
US09495044B2 Image display device
An image display device includes: a first substrate which has a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface; a second substrate which has a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, the first surface being arranged to face the second surface of the first substrate, and is made of a transparent material; and an image display layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a driving electrode is provided on the first surface of the second substrate, a plurality of first detection electrodes are provided on the second surface of the second substrate, a second detection electrode is provided on the first substrate, the first detection electrodes and the driving electrode constitute a capacitance-type first touch panel unit, and the second detection electrode and the driving electrode constitute a capacitance-type second touch panel unit.
US09495041B2 Display device
Touch-related information which cannot be acquired by the naked eye (dubbed here as sub-optical pattern information) has its corresponding sub-optical patterns respectively positioned within the aperture areas of respective domains such that the displayed image, as viewed from different viewing angles is not adversely affected by the embedded sub-optical patterns. One type of touch-related information which can be conveyed is that of touch location of a sub-optical pattern sensing pen positioned over one or more of the sub-optical patterns.
US09495039B2 Coordinate input device and display device including the same
A coordinate input device includes: a coordinate input unit having a plurality of first detection electrodes and a plurality of second detection electrodes; an electrode drive circuit that applies a drive signal to one or more of the detection electrodes; a detection circuit that detects a signal of the first and/or second detection electrode; a selection circuit for selecting one or more of the detection electrodes to which the drive signal is not applied from among the detection electrodes which are disposed in parallel to the detection electrodes to which the drive signal is applied, as a reference electrode; a detection circuit for detecting a signal of the selected reference electrode; an input coordinate computing circuit for correcting a detection result of the detection circuit on the basis of the detected capacitance of the reference electrode and for calculating an input coordinate from the corrected detection result.
US09495036B2 Input system utilizing stylus pen which receives electrical signals via connection link
An input system includes a touch panel, a control circuit, a stylus pen, and a connection link. The control circuit generates an electrical signal. The stylus pen is external to the control circuit. The connection link is coupled between the control circuit and the stylus pen, and transmits the electrical signal to the stylus pen, wherein the electrical signal is coupled to the touch panel via the stylus pen. The connection link may be a wired link or a wireless link.
US09495024B2 Active capacitive stylus, sensor controller, related system and method
A method may be executed by one or more active capacitive styluses and a sensor controller connected to sensor electrodes. The method includes: a discovery step, executed by the sensor controller, of repeatedly sending out a discovery packet for detecting any of the active capacitive styluses; a discovery response step, executed by a first active capacitive stylus among the one or more active capacitive styluses, by which the discovery packet is detected, of returning a response packet to the discovery packet; a configuration step, executed by the sensor controller, of transmitting a configuration packet including time slot designation information that designates a first time slot to the first active capacitive stylus; and a data transmission step, executed by the first active capacitive stylus, of transmitting operation state data indicative of an operation state of the first active capacitive stylus using the designated first time slot.
US09495022B2 Coordinate compensation method and apparatus in digitizer, and electronic pen used in the same
A method and apparatus for detecting by a digitizer an application of an electronic pen on or within a predetermined distance from a screen of an electronic device, and includes compensating coordinates of an electronic pen relative to screen. At least one magnetic field is detected that is produced by the electronic pen and that has a different central axis each other The digitizer determines whether the electronic pen is inclined based on a number of detected magnetic fields. A determination is made whether to apply a compensation value for compensating coordinates of the electronic pen based on determining inclination of the electronic pen. The present invention advantageously permits exact recognition of coordinates of the electronic pen whether then pen is inclined or not by performing the coordinate compensation taking into account the inclination of the electronic pen and the inclined direction.
US09495021B2 Computer input device
The use of a uni-pressure and dual-pressure augmented mouse permits users to simultaneously control cursor positions as well as multiple levels of discrete action modes for common desktop application tasks. One, two or more independent pressure sensors can be mounted onto several locations on the body of the mouse. Various selection techniques are described to control many discrete levels and to simultaneously control different variable functions with pressure sensors on an input device for an electronic device.
US09495018B2 System and method for improving orientation data
Aspects of the disclosure relate to computing technologies. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to mobile computing device technologies, such as systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for improving orientation data. In one embodiment, techniques are described for filtering data associated with a first sensor coupled to a computing device, by receiving a signal from the first sensor, detecting a change in a variability of a first signal parameter from a plurality of signal parameters from the signal, and adjusting, based at least in part on the detected change in the variability of the first signal parameter, at least one filter parameter of a filter used to filter a second signal parameter from the signal.
US09495005B2 Systems and methods for processing motion sensor generated data
Systems and methods for processing data from a motion sensor to detect intentional movements of a device are provided. An electronic device having a motion sensor may process motion sensor data along one or more dimensions to generate an acceleration value representative of the movement of the electronic device. The electronic device may then determine whether the acceleration value changes from less than a low threshold, to more than a high threshold, and again to less than the low threshold within a particular amount of time, reflecting an intentional movement of the electronic device by the user. In response to determining that the acceleration value is associated with an intentional movement of the electronic device, the electronic device may perform a particular event or operation. For example, in response to detecting that an electronic device has been shaken, the electronic device may shuffle a media playlist.
US09495004B2 Display device adjustment by control device
A method, performed in a control device, for adjusting a display device in communication with the control device is disclosed. The method may include receiving an image of a scene including the display device from an image sensor configured with a field of view overlapping at least a portion of view of a user. A display condition of the display device may be detected from the image. The control device may determine context information associated with the user from the image. Based on the display condition and the context information associated with the user, an output display condition of the display device may be determined. A control signal for adjusting the display device may then be generated based on the output display condition.
US09495002B2 Apparatuses, methods, and systems for providing a dynamic bias voltage to one or more transistors of a transceiver
Embodiments include apparatuses, methods, and systems for providing a dynamic bias voltage to one or more transistors of a transceiver. In embodiments, a transceiver includes receive circuitry and transmit circuitry coupled to a same input/output (I/O) pad. A dynamic biasing circuit detects a voltage level of a data signal on the I/O pad, and generates a dynamic bias voltage having a value based on the detected voltage level. In some embodiments, the dynamic bias voltage is a selected one of a first bias voltage or a second bias voltage. The dynamic biasing circuit provides the dynamic bias voltage to one or more transistors of the transceiver to protect the transistors from electrical overstress.
US09495000B1 Power management of a wireless device
A method for power management of a wireless device is described. The method comprises supplying a first voltage level to a volatile storage device during a period when the processor is in an operating state; supplying a second voltage level, lower that the first voltage level, to the storage device for retaining data during a period when the processor is in a reduced power state, and determining a value of the second voltage level. The second voltage level is determined by performing a self-test of the storage device to find a minimum second voltage level that gives a number of data errors below a predetermined threshold.
US09494995B2 Devices and methods of sensing
A method is disclosed, including detecting a signal representative of an object with a piezoelectric device. A display is powered up from a sleep mode based upon the detected signal. The display can be powered up based upon a comparison of the signal to a threshold value. The threshold value can be a predetermined value or based upon a previous signal detected by the piezoelectric device or a previous signal detected by the piezoelectric device.
US09494993B2 Washing machine capable of communicating with a network system
A network system is provided. The network system includes: at least one component selected from an energy receiving unit receiving energy and an energy management unit managing the energy receiving unit. The energy receiving unit or the energy management unit receives energy rate related information; an energy usage amount or a usage rate of when the component is controlled on the basis of at least the energy rate related information is less than that of when the component is controlled without the basis of at least energy rate related information; if the energy rate related information is high cost information, a function of one component constituting the energy receiving unit is limited; and an operating time or an output of the energy receiving unit is adjusted in correspondence to the limited function of one component.
US09494986B1 Method and system for controlling a low power mode for external devices
A system and method of entering a low power mode includes an external tuner module having a first external tuner and a receiving device having a first receiving tuner. The receiving device has a controller determining an unused tuner from one of the first external tuner or first receiving tuner and controls entering a low power mode at the unused tuner.
US09494983B2 Fixing apparatus of expansion card
A fixing apparatus of expansion board includes a supporting printed circuit board (PCB), a securing shelf, and a motherboard expansion slot. The supporting PCB is fixed on the securing shelf and is inserted into the motherboard expansion slot. The supporting PCB defines at least one slot to connect at least one expansion card.
US09494982B2 Electronic device housing
An electronic device housing is described that includes a substantially flat support plate comprising a composite material and an edge frame comprising a foam material. The edge frame is coupled to the support plate at a perimeter of the support plate and defines a cavity. One or more electronic components may be disposed in the cavity.
US09494980B2 Magnetic attachment unit
A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
US09494978B2 Power line docking station apparatus
A docking station apparatus for portable devices adapted to network with other apparatus such as climate control docking stations, temperature sensors, electrical power switches, etc., over the power line. The docking station has a connector adapted to accept a plurality of portable devices as well as a wireless connection for remote access. The docking station is also adapted to turn off the wireless interface under certain conditions in order to free up the wireless bandwidth for higher data rate applications.
US09494977B2 Configuration detection for an input device
In certain embodiments, a protective cover includes a housing having a surface, and a latch mechanism hingeably coupled to the housing. The latch can include a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side configured to couple to and secure an input device to the surface of the housing. The latch can be configured to rotate, via the hinge coupling, between a first configuration and second configuration. In the first configuration, the top side of the latch can be flush with the surface of the housing and the bottom side embedded within the housing such that the latch does not protrude from the housing. In the second configuration, the latch can be rotated relative to the first configuration and protrude from the housing. The latch can be operable to be rotated open from the first configuration to the second configuration via the hinge coupling.
US09494975B1 Accessory device identification method
A portable electronic device may identify an accessory device coupled thereto and its corresponding functionality utilizing a single channel utilized to provide power to the accessory device. Upon establishing a connection between the portable electronic device and the accessory device, the accessory device may transmit a message to the portable electronic device. The message may be decoded in order to identify the specific accessory device connected to the portable electronic device. Subsequently, the portable electronic device may alter its behavior to suit an application or function of the accessory device, thus leading to a more positive user experience.
US09494968B2 Clock skew analysis and optimization
A method for adjusting clock skew in a network is disclosed. A model is fit to a first clock input signal received at a first receiver of the network and to a second clock input signal received at a second receiver of the network to obtain a fitted model. A first response signal is simulated using the fitted model and the first clock input signal and a second response signal is simulated using the fitted model and the second clock input signal. A time difference is determined between the simulated first response signal and the simulated second response signal. A parameter of at least one of the network clock network, the first receiver and the second receiver is altered to adjust the determined time difference.
US09494967B2 Trigger circuits and event counters for an IC
Some embodiments provide an integrated circuit (“IC”). The IC includes multiple configurable circuits that configurably perform operations of a user design based on configuration data. The IC also includes a configurable trigger circuit that receives a set of configuration data that specifies an operational event. The configurable trigger circuit also determines whether the operational event has occurred during implementation of the user design of the IC. Additionally, the operational trigger event outputs a trigger signal upon determining that the operational trigger event has occurred.
US09494960B2 Voltage regulator programmable as a function of load current
A programmable linear voltage regulator and system for programming the regulator that improves the speed, power usage, and stability over conventional linear voltage regulators is disclosed. A controller that has knowledge of the current or expected activation of various loads sends bias control signals to a programmable biasing circuit of an error amplifier in the voltage regulator to adjust the bias current in accordance with the load current the regulator produces or is expected to produce. A look up table associated with the controller can be used to correlate the bias control signals with current or expected load conditions. Programming of the programmable biasing circuit may precede the enablement of a new load condition to ready the voltage regulator to handle the upcoming change in load current.
US09494959B2 Current source for voltage regulator and voltage regulator thereof
A current source for quickly adjusting an output current includes a constant current generation module, coupled to a control node, for generating a predefined current flowing through the control node in order to determine a voltage of the control node; a capacitor, coupled to an output terminal of the current source; a current variation detection module, coupled between the control node and the capacitor, for generating a variation on the voltage of the control node via the capacitor when the output terminal of the current source receives an instant current variation; and a trans-conductance amplifier, coupled between the control node and the output terminal, for changing a magnitude of the output current of the output terminal when the variation on the voltage of the control node is generated.
US09494958B2 Semiconductor apparatus
A voltage generation circuit of a semiconductor apparatus includes a first detection block configured to detect an output voltage and output a first detection signal; a second detection block configured to detect the output voltage and output a second detection signal; a signal generation block configured to generate a control signal in response to the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and a voltage generation block configured to generate the output voltage in response to the control signal, wherein responding speeds of the first detection block and the second detection block with respect to a variation in the output voltage are different.
US09494957B2 Distributed voltage network circuits employing voltage averaging, and related systems and methods
Distributed voltage network circuits employing voltage averaging, and related systems and methods are disclosed. In one aspect, because voltage in one area of a distributed load circuit may vary from voltage in a second area, a distributed voltage network circuit is configured to tap voltages from multiple areas to calculate average voltage in the distributed load circuit. The distributed voltage network circuit includes a voltage distribution source component having source nodes. Voltage is distributed from each source node to a corresponding voltage load node via resistive interconnects. Voltage tap nodes access voltage from each corresponding voltage load node. Each voltage tap node is coupled to an input node of a corresponding resistive element in voltage averaging circuit. An output node of each resistive element is coupled to a voltage output node of the voltage averaging circuit, generating the average voltage of the distributed load circuit on the voltage output node.
US09494951B2 Temperature control of chemical detection system
An apparatus for detecting chemical reactions may be provided. The apparatus may comprise a chemical detection device. The chemical detection device may include a chemical sensor, which may be mounted on the chemical detection device. The apparatus may further comprise a valve block. The valve block may fluidly couple a plurality of reagent containers to the chemical detection device. The apparatus may further comprise a heat exchanger and a controller. The controller may control a fluid connection between the valve block and the chemical detection device. The controller may be also configured to adjust a temperature of a selected reagent from the plurality of reagent containers via the heat exchanger. The temperature of the selected reagent may be adjusted prior to the reagent entering the chemical detection device.
US09494949B2 Gravity control device
The gravity control apparatus (1) comprises: a first rotating body (10) that rotates along a first shaft (11a) as a result of being driven by a first driving device; a second rotating body (20) that rotates along a second shaft that is orthogonal to the first shaft (11a) within the region of rotation of the first rotating body (10) as a result of being driven by a second driving device; an accelerometer (40) that is set at any position on the second rotating body (20) and detects acceleration; and a control device (50) that controls driving by the first driving device and the second driving device. The control device (50) controls driving by the first driving device and the second driving device on the basis of acceleration data detected by the accelerometer (40).
US09494946B2 Flow rate control device
The flow rate control device comprises a basal plate block wherein a single input port into which a fluid flows, a single output port from which the fluid flows out, two inflow channels whose proximal ends are connected to the input port and two outflow channels whose terminal ends are connected to the output port are formed, and two flow rate control units arranged on the basal plate block, and one of the flow rate control units is arranged between one of the inflow channels and one of the outflow channels, the other flow rate control unit is arranged between the other inflow channel and the other outflow channel, and each of the flow rate control units is configured to be capable of operating independently.
US09494944B2 Device and method for choosing leader vehicle of a vehicle platoon
A method in a vehicle platoon including at least one leader vehicle and at least one additional vehicle, where the leader vehicle is intended to detect ambient conditions. The method includes the steps of: appointing (s410) the leader vehicle which is responsible for communicating information to the at least one additional vehicle; and under certain conditions, appointing (s450) a new leader vehicle which assumes the responsibility. A computer program product has program code (P) for a computer (200; 210) to implement a method according to the invention. The invention also pertains to a device in vehicle platoons and a motor vehicle equipped with such a device.
US09494942B1 Enhancing basic roadway-intersection models using high intensity image data
Systems and methods are provided that may optimize basic models of an intersection in a roadway with high intensity image data of the intersection of the roadway. More specifically, parameters that define the basic model of the intersection in the roadway may be adjusted to more accurately define the intersection. For example, by comparing a shape of the intersection predicted by the basic model with extracted curbs and lane boundaries from elevation and intensity maps, the intersection parameters can be optimized to match real intersection-features in the environment. Once the optimal intersection parameters have been found, roadgraph features describing the intersection may be extracted.
US09494937B2 Method and system for drone deliveries to vehicles in route
A system comprise a server configured to communicate vehicle information with a vehicle transceiver of a vehicle moving along a vehicle route and communicate drone information with a drone transceiver of a drone moving along a drone route. A computing device with a memory and a processor may be configured to communicatively connect with the server, process the vehicle information and the drone information, identify a plurality of pickup locations based in part on the vehicle information and drone information, select at least one of the plurality of pickup locations based in part on a priority score associated with a travel time to or wait time for each of the plurality of pickup locations, and update the drone route based in part on the selected pickup location.
US09494931B2 Dynamic hyperlinks for process control systems
Methods and systems for providing knowledge access in a process control system and methods and systems for providing dynamic hyperlinks in a process control system are disclosed. A dynamic hyperlink may define an association between a process control object corresponding to a process control element and a knowledge object corresponding to a knowledge reference stored internally or externally to the process control system. At a run-time of a display view that includes the process control object, the defined dynamic hyperlink may be established without a configuration or a download. Upon selection of the defined dynamic hyperlink, the corresponding knowledge reference may be displayed. Defined dynamic hyperlinks may be stored in a process control system database independent of process control objects or knowledge objects. Embodiments of user interfaces for administrating dynamic hyperlinks are also disclosed.
US09494921B2 Magnetic shielding for timepiece balance spring
Device for protecting a timepiece balance spring (1) against interfering magnetic fields comprising a balance (2) made of amorphous ferromagnetic material.
US09494919B2 Holographic imaging
Technologies are generally described for generating an image in a holographic imaging device by causing multiple reflections of a hologram reconstruction light on one side of a display panel in the holographic imaging device. An example device may include a display panel, a semi-transparent mirror layer on the display panel, a mirror layer at a side of the semi-transparent mirror layer opposite to the display panel, and a light irradiation unit opposite to the semi-transparent mirror layer. The light irradiation unit may irradiate a hologram reconstruction light on the semi-transparent mirror layer at a predetermined incident angle. The semi-transparent mirror layer may reflect a portion of the hologram reconstruction light such that the reflected portion of the hologram reconstruction light may be incident on the mirror layer. The semi-transparent mirror layer may transmit the other portion of the hologram reconstruction light to cause interference in the hologram.
US09494912B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt arranged to have a surface thereof facing the photosensitive members, primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, a connector, a first feeding path extending in a range between the first feed roller and the secondary-transfer roller, and a second feeding path being formed in clearance between the intermediate transfer belt and the waste toner container to convey a recording sheet being inserted through a sheet inlet and merging into the first feeding path in the vicinity of the first feed roller.
US09494906B2 Driving force transmission device and image forming apparatus using the same
A driving force transmission device that transmits a driving force to a rotation body includes a flange member provided in the rotation body, a through shaft that is connected to the flange member to transmit the driving force to the rotation body via the flange member, and an intermediate transmission member that is provided in the through shaft to transmit the driving force to the flange member from the through shaft.
US09494904B2 Separation device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
A separation device separates a recording medium ejected from a fixing nip formed between a first rotator and a second rotator from the first rotator. The separation device includes a separator including a front end disposed opposite the fixing nip and the recording medium and a plurality of recesses disposed on the front end of the separator at least in a conveyance span on the separator where the recording medium is conveyed. The plurality of recesses includes a first recess extending in a first extension line that is oblique relative to a recording medium conveyance direction and a second recess adjacent to the first recess and extending in a second extension line that is oblique relative to the recording medium conveyance direction. The second extension line overlaps the first extension line in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction to define an overlap span.
US09494902B2 Fixing belt, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
A fixing belt for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus includes a base layer including a heat-resistant resin and a mesh member embedded in the heat-resistant resin and including a metal member, in which the mesh member includes an opening. The heat-resistant resin fills in the opening. A thickness of the thinnest portion of the mesh member is 40% or more of the thickness of the base layer. A fixing device includes a heating member; a pressure member; and the fixing belt as described above. Further, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and the fixing device including the above described fixing belt.
US09494896B2 Fixing device with separation plate and image forming apparatus thereof
A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body. A pressing rotary body contacts the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separator is disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction to separate the recording medium from one of the fixing rotary body and the pressing rotary body. The separator includes a separation plate including an upstream portion disposed opposite the fixing nip and at least one slot disposed downstream from the upstream portion in the recording medium conveyance direction.
US09494893B2 Developing cartridge and method for manufacturing the same
A developing cartridge is provided. The developing cartridge includes a first frame and a second frame and a layer thickness regulating member. The first frame and the second frame include a first welding surface formed at a periphery of the developer accommodating part correspondingly to a developer accommodating part; and a second welding surface extending continuously from the first welding surface correspondingly to a roller support part. The first welding surface extends in a direction orthogonal to an overlapping direction of the first frame and the second frame. The second welding surface extends to be inclined toward a side of the first frame in the overlapping direction as extending toward the developing roller. The layer thickness regulating member is provided to cover the second welding surface from a side of the second frame in the overlapping direction.
US09494889B2 Image forming apparatus and detection apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an irradiation unit for irradiating an image carrier having a formed detection image with light, the irradiation unit being capable of switching a size of a light-emitting region; a light-receiving unit for receiving reflected light of the light irradiated by the irradiation unit and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a light-receiving amount of the reflected light including a specular-reflected light component; a detection unit for detecting one of position information and density information of the detection image based on the detection signal; and a control unit for controlling to switch the size of the light-emitting region to detect one of the position information and the density information of the detection image.
US09494882B2 Method of producing electrophotographic photosensitive member
The invention has a process of preparing a dispersion liquid by dispersing particles containing a charge transporting substance and a binder resin in liquid medium containing a specific liquid to prepare a dispersion liquid and a process of forming a coat of the dispersion liquid, and heating and drying the coat to dissolve the particles containing the charge transporting substance and the binder resin with liquid medium to form a charge transporting layer.
US09494875B2 Chuck, a chuck control system, a lithography apparatus and a method of using a chuck
A chuck, chuck control system, lithographic apparatus and method of using a chuck are disclosed. In an embodiment, there is provided a chuck (43) for use in holding a patterning device (MA) or a substrate (W) onto a supporting table (MT, WT) of a lithography apparatus (100) by electrostatic force, in which the patterning device is for imparting a radiation beam (B) with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, and the substrate is for receiving the patterned radiation beam; said chuck comprising: a dielectric member (45); a temperature conditioning fluid channel (48) formed within the chuck; a drive electrode (40, 42) for applying a potential difference between the drive electrode and the patterning device or substrate across the dielectric member in order to electrostatically attract the patterning device or substrate towards the drive electrode; and a first shield electrode (60) for reducing or preventing the development of an electric field across temperature conditioning fluid in the temperature conditioning fluid channel due to a voltage applied to the drive electrode, in order to reduce or prevent electrolysis in the fluid.
US09494874B2 Method and apparatus for design of a metrology target
A system to, and a method to, select a metrology target for use on a substrate including performing a lithographic simulation for a plurality of points on a process window region for each proposed target, identifying a catastrophic error for any of the plurality of points for each proposed target, eliminating each target having a catastrophic error at any of the plurality of points, performing a metrology simulation to determine a parameter over the process window for each target not having a catastrophic error at any of the plurality of points, and using the one or more resulting determined simulated parameters to evaluate target quality.
US09494872B2 Inspection method for lithography
The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus and method which include projecting a measurement radiation beam onto a target on a substrate in order to measure the radiation reflected from the target and obtain information related to properties of the substrate. In the present embodiments, the measurement spot, which is the focused beam on the substrate, is larger than the target. Information regarding the radiation reflected from the target is kept and information regarding the radiation reflected from the surface around the target is eliminated. This is done either by having no reflecting (or no specularly reflecting) surfaces around the target or by having known structures around the target, the information from which may be recognized and removed from the total reflected beam. The reflected beam is measured in the pupil plane of the projector such that the information obtained is related to diffraction orders of the reflected beam and profile, critical dimension or overlay of structures on the substrate may be determined.
US09494866B2 Resist composition and method of forming resist pattern
A method of forming a resist pattern, including forming a resist film by coating a resist composition including a base component (A) that exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution, a photo-base generator component (C) that generates a base upon exposure, an acid supply component (Z) and a compound (F) containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom and a silicon atom and containing no acid decomposable group which exhibits increased polarity by the action of acid on a substrate; subjecting the resist film to exposure baking the exposed resist film; and subjecting the resist film to alkali development, thereby forming a negative-tone resist pattern.
US09494858B2 Template and pattern forming method
A template for imprinting in which a pattern is transferred onto a first substrate applied curable resin thereon, including a second substrate having a surface to be contacted with the curable resin, a concave portion provided on the surface and corresponding to a pattern to be transferred onto the first substrate, and at least one convex portion arranged in the concave portion to decrease volume of the concave portion.
US09494857B2 Method for producing product having uneven microstructure on surface thereof
A method for producing a product having an uneven microstructure on a surface thereof includes: a step (I) which treats a surface of a roll mold (20) having an uneven microstructure thereon with an external release agent containing a fluorine and not containing a functional group (B) which reacts with a functional group (A) existing on the surface of the product; and a step (II) which obtains the product having the uneven microstructure on the surface thereof (40) by inserting an active energy ray curable resin composition (38) including an internal release agent between the roll mold (20) and a film (substrate) (42) after the step (I). Then, the composition is hardened by being irradiated with an active energy ray and a cured resin layer (44) having a surface, onto which the uneven microstructure is transferred, is formed on the surface of the film (42).
US09494854B2 Technique for repairing an EUV photo-mask
During a calculation technique, a modification to a reflective photo-mask is calculated. In particular, using information specifying a defect associated with a recessed area on a top surface of the reflective photo-mask, the modification to the reflective photo-mask is calculated. For example, the calculation may involve an inverse optical calculation in which a difference between a pattern associated with the reflective photo-mask at an image plane in a photo-lithographic process and a reference pattern at the image plane in the photo-lithographic process is used to calculate the modification at an object plane in the photo-lithographic process. Note that the modification includes a negative feature in which one or more pairs of layers in a multilayer stack in the reflective photo-mask are removed using a subtractive fabrication process. Moreover, the modification is proximate to the recessed area.
US09494853B2 Increasing lithographic depth of focus window using wafer topography
Various embodiments provide for topography aware optical proximity correction that can improve depth of focus during wafer lithography. The system can determine the topography of the wafer using real process information. The topographical variations can be based on random defects or structural details. The system can divide the wafer into regions based on the topography of the regions and determine depth of focus values for each of the regions. Optical proximity correction can then be performed on each region separately, using the separate defocus values to yield an accurate, topographically aware optical proximity correction model for the wafer. For regions with varying topography, optical proximity correction can be performed for two defocus values corresponding to the high and low extremes, such that the resulting simulated contour is satisfies a predetermined criterion associated with accuracy.
US09494843B2 SMD type Fresnel LED micro flash light structure
A SMD type Fresnel LED micro flash light structure, which is adapted to a camera of a mobile phone, includes a housing, an array-type light source and a micro-cylindrical Fresnel lens. The housing has a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls, and defines a longitudinal direction and a width direction. The array-type light source is disposed on the bottom wall along the longitudinal direction. The micro-cylindrical Fresnel lens covers the housing, and includes a cylindrical plano-convex lens, and two teeth-shaped lens sections respectively arranged at two sides of the cylindrical plano-convex lens. Each teeth-shaped lens section has a plurality of bar teeth-shaped lenses. The cylindrical plano-convex lens and the bar teeth-shaped lenses are parallel to each other along the width direction. A central axis of the cylindrical plano-convex lens is corresponding to a central position of the array-type light source.
US09494841B2 Reflective color display
An electrophoretic reflective color display has a color filter on an electrophoretic display layer displaying black and white. A colored portion and a non-colored portion are provided in a pixel of the color filter layer, and the colored portion has a hue defined by specified values of chromaticity coordinates (a*, b*), measured with transmitted light using a D65 light source, in a chromaticity diagram of the L*a*b* color system.
US09494840B2 Electrochromic mirror and room mirror module for vehicle comprising the same
Provided are an electrochromic mirror and a method of manufacturing the same, the electrochromic mirror including: a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; and an electrochromic layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and containing an electrochromic material and an electrolyte, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is a transparent film, whereby an entire thickness and weight of the electrochromic mirror can be reduced, and as a result, the degree of design freedom can be improved, and since the electrochromic layer containing the electrochromic material and the electrolyte is formed by a coating method, the efficiency of a manufacturing process can be improved, and a production cost can be reduced.
US09494839B2 Electrochemical device manufacturing
A process for manufacturing an electrochemically active device comprising the steps of: —providing a substrate (110) comprising an electrode receiving surface portion (111) having substantially constant wetting tension throughout said electrode receiving surface portion, —providing a plurality of first electrodes (120) directly on said electrode receiving surface portion, —leaving intermediate portions (130) of said electrode receiving surface portion (111) free from said electrodes, —providing a layer of electrolyte (140) covering said plurality of first electrodes (120) and said intermediate portions (130), and—wherein wetting tension of the surfaces of the intermediate portions (130) is arranged to act more repelling on the electrolyte compared to the wetting tension of the surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes (120), whereby, the electrolyte is concentrated to the surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes (120), and the surfaces of the intermediate portions (130) are substantially free of electrolyte.
US09494838B2 Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate including a first light blocking region where a plurality of transistors are formed and a second light blocking region where a data line is extended in a vertical direction; a first color filter and a second color filter formed on the first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate and having a common electrode formed thereon; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein the first and second color filters are spaced apart from each other in an intersection region of the first and second light blocking regions and are overlapped with each other in the second light blocking region other than the intersection region to form a color filter overlapped part in the vertical direction.
US09494829B2 Semiconductor device and liquid crystal display device containing the same
The number of photolithography steps used for manufacturing a transistor is reduced to less than the conventional one and a highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a circuit including a transistor having an oxide semiconductor layer over a first substrate and a second substrate fixed to the first substrate with a sealant. A closed space surrounded by the sealant, the first substrate, and the second substrate is in a reduced pressure state or filled with dry air. The sealant surrounds at least the transistor and has a closed pattern shape. Further, the circuit is a driver circuit including a transistor having an oxide semiconductor layer.
US09494827B2 Liquid crystal device, electronic apparatus, and method for manufacturing liquid crystal device
A liquid crystal device including: a first substrate, the first substrate being transparent; a second substrate disposed opposite the first substrate, the second substrate being transparent; a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules; an alignment film with alignment treatment such that the liquid crystal molecules align, the alignment film being provided on a surface of the first substrate, the surface facing the liquid crystal layer; and pillar spacers provided on the alignment film, wherein the alignment treatment is applied to the alignment film except at least a part of area in which each of the pillar spacers overlaps with the alignment film.
US09494826B2 Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film has a thickness of at least 10 nm and no greater 50 nm and is thinner than the first alignment film.
US09494824B2 Planar lighting device
A lighting device including a circuit substrate; a plurality of light sources disposed on the circuit substrate; a reflection layer disposed on the circuit substrate, the reflection layer comprising a plurality of openings where respective light sources are located; a plurality of absorbers disposed at an edge of the reflection layer and at an inclination with respect to the reflection layer, wherein the plurality of absorbers have a greater density at first areas aligned with the respective light sources than at second areas between the first areas; and an optical sheet disposed on the light sources.
US09494823B2 Method and apparatus for achieving uniform high locality light
A method and apparatus for effectively controlling light propagation are presented. The apparatus includes a muntin having reflective walls arranged to form a plurality of openings, and a cavity sheet disposed on the muntin. The muntin is configured to assemble with an array of light sources. The cavity sheet has a plurality of pinholes and is configured to assemble with the muntin such that the reflective walls align with areas between the pinholes. The light sources, the muntin, and the cavity sheet form light mixing cavities and light sources within each light mixing cavities may be individually controlled. The light mixing cavities allow generation of localized and uniform light.
US09494821B2 Display device having polarized light source
A display device includes a reflective base member, a first light polarizing film disposed on the surface of the base member, a light source, a second light polarizing medium receiving light from the light source and emitting polarized light towards the first light polarizing film, a birefringence medium positioned between the second light polarizing medium and the first light polarizing film, and means for changing the direction of polarization of the second light polarizing means.