| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09667996B2 |
Sub-prediction unit (PU) based temporal motion vector prediction in HEVC and sub-PU design in 3D-HEVC
Techniques are described for sub-prediction unit (PU) based motion prediction for video coding in HEVC and 3D-HEVC. In one example, the techniques include an advanced temporal motion vector prediction (TMVP) mode to predict sub-PUs of a PU in single layer coding for which motion vector refinement may be allowed. The advanced TMVP mode includes determining motion vectors for the PU in at least two stages to derive motion information for the PU that includes different motion vectors and reference indices for each of the sub-PUs of the PU. In another example, the techniques include storing separate motion information derived for each sub-PU of a current PU predicted using a sub-PU backward view synthesis prediction (BVSP) mode even after motion compensation is performed. The additional motion information stored for the current PU may be used to predict subsequent PUs for which the current PU is a neighboring block. |
| US09667993B2 |
Predictive motion vector coding
Overlapped block disparity estimation and compensation is described. Compensating for images with overlapped block disparity compensation (OBDC) involves determining if OBDC is enabled in a video bit stream, and determining if OBDC is enabled for one or more macroblocks that neighbor a first macroblock within the video bit stream. The neighboring macroblocks may be transform coded. If OBDC is enabled in the video bit stream and for the one or more neighboring macroblocks, predictions may be made for a region of the first macroblock that has an edge adjacent with the neighboring macroblocks. OBDC can be causally applied. Disparity compensation parameters or modes may be shared amongst views or layers. A variety of predictions may be used with causally-applied OBDC. |
| US09667992B2 |
Method for selecting motion vector predictor and device using same
A method for selecting a motion vector predictor is provided. The method of selecting a motion vector predictor includes the steps of selecting motion vector predictor candidates for a current block and selecting a motion vector predictor of the current block out of the motion vector predictor candidates, wherein the motion vector predictor candidates for the current block include a motion vector of a first candidate block which is first searched for as an available block out of left neighboring blocks of the current block and a motion vector of a second candidate block which is first searched for as an available block out of upper neighboring blocks of the current block. |
| US09667983B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method for the same including estimation and scheduling
An image processing apparatus includes a request receiving unit that receives requests from a plurality of pieces of content, a variable-length code processing unit which decodes or encodes the content, a plurality of image signal processing units executing tasks according to the requests in parallel, an estimating unit that estimates estimate time by which a process of the task is completed in each of the image signal processing units on the basis of a parameter of decoding or encoding used in the variable-length code processing unit, and a scheduling unit that schedules tasks executed by the plurality of image signal processing units on the basis of estimation time estimated by the estimating unit. |
| US09667982B2 |
Techniques for transform based transcoding
Techniques for transform based transcoding are described. A transcoding application may manage transcoding operations for media files. The transcoding application may comprise a file transcoder component to transcode a media file from a first compressed state corresponding to a first compression technique to a second compressed state corresponding to a second compression technique, wherein the second compression technique performs compression in a transform domain. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09667981B2 |
Rate control for content transcoding
The disclosed subject matter relates to rate control aspects for content transcoding. A rate control scheme for transcoding is disclosed that is considerate of quantization parameters related to an encoded input content stream and when transcoding the input content stream into an output content stream. Quantization parameters can be determined for an encoded input content stream by parsing the stream. These can be combined with a rate-distortion model for transcoding to determine transcoding quantization parameters. Further, iteratively applying the derived rate-distortion model to windows of frames during transcoding can facilitate real-time two-pass transcoding. Window size can be based on buffer constraints. Moreover, a sliding window buffer check scheme can be employed to avoid buffer constraint violations. |
| US09667968B2 |
Filtering method for performing deblocking filtering on a boundary between an intra pulse code modulation block and a non-intra pulse code modulation block which are adjacent to each other in an image
A filtering method is for performing deblocking filtering on the boundary between an IPCM block and a non-IPCM block adjacent to each other in an image and including: determining a first quantization parameter for the non-IPCM block; determining a second quantization parameter for the IPCM block, using the first quantization parameter; determining a filter strength for the boundary, using the first quantization parameter and the second quantization parameter; and performing the deblocking filtering on the boundary using the determined filter strength. |
| US09667967B2 |
Systems and methods for encoding alternative streams of video for use in adaptive bitrate streaming
Systems and methods for encoding alternative streams for use in adaptive bitrate streaming based upon the delay of each stream in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described. One embodiment of the invention includes memory, and a processor configured by a source encoding application to: receive multimedia content, where the multimedia content includes source video data having a primary resolution and a primary sample aspect ratio; and encode the source video data as a set of alternative video streams, where: the alternative video streams have different maximum bitrates; and the alternative video streams are encoded to have an upper bound seek delay that is equal to or less than the upper bound seek delay of streams in the set of alternative video streams that are encoded at a higher maximum bitrate. |
| US09667964B2 |
Reduced complexity motion compensated temporal processing
A method and system for reduced complexity motion compensated temporal processing for pre-analysis purposes. The processing complexity is reduced by reducing the number of pictures processed for analysis, reducing the number of references used for analysis, and/or spatially subsampling input pictures. |
| US09667963B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video, method and apparatus for decoding video, and programs therefor
The prediction error energy in inter-frame prediction with motion compensation is reduced and the coding efficiency is improved. A video encoding method using fractional-accuracy motion compensation includes: a step of generating multiple weighted filter coefficients from multiple interpolation filter sets using weight parameters which designate weight values of interpolation filter coefficients; a step of selecting weighted filter coefficients which minimize prediction error energy in the fractional-accuracy motion compensation from among the weighted filter coefficients; a step of interpolating fractional-accuracy pixels for a reference picture by application of an interpolation filter with the selected weighted filter coefficients and encoding an input picture with the fractional-accuracy motion compensation; and a step of encoding the weight parameters used for generating the selected weighted filter coefficients and the interpolation filter coefficients and adding encoded weight parameters and encoded interpolation filter coefficients to an encoded bitstream. |
| US09667956B2 |
Icon-based home certification, in-home leakage testing, and antenna matching pad
A method for determining the magnitude of leakage in a subscriber's premises CATV installation; a frequency multiplexer for coupling between an antenna and a receiver for the multiplexed frequencies; and, a method for a technician to certify a CATV subscriber's premises for the provision of CATV services are disclosed. |
| US09667953B2 |
Display device
Provided are a display device and polarizing glasses. The display device allows a user to wear polarizing glasses including a positive or negative uniaxial retardation layer and observe stereoscopic images. The display device includes a uniaxial retardation layer with the opposite sign to the uniaxial retardation layer included in the polarizing glasses so that the display device can have highly improved upper, lower, left, and right viewing angles. |
| US09667946B2 |
Method for authenticating an image capture of a three-dimensional entity
A method of authenticating the capture of an image of a three-dimensional entity is provided, including the steps of generating a series of images of the entity with the help of an optical sensor, associating each image with information representative of the position of the sensor at the moment at which it generated the image, and determining whether there is consistency between two images of the series by verifying whether there is consistency between an apparent movement of the optical sensor as determined by comparing characteristic points visible in the two images and an estimated real movement of the optical sensor as determined by comparing information representative of three-dimensional positions of the optical sensor at the moments when it generated the two images. |
| US09667945B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method and image processing computer program product
An image processing device, method and computer program product cooperate to make adjustments in detection area for image adjustment processing to when displacement adjustments have been made to a first or second imaging area. A detection area setting device sets a first detection area within a first imaging area and sets a second detection area in a second imaging area after a displacement adjustment is applied to at least one of the first imaging area and the second imaging area. The first detection area is an area used in image adjustment processing. |
| US09667941B2 |
Encoding device, encoding method, decoding device, and decoding method
The present invention relates to an encoding device, an encoding method, a decoding device, and a decoding method capable of encoding and decoding multi-viewpoint images in accordance with a mode that is compatible with an existing mode.A compatible encoder generates a compatible stream by encoding an image A1 that is a compatible image in units of access units. An auxiliary encoder generates an encoded stream of a multiplexed image of auxiliary images by encoding a multiplexed image of images B1 and C1 that are auxiliary images used when multi-viewpoint images are generated from the compatible image in units of access units. A multiplexing unit transmits the compatible stream, a 3DV Representation Delimiter representing a boundary of a unit, and an encoded stream of the multiplexed image of the auxiliary images. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an encoding device that encodes a 3D image of the multi-viewpoint mode. |
| US09667940B2 |
Adaptive colorspace conversion for 3D stereoscopic disparity estimation
A method for processing an image signal having at least two, preferably three channels, including: analyzing an information content of each channel, and converting the channels into a single channel using a weighting factor for each channel, wherein the weighting factors are adjusted dependent on information content of each channel. |
| US09667939B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
A depth map generating unit generates depth information indicating the depth of a subject in each pixel of frames of a moving image. An additional information generating unit generates additional information regarding a change between continuous frames. A reading and writing unit writes a depth map and the additional information on the recording medium and reads the depth map and the additional information from the recording medium. A depth map correcting unit corrects the depth map read by the reading and writing unit based on the additional information read by the reading and writing unit. The reading and writing unit performs overwriting with the depth map corrected by the depth map correcting unit on the recording medium. The present technology is applicable to an image processing apparatus that generates depth information indicating a sense of depth of a stereoscopic image. |
| US09667933B2 |
Color and infrared filter array patterns to reduce color aliasing
Embodiments of a color filter array include a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit comprising an M×N set of individual filters, and each individual filter in the set having a photoresponse selected from among four different photoresponses. Each minimal repeating unit includes a checkerboard pattern of filters of the first photoresponse, and filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses distributed among the checkerboard pattern such that the filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses are sequentially symmetric about one or both of a pair of orthogonal axes of the minimal repeating unit. |
| US09667931B2 |
Electro-optic apparatus and control method thereof
A projector includes a liquid crystal panel, an optical path shifting element which is capable of changing the optical path of light emitted from the liquid crystal panel, and an image processing unit. The optical path shifting element performs pixel shift such that light reaches different positions of a display screen in respective first to fourth unit periods acquired by dividing one frame into four parts. The image processing unit includes a conversion unit which converts a high resolution image signal into a low resolution image signal, and generates an output image signal by performing an overdrive process on the low resolution image signal according to a pixel shift state. |
| US09667930B2 |
Projection apparatus, projection method, and projection program medium which corrects image distortion based on pixel usage
A CPU of a projector determines whether or not a correction mode in which the aspect ratio of an input image is changed to correct distortion is set and, if the correction mode is set, determines distortion correction process parameters for changing the aspect ratio of the image to be projected onto a screen to project the image in the form of a rectangular image, and the image converter performs geometric correction on the input image on the basis of the distortion correction process parameters to project the image subjected to distortion correction. |
| US09667929B2 |
Display uniformity compensation method, optical modulation apparatus, signal processor, and projection system
Disclosed are a display uniformity compensation method, an optical modulation apparatus, a signal processor, and a projection system. The method comprises: acquiring original image data and an optical loss coefficient a of a compensation region, acquiring t1 and t2, and making t2/t1=f a/(1−a), where 0 |
| US09667928B2 |
Lambertian servo sensor position and timing
The present disclosure generally relates to a LPD system having a plurality of detectors for detecting light reflected from the back surface of the screen. The detectors are positioned to detect light from one or more portions of the screen that are not directly in front of the detector. |
| US09667927B2 |
Projector
A projector according to an aspect includes a light source device, a light modulation device adapted to modulate light from the light source device to form image light, a projection optical system adapted to perform tilted projection of the image light input from the light modulation device to display an image, and a guide display section adapted to display a guide image used for fitting the image projected by the projection optical system to a screen, the guide image is provided with a focus adjustment pattern forming area disposed in a central portion in a direction perpendicular to a tilt direction in a peripheral zone on the tilt direction side, and a focus adjustment pattern is formed in the focus adjustment pattern forming area. |
| US09667924B2 |
Projection-type image display device
A projection-type image display device includes a first housing and a second housing. The first housing houses a light source unit configured to emit light, an image generating unit configured to modulate the light from the light source unit according to a video input signal to generate image light, and a projecting unit configured to project the image light generated by the image generating unit. The second housing includes an output unit configured to output a light signal and/or an input unit configured to input a light signal which are/is exposed and arranged on a surface of the second housing. |
| US09667919B2 |
Method and system for anonymous video analytics processing
A method includes receiving, at a peer node, statistical data based on video data and relating to the video data, but other than a video content and an image content of the video data. In particular, the peer node is other than within a trusted group of nodes trusted for accessing the video data. At the peer node, the statistical data is analyzed to identify predetermined patterns therein. Upon identifying a predetermined pattern, a signal is provided to a trusted processor relating to the identified pattern. |
| US09667915B2 |
Method and system for video conference and PC user experience integration
Disclosed is a system and method for integrating a user computer with a Codec device so that operation of input devices to a computer is transferred to a display associated with the Codec. |
| US09667911B2 |
Copy count for DTCP with an abbreviation hash used for check in copy
A Digital Rights Management (DRM) system is provided that reduces time for a move transaction using DTCP-IP when a copy is moved back or checked back in to an originating Personal Video Recorder (PVR). During a DTCP MOVE transaction, instead of transferring the full asset in a check back in operation to the PVR, a unique and abbreviated representation of the original copy of the asset would be made for the transfer. This abbreviated representation takes the form of a hash constructed from a hashing function which uses characteristics of the asset as inputs. This hash will have to be a unique and near guaranteed indicator of the original content, to a high probability, so that the copy control system could live up to the spirit of the DTCP spec and the DLNA interoperability guidelines. |
| US09667908B2 |
Image recording system
An image recording system including a component capable of displaying and processing of images such as a central processing unit (CPU)/digital signal processor (DSP) that may be installed in a network video recorder (NVR) so that the image recording system may be used to implement a video summary/video synopsis technology in an embedded NVR/digital video recorder (DVR)/set-top box (SETTOP) system having a Host CPU and a plurality of DSP cores. |
| US09667906B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus may be provided that includes a display module, a housing, at least one speaker module within the housing, and at least one reflector disposed adjacent to the at least one speaker module. The at least one reflector may have an inclined acoustic reflection surface exposed to a front side of the display module when the sounds are emitted from the at least one speaker module. The at least one speaker module may be disposed in parallel to a horizontal or vertical direction of the housing. |
| US09667902B2 |
Method for transmitting a broadcast service, method for receiving a broadcast service, and apparatus for receiving a broadcast service
A broadcast service receiving method of a broadcast receiving device is provided. The method includes: receiving a trigger; receiving a triggered object; when a target of the received trigger is the triggered object, performing a trigger action on the triggered object at a trigger time; receiving real-time data available for the triggered object by an operation of the triggered object according to the performing of the triggered action; and providing a service by using the real-time data. |
| US09667901B2 |
Imaging apparatus and imaging system
Provided is an imaging apparatus and an imaging system that can suppress high-brightness darkening phenomenon without preventing achievement of high-speed operation. The imaging apparatus includes: pixels each outputting a signal based on photoelectric conversion to each of signal lines; clip units each having a first transistor for clipping the voltage of each of the signal lines; a holding capacitor having a first electrode connected to a control electrode of the first transistor, and having a second electrode; a shift unit configured to supply, to the second electrodes, a plurality of voltages having values different from each other; and a voltage supplying unit provided separately from the shift unit and supplying a first voltage to the second electrodes. |
| US09667897B2 |
Method and circuit for reading an array of oscillators
A detection device comprises an array of pixels, each pixel including a sensor and generating an oscillating signal (S); and a frequency detection circuit (206, 208, 210) for detecting the frequency of the oscillating output signal of one or more of the pixels, the frequency detection circuit having: a window generation circuit (208) adapted to generate at least one output signal (WIN_SEN) indicating the start and end times of a first time duration (TWINDOW) corresponding to a plurality of periods of the oscillating output signal; and one or more counters (210) adapted to receive at least one reference signal (TCOUNT, TREAD) indicating the start and end times of a reference time duration (TREF), and to quantify a difference between the first time duration and the reference time duration. |
| US09667895B2 |
Stacked chip shared pixel architecture
An image sensor includes a pixel array disposed in a first semiconductor die. The pixel array is partitioned into a plurality of pixel sub-arrays. Each one of the plurality of pixel sub-arrays is arranged into a plurality of pixel groups. Each one of the plurality of pixel groups is arranged into a p×q array of pixel cells. A plurality of readout circuits is disposed in a second semiconductor die. An interconnect layer is stacked between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die. The interconnect layer includes a plurality of conductors. Each one of the plurality of pixel sub-arrays is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of readout circuits through a corresponding one of the plurality of conductors. |
| US09667894B2 |
Solid state imaging element, driving method of solid state imaging element, and electronic apparatus
A solid state imaging element including a drive circuit and a pixel unit with pixels arranged in a matrix form. The pixels include a photoelectric conversion element configured to convert light incident thereupon into a charge and to accumulate the charge, a charge holding unit connected to the photoelectric conversion element, and a floating diffusion region. The drive circuit transfers a first portion of the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to the charge holding unit and concurrently transfers a second portion of the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to the floating diffusion region. Electronic global shutter is realized by transferring charge from the photoelectric conversion elements of each of the pixels at substantially the same time. |
| US09667888B2 |
Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof
An image capturing apparatus comprises a first image capturing unit, a second image capturing unit that is different from the first image capturing unit, and a control unit configured to perform control such that a second live image captured by the second image capturing unit is superimposed and displayed on a first live image captured by the first image capturing unit, wherein if first information is to be displayed on a display unit along with the first live image and the second live image, the control unit controls to switch a display state in which the first information is superimposed on the second live image or a display state in which the first information is displayed behind the second live image, according to a state of a predetermined function for shooting. |
| US09667887B2 |
Lens distortion method for broadcast video
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are described to improve a lens distortion curve which roughly approximates distortion caused by a camera lens to capture an event onto video. The present invention selects a generic lens distortion curve that roughly approximates the distortion caused by the camera lens while capturing the event onto the video. The video as well as information from the generic lens distortion curve is used to generate a camera model. This camera model is used to integrate virtual insertions into the video. If the camera model is sufficiently accurate to present a realistic appearance of the virtual insertions to the remote viewer, this camera model is then used to integrate more virtual insertions into the video. However, if the camera model is not sufficiently accurate, an iterative process is employed to refine this camera model. |
| US09667886B2 |
Apparatus and method for editing video data according to common video content attributes
An apparatus has a video input (3) for receiving input video data (2) and a processor (5). The processor (5) can perform detecting at least one video segment in the input video data on the basis of at least one predefined video characteristic attribute, detecting at least one video content attribute associated with the detected at least one video segment, and inserting video scene data into the input video data on the basis of the at least one detected video segment and the at least one video content attribute. |
| US09667884B2 |
System and method for evaluating surgical knot formation
A system for evaluating surgical knot formation is disclosed. The system includes a first surgically relevant object, a pressure sensor, and at least one pair of suture ends passing through the pressure sensor and the first surgically relevant object. The system also includes a controller coupled to the pressure sensor and configured to 1) transform signals from the pressure sensor into a pressure map having pressure magnitudes from a plurality of locations on the pressure sensor corresponding to one or more knots which may be formed in the at least one pair of suture ends; and 2) format the pressure map for display. |
| US09667881B2 |
Realtime capture exposure adjust gestures
Disclosed herein are systems, device, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling semi-manual media capture. Semi-manual media capture can involve calculating optimal exposure settings in an auto-exposure loop, displaying a scene with optimal exposure settings in real time, receiving a manual adjust gesture, and adjusting the scene, in real time, based on the manual adjust gesture. |
| US09667875B2 |
Vision system and method of monitoring surroundings of machine
A vision system for a machine system includes a first set of cameras mounted on the first section and a second set of cameras mounted on the second section of the machine. A controller is coupled to the first set of cameras and the second set of cameras. The controller includes a first and a second image transformation modules to convert a first and a second images captured by the first and the second set of cameras into a first and a second transformed image based at least on a view type, respectively. An image combination module combines the first transformed image and the second transformed image to a combined image with reference to the articulation joint. The image combination module communicates with a display device to display the combined image. The combined image is indicative of surroundings of the first section and the second section of the machine. |
| US09667874B2 |
Imaging device and image processing method with both an optical zoom and a digital zoom
An imaging device includes an optical system including a zoom lens and a focus lens, a driver to drive the zoom lens and the focus lens, an image sensor to convert an optical image of a subject formed via the optical system into an electric signal and output the signal as an image signal, an image processor to generate image data of the subject according to the image signal, a digital zoom element to perform digital zoom on the basis of the image data; and a position detector to detect a position of the zoom lens, wherein the digital zoom element is configured to perform the digital zoom even when the zoom lens position has not reached a telephoto end. |
| US09667872B2 |
Camera to capture multiple images at multiple focus positions
An example of a camera includes an optical element moving between first and second focus positions upon application of an electrical signal, a sensor capturing first and second images transmitted by the optical element in the respective first and second focus positions, a first storage location recording first images and a second storage location recording second images, and a screen simultaneously displaying a most recent first image from the first storage cation and a most recent second image from the second storage location. Another example of a camera includes the optical element and sensor, as well as a processor to: control timing of application of an electrical signal to the optical element to regulate changing of the optical element between first and second focus positions, synchronize capture by the sensor of first and second images, and control streaming of most recent first and second images for simultaneous viewing. |
| US09667871B2 |
Remote imaging in modular cellular phone
A system and method of remote imaging allows a camera module in a modular portable electronic device environment to be removed from a base module without halting an image capture session being displayed on a display of the base module. In an embodiment, image data may be captured by both the camera module and the base module. A hardwired connection connects the devices when the camera module is docked on the base module, while a wireless connection maintains the connection between the devices when the camera module is undocked from the base module during an image capture session. |
| US09667869B2 |
Camera apparatus for automatically maintaining horizontality and method for the same
Disclosed herein is a camera apparatus for automatically maintaining horizontality and a method for maintaining the horizontality of a camera module and an image sensor. Particularly, the method for maintaining the horizontality of the camera module and the image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention include: a step in which a horizontal sensor senses the horizontal state of the image sensor; a step in which a horizontal control signal generation unit generates a horizontal control signal based on a result of comparing the horizontal state with a reference state; and a step in which a horizontal control device rotates any one of the camera module and the image sensor to attain horizontality based on the horizontal control signal and controls any one of the camera module and the image sensor to stay horizontal. |
| US09667868B2 |
Auto calibration method and OIS camera using the same
An auto calibration method and an optical image stabilizer (OIS) camera using the same are provided. The auto calibration method includes removing a DC offset of a gyroscope. A vibrator signal applied by operating a vibrator, and an actual measurement value of the gyroscope is obtained using the applied vibrator signal. A first gain value for compensating for sensitivity of the gyroscope is calculated using the vibrator signal and the actual measurement value of the gyroscope, and an actuator is operated. A displacement of a pixel actually moving on an image is moved under an operation of the actuator. A second gain value for controlling a sensitivity variation of the actuator is calculated based on the displacement of the actually moving pixel. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce processing time and to ensure high performance. |
| US09667861B2 |
Method of displaying focus and electronic device applying the same
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a camera module, and a camera control module operatively connected to the camera module, wherein the camera control module obtains focus information of a subject to be captured by using the camera module, moves a lens of a camera to focus the camera on the subject based on at least the focus information, and provides guide information corresponding to the movement of the lens through an output device operatively connected to the electronic device. |
| US09667856B2 |
Auto focus adjusting method, auto focus adjusting apparatus, and digital photographing apparatus including the same
An auto focus (AF) adjusting method, an AF adjusting apparatus, and a digital photographing apparatus including the same, the AF adjusting apparatus including: an AF calculator for calculating focus detection evaluation values; a peak detector for detecting a peak position of the focus detection evaluation values; and a speed calculator for calculating a moving speed of a subject by using the peak position. When continuous photographing of still images is performed, the peak detector detects the peak position in an image pickup interval before a light exposure preparation interval for image capturing, and the focus lens driver performs moving body compensation driving for compensating for a focal position by using a moving speed calculated in the light exposure preparation interval before capturing starts. |
| US09667852B2 |
Image pickup apparatus having in-focus operation based on one focus detection area and method for controlling same
An image pickup apparatus includes a focus adjustment unit, an image sensor, a focus evaluation value calculation unit, and a control unit configured to drive the focus adjustment unit based on a focus evaluation value to perform an in-focus operation. A change curve representing a change amount of a focus evaluation value indicating a focusing state of an object image includes a first slope before inversion of a sign of an inclination of the change curve at a peak value on the change curve and a second slope after inversion of a sign of an inclination of the change curve at a peak value on the change curve. The control unit determines whether the focus evaluation value corresponding to the peak value on the change curve is used for the in-focus operation based on an inclination of the first slope and an inclination of the second slope. |
| US09667844B2 |
Electronic apparatus provided with a plurality of tiers of rotation operation members
A mechanism that achieves size reduction of an electronic apparatus by reducing the axial size of a plurality of tiers of rotation operation members that can be rotationally operated independently of each other. An electronic apparatus includes a holder fixed to an exterior member thereof, a mode dial rotatably supported by the holder, and an exposure correction dial disposed in a manner axially opposed to the mode dial and rotatably supported by the holder. A first click mechanism generates a click force when the mode dial is rotated, and a second click mechanism generates a click force when the exposure correction dial is rotated. The first click mechanism and the second click mechanism are arranged in a space in which the mode dial and the exposure correction dial are axially opposed to each other. |
| US09667843B2 |
Imaging module, insulating-tube-attached imaging module, lens-attached imaging module, and endoscope
An imaging module of the invention includes: an electrical cable; a solid-state image sensing device; and a three-dimensional wiring base in which a mount surface is provided on a molded product. The mount surface has two opposed apexes which sandwich a central portion therebetween and is molded so that the distance between the two apexes is the longest in distances between two points on sides of the mount surface, a cross section parallel to the mount surface of the three-dimensional wiring base is equal to the mount surface or smaller than the mount surface, and the distance between two points that is the longest in distances on sides of a shape in a plan view of the solid-state image sensing device is equal to or shorter than the distance between the two apexes. |
| US09667842B2 |
Multi-band YCbCr locally-adaptive noise modeling and noise reduction based on scene metadata
Image enhancement is achieved by separating image signals, e.g. YCbCr image signals, into a series of frequency bands and performing locally-adaptive noise reduction on bands below a given frequency but not on bands above that frequency. The bands are summed to develop the image enhanced signals. The YCbCr, multi-band locally-adaptive approach to denoising is able to operate independently—and in an optimized fashion—on both luma and chroma channels. Noise reduction is done based on models developed for both luma and chroma channels by measurements taken for multiple frequency bands, in multiple patches on the ColorChecker chart, and at multiple gain levels, in order to develop a simple yet robust set of models that may be tuned off-line a single time for each camera and then applied to images taken by such cameras in real-time without excessive processing requirements and with satisfactory results across illuminant types and lighting conditions. |
| US09667840B2 |
Video output device, video output program, and video output method
A video output device includes: a drawing portion drawing successively images corresponding to image information at a first frequency; and an output portion outputting to a three-dimensional television receiver two pieces of image information based on the images corresponding to the image information successively drawn by the drawing portion with the two pieces of image information being packed as first image information and second image information in a form of three-dimensional image information containing therein the first image information and the second image information which are to be transmitted to the three-dimensional television receiver adapted to perform three-dimensional display at a second frequency approximately half of the first frequency. |
| US09667839B2 |
Digital image color plane compression
An example embodiment may involve obtaining an a×b pixel macro-cell from an input image. The a×b pixel macro-cell may contain 4 non-overlapping m×n pixel cells. The a×b pixels in the a×b pixel macro-cell may have respective color values and may be associated with respective object type tags. The example embodiment may also include selecting a compression technique to either (i) compress the a×b pixel macro-cell as a whole, or (ii) compress the a×b pixel macro-cell by compressing each of the 4 non-overlapping m×n pixel cells separately. The example embodiment may further include compressing the a×b pixel macro-cell according to the selected compression technique, and writing a representation of the compressed a×b pixel macro-cell to a computer-readable output medium. |
| US09667832B2 |
Image processing apparatus
In an image processing apparatus, a specific local gradation pattern detecting unit detects a specific local gradation pattern in a density distribution of a pixel array in a secondary scanning direction at each one of plural sampling positions along a primary scanning direction in a document image. A crease detecting unit detects a crease on the basis of positions in the primary scanning direction and positions in the secondary scanning direction of plural specific local gradation patterns detected for the plural sampling positions along the primary scanning direction. A crease removing unit removes the detected crease. The specific local gradation pattern has a density distribution that monotonically increases from a background density to a local peak density and monotonically decreases from the local peak density to the background density in the secondary scanning direction. |
| US09667827B2 |
Image processing apparatus for transmitting image data by selectively using first and second protocols
An image processing apparatus operates to perform: transmitting account information to the directory server through the communication interface for authentication by the directory server; receiving attribute information from the directory server when the account information is authenticated by the directory server, the attribute information being associated with the account information by the directory server and indicating a location in the network; transmitting image data, when the attribute information includes type-1 information, to the location indicated by the attribute information as a first destination using a first communication protocol indicated by the type-1 information; and transmitting image data, when the attribute information includes type-2 information, to the location indicated by the attribute information as a second destination that is different from the first destination using a second communication protocol indicated by the type-2 information, the second communication protocol being different from the first communication protocol. |
| US09667826B2 |
Image pickup apparatus, method for controlling the same, and program for obtaining position information and direction information
An image pickup apparatus includes a shooting unit, a control unit, and an association unit. The shooting unit performs a plurality of shooting operations and obtain a plurality of images. The control unit acquires position information and acquire direction information. The association unit associates the direction information and the position information with the plurality of images. The control unit controls the shooting unit to perform a single shooting operation and a continuous shooting operation selectively. The position information associated with each of the plurality of images obtained in the continuous shooting operation is the same position information, and the direction information associated with each of the plurality of images obtained in the continuous shooting operation is individual direction information in the continuous shooting operation. |
| US09667822B2 |
Recording apparatus and recording method
A recording apparatus includes a setting section on which it is possible to set a medium, a recording section that is capable of recording a recording image on a set medium, which is the medium that is set in the setting section on the basis of image data, a designation section that is capable of designating a recording position of the recording image on the set medium, and a control section that causes the recording image to be recorded on the set medium on the basis of the recording position that is designated by the designation section. In a recording apparatus with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress recording position shift of the recording image arises in accordance with setting position shift of a medium. |
| US09667821B2 |
Image formation system and connection unit
An image reading system is configured by integrally assembling a flatbed scanner apparatus and a sheet-fed scanner apparatus using a separate component, a connection unit. A circuit substrate for a power source system and a communication system is disposed in the connection unit. The circuit substrate includes a power source input connector to which power is input, a power divider that divides power input from the power source input connector into plural types, and a power source output connector and a communication connector that output each power divided by the power divider to each scanner apparatus. |
| US09667820B2 |
Image processing system, image processing apparatus, control method of image processing apparatus, and program
In an information processing apparatus, when a receiving unit receives data from an external device, a power control unit returns a power state of the apparatus from a power saving state and a transmitting unit transmits a start instruction to a connected image forming apparatus, and when a power supply switch becomes on according to a user's operation, the power control unit returns the power state of the apparatus from the power saving state but the transmitting unit does not transmit the start instruction to the image forming apparatus. Thus, it is possible to achieve both a linkage start and an individual start for an external image processing controller and the image forming apparatus, in an image processing system including the information processing apparatus, the external image processing controller and the image forming apparatus capable of performing an image process in cooperation with others. |
| US09667819B2 |
Image reading apparatus having first and second sensors for reading images
An image reading apparatus includes a first unit, which has a support surface and a first reading unit, and a second unit mounted to the first unit. The second unit includes a conveyor for conveying a sheet along a predetermined conveyance path, a feeder unit and a discharge unit. The conveyor includes a first conveyance roller and a separation piece. The first conveyance roller and the separation piece and the first reading unit stopped at a stop position are arranged at positions at which arrangement ranges thereof overlap with each other with respect to a direction parallel with the support surface and orthogonal to an axis line becoming a rotation center of the first conveyance roller, as seen from a direction parallel with the axis line of the first conveyance roller. |
| US09667817B2 |
Interface between object devices initiated with a master device
A master device images an object device and uses the image to identify the object device. The master device determines whether the object device is cable of being interfaced with based on the image and registers with the object device for interfacing. The master device then automatically interfaces with the identified object device. The master device may receive broadcast data from the object device including information about the visual appearance of the object device and use the broadcast data in the identification of the object device. The master device may retrieve data related to the object device and display the related data, which may be display the data over the displayed image of the object device. The master device may provide an interface to control the object device or be used to pass data to the object device. |
| US09667814B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method of executing a workflow, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus which is capable of transmitting document data in a proper document format to an external system. An original input section inputs document data. A document data transmission section transmits the input document data to the system. A workflow execution section executes a workflow defined as a series of processes that can include a process for inputting the document data, and a process for transmitting the document data to the external system. A document format acquisition section acquires a document format of the document data required by the system, from the system. When the workflow execution section executes the workflow including the process for transmitting the document data to the external system, a document format check section judges whether or not the document data to be transmitted satisfies the acquired document format. |
| US09667811B2 |
Mobile terminal and event processing method
Provided is a mobile terminal having a sensor detecting movement thereof and an event processing method. The mobile terminal includes: an orientation detector for monitoring, in response to detection of an event, movement of the mobile terminal for a preset time duration to identify an orientation of the mobile terminal; and a controller for processing the event in an operating mode corresponding to the identified orientation. As a result, the user can readily switch operating modes of the mobile terminal by changing orientations thereof. |
| US09667807B2 |
Techniques for dynamic zero-rated server clusters
Techniques for dynamic zero-rated server clusters are described. Some embodiments are particularly directed to techniques for delivering zero-rated content packages in which different client devices with different zero-rated content packages may receive their appropriate zero-rated content using a shared cluster of zero-rated servers. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a network access component operative to receive a user request at a network service from a client device via a data network, wherein the network service is rate-adjusted for the client device with the data network; and respond to the user request; and a rate-adjustment management component operative to access a rate-adjustment wallet for a user account for the user request; and configure the network access component to respond to the user request based on the rate-adjustment wallet. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09667800B2 |
VoIP analog telephone system
A multi-port VoIP telecommunications system that allows the user to gain access to telephone connectivity through the Internet by connecting directly to the Internet or by connecting to the Internet through the existing Internet connection of a computer or cell phone device. The present system includes an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi receiver to facilitate the transmission and receipt of Internet protocol signals wirelessly, a USB plug connectable to the ATA, connectivity to a home monitoring network and connectivity to Bluetooth devices. |
| US09667799B2 |
Communication system architecture
Disclosed is a communication system—for effecting communication events between a computer system, comprising first and second computer devices, and additional endpoint(s) connected via a communication network—comprising processing units, each having access to computer storage holding executable code modules for managing a communication event configured to implement a media modality controller configured to manage media modality of an established communication event and a call controller configured to establish the communication event. An instance of the media modality controller is assigned responsive to an instruction initiated to the media controller by the call controller to convey media modality control signals of the communication event to a media agent on the first device without accessing a call agent on the second device. The initiation of the instruction by the call controller is responsive to an instruction received via the network from the call agent on the second device. |
| US09667797B2 |
Systems and methods for fusion of audio components in a teleconference setting
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include determining capability of each particular information handling system of a plurality of information handling systems to support combination of functionality of audio components of the particular information handling system. The method may also include determining audio performance parameters of the audio components of the information handling systems of the plurality of information handling systems which are capable of supporting combination of functionality of audio components. The method may further include, based on the audio performance parameters, combining functionality of audio components of the plurality of information handling systems which are capable of supporting combination of functionality of audio components. |
| US09667796B1 |
Computer-implemented system and method for group message delivery
A computer-implemented system and method for group message delivery is provided. A voice message is received from a user associated with a personal communication device. An identification code for a discussion group to which the voice message is directed is obtained from the voice message. The voice message is added to a queue associated with the discussion group and a list of members associated with the discussion group is obtained. A sublist of personal communication devices associated with those members that are signed in to the discussion group is built. The voice message is transmitted to the personal communication devices on the sublist when the voice message reaches a top of the queue. |
| US09667789B2 |
System and method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call
A system and method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call is provided. An incoming call is assigned to an agent and a script selection is received from the agent based on a particular problem identified during the call. The script is provided to a caller participating in the call. Text messages and voice input are received from the caller. The received text messages are directly forwarded to the agent. The voice input is transcribed into written text and provided to the agent. Text messages are received from the agent in response to one or more of the voice input and text messages from the caller. The text messages from the agent are transformed into synthesized speech utterances. A record of the call is generated by compiling the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent. |
| US09667784B2 |
Methods and devices for providing information in voice service
A method and a device for providing information for a voice service are provided. The method includes: detecting whether user personal information is required to acquire a service in an automatic voice service system; if the user personal information is required, acquiring the user personal information from a pre-stored user personal information database; and sending the acquired user personal information for the automatic voice service system to provide the service according to the user personal information. |
| US09667781B2 |
Methods and apparatuses to convey a local call hold state to a recipient device
A method is provided for implementing a local call hold in a dual subscription dual active first communication device. A first voice call may be established with a second communication device via a first communication network. An indication of a second voice call may be received from a third communication device via a second communication network. The first voice call may be placed on hold by sending a call hold indicator within a regularly transmitted frame to the second communication device. The second voice call may be established with the third communication device after placing the first voice call on hold. The first voice call with the second communication device may be subsequently resumed by excluding the call hold indicator from the regularly transmitted frame to the second communication device. |
| US09667780B1 |
System and method for communication provider and remote device connection analysis
A system and method are presented for analysis of a connection comprising a communication provider and a remote device. Known timing conditions may be used in the analysis to eliminate the impact of analysis delay on the contacted party flow. A point in time may be determined at which a live answer is no longer expected and an answering service answer may be expected using several factors. These factors comprise the routing time to/from the originating provider to a secondary provider as well as the time that the secondary provider alerts before transferring to a voice message service. Live answer determination may be categorized prior to the indication of a far-end connection and before the application of any media analysis routines. |
| US09667779B2 |
Routing service
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing and using a routing service. A processor can obtain a routing scenario associated with a customer of the routing service. The routing scenario can specify customer data to be accessed to determine a call handling decision when a call is received from a calling party, and the customer data can include information associated with the calling party. The processor can obtain a request to route a call intended for the customer. The processor can generate a query of the customer data to obtain data associated with the calling party. The customer data can be stored at a storage location associated with the customer that is remote from the routing service. The processor can analyze the customer data and the routing scenario, determine a call handling decision, and provide the call handling decision to a network to route the call. |
| US09667778B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing missed call
A method and apparatus for processing a missed call are provided. In one embodiment, an electronic device checks whether an incoming call received through a communication network is connected. If the incoming call is not connected, the electronic device detects whether the incoming call is terminated. If the incoming call is terminated, the electronic device recognizes this as a missed call and maintains a call notification in the same form as used when the incoming call is received. Other various embodiments are provided. |
| US09667775B1 |
Analyzing call forwarding activity
A device may receive, from a network device, call information associated with a call. The call may be from a calling party device. The call may appear to be intended for a destination device. The call information may be received, from the network device, based on the network device having routed the call. The device may determine, based on the call information, that the call appears to have been forwarded to a called party device that is different from the destination device. The device may determine, based on the call information, a forwarding characteristic for the call. The device may determine that the forwarding characteristic satisfies a criterion. The device may send an output message based on the forwarding characteristic satisfying the criterion to support responding to call forwarding activity that has the forwarding characteristic. |
| US09667771B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing contact information using a wireless terminal
A method and apparatus for processing contact information, the method comprising: displaying a list of contacts on a display of a wireless terminal; determining a first contact from the list of contacts in response to a selection by a user; obtaining a web log address and an online shop address of the first contact; obtaining, from a network service, a first content corresponding to the web log address and the online shop address of the first contact; and displaying the first content on a first area of the display, the first content being dynamically updated. |
| US09667769B2 |
Delivery and management of status notifications for group messaging
Communication devices, computer readable media and methods are provided for managing a group messaging session. A graphical user interface comprising a conversation window and a multiplicity of avatars is displayed. Each avatar represents one of a multiplicity of group members. Responsive to transmission of a multicast message from a sending communication device for delivery to the multiplicity of group members, a first status update message indicating delivery of the multicast message to a corresponding receiving communication device for each group member is received. Responsive to receiving the status update message, a delivery notification for each of the multiplicity of group members is displayed. The notification is associated with a corresponding one of the avatars. Further, a second status update message indicating that the multicast message was read at a corresponding receiving communication device is received and a read notification for each of the multiplicity of group members is displayed. |
| US09667767B2 |
Gesture detection to pair two wearable devices and perform an action between them and a wearable device, a method and a system using heat as a means for communication
The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for initiating execution of actions and for communicating information to a user, and more particularly, to initiating execution of predefined actions in wearable devices and communication devices based on gestures made with the wearable devices and/or heat applied to a surface of the wearable devices. According to an aspect, the method relates to, in the wearable device, detecting a first, in the first wearable device predefined, gesture of the first wearable device, broadcasting a first signal comprising information associated with the first gesture, receiving, from a second wearable device, a second signal comprising information associated with a second gesture and initiating execution of a, in the first wearable device predefined, first action based on the first signal and the second signal. |
| US09667766B2 |
Bluetooth control system and method therefor
A Bluetooth control system includes a head unit for acquiring a door open or closed signal from doors of a vehicle when the doors are opened or closed. The head unit selectively turns on or off Bluetooth connection of a mobile device using a set application based on the door open or closed signal. |
| US09667762B1 |
Electronic device and method of manufacturing the same
An electronic device includes a housing component which includes a through hole which passes between a first surface and a second surface, an antenna as a conductor film located to cover a part of a surface of the housing component, and a filler which watertightly seals the through hole by filling at least a part of an internal space in the through hole. The antenna includes an antenna first portion as a conductor film first portion, an antenna second portion as a conductor film second portion, and an antenna third portion as a conductor film portion which covers at least a part of an inner surface of the through hole. The through hole includes a through hole first portion and the through hole first portion includes a step in an intermediate portion thereof. The step is covered with the filler when the through hole is viewed from the first surface. |
| US09667756B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving data in communication system
An apparatus for transmitting data in a communication system includes: a receiving unit configured to receive reception information of a data packet in a receiver from the receiver; a frame generation unit configured to generate a plurality of frames containing data to transmit to the receiver, in consideration of the reception information; a packet generation unit configured to include the plurality of frames into a payload and generate a data packet; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated data packet to the receiver, wherein the payload includes a mode field containing information on the plurality of frames and the plurality of frames. |
| US09667752B2 |
Method and system for wireless data transmission, client and server controllers
A method for wireless data transmission, a transmission system, client controllers, and server controllers are described. The method for wireless data transmission includes: establishing management connection, the server controller establishes task management connection among the client controllers respectively; task arrangement, the server controller arranges the wireless data transmission task among the client equipment based on the information of client equipment, which is acquired from the task management connection, each client equipment is coupled with corresponding client controller; task executing, based on the arranged information of wireless data transmission task; establishing data transmission connection among the client controllers; and executing the wireless data transmission task through the data transmission connection. By using the server controllers, the wireless data transmission among client equipment can be accomplished conveniently, without an operating interface. |
| US09667751B2 |
Data feed acceleration
The transmission of broadcast data, such as financial data and news feeds, is accelerated over a communication channel using data compression and decompression to provide secure transmission and transparent multiplication of communication bandwidth, as well as reduce the latency. Broadcast data may include packets having fields. Encoders associated with particular fields may be selected to compress those particular fields. |
| US09667747B2 |
Scalable content delivery network request handling mechanism with support for dynamically-obtained content policies
Described herein are improved systems, methods, and devices for delivering and managing metadata in a distributed computing platform such as a content delivery network (CDN) so as to configure content servers to handle client requests. The teachings hereof provide, among other things, scalable and configurable solutions for delivering and managing metadata, preferably by leveraging dynamically obtained control information. For example, in one embodiment, a given content server may store metadata, e.g., in a configuration file, that references dynamic, late-bound control information for use in satisfying dependencies. This dynamic control information can be requested by the CDN content server, typically from a remote host, when needed to parse and execute the metadata. |
| US09667745B2 |
Prioritization of protocol messages at a server
System(s) and method(s) are provided for prioritizing protocol messages received at a server. A client generates a request message and incorporates a data unit therein in order to indicate type of service application that triggered generation of the request message. The client conveys the request message to a server configured to respond to the request message. To supply data in response to the message request, the server prioritizes the request message based at least on the data unit that conveys the type of service application. The server can assign a set of request messages to a group of scheduling queues based at least on ranking of the type of service associated with at least one request message in the set of request messages. Based on performance conditions, the server also can reject one or more request messages according to the ranking. |
| US09667744B2 |
Method of outputting estimated QoEs on a terminal on an application basis
Implementations and techniques for outputting information about estimated QoEs on a terminal on which plural applications can be executed are generally disclosed. The estimated QoEs may be obtained by performing QoE estimation on an application basis. |
| US09667736B2 |
Parallel I/O read processing for use in clustered file systems having cache storage
In one embodiment, a method for providing parallel reading in a clustered file system having cache storage includes using an owner gateway node to read data for a fileset, determining whether to utilize other gateway nodes to handle a portion of read traffic for the fileset, selecting a set of eligible gateway nodes based on: a current internal workload, a network workload, and recent performance history data regarding workload distribution across the other gateway nodes, assigning and defining a size for read task items for each gateway node in the set based on a current dynamic profile of each gateway node in the set, providing in-memory and/or input/output resources at each gateway node in the set to handle assigned read task items, and distributing workload to the set of eligible gateway nodes according to the size for the assigned read task items for each gateway node in the set. |
| US09667735B2 |
Content centric networking
A caching system is provided. The computing infrastructure runs off of a centralized storage, and data stored on the centralized store can also be retrieved from nearby machines that are part of the local infrastructure and have recently accessed the centralized store. Address-to-digest mappings are used to find an index of the desired data block. That digest is then used to hold where the data block is being cached. In some embodiments, the digest is hashed and the hash of the digest is used to determine where the data block is being cached. The data block is accessed from the cache using its cache, therefore different addresses may result in the retrieval of the same data block. For example, in a virtual machine environment, two different nodes may retrieve the same data block using different addresses. |
| US09667729B1 |
TCP offload send optimization
A host with a network interface that offloads a TCP connection is disclosed in which the notification that relatively small data transmit commands have completed is batched whereas the notification that relatively large data transmit commands have completed are not batched. The notification that data transmit commands have completed may be intrinsically modulated by the size and frequency of the commands and the processing of the data transfer by the TCP connection. One embodiment involves a method comprising: running an application on a computer having a network interface; running, on the network interface, a TCP connection for the application; providing, by the computer to the network interface, a command to send data from the application; updating, by the network interface, a SndUna value for the TCP connection; and providing, by the network interface to the computer, the SndUna value, thereby indicating to the computer that the command has been completed. |
| US09667724B2 |
Cloud off-ramp management
According to an example, cloud off-ramp management may include generating folders on a cloud storage system and retrieving content from the folders based on folder settings. Retrieved content may be sent over the Internet to a device associated with the content. |
| US09667723B2 |
High performance IP processor using RDMA
An architecture provides capabilities to transport and process Internet Protocol (IP) packets from Layer 2 through transport protocol layer and may also provide packet inspection through Layer 7. A set of engines may perform pass-through packet classification, policy processing and/or security processing enabling packet streaming through the architecture at nearly the full line rate. A scheduler schedules packets to packet processors for processing. An internal memory or local session database cache stores a session information database for a certain number of active sessions. The session information that is not in the internal memory is stored and retrieved to/from an additional memory. An application running on an initiator or target can in certain instantiations register a region of memory, which is made available to its peer(s) for access directly without substantial host intervention through RDMA data transfer. |
| US09667722B2 |
Method and system for non-tagged based latency calculation
A system and method for calculating latency including a latency calculation device configured to: receive an enqueue notification relating to a packet enqueue operation and including a queue identifier, increment an enqueue counter, and determine that a latency calculation flag is not set. Based on the determination that the latency calculation flag is not set, the latency calculation device is configured to: determine a first time corresponding to the enqueue notification, store the first time, store a latency start count, and set the latency calculation flag. The latency calculation device is also configured to: receive a dequeue notification relating to the packet dequeue operation and including the queue identifier, increment a dequeue counter, determine that the latency start count and the dequeue counter values match, determine a second time corresponding to the dequeue notification, and calculate latency as the difference between the first time and the second time. |
| US09667721B2 |
Relaying device, image processing device, and system comprising image processing device and relaying device
A relaying device may receive content data from a particular image processing device. The relaying device may send, to a server device, the received content data and a first particular instruction instructing to store the received content data in a first storage mode in the server device. The relaying device may send first screen information to the particular image processing device. The first screen information includes instructions for displaying a first screen on a display provided in the particular image processing device, and for accepting a changing instruction to change the first storage mode to a second storage mode. The relaying device may send second particular instruction to the server device in a case that a first information is received. The second particular instruction may instruct to store the content data in the server device in the second storage mode. |
| US09667718B2 |
External injection of cloud based network functions into network services
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing an API description of an external network service and using the API to integrate the external service into a network. An embodiment operates by receiving, from a service provider, a description of an application programming interface (API), transmitting a call to the service provider using the API for creating a new instance of a service and transmitting to the service provider a traffic flow upon which the service will be applied. |
| US09667717B2 |
Personal digital server (PDS)
Personal Digital Server (“PDS”) is a unique computer application for the storage, updating, management and sharing of all types of digital media files, including audio, video, images and documents, irrespective of their format. PDS provides users with a single location to store and access, both locally and remotely, all of their digital media. It also provides the user total control of the overall management of these assets. |
| US09667716B2 |
Method and apparatus for sharing content via encoded data representations
An approach is provided for a more efficient and user friendly mechanism for sharing content among users. The approach includes determining a first request from a first device for sharing at least one content item; causing, at least in part, a generation of a graphical code representing, at least in part, the at least one content item, wherein the graphical code is unique to the first request; causing, at least in part, a presentation of the graphical code at the first device; and causing, at least in part, a transfer of the at least one content item from the first device to a second device based, at least in part, on a scanning of the graphical code by the second device. |
| US09667713B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing peer-to-peer connections between different service providers
In one embodiment of the invention, service providers generate bloom filters with the user ID codes of registered users and exchange the bloom filters with one another. In response to a request to locate a first user, a first service provider will query its own registration database to determine if the first user is registered with the first service provider. If the first user is not registered with the first service provider, then the first service provider will query its bloom filters to identify other service providers with which the first user may be registered. A positive response from a bloom filter indicates that the first user may or may not be registered with the service provider associated with that bloom filter, and a negative response indicates with certainty that the first user is not registered with the service provider associated with that bloom filter. |
| US09667711B2 |
Load balancing of distributed services
Various embodiments load balance service requests across one or more servers. In one embodiment, a service requestor directly accesses a shared metrics array stored in at least one server of a plurality of servers in a service cluster. Each of these servers includes one or more services. The shared metrics array is accessible by each of the plurality of servers, and includes a set of metrics for each of the plurality of servers. A determination is made based on the set of metrics associated with at least one server in the plurality of servers if a service request is to be sent to the at least one server. The service request is sent to the at least one server based on determining that the service request is to be sent to the at least one sever. |
| US09667709B2 |
Picture conversion SNS system and method, apparatus, and terminal
A system includes a member terminal configured to operate by a processor; and a server configured to operate by a processor, and to make public, on a network, original image data uploaded from the member terminal or tone-changed image data obtained by changing a tone of the original image data such that the image data can be browsed by a plurality of members, wherein the server is configured to: create the tone-changed image data by changing a tone of the original image data to a tone of a type selected by one of the members from a plurality of types of tones: and group a member who has uploaded the original image data and the member who has created the tone-changed image data, wherein the member terminal is configured to: wirelessly exchange data with a wrist terminal which is wearable on an arm and includes a display; and make a notification if the wrist terminal of the member grouped with the member who has uploaded the original image data comes within a predetermined range. |
| US09667706B2 |
Distributed processing systems
A distributed processing system is disclosed herein. The distributed processing system includes a server, a database server, and an application server that are interconnected via a network, and connected via the network to a plurality of independent processing units. The independent processing units can include an analysis engine that is machine learning capable, and thus uniquely completes its processing tasks. The server can provide one or several pieces of data to one or several of the independent processing units, can receive an analysis results from the one or several independent processing units, and can update the result based on a value characterizing the machine learning of the independent processing unit. |
| US09667705B2 |
Method of data transmission over multiple networks, and apparatus therefor
A receiving apparatus includes a communication unit to receive partial data partitioned from data transmitted from a transmitting apparatus through two or more networks and transfer network state related information based on the partial data respectively received through each of the two or more networks to the transmitting apparatus through a transmission network to be designated; and a network selection unit to designate one network among the two or more networks as the transmission network for transmitting the network state related information, based on a time of receiving each of the partial data through each of the two or more networks. |
| US09667699B2 |
Method for transmitting data via a CANopen bus
The invention relates to a method for transmitting data between a first automation appliance, and at least one second automation appliance, via a CANopen bus using a service data object as an SDO service, wherein an SDO client implemented in the first automation appliance is used to send a download or upload request to an SDO server implemented in the at least one second automation appliance, wherein the data are encapsulated in a CANopen frame by an application implemented in the first automation appliance or the at least one second automation appliance wherein the CANopen frame with the encapsulated data is transmitted or sent by means of an SDO service into or out of a data tunnel object defined in an object dictionary of the SDO server, and wherein the encapsulated data are decapsulated by the application implemented in the first or the at least one second automation appliance. |
| US09667696B2 |
Low latency web-based DICOM viewer system
Systems and methods of the present invention enable low latency viewing of medical images over a network and therefore can fulfill the functionality that is required for an international DICOM viewing platform. The system includes a server and a client that communicates with each other in the background and reduces image viewing latency in multiple aspects. When a user contacts the server using a web browser, the server sends the client to the user's computer over the network. The client runs from the browser and will send signals to the server to allow the server to load data into memory from storage one or more steps before the user requests the data, reducing latency on the server. The client will download and cache image data one or more steps before the user begins to view the images, and as a result latency from network transmission is also reduced. |
| US09667693B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing data in two processing units in a vehicle
The invention proposes a method for processing data in a vehicle in which the data are received by a first processing unit via a network; in which the data are decoded by the first processing unit; and in which a piece of reproduction information comprising an output time or a piece of synchronization information is transmitted to the second processing unit. In addition, an appropriate apparatus is specified. |
| US09667692B2 |
System and method for remote analysis, remote training or remote maintenance on a mobile machine
A system for remote analysis, remote training and/or remote maintenance on a mobile machine comprises a first display unit (10), command input means and a communication device which can be connected as required to the first display unit (10) and to a data network (15). The first communication device can be activated by a command input for bidirectional communication with a second communication device of a data network subscriber, wherein the first and second communication devices are designed to transmit the data displayed by the first display unit (10) to a second display unit (19) connected to the second communication device, and wherein the subscriber can transmit an instruction data sequence to the first display unit (10) via the data network (15) and said sequence can be displayed by said first display unit, wherein the reception and the storing of the instruction data sequence are designed such that an instruction of the instruction data sequence can only be carried out by actuating the command input means. |
| US09667691B2 |
Method for retrieving service capability of a group of contacts
A method of retrieving service capability in bulk is provided. The method includes a client sending a request to create a group of contacts whose service capability is desired to an application server. The application server sends a response to the client indicating that the group of contacts has been created. The client then sends a request to retrieve the service capability of each of the contacts within the group to the application server. The application server sends a response identifying the service capability of each of the contacts within the group to the client. |
| US09667688B2 |
Method and system for providing watermarked content to multiple end user devices
The invention relates to a method and system for watermarking in a content providing system having multiple parties. A first party system selects a first party watermark by selecting a watermarked copy of at least one first content element of the content elements. A second party system selects a second party watermark by selecting a watermarked copy of at least one second content element, different from the at least one first content element, of the content elements. Watermarked content is delivered to an end user device, the watermarked content containing the watermarked copy for the first content element selected by the first party system and the watermarked copy for the second content element selected by the second party system such that the watermarked content contains the first party watermark and the second party watermark. |
| US09667686B2 |
System and method for improving audio quality during web conferences over low-speed network connections
A method that includes: (1) transmitting, at a first transmit time point, a first probe packet over a network connection to a conferencing server immediately before transmitting a data packet, the first probe packet arriving at the conferencing server at a first receive time point; (2) transmitting, at a second transmit time point, a second probe packet over the network connection to the conferencing server immediately after transmitting the data packet, the second probe packet arriving at the conferencing server at a second receive time point, the first and second probe packets being smaller than the data packet; (3) receiving information encoding a first difference between the first and second transmit time points and a second difference between the first and second receive time points; and (4) based on the first and second differences, modifying a transmission parameter associated with data packets to be transmitted thereafter to the conferencing server. |
| US09667682B2 |
Media content streaming using stream message fragments
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for media content streaming can include transacting access information associated with a media stream and transacting one or more fragments associated with the media stream to facilitate a delivery of media content associated with the media stream. Access information can include fragment sequencing information to facilitate individual retrieval of fragments associated with the media stream using a uniform resource identifier via a processing device configured to cache content. A fragment can include one or more stream messages. A stream message can include a message header and a corresponding media data sample. The message header can include a message stream identifier, a message type identifier, a timestamp, and a message length value. |
| US09667677B2 |
Autonomic collaborative workspace creation
Systems and methods provide for autonomic collaborative workspace creation. Patterns of artifact usage for a plurality of workspaces over a plurality of collaborative interactions may be determined. Some of the multitude of collaborative interactions may be between a subset of the plurality of workspaces. A workspace may be initialized with artifacts for a scheduled collaboration based on the patterns of artifact usage. |
| US09667666B2 |
Control apparatus, control target apparatus, and method for operating the control, apparatus and the control target apparatus in multiple networks
A control target device receives, from a control point device connected to a first network, a message for requesting movement to a second network. The control target device transmits a network movement advertising message to the control point device of the first network. The control target device disconnects from the first network and accesses the second network.The control point device collects device information on a plurality of control target devices connected to a plurality of networks. When a network of one control target device selected from the plurality of control target devices is different from a network of the control point device, the control point device accesses the network of the selected control target device. |
| US09667660B2 |
Location based sharing of a network access credential
A network access credential can be shared among devices based on location information for a device. Location information can include timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, location information can be associated with a location of user equipment. This location information can be correlated with network access credentials. Location information can be used to access a relevant network access credential. The relevant network access credential can be shared with other devices. In an embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between mobile devices. In another embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between a remote computing device and a mobile device. Sharing a credential can allow for access to a network without having to generate or input new credentials. |
| US09667659B2 |
Determining security factors associated with an operating environment
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for determining security factors associated with an operating environment for a computer through a wireless network. The computer identifies one or more local computers operating within range of wireless communications to the computer through a wireless network. The computer determines a current operating environment corresponding to the one or more identified local computers. The computer determines a current security value for the current operating environment corresponding to identities and security of the identified local computers. The computer identifies data corresponding to the current operating environment, the data corresponding to a current time period of the current operating environment. The computer determines security information corresponding to the current operating environment, wherein the security information includes a familiarity of the computer to the current operating environment, and a historical security of the computer in the current operating environment. |
| US09667658B2 |
Systems and methods for managing performance of identity management services
This disclosure relates generally to identity management, and more particularly to systems and methods for managing performance of identity management services. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented identity management performance control method is disclosed. The method may include receiving, via one or more hardware processors, an identity management architecture specification. The method may also include identifying, via the one or more hardware processors, a plurality of identity management attributes for the identity management architecture specification. The method may include selecting, via the one or more hardware processors, measurement criteria based on a target environment for implementing the identity management architecture. The method may include calculating, via the one or more hardware processors, an attribute measurement quotient for the plurality of identified identity management attributes using the selected measurement criteria. |
| US09667657B2 |
System and method of utilizing a dedicated computer security service
Disclosed are systems and method for utilizing a dedicated computer security service. An exemplary method includes storing in an electronic database rules that indicate when to use either a first cloud service or a second cloud service for one of the security services, receiving a request from a client computer to access the security service, determining parameters relating to the received request, applying the parameters to the plurality of rules to determine an instruction indicating whether to transmit the request to the first cloud service or the second cloud service; and transmitting the request to either the first cloud service or the second cloud service, based on the instruction, to use the at least one security service. |
| US09667652B2 |
Mobile remote access
Providing mobile remote access in a secure manner. A bridge application is provided for devices such as smart phones which establishes a first secure connection to a host controller using a carrier network, advertises one or more SSIDs using a second wireless connection on the device such as an IEEE 802.11 interface, accepting and authenticating connections from a target device to the advertised SSID, and acting as a bridge for traffic between the target device and the host controller. The bridge application may be delivered to the device fully configured, or it may be delivered unconfigured with configuration information either supplied by the user or provided in an e-mail to the user of the device. |
| US09667651B2 |
Compromised insider honey pots using reverse honey tokens
According to one embodiment, a method for setting a trap to detect that an intruder has compromised a client end station (CES) in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to enterprise data provided by a server is described. The method includes causing a honey token to be placed on the CES secluded within a configuration repository, wherein the honey token is metadata and/or instructions indicating how applications can seemingly access the enterprise data but that is actually invalid, and the honey token is placed on the CES and not on the server. The method also includes causing attribute values to be installed on a security gateway for a security rule causing the security gateway to monitor network traffic for attempted use of the honey token, and to generate an alert when a set of one or more packets that include the honey token are received. |
| US09667650B2 |
Anti-replay checking with multiple sequence number spaces
Processes and systems to create a plurality of sequence number spaces in a security association at a transmission device. Each sequence number space corresponds to a respective class of traffic. Each sequence number space is identified by a unique selector value. For each sequence number space, a sequence number counter is created for counting a sequence of outbound packets of a class of traffic corresponding to the sequence number space. For an outbound packet of a particular class of traffic, a selector value of a sequence number space of the particular class of traffic is written into a first portion of a sequence number field in the outbound packet. Low-order bits of the current value of a sequence number counter, associated with the sequence number space of the particular class of traffic, is written into a second portion of the sequence number field. The sequence number counter is then incremented. |
| US09667647B2 |
Detecting malicious resources in a network based upon active client reputation monitoring
Systems and methods for detecting malicious resources by analyzing communication between multiple resources coupled to a network are provided. According to one embodiment, a method of client reputation monitoring is provided. A monitoring unit executing on a network security device operable to protect a private network observes activities relating to multiple monitored devices within the private network. For each of the observed activities, a score is assigned by the monitoring unit based upon a policy of multiple polices established within the monitoring unit. For each of the monitored devices, a current reputation score is maintained by the monitoring unit based upon the score and a historical score associated with the monitored device. A monitored is classified by the monitoring unit as potentially being a malicious resource based upon the current reputation score for the monitored device. |
| US09667646B2 |
Maintaining dynamic configuration information of a multi-host off-cluster service on a cluster
Techniques for maintaining dynamic configuration information of a multi-host off-cluster service on a cluster are described. An apparatus may comprise a dynamic configuration validation service component to execute to execute a dynamic configuration validation service for scanning files in a cluster of nodes. The dynamic configuration validation service component operative to validate a scanner version for each one of multiple scanners for scanning a file in a cluster of nodes, maintain the scanner version in a list of valid scanner versions for the multiple scanners, and scan the file by one of the one of multiple scanners having the scanner version contained in the list of the valid scanner versions. |
| US09667644B2 |
Risk identification
Systems, methods and apparatuses for analyzing a string of terms (e.g., a search query, text of an email, and the like) are provided. In some examples, a determination is made as to whether one or more terms in the string matches a keyword. If so, various parts of speech of one or more terms in the string of terms may be determined. In some examples, a category of risk of the terms for which the part of speech is identified may also be determined. A risk rating may then be determined for the string of terms based on the relationship between the terms (e.g., the parts of speech) and the category or categories identified. In some examples, one or more additional actions may be implemented based on the risk rating. |
| US09667635B2 |
Creating three-party trust relationships for internet of things applications
A trust relationship is established at a first network connected device between the first network connected device and a second network connected device. A communication session is established between the first network connected device and a third network connected device, wherein the third network connected device lacks a trust relationship with the second network connected device. A message is sent from the first network connected device to establish a communication session between the third network connected device and the second network connected device based on the trust relationship between the first network connected device and the second network connected device. |
| US09667624B2 |
Managing an environment of a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected
Objectives, an environment, and/or a theme associated with a virtual space may be managed based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected. Tokens, including a first token associated with a first character or a second token associated with a second character, may be detected based on signals received from one or more token readers. The first character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected and the second character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected. Responsive to one or both of the first token being detected or the second token being detected, a given objective associated with the virtual space may be effectuated in the virtual space, an environment of the virtual space may be modified, and/or a theme of the virtual space being modified. |
| US09667623B2 |
Authentication apparatus that assists input of user ID and password authentication method, and recording medium
An authentication apparatus includes an authentication determination circuit, a partial determination circuit, and a combination determination circuit. The partial determination circuit determines whether or not any one of a first set or a second set exists. The first set is a set where only the input user ID matches the registered user ID. The second set is a set where only the input password matches the registered password. The combination determination circuit generates a new set by combining the input user ID of the existing first set and the input password of another set or a similar method. The authentication determination circuit executes a user authentication if, among the generated sets, the input user ID matches the registered user ID, and the input password matches the registered password. |
| US09667619B1 |
Systems and methods for utilizing client side authentication to select services available at a given port number
Typically, clients request a service from a computer hosting multiple services by specifying a destination port number associated with the desired service. In embodiments, the functionality of such a host computer is enhanced by having it condition client access to services available at a particular port number based on client authentication and/or authorization. A host computer can change the service(s) available at a given port number on a client by client basis, enabling access to service(s) for trusted clients unavailable to untrusted clients. Preferably, client trust is based on client authentication via a certificate and a valid, signed transport layer security (TLS) handshake (or similar mechanism in other protocol contexts). In some embodiments, an authorization step can be added following authentication. The systems and methods disclosed herein find wide uses in bundling services on ports, as well as protecting access to services from untrusted and/or malicious clients, among others. |
| US09667618B2 |
Method for domain control validation
A system and method for domain control validation is presented. At a certificate authority a request is received. The request includes a certificate signing request and a first Internet protocol address. The certificate signing request identifies a domain and a certificate. A second Internet protocol address for the domain is retrieved from a domain name system. When the first Internet protocol address is the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate is signed, and the signed certificate is transmitted to a requester of the request. When the first Internet protocol address is not the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate signing request is rejected. |
| US09667614B1 |
Systems and methods for setting up a collaborative communication system
A collaborative communication system comprises a highly flexible architecture that facilitates connecting communication devices and networks to establish multimedia collaboration sessions in a manner that allows distribution of various services and features throughout the collaborative communication system to provide scalability and selectable combination of cost, resource usage, and performance. |
| US09667611B1 |
Situationally aware authentication
Improved techniques involve selecting a set of authentication factors from among multiple factors based on a current situation and information about how well the multiple authentication factors have worked in similar situations in the past. Along these lines, when an authentication system performs an authentication operation on a requesting party, the authentication system first assesses a situational environment. Based on the assessment of the situational environment, the authentication system decides that it is necessary to re-authenticate the requesting party. In some arrangements, the authentication system may determine which set of factors has the highest likelihood of successfully verifying the user's identity when compared with other authentication factors. The authentication system then carries out an authentication operation on the selected set of factors and bases a successful authentication result on whether the selected set of factors can be verified. |
| US09667610B2 |
Privileged account plug-in framework—network—connected objects
Techniques for managing network-connected objects are provided. In some examples, code for accessing a network-connected object may be received. The code may be configured to enable generation of an application programming interface method. In some aspects, account information associated with a user may be stored. A particular method call corresponding to the application programming interface method may be received from a computer device of the user. The particular method call may include a request to access the network-connected object. In some examples, the request to access the network-connected object may be authenticated based at least in part on the account information. Additionally, in some examples, an instruction to the network-connected object may be provided over a network if the request is authenticated. |
| US09667608B2 |
Enhanced two-factor verification for device pairing
A novel method for out-of-band key verification that improves on both the usability and the security of the numeric-code method is provided. The method use portions of the generated keys as inputs to perform procedural image generation to produce a visualization at each of the two devices that the user can visually compare and confirm. This visualization can be a static image or a motion animation. The method can uses more of the key data to generate visualizations with more features to reduce the likelihood of false matches. The method can also use less key data to allow for quicker comparison and confirmation. |
| US09667606B2 |
Systems, methods and computer readable medium to implement secured computational infrastructure for cloud and data center environments
Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided to secure data centers and cloud computing. A method receives network identifiers for functions, requests a network key for each function, allocates network interfaces, requests a virtual network interface controller allocation, requests a network key for each cloud function, receives storage identifiers for functions, requests a storage key for each cloud function, allocates virtual storage disks, requests a storage interface controller allocation, requests a storage key for each cloud function. Methods secure migration of a virtual machine from a source to a target server. A server includes multiple cores where each core is dedicated to a compute function and a unique key encrypts data of each compute function. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encodes programs that execute the above methods. |
| US09667603B2 |
Methods and systems for filtering encrypted traffic
Application programming interface (API) hooks are injected into an application program executing at a client during run-time. Responsive to these hooks, data intended for encryption prior to transmission from the client is diverted, for example for content filtering, compression, etc., prior to being encrypted. In the case of encrypted data received at the client, the data is decrypted but before being passed to the application it is diverted, under control of the API hooks, for content filtering, decompression, etc. |
| US09667600B2 |
Decentralized and distributed secure home subscriber server device
A decentralized and distributed secure home subscriber server is provided. First data can be sent representing a first nonce string to a mobile device; and in response to receiving second data representing the first nonce string and a second nonce string, a communication channel can be established with the mobile device as a function of the first nonce string. |
| US09667599B2 |
Cloud key escrow system
Embodiments are directed to allowing a user to store encrypted, third-party-accessible data in a data store and to providing third party data access to a user's encrypted data according to a predefined policy. A data storage system receives encrypted data from a user at a data storage system. The data is encrypted using the user's private key. The data storage system stores the received encrypted data according to a predefined policy. The encryption prevents the storage system from gaining access to the encrypted data, while the policy allows the encrypted data to be released upon receiving a threshold number of requests from verified third parties. The data storage system implements a verifiable secret sharing scheme to verify that the encrypted data can be reconstituted without the data storage system accessing the encrypted data. The data storage system synchronously acknowledges that the received encrypted data has been verified and successfully stored. |
| US09667597B2 |
System and a method for location based anonymous communication over a network
Disclosed is a system and method of location based anonymous communication in between plurality of users over a communication network. The system includes a registration module, a tapping module, a proximity module, an invitation module and a connection module. The registration module registers the credentials of the users. The tapping module receives touch gesture from the user in order to transmit a connection request. The proximity module displays a list of proximal users on receiving the connection request simultaneously from at least two users. The invitation module sends an invitation request to atleast one of the displayed proximal users for initiating the communication. The connection module establishes an anonymous connection for communication in between two users on receiving the invitation acceptance from one of proximal user. |
| US09667594B2 |
Maintaining network address translations
This invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for providing a configuration that sets up and maintains communication connections through the use of network address translation (NAT). The configuration includes communicating, by a device, packets from and/or to another device, in which the communication involves a network address translation, and maintaining the network address translation by transmitting, by the device, packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device. |
| US09667592B2 |
Efficient utilization of internet protocol addresses
In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, a communication network comprising a hub and a plurality of terminals may be provided. In some embodiments, the hub and the terminals may communicate over a wireless medium. A method is presented for allocating IP addresses (e.g., public IP addresses) in the network while achieving very high utilization of IP addresses and maintaining IP connectivity between nodes connected to the terminals and between said nodes and a network connected to the communication network via the hub (e.g., a public network, such as the Internet). In some embodiments, a common IP address (e.g., a public IP address) may be allocated to each of the terminals for their local interfaces, and routing techniques may be used to resolve resulting obstacles. |
| US09667586B2 |
User directory system for a hub-based system federating disparate unified communications systems
A user directory for a hub-based system federating disparate unified communications systems is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes connecting a first unified communications system and a second unified communications system through a federation server, synchronizing a directory entry from a directory of the first unified communications system to a user directory, where the directory entry contains user information of the first unified communications system, and providing the second unified communications system with an access to the directory entry. |
| US09667580B2 |
Message delivery management
There is provided a method for delivering messages. The method comprises receiving a message for transmission to at least one mobile device. The method also comprises verifying a streaming connection status of the mobile device. The method further comprises delivering the message if said mobile device does not have an active streaming connection. |
| US09667579B2 |
Method for implementing end-to-end message push using a geographical signal feature cluster
A method for implementing end-to-end message push using a geographical signal feature cluster where a message provider uses an apparatus to establish message data related to a landmark, and according to the message data, a message push server acquires geographical signal feature clusters from a signal feature database and establishes a message push list. The message push server establishes a connection actively from a record in the message push list to notify a message receiver of retrieving a push condition; the message receiver uses an apparatus to detect a signal feature and provides the signal feature for the message push server to establish the push condition. Then the message receiver uses an apparatus to detect a signal feature, if the detected signal feature is the same as the signal feature in the geographical signal feature cluster in the push condition, a message will be pushed to the message receiver. |
| US09667578B2 |
Short message service (SMS)-enabled open automated demand response (OpenADR) server and related communications systems and methods
A system and method for short message service (SMS)-enabled Open Automated Demand Response (OADR) server and related communications is presented. The method includes receiving, by a processing device integrated with a first endpoint device, a first SMS message that represents a first OADR-conformant message, processing the first SMS message, and causing an energy consuming device to execute an action based on the first SMS message. |
| US09667573B2 |
Identification of automation candidates using automation degree of implementation metrics
Non-automated read-and-reply console messages may be automated. These messages may be classified into impact groups in which the messages may be removed from the database or sent to an automation analyzer for analysis. As more messages become automated, a debugging mode may be enabled to allow an operator to respond to a message with a proposed action. If the proposed action is aligned with an action predetermined in response to the automation analysis, the operator may be allowed to respond to future actions. |
| US09667572B2 |
Offline away messages
A computer program or method provides away messages from a first user to other users of a communications system, where the first user has grouped the other users into two or more groups. An interface is provided to the first user that displays representations of the other users in a manner that identifies how the first user has grouped the other users into the groups. The first user is able to select a selected group from the groups using the interface. The first user also is able to set a group away message for the selected group using the interface. The group away message is sent to a second user that has been grouped in the selected group when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline. |
| US09667564B2 |
Implementing hierarchical high radix switch with timesliced crossbar
A method and system are provided for implementing a hierarchical high radix switch with a time-sliced crossbar. The hierarchical high radix switch includes a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs. Each input belongs to one input group; each input group sends consolidated requests to each output, by ORing the requests from the local input ports in that input group. Each output port belongs to one output group; each output port grants one of the requesting input groups using a rotating priority defined by a next-to-serve pointer. Each output group consolidates the output port grants and allows one grant to pass back to an input group. Each input port in an input group evaluates all incoming grants in an oldest packet first manner to form an accept. Each input group consolidates the input port accepts and selects one accept to send to the output port. |
| US09667562B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting variable bit-rate reservations
In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a first message from an application associated with a variable bit-rate (VBR) media flow, the first message including information that has at least an approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and an amount by which a bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. The method also includes determining an amount of available bandwidth in a network, and identifying the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. Finally, the method includes identifying a bandwidth allocation identified based on the amount of available bandwidth in the network, the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate, and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. |
| US09667558B1 |
Data communication over a frame synchronized digital transmission network
Techniques for minimizing latency and latency jitter in communication transmission systems are provided. In some embodiments, a first communication transmission system in a chain is configured to operate in accordance with a particular signal processing mode. Operating in accordance with the particular signal processing mode causes user data received in a first wireless signal to bypass a first set of one or more processing modules in an upstream receiver and a second set of one or more processing modules in a downstream transmitter. After the user data has bypassed the first and second set of processing modules, a second wireless signal that includes the user data is transmitted to a third communication transmission system in the chain. In other embodiments, the signal processing mode may be adaptively changed based on one or more conditions that are monitored along the chain. |
| US09667549B2 |
Processing event data streams to recognize event patterns, with conditional query instance shifting for load balancing
A computer (100) recognizes an event pattern (ABC) for objects (14, 24, 34, 44) that belong to an event domain (150). The computer activates a pattern query (110) that corresponds to the event pattern (ABC) and that has a least one state (S4) with an distinctive transition probability to a final state. The probability is derived from object observations in the event domain (150). The computer continuously receives event representations (*A14, *A24, *A44, *D44, . . . ) that are related to the objects (14, 24, 34, 44) and allocates the event representations to a first processing resource (101) to initiate instances (1.14, 1.24, 1.34, 1.44) of the query (110). It monitors the instances and, upon receiving event representations that cause the instances to reach the state (S4) with the distinct transition probability, it shifts the instances to a second processing resource (102). |
| US09667546B2 |
Programmable partitionable counter
An integrated circuit device for receiving packets. The integrated circuit device includes a programmable partitionable counter that includes a first counter partition for counting a number of the packets, and a second counter partition for counting bytes of the packets. The first counter partition and the second counter partition are configured to be incremented by a single command from the packet processor. |
| US09667545B2 |
Method and system for aggregate bandwidth control
A virtual link bandwidth control scheme is described that is a software-based mechanism for achieving distributed and coordinated bandwidth control. The scheme can be seamlessly integrated with the data transfer protocols utilizing queuing delay as part of rate control mechanism for data transfer and allows multiple processes to self-limit their transfer speeds, so that the aggregate rate stabilizes at a pre-configured level below the physical bottleneck capacity. |
| US09667543B2 |
Routing requests with varied protocols to the same endpoint within a cluster
Embodiments are directed to routing requests with different protocols to the same destination. In one scenario, a computer system receives a request that uses a specified protocol. The request includes a request source identifier and a request destination identifier. The computer system identifies, based on both the request source identifier and the request destination identifier, a destination to send the request to and generates a routing entry for the request that indicates which destination the first request was sent to. The computer system receives another request that uses a different protocol. This request includes a request source identifier and a request destination identifier of its own. The computer system determines that the request source identifier and request destination identifier of the subsequent request match those of the generated routing entry, and routes the subsequent request to the destination indicated in the routing entry. |
| US09667540B2 |
Fiber channel over ethernet (FCoE) frame forwarding system
An FCoE forwarding system includes a non-FCoE-enabled networking device coupled between a source device and an FC device and including a plurality of L3 forwarding tables. The non-FCoE-enabled networking device receives a first communication from the source device and determines that the first communication includes a first FCoE frame. The non-FCoE-enabled networking device then retrieves first data from a first standard IP frame location in the first FCoE frame, second data from a second standard IP frame location in the first FCoE frame, and third data from a third standard IP frame location in the first FCoE frame, and uses the first data to reference a first L3 forwarding table of the plurality of L3 forwarding tables. The first non-FCoE-enabled networking device then uses the first L3 forwarding table with the second data and the third data to forward the first FCoE frame on to the FC device. |
| US09667539B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing transport of customer QoS information via PBB networks
A customer Quality-of-Service (QoS) transport capability is depicted and described herein. The customer QoS transport capability enables transparent transport of customer QoS information via a Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB) network. The customer QoS transport capability enables customer QoS information that would normally be terminated at a point of ingress to a PBB network to be transported via the PBB network transparently and recovered at a point of egress from the PBB network. |
| US09667538B2 |
Method and apparatus for connecting a gateway router to a set of scalable virtual IP network appliances in overlay networks
A method in a gateway router is described. The method includes receiving traffic with a destination of a virtual internet protocol (VIP) address corresponding to a scalable VIP appliance; selecting a point-to-point VIP tunnel associated with the VIP address, wherein the point-to-point VIP tunnel encapsulates a point-to-point link between the gateway router and the scalable VIP appliance; separating one or more packets within the traffic; classifying each of the one or more separated packets based on one or more indicators of the one or more separated packets; and forwarding each of the one or more separated packets to one of one or more IP tunnels based on the classification of each of the separated packets, wherein the one or more IP tunnels are connected to the scalable VIP appliance and wherein the one or more IP tunnels comprise a forwarding tunnel group associated with the point-to-point VIP tunnel. |
| US09667526B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal includes: a peripheral interface having four terminals; an I2C interface; a first detection unit adapted to detect if an I2C device is inserted into the peripheral interface; and a first control unit adapted to, when the first detection unit detects there is an I2C device inserted into the peripheral interface, connect the I2C interface with the peripheral interface, such that the I2C interface is connected with the detected I2C device plugged in the peripheral interface. Accordingly, information exchange between mobile terminals and I2C devices can be achieved, thus adaptability of the mobile terminals can be expanded. |
| US09667523B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing radio network deployment state test process in mobile communication system
An apparatus and method for performing a radio network deployment state test process in a mobile communication system are provided. In the method, a User Equipment (UE) receives a n equivalent Minimization of Drive Test (MDT)_Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or an enhanced Node B (eNB), wherein a PLMN of the MME is an MDT_PLMN of the UE, the MDT_PLMN is a PLMN in which the UE performs an MDT process as a radio network deployment state test process using an MDT scheme, the equiva lent MDT_PLMNs are equivalent PLMNs of the MDT_PLMN, and the equivalent MDT_PLMN Identifiers (IDs) represent PLMN IDs of equivalent PLMNs of the PLMN of the MME. |
| US09667520B2 |
Inter-apparatus connection verification support system, web server apparatus and inter-apparatus connection verification method
A system includes a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to generate medical images of subjects and to generate connection verification support information to be used by a connection-target apparatus to verify connection with medical diagnostic imaging apparatus; a peripheral apparatus expected to be connected with the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus via a communication network and configured to operate the medical images generated by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus; and a web server apparatus configured to record the connection verification support information generated by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus. The peripheral apparatus verifies connection with the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus by using the connection verification support information acquired from the web server apparatus. |
| US09667513B1 |
Real-time autonomous organization
A system can receive content. The content can be analyzed to determine the invested interest of an object in a network, and to determine the strength of a relationship in the network, the network pertaining to a particular setting. The network can then be graphed, and the information produced can be output for later use. |
| US09667509B1 |
System, method, and computer program for secluding a service in a network based on network function virtualization (NFV)
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for limiting an impact of at least one internal network entity on a network function virtualization (NFV) based communication network hosting the network entity, the method including: providing a container including at least one borderline gateway, providing within the container at least one of internal network entity, where the internal network entity includes a software module, a virtual network function (VNF), and a VNF instance, and assigning the borderline gateway at least one protective limit, where NFV-based network includes at least one external network entity, the external network entity is external to the container, where the at least one internal network entity communicates with any of the external network entities only via the at least one borderline gateway, and where the borderline gateway is operative to use the protective limit to limit the impact on the NFV-based network. |
| US09667508B2 |
Method and system for testing and monitoring a real-time streaming media recognition service provider
A computer system obtains a streaming media signal source, selects a testing sample from the streaming media signal source, records characteristics of the testing sample, and obtains an expected output according to the characteristics of the testing sample. Next, the computer system converts the testing sample into a digital streaming format preset by a service provider and initiates a media recognition request according to the testing sample in the digital streaming format to the service provider. After receiving a media recognition result of the testing sample returned by the service provider according to the media recognition request, the computer system compares the media recognition result with the expected output and indicates whether the service provider is normal in accordance with the comparison result. |
| US09667505B2 |
URL navigation page generation method, device and program
The present invention discloses a method, device and program for generating a URL navigation page, and it relates to the field of network technologies. Based on a list of merged URLs, the present invention ranks the URLs visited by the user by a calculation method that uses the visit frequency as a standard to obtain the URLs most frequently visited by the user, then it puts the web sites represented by the top several URLs into specified positions to be displayed; the present invention also categories the URLs visited by the user according to a URL categorization rule, and then counts the frequency of visit to each category, and then designates corresponding display positions to the top categories in the rank according to the rank of the visit frequency, so that they can be displayed. By means of the present invention, the multiple categories of web sites most frequently visited by the user can be provided to the user in a more objective, more accurate and more comprehensive manner. |
| US09667503B2 |
Method and system for detecting common attributes of network upgrades
A system and method identify a set of rules for determining a commonality of attributes across different behavior changes for a network. The system performs the method by receiving a set of data correlating network triggers to performance changes of one or more network devices. The set of data further includes an indication of a sign of the performance change for each of the network devices based on the triggers. The method further includes extracting a set of rules relating to a set of relationships between the triggers and the performance changes. The rules identify a commonality of the performance changes for multiple network devices based on the triggers. |
| US09667499B2 |
Sparsification of pairwise cost information
A capability for sparsifying a representation of pairwise cost information is presented herein. The capability for sparsifying a representation of pairwise cost information may be used to sparsify a representation of pairwise cost information for a set of nodes. The sparsification of a representation of pairwise cost information for a set of nodes may provide thereby a sparsified representation of the pairwise cost information for the set of nodes. The sparsification of the representation of pairwise cost information for the set of nodes may be based on clustering of the nodes of the set of nodes into clusters. The sparsification of the representation of pairwise cost information for the set of nodes may be based on calculation of intra-cluster costs and inter-cluster costs, where the intra-cluster costs and inter-cluster costs are calculated based on the pairwise cost information of the representation of the pairwise cost information for the set of nodes. |
| US09667491B2 |
Distributed configuration management system and method
A configuration management system includes a configuration management application for receiving configuration management information from a user device. The configuration management information including data associated with one or more parameters of the user device to be configured in the user device. The application further, for each parameter, accesses a parameter value associated with the parameter from at least one device configuration file stored in server, and transmits the accessed parameter values to the user device, wherein the parameters of the user device are configured using the parameter values received from the application. |
| US09667490B1 |
Method for high availability of services in cloud computing systems
A method and computer program product for providing High Availability (HA) of services in a cloud-based system. The services are the applications used by the end users of the cloud system. The system uses shared cloud distributed storage. The cloud data is distributed over several nodes and is duplicated in an on-line mode. Each user launches and runs his own Virtual Execution Environment VEE (VM or Container) used as a cloud service. If one of the hardware nodes becomes unavailable, the HA system restores all of the VEEs of the failed node on a functional hardware node. Each node has a daemon, which monitors the situation and, if one of the nodes crashes, a master daemon provides for the restoration of the services of this node on other available nodes of the cloud. |
| US09667486B2 |
System and method for network address administration and management in federated cloud computing networks
Techniques for performing network address allocation, administration and management in federated cloud computing networks are described. In one example embodiment, network interface cards (NICs) in a local network services appliance and a remote network services appliance register with an associated local network cloud and remote network cloud in the federated cloud computing networks. The local cloud network and the remote cloud network are then configured to send packets with unclaimed network address to the associated registered NICs. A layer-2 (L2) network tunnel including a data channel and a control channel is then formed between the local network services appliance and the remote network services appliance by stitching the local cloud network and the remote cloud network. Network address allocation, administration and management in the federated cloud computing networks are then performed using the formed L2 network tunnel. |
| US09667485B2 |
Methods and apparatus for a self-organized layer-2 enterprise network architecture
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a network node operatively coupled within a network. The network node is configured to send a first authentication message upon boot up, and receive, in response to the first authentication message, a second authentication message configured to be used to authenticate the network node. The network node is configured to send a first discovery message, and receive, based on the first discovery message, a second discovery message configured to be used by the network node to identify an address of the network node and an address of a core network node within the network. The network node is configured to set up a control-plane tunnel to the core network node based on the address of the network node and the address for the core network node and receive configuration information from the core network node through the control-plane tunnel. |
| US09667479B2 |
Method and apparatus for periodical protocol packet transmission by network device
The embodiment of the present document provides a method and apparatus for periodically transmitting a protocol packet by a network device, which relate to the communications technology. The method includes: identifying one or more physical ports of the network device; identifying one or more instances, under each physical port, which need to periodically transmit the protocol packet; performing delay processing on packet transmission start-up time of a plurality of instances when the plurality of instances request a processor to transmit protocol packets at the same time, so as to form a sequence of packet transmission start-up delay time corresponding to the plurality of instances; and the processor periodically transmitting each protocol packet of the corresponding instance according to the sequence of the packet transmission start-up delay time. |
| US09667470B2 |
Failure handling in the execution flow of provisioning operations in a cloud environment
A method for handling failures in the execution flow of provisioning operations is disclosed. The method may comprise receiving, by a cloud infrastructure system, an error from the execution flow of provisioning a service from a plurality of service provided by the cloud infrastructure system, the cloud infrastructure system comprising one or more computing devices. Additionally, the method may further comprise determining, by a computing device from the one or more computing devices, a specific service associated with the error and determining an error classification type associated with the error based on the specific service. Subsequently, the method may further comprise performing, by the computing device, a corrective action based on the specific service and the error type. |
| US09667467B2 |
Gain distribution in compact high gain phased array antenna systems and methods
Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for a distributed gain function. The distributed gain function may be implemented, for example, as a second amplification stage to maintain amplification in an RF distribution network of a compact high gain phased array antenna system. In one example, a system comprises a plurality of element circuits, each coupled to one or more antenna elements. Each element circuit comprises a first amplification stage. A distribution network configured to couple the plurality of element circuits. A distributed gain circuit coupled to the plurality of element circuits and the distribution network, wherein the distributed gain circuit comprises a second amplification stage. The antenna elements and the distribution network are integrated in a substantially planar circuit board and the plurality of element circuits are coupled to the circuit board. Additional systems and methods are also provided. |
| US09667462B2 |
Data unit format for single user beamforming in long-range wireless local area networks (WLANs)
A method includes receiving data units each having a preamble with first and second preamble portions, detecting symbol constellation rotations of OFDM symbols in the first preamble portions, and determining, based on the detected rotations, whether the preambles conform to a first format. The method also includes, when it is determined that a preamble conforms to the first format, processing the second preamble portion according to the first format, and, when it is determined that a preamble does not conform to the first format, (i) determining whether information bits in the first preamble portion indicate a single- or multi-user data unit, (ii) when it is determined that the information bits indicate a single-user data unit, processing the second preamble portion according to a second format, and (iii) when it is determined that the information bits indicate a multi-user data unit, processing the second preamble portion according to a third format. |
| US09667459B1 |
Selective mapping of coded multi-channel transmission
The present invention provides a methods, apparatus and systems for improving a systems-level data rate on a communications link such the orthogonal frequency division multiplexed multiple access (OFDMA) downlink used in used in WiFi and LTE cellular/wireless mobile data applications. The present invention preferably uses a form of multilevel coding and decoding known as tiled-building-block encoding/decoding. With the present invention, different receivers coupled to different parallel downlink channels with different channel qualities decode different received signal constellations at different levels of resolution. This allows the downlink of the OFDMA system to operate with a significantly higher data rate, thus eliminating existing inefficiencies in the downlink and significantly increasing system level bandwidth efficiency. |
| US09667457B2 |
Radio communication device and signal processing method
A radio communication device comprises a processor configured to generate a transmission signal on the basis of data to be transmitted. The processor generates the transmission signal by a transmission scheme selected from a digital transmission scheme and an analog transmission scheme. The digital transmission scheme is a transmission scheme by which a bit stream obtained through binary encoding of the data to be transmitted is converted into the transmission signal. The analog transmission scheme is a transmission scheme by which the data to be transmitted directly is converted into the transmission signal without performing binary encoding of the data to be transmitted. |
| US09667456B2 |
Compressive sensing system based on personalized basis and method thereof
Disclosed are a compressive sensing system based on a personalized basis and a method thereof; first a sensing end senses an original signal and transmits the original signal to a reconstruction end; the reconstruction end generates a personalized basis by means of a dictionary learning method; next, the sensing end is made to sample the original signal according to a sampling matrix to generate a compressed signal and transmit the compressed signal to the reconstruction end, so that the reconstruction end executes a compressive sensing reconstruction algorithm according to the personalized basis and the compressed signal to recover the compressed signal into the original signal, thereby achieving an effect of improving signal recovering quality and a compression ratio. |
| US09667453B2 |
Equalization in the receiver of a multiple input multiple output system
Embodiments of the invention concern a method of equalizing (S9), in a turbo equalizing system (S10), by sphere decoding (S11) a signal transmitted over a channel by a multiple input multiple output system, comprising: receiving (S3) said transmitted signal, building (S4) at least one search tree, providing (S6) likelihoods of bits, for said transmitted signal, from said built search tree(s) and from said received transmitted signal, wherein equalizing method (S9) also comprises receiving feedback signal from a channel decoder (S8) of said turbo equalizing system (S10), and wherein said feedback signal is used to build (S4) said search tree(s). |
| US09667452B2 |
Mechanism for integrating application data with available bandwidth estimation tools for cloud computing environments
The present invention relates to a system and method for integrating useful data while measuring available bandwidth between a cloud computing client device and a server farm. More specifically the present invention relates to the method for integrating useful application data carried inside probe packets, by tools that estimate available bandwidth between two nodes connected through the internet (cloud). Importantly, the present invention relates to the method to overcome application data loss that typically happens during the available bandwidth estimation process. Advantageously, the Cloud Computing Environment (CCE) user's internet usage billing reduces significantly and also Available Bandwidth Measurement Tools (ABMT) could be run more frequently without significant increase in billing. |
| US09667448B2 |
Method and apparatus for channel estimation in wireless communication system
The present disclosure is related to a method and apparatus for channel estimation in a wireless communication system. The method and apparatus for channel estimation are used to determine a number of sub-carriers or symbols to be used to estimate N channels for N user equipment (UE)s on a basis of resource allocation information on N reference signals associated with the N UEs, estimate channel values for the N channels by receiving the N reference signals through the sub-carriers or the symbols according to the determined number, and correlate the estimated channel values to use the correlated channel values to estimate each of the N channels. |
| US09667443B2 |
Data distribution device and imaging apparatus
A data distribution device for stably distributing specific data such as video data is provided. Video distribution device as a data distribution device includes video distribution unit as a specific data distribution unit, video distribution determining unit as a specific data distribution determining unit, and routing setting unit. When video distribution determining unit determines that video distribution unit is distributing video data as the specific data, and when the default route information has been acquired from a second communication device connected to a second network, routing setting unit holds the default route information without changing the default route. |
| US09667442B2 |
Tag-based interface between a switching device and servers for use in frame processing and forwarding
A data center includes a blade server rack with a switch device in communication with a plurality of servers. To process a frame, the switch device determines, from content in a frame header by the switch device, a port through which to forward the frame to a server. The switch device inserts a value into a particular field, for example, a VLAN (virtual Local Area Network) tag, in the frame header before forwarding the frame. The server performs a specific action related to processing the frame based on the value inserted by the switch device into the particular field in the frame header. The server can modify the value in the particular field of the frame header before returning the frame to the switch device, with the switch device performing a specific action based on the value in the particular field of the frame header as modified by the server. |
| US09667440B2 |
Method and system for identifying an incoming interface using openflow protocol
A method for using the OpenFlow protocol to configure an OpenFlow-enabled switch is disclosed. In the embodiment, the method involves decoding an OpenFlow flow entry from a flow mod message, the flow entry including two or more components comprising at least one of a match field and an experimenter field, searching a service access point (SAP) match table for an incoming interface having attributes that match the two or more components, and updating a flow table on the OpenFlow-enabled switch to include the decoded flow entry when an incoming interface having attributes that match the two or more components is found. |
| US09667439B2 |
Determining connections between disconnected partial trees
Various implementations disclosed herein include systems, methods and apparatuses that determine connections between disconnected partial trees. For example, in some implementations, a method includes obtaining a respective device identifier of a first network device included in a first one of a plurality of partial trees included in a network, wherein each partial tree includes at least one network device, and connectivity from the at least one network device to other partial trees is undefined based on associated uplink metadata; querying a plurality of compliant devices within the plurality of partial trees in order to trace a path traversal of the respective device identifier within the network; and selecting one of the plurality of compliant devices as connecting the first network device to a second one of the plurality of partial trees based at least on query responses provided by the plurality of compliant devices. |
| US09667429B2 |
PSE controller in PoE system detects different PDs on data pairs and spare pairs
A PSE includes a PSE controller that performs a handshaking routine with any PDs connected to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs and applies power to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs, via a switch, if certain conditions are met. Two different levels of currents are supplied to different terminals of the PSE controller that are connected to the data wire pairs and the spare wire pairs, and the resulting voltages are measured. The voltages are used to determine the PD impedances at the ends of the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs to determine whether a PD is connected to the data wire pair, whether another PD is connected to the spare wire pair, or whether a single PD is connected to both the data wire pairs and the spare wire pairs. |
| US09667427B2 |
Systems and methods for managing digital identities
Systems and methods for managing digital identities. In some embodiments, a method is provided, comprising acts of: using a plurality of measurements taken from a user to generate an identifier for the user, the identifier comprising a cryptographic proof of the plurality of measurements; instantiating a digital identity representation associated with the identifier for the user, the digital identity representation comprising program code that implements rules for attestation; generating an electronic signature over the digital identity representation; and publishing the digital identity representation and the electronic signature to a distributed ledger system. |
| US09667426B2 |
Information processing apparatus, program, storage medium and information processing system
Provided is an information processing apparatus including a reception unit that receives a request for access to an IC chip from an application having access right information for accessing to the IC chip, an acquisition unit that acquires an authentication information for authenticating the application from an external server based on the access right information contained the request for access received by the reception unit, an authentication unit that authenticates the application based on the authentication information obtained by the acquisition unit, and a control unit that controls an access of the application to the IC chip based on an authentication result by the authentication unit. |
| US09667424B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for binding token key to account
A method for binding a token key to an account is provided. The method includes: sending a binding request message including information regarding the account, for a security authentication server to generate a certification link and a first token key corresponding to the account; receiving the certification link and the first token key from the server; generating display information based on the certification link and the first token key; receiving encrypted information from the server, wherein the encrypted information is generated according to the first token key and included in an access request message from a mobile terminal to the server; obtaining a second token key based on the encrypted information; determining that the second token key matches the first token key; and sending a binding success message to the server. |
| US09667423B2 |
Method and apparatus for accelerated authentication
Techniques for accelerated authentication include receiving first data that indicates a first portion of user credentials for a first user but not a second portion. It is verified whether the first portion of user credentials is valid. If the first portion of user credentials is valid, then second data that indicates a valid value for the second portion of user credentials for the first user is sent. Other techniques include receiving first data that indicates a first portion of user credentials for a first user but not a second portion of user credentials for the first user. A first message that indicates the first portion of user credentials is sent to a remote process that initiates authentication of the first user based on the first portion of user credentials before receiving second data that indicates the second portion of user credentials for the first user. |
| US09667421B2 |
Federated key management
A system uses information submitted in connection with a request to determine if and how to process the request. The information may be electronically signed by a requestor using a key such that the system processing the request can verify that the requestor has the key and that the information is authentic. The information may include information that identifies a holder of a key needed for processing the request, where the holder of the key can be the system or another, possibly third party, system. Requests to decrypt data may be processed to ensure that a certain amount of time passes before access to the decrypted data is provided, thereby providing an opportunity to cancel such requests and/or otherwise mitigate potential security breaches. |
| US09667418B2 |
Electronic data communication system with encryption for electronic messages
There is described an electronic data communication system in which encrypted mail messages for a recipient are sent in two parts: message data encrypted by a symmetric encryption algorithm using a session key and session key data encrypted by an asymmetric encryption algorithm using a public key associated with the recipient. If the recipient uses a webmail service to access the encrypted electronic mail message, the encrypted session key data is sent to a trusted third party server which has access to the private key of the user. The trusted third party server decrypts the encrypted session key using the private key of the user, and then sends the decrypted session key to a remote network device for decryption of the encrypted message. |
| US09667417B1 |
Digital security bubble
A digital security bubble encapsulation is received from a sender. The encrypted digital security bubble encapsulation includes an encrypted message, an encrypted first key, and an identifier associated with an intended recipient. The encrypted digital security bubble encapsulation is decrypted. The received identifier and a device identifier are compared. The encrypted first key is decrypted in response to a determination that the identifier received in the digital security bubble encapsulation matches the device identifier. The encrypted message is decrypted using the first key. |
| US09667416B1 |
Protecting master encryption keys in a distributed computing environment
Protecting master encryption keys by splitting the master encryption key into multiple key shares using a polynomial secret sharing scheme, and storing one share in a remote management server and the other shares in managed devices located on one or more secure networks. To reconstruct the master encryption key, a managed device obtains the remote management server share and combines it with its local share. Master encryption keys may be obtained without an administrator's password, thus supporting unattended startup of appliances. The remote management server may alert a system administrator upon release of the remote management key share, or request approval prior to releasing the remote management key share. |
| US09667415B1 |
Domain-server public-key reference
A domain is identified from a communication address. The domain corresponds to a host name. Resource records associated with the host name are caused to be queried for a public key reference. The public key reference is received in response to the caused resource record query. A public key associated with the communication address is identified based on the public key reference. |
| US09667407B1 |
Integrated multi-channel receiver having independent clock recovery modules with enhanced inductors
A multichannel receiver includes multiple receiver modules, each having: a voltage-controlled oscillator that generates a clock signal with a controllable frequency; a phase interpolator that applies a controllable phase shift to the clock signal to provide a sampling signal; a sampling element that produces a digital receive signal by sampling an analog receive signal in accordance with the sampling signal; a timing error estimator that operates on the digital receive signal to provide timing error estimates; a phase control filter that derives, from the timing error estimates, a phase control signal supplied to the phase interpolator, wherein the phase control signal minimizes a phase error between the sampling signal and the analog receive signal; and a frequency control filter that derives, from the timing error estimates, a frequency control signal for controlling the clock signal frequency, wherein the frequency control signal minimizes a frequency offset between the clock signal and the analog receive signal. |
| US09667398B2 |
Method for transmitting uplink and wireless device using same
A method is provided for uplink transmission in a wireless communication system. A user equipment (UE) configures multiple timing advance groups (TAGs), determines a power for transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) toward a first serving cell in a first TAG, determines a power for transmitting an uplink channel toward a second serving cell in a second TAG, determines whether a portion of a last symbol of an ith subframe for transmitting the SRS toward the first serving cell in the first TAG is overlapped with an (i+1)th subframe for transmitting the uplink channel toward the second serving cell in the second TAG, and drops the SRS transmission on the last symbol in the ith subframe if a total power of the SRS and the uplink channel exceeds a maximum value on the overlapped portion of the last symbol. |
| US09667397B2 |
Method and apparatus for channel state information feedback in a coordinated multi-point communication system
A method of operating a wireless communication system (FIG. 4) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of reference signals from a respective plurality of transceivers (402). Each of the plurality of reference signals is measured to produce a respective plurality of channel state information (CSI) measurements (404). An aggregated channel quality indicator (CQI) is calculated from measuring the plurality of reference signals (406). The aggregated CQI is transmitted to at least one transceiver of the respective plurality of transceivers (408). |
| US09667394B2 |
Protection methods for wireless transmissions
A wireless device receives a Multi-User Request-To-Send (MU-RTS) frame, descrambles first scrambled data in the MU-RTS frame using a first scrambling sequence, generates second scrambled data using a second scrambling sequence, and transmits a Clear-to-Send (CTS) frame including the second scrambled data in response to receiving the MU-RTS frame. The second scrambling sequence is an N-bit left cyclic shift of the first scrambling sequence. Another wireless device generates first scrambled data using a first scrambling sequence and transmits an MU-RTS frame including the first scrambled data. The wireless device receives a CTS frame transmitted in response to the MU-RTS frame, and descrambles second scrambled data in the CTS frame using a second scrambling sequence. The second scrambling sequence is an N-bit left cyclic shift of the first scrambling sequence. In either device, N may be 7, and lengths of the first and second scrambling sequences may be 127 bits. |
| US09667393B2 |
Scheduling apparatus and scheduling method
A scheduling apparatus and a scheduling method, wherein the amount of signaling for frequency resource allocation information can be reduced while maintaining system throughput performance. In a base station apparatus (100), a scheduling section (113) allocates frequency resources to frequency allocation target terminals based on set frequency allocation units, and a frequency allocation parameter setting section (112) adjusts the set frequency allocation units set in the scheduling section (113) based on cluster numbers. Due to this, in each cluster number, frequency resources can be allocated based on the most suitable frequency allocation units with respect to the signaling bit number. As a result, the amount of signaling for frequency resource allocation information can be reduced. Further, system throughput can be maintained by making the cluster number, which is a parameter having little effect on system throughput, a setting parameter for frequency allocation units. |
| US09667383B2 |
Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal and method of transmitting and receiving a signal
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting and a method of receiving signals, and corresponding apparatus. One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining a field for indicating a time de-interleaving depth from a layer 1 (L1) header of preamble symbols. |
| US09667382B2 |
Network-coded multiple access
Systems and methods described herein include a first wireless local area network (“WLAN”) system that jointly exploits physical-layer network coding (“PNC”) and multiuser decoding (“MUD”) to boost system throughput. This multiple access mode is referred to as Network-Coded Multiple Access (“NCMA”). NCMA allows multiple nodes to transmit simultaneously to the access point (“AP”) to boost throughput in a non-relay environment. When two nodes A and B transmit to the AP simultaneously, the AP desires to obtain both packet A and packet B rather than their network-coded packet. |
| US09667380B2 |
Apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals, apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, method for transmitting broadcast signals and method for receiving broadcast signals
The present invention provides a method of transmitting broadcast signals. The method includes, formatting, by an input formatting block, input streams into plural PLPs (Physical Layer Pipes); encoding, by an encoder, data in the plural PLPs; time interleaving, by a time interleaver, the encoded data in the plural PLPs, wherein the time interleaving includes: cell interleaving, by a cell interleaver, the encoded data by permuting cells in a FEC (Forward Error Correction) block in the plural PLPs; frame mapping, by a framer, the time interleaved data onto at least one signal frame; and waveform modulating, by a waveform block, the mapped data in the at least one signal frame and transmitting, by the waveform block, broadcast signals having the modulated data. |
| US09667372B2 |
Mobile communication terminal
A mobile communication terminal calculates an interference rejection combining reception weight matrix based on a vector representing a reference signal transmitted from a desired base station so as to reduce interference with a desired beam of radio waves. The mobile communication terminal estimates, from the interference rejection combining reception weight matrix and the reference signal, an all received power expected when an IRC is implemented, and estimates, from an interference rejection combining weight vector, a channel matrix, and a reference signal sequence, a desired reference signal power expected when an IRC is implemented. The mobile communication terminal subtracts the desired reference signal power from the all received power, thereby estimating an interference and noise power expected when an IRC is implemented, and calculates an SINR expected when an IRC is implemented from the estimated interference and noise power. |
| US09667371B2 |
Transmission apparatus and transmission method
A transmission apparatus includes: a first input-output unit; a second input-output unit; a third input-output unit located in a first direction that is a transmission direction from the first input output unit and the second input-output unit; and a switch coupled to the first input-output unit, the second input-output unit, and the third input-output unit, wherein the first input-output unit requests the third input-output unit via the switch to notify in a second direction opposite to the first direction of a defect upon detecting the defect, wherein the third input-output unit transmits defect information indicating the defect to one of the first input-output unit and the second input-output unit via the switch in response to a requesting from the first input-output unit. |
| US09667370B2 |
Communication device with peer-to-peer assist to provide synchronization
A system and method for timing synchronization between network nodes. The timing synchronization can conform to the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) as defined in the IEEE 1588 protocol. The timing synchronization can include the insertion of ingress and/or egress timestamps into packets. For example, timestamps can be inserted into reserved fields of the header of a packet. The timing synchronization can also include the utilization of one or more reserved fields to initiate the generation of a timestamp upon the transmission of the packet and/or the retrieval of a previously stored timestamp. |
| US09667367B2 |
Content personality classifier
A method including identifying a customer when the customer uses a television service; storing contents that are each tagged with a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or one or more personality characteristics pertaining to a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; selecting contents from the stored contents; providing a user interface to permit the customer to choose from a selection of the stored contents to rate; receiving ratings of a chosen contents from the customer; identifying the customer's Myers-Briggs Type Indicator based on the received ratings; and providing the customer's Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to the customer. |
| US09667366B2 |
Safety monitoring method and system
Embodiments of the present invention may include systems and methods for monitoring a person's activities. A system may receive an input and may contact a designated party to ensure they are safe or perhaps even confirm they are at a specified location at a specified time. A system may also provide an escalation response in those circumstances where a primary contact is not reached or perhaps where it is directed by a primary contact. Further, a system may provide communications to a primary contact or a user including a plausible excuse for the primary contact to leave an agenda location. |
| US09667365B2 |
Methods and apparatus to perform audio watermarking and watermark detection and extraction
Methods and apparatus to audio watermarking and watermark detection and extracted are described herein. According to an example method, an identifier is encoded in media content when a different identifier has been previously encoded. According to another example method, messages decoded from media content are validated to provide improved decoding accuracy. In another example method, decoded symbols are stored in memory and synchronization symbols are located to detect a message encoded in media content. |
| US09667364B2 |
Broadcast seeding for peer-to-peer networks
The distribution of content over a peer to peer (P2P) network can be improved by utilizing at least one broadcast of the content in order to quickly seed the P2P network. When content is first to be distributed across the network, a broadcast can be scheduled that each peer device with broadcast receiving capability and within range of the broadcast is able to receive. As soon as a peer device receives at least a portion of the broadcast content, that peer can begin redistributing the content across the P2P network. Any errors or missing portions of the received broadcast content can be corrected by requesting a copy of the missing or incorrect portion from another peer on the P2P network. |
| US09667357B2 |
Millimeter-wave transmitter on a chip, method of calibration thereof and millimeter-wave power sensor on a chip
The present invention relates to a millimeter-wave transmitter on a chip comprising at least one transmit path coupleable to an oscillator, and an on-chip power sensor to measure at least a portion of a transmit power transmitted over the at least one transmit path. The present invention further relates to a method of calibrating a millimeter-wave transmitter on a chip and an on-chip power sensor coupleable to at least one transmit path of a millimeter-wave transmitter. The embodiments of the present invention provide a direct measure of transmit power provided within an individual one of the transmit paths of the millimeter-wave transmitter. |
| US09667356B2 |
Signal generating device with integrated fading generating unit and signal generating method
The invention relates to a signal generating device for generating a signal including simulated channel fading characteristics. The signal generating device includes a fading simulating unit, a signal generating unit and a modulating unit. The signal generating unit generates a first number of symbols according to a number of transmitting means for a simulated transmission to a device under test. The fading simulating unit calculates from the first number of symbols a second number of faded symbols, wherein a number of signals to be output corresponds to a number of receiving means of the device under test, based on a set of filter parameters, and provides the calculated second number of faded symbols to the modulating means; and the modulating unit generates modulated signals to be output from the second number of faded symbols. |
| US09667351B2 |
Simultaneous bandwidth extension at high gain and peaking reduction at minimum gain for wideband, variable gain, linear optical receivers
An optical communication system, a linear optical receiver, and an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip are disclosed, among other things. One example of the disclosed IC chip includes a transimpedance amplifier that receives an input electrical signal from a photodiode and provides an amplified version of the input electrical signal as an output, at least one variable gain amplifier that receives the amplified electrical signal output by the transimpedance amplifier and a bandwidth control mechanism that extends a bandwidth of the second amplified output at a maximum gain of the second amplification phase and also reduces a peaking of the second amplified output at a minimum gain of the second amplification phase. |
| US09667349B1 |
Dynamic range extension of heterodyne fiber-optic interferometers via instantaneous carrier measurement
A method of dynamic range extension for heterodyne fiber-optic Interferometers, and more particularly towards the use of instantaneous carrier to extend the dynamic range of heterodyne fiber-optic interferometers. The method includes the providing of a heterodyne fiber-optic interferometer having a demodulator and an associated carrier frequency. The method also includes the determining of demodulator excessions. The detecting of the demodulator excessions and the determining of an appropriate correction factor is based on information from the instantaneous carrier frequency. The method also includes the introduction of the appropriate correction factor to the demodulator. |
| US09667348B1 |
Frequency domain combination of parallel signal paths
A receiver of an optical communications system includes a set of two or more analog-to digital A/D converters, a respective transform block connected to an output of each A/D converter, and a summation block. Each A/D converter samples a respective low-bandwidth analog signal comprising a respective portion of a high-bandwidth data signal. Each transform block calculates a set of spectral components of the respective low-bandwidth analog signal. The summation block combines respective spectral components calculated by each transform block to construct spectral terms of a combined signal having a spectrum corresponding to that of the high-bandwidth data signal. |
| US09667343B2 |
Transmission apparatus
A transmission apparatus of a receiving side to receive a signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus of a transmitting side, the transmission apparatus of the receiving side includes: a first monitor configured to measure an eye pattern indicating a signal waveform transition of the signal transmitted from the transmission apparatus of the transmitting side; a pattern analyzer configured to extract a first feature of the eye pattern measured by the first monitor; and a regulation controller configured to cause the transmission apparatus of the transmitting side to adjust at least one of rising and falling of a signal to be transmitted, based on the first feature extracted by the pattern analyzer. |
| US09667341B2 |
Apparatus and method for protection switching in optical transport network (OTN) suporting ODUflex(GFP)
An apparatus for protection switching in an optical transport network (OTN) includes: a working path interface module configured to check, via a working path for protection switching, connectivity of a first end node and a corresponding second end node; and a protecting path interface module configured to check connectivity of the first end node and the second node via a protection path for protection switching. Upon confirming the connectivity, the working path interface module and the protection path interface module exchange bandwidth resize (BWR) coordination information with each other and simultaneously output an ODUflex bandwidth control signal based on the exchanged BWR coordination information. |
| US09667338B2 |
Multiband wireless data transmission between aircraft and ground systems
Provided are methods and systems for multiband wireless data transmission between aircraft and ground systems. The transmission uses different wavelength ranges, each wavelength range corresponding to a different data domain and establishing a different communication channel. This wavelength differentiation provides physical separation between different data domains and, as a result, improves data security. Furthermore, a single broadband antenna is used on the exterior of the aircraft for transmitting data sets from different data domains. The single antenna configuration reduces drag and weight and improves structural integrity of the aircraft in comparison to multi-antenna configurations. Different aircraft communication modules, which are connected to different aircraft systems, handle different data domains and operate at different wavelength ranges. These modules are connected to the same antenna using a multiplexer. This connection may be controlled using gate devices and may be conditioned on verification of communication channel availability, security status, and other factors. |
| US09667336B2 |
Method and apparatus for dynamic spectrum management
Methods and apparatus for dynamic spectrum management are disclosed. A node receives a request for sensing related information. In response to receiving the request, the node transmits the sensing related information. The sensing related information may include at least one of information about data fusion methods supported by the node, information about relaying methods supported by the node and information about at least one other node that is reachable from the node. |
| US09667333B2 |
Method of signal generation and signal generating device
A transmission method simultaneously transmitting a first modulated signal and a second modulated signal at a common frequency performs precoding on both signals using a fixed precoding matrix and regularly changes the phase of at least one of the signals, thereby improving received data signal quality for a reception device. |
| US09667327B2 |
Method and apparatus for channel-related information feedback in a beamforming system
The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A method for channel-related information feedback in a beamforming system, performed by a transmitter is provided. The method includes determining whether a receiver is to feed back gain information about an effective channel established between the transmitter and the receiver using channel-related information between the transmitter and the receiver, notifying the receiver of a feedback mode indicating whether the gain information is to be fed back, upon receipt of feedback information configured based on the feedback mode from the receiver, reconfiguring the effective channel based on the feedback information, and transmitting a signal on the reconfigured effective channel. |
| US09667325B1 |
Receiver device applied to MIMO system and control method using the same
The present disclosure discloses a receiver device, including receiving antennas, radio frequency receivers, a configurable precision analog-to-digital converter, a switch device, a baseband processor, and an analog-to-digital controller. The switch device converts a first number of baseband analog signals into a second number of baseband analog signals. The configurable precision analog-to-digital converter converts the second number of baseband analog signals into a third number of first baseband digital signals. The configurable precision analog-to-digital converter combines at least two of first analog-to-digital converters into at least one second analog-to-digital converter so that the total number of the rest of the first analog-to-digital converters and the at least one second analog-to-digital converters is equal to the third number. The resolution of each of the second analog-to-digital converters is higher than the resolution of each of the first analog-to-digital converters. |
| US09667323B2 |
Contactless coupler
A contactless coupler is disclosed. The contactless coupler has an inductive coupling element adapted to transmit and/or receive power by inductive magnetic coupling and a capacitive coupling element adapted to transmit and/or receive a data signal by capacitive coupling. The capacitive coupling element comprises one or more capacitive electrodes disposed at an end of the coupler. |
| US09667322B2 |
Method and system for wireless power transfer calibration
In a WPT system, varying parameters, such as coupling coefficient, may cause the system to fall out of resonance and/or tuning. By monitoring one or more signals within a coil module of the WPT device, this detuning can be detected. Moreover, the WPT system can retune itself by modifying one or more parameters in a transmitting WPT device and/or a receiving WPT device. For example, coil circuits in the transmitting and/or receiving WPT devices can be configured to allow for adjusting of effective capacitance, effective inductance, load resistance, and/or load inductance. In addition, frequency can be modified to permit adjusting power transfer efficiency. |
| US09667317B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing security using network traffic adjustments
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, generating first traffic for transmitting along a network path to a recipient device and transmitting the first traffic along the network path to remove traffic patterns associated with a premises. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09667309B2 |
User apparatus, base station, successive interference canceling process method, and successive interference canceling control method
A user apparatus for use in a radio communication system, including: an successive interference cancelling reception unit configured to obtain a desired signal by successively canceling an interference signal that becomes interference to the desired signal from a received signal that the user apparatus receives; and an ordering determination unit configured to determine an order of interference signals to be successively canceled by the successive interference cancelling reception unit, wherein the ordering determination unit determines the order based on reception quality for each interference signal. |
| US09667307B1 |
Wireless telecommunications system for high-mobility applications
A wireless telecommunications system that mitigates infrasymbol interference due to Doppler-shift and multipath. Embodiments of the present invention are particularly advantageous for wireless telecommunications systems that operate in high-mobility environments, including high-speed trains and airplanes. |
| US09667304B2 |
RF duplexing device
Radio frequency (RF) duplexing devices and methods of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an RF duplexing device includes a transmission port, a receive port, a first duplexer, and a second duplexer. The first duplexer is coupled to the transmission port and the receive port, and is configured to provide a first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. The second duplexer is also coupled to the transmission port and the receive port. However, the second duplexer is configured to provide a second phase shift that is differential to the first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. By providing the second phase shift so that the second phase shift is differential to the first phase shift, the RF duplexing device can provide isolation through cancellation without needing to introduce significant insertion losses. |
| US09667302B2 |
Fast calibration
A computer implemented method of calibrating a device comprising the steps of: deriving an analytic expression for a variable to be optimized of the device in terms of at least one parameter of the device, transforming the analytic expression into polynomial form of the at least one parameter of the device, the polynomial form comprising N coefficients, capturing at least N samples of a value of the variable from the device under calibration, each sample being a result of a different independent pre-determined value of the at least one parameter, applying the captured variable values and the corresponding at least one parameter values to the polynomial form, obtaining optimal values of the at least one parameter from the applying step to calibrate the device. |
| US09667300B2 |
Frequency synthesizer for achieving fast re-lock between alternate frequencies in low bandwidth PLLs
A frequency synthesizer that includes a reference frequency scaler and a phase locked loop (PLL) coupled to the reference frequency scaler. The reference frequency scaler is configured to generate a first reference frequency and a second reference frequency. The PLL is configured to generate a first output frequency based on the first reference frequency during a first timeslot and a second output frequency based on the second reference frequency during a second timeslot. The PLL comprises a loop filter that includes a first switch connected in series to a first capacitor and configured to close during the first timeslot and a second switch connected in series to a second capacitor and configured to open during the first timeslot. |
| US09667299B2 |
Systems and methods for non-linear digital self-interference cancellation
A system and method for non-linear digital self-interference cancellation including a pre-processor that generates a first pre-processed digital transmit signal from a digital transmit signal of a full-duplex radio, a non-linear transformer that transforms the first pre-processed digital transmit signal into a non-linear self-interference signal according to a transform configuration, a transform adaptor that sets the transform configuration of the non-linear transformer, and a post-processor that combines the non-linear self-interference signal with a digital receive signal of the full-duplex radio. |
| US09667295B2 |
Holder for a mobile telecommunications terminal
A holder for a mobile telecommunications terminal, in particular a smartphone, has a receptacle for the terminal. The holder has a first locking mechanism by which the smartphone can be locked in the receptacle. There is also described a system for fastening a smartphone to a shopping trolley handle, a base station for accommodating a plurality of holders and a method for fastening a smartphone to a shopping trolley handle. |
| US09667293B2 |
SAW-less, LNA-less low noise receiver
A low noise receiver includes a downconverter configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, the downconverter comprising a switching architecture configured to generate a plurality of output phases based on a respective plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals, a differencing circuit configured to combine the plurality of output phases such that an nth output phase is differenced with an (n+K)th output phase, resulting in gain-added output phases, and a summation filter configured to receive the gain-added output phases and configured to combine the gain-added output phases such that a response of the receiver effectively reduces odd harmonics of the RF signal. |
| US09667291B2 |
Unwanted component reduction system
A system is described for forming an estimate of an unwanted signal component that may be formed as a result of non-linearities in a system. The estimate is used to form a cancellation signal which is added to an input signal to reduce the influence of the unwanted component. |
| US09667289B2 |
Methods and apparatus for reducing noise, power and settling time in multi-modal analog multiplexed data acquisition systems
Reduced noise and power with rapid settling time and increased performance in multi-modal analog multiplexed data acquisition systems. An example apparatus arrangement includes a circuit input configured to receive a plurality of analog input signals; an analog to digital converter circuit configured to output a digital representation of an analog voltage; a selection circuit configured to select one of the analog input signals received at the circuit input; a buffer coupled to receive the selected one of the analog input signals; a filter coupled to the buffer and configured to perform a high bandwidth sample operation and a low bandwidth sample operation and having a filter output, responsive to a control signal; and a sampling capacitor coupled to the filter to sample the filter output, and having an output coupled to the analog to digital converter. Methods and additional apparatus arrangements are disclosed. |
| US09667287B2 |
Multiple antenna interference rejection in ultra-wideband real time locating systems
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing interference rejection in ultra-wideband real time locating systems. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver is configured to: receive an interference signal from a source positioned outside a monitored region; receive a composite signal transmitted from a tagged object moving about a playing field within the monitored region, wherein the composite signal comprises a location signal and a component of the interference signal; detect whether the component of the interference signal exceeds a threshold value; and adjust, via a processor, filtering of the composite signal to attenuate the component of the interference signal based on whether the component of the interference signal exceeds the threshold value. Some embodiments provide for filtering of the composite signal using a combiner while others employ a tunable notch filter. Corresponding systems, methods, and computer-readable storage medium are also provided. |
| US09667286B1 |
Receiver adjacent channel overload projection
A filter system that filters WCS signals received by a satellite radio antenna if the WCS signals have a high enough signal strength where they could overwhelm the satellite radio signals and prevent the satellite radio from operating. The filter system includes a coupling circuit that couples off a small portion of the signal received by the antenna and sends it to a detector that detects the signal strength of the coupled off portion of the signal. If the signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold, the detector provides a control signal to a switch that directs the signal received by the antenna to a WCS filter to filter out the WCS signals, where the switch otherwise causes the signal received by the antenna to be sent directly to the radio. |
| US09667284B1 |
Method, device, and system for identifying a howling source and suppressing howling
Method, device, and system for identifying a howling source and suppressing howling. One system includes a first communication device including a microphone, a first transceiver, and an electronic processor. The system also includes a second communication device including a second transceiver transmitting a radio signal and a speaker transmitting an acoustic signal. The electronic processor determines a first distance between the first communication device and the second communication device based on the radio signal received by the first transceiver. When the first distance is less than a first threshold, the electronic processor determines a second distance between the first communication device and the second communication device based on the acoustic signal received by the microphone. When the second distance is less than a second threshold, the electronic processor instructs at least one selected from the group consisting of the first communication device and the second communication device to suppress howling. |
| US09667282B1 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive gain control and antenna load compensation
Methods and apparatuses are provided for adjusting a transmission gain in a transmitter of an electronic device. A transmitted signal is received at a digital signal processor (DSP) of the transmitter. The transmitted signal is also transmitted through a transmission path of the transmitter resulting in a load impedance. A looped-back signal is received at the DSP via a loop-back path of the transmitter that returns from the transmission path. The DSP estimates the load impedance from the transmitted signal and the looped-back signal. The DSP sets the transmission gain of the transmission path based on the load impedance and saturation values for a load current and a load voltage. |
| US09667280B2 |
Methods and apparatus for touch temperature management based on power dissipation history
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for touch temperature management of a wireless communications device based on power dissipated over time, and possibly internal temperature readings. For example, the information about power dissipated over time can be utilized along with monitored internal temperatures of a device's internal circuitry to reduce transmit power and/or data rates as required in order to keep a surface temperature of the wireless device below a specified limit. A knowledge of how the device's touch temperature varies with the dissipated power and a knowledge of the power dissipation history can be utilized to determine when to reduce the transmit power in order to avoid overheating (e.g., exceeding the touch temperature limit). |
| US09667277B2 |
Apparatus for tuning voltage standing wave ratio of base station system in wireless communication network
Provided is an apparatus for tuning the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of a base station system in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising: a VSWR changing unit for changing the characteristics of the VSWR of an antenna by changing electrical signal transmission characteristics of an internal power feedline by means of an external operation, or by changing the characteristics for transceiving a radiating member; a driving unit for driving the VSWR changing unit in accordance with a control signal; a VSWR detection unit for detecting the corresponding VSWR for the installed antenna and generating a detection signal on the basis thereof; and a control unit for controlling the actions of the VSWR changing unit for changing the VSWR characteristics by controlling the operation of the driving unit, if a VSWR characteristic is determined to be in an abnormal state on the basis of the detection signal generated by the VSWR detection unit. |
| US09667272B1 |
Generic encoder for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes
Systems and methods are provided for encoding data based on an LDPC code using various inversion mechanisms to obtain parity bits. In some embodiments, an LDPC encoder may compute parity bits using a speculative recursion and correction mechanism. In these embodiments, the LDPC encoder may initiate a recursion using at least one speculative value in place of the actual value for a parity component. The speculative values may then be corrected using a correction factor. In other embodiments, an LDPC encoder is provided that can perform a blockwise inversion mechanism. This mechanism may be used on LDPC codes with parity check matrices having a parity portion composed partially of a large triangular matrix. In still other embodiments, a generic LDPC encoder is provided. The generic LDPC encoder can implement a variety of different encoding techniques, such as different inversion mechanisms, and may be processor-based or finite state machine-based. |
| US09667270B2 |
System, medium, and method of encoding/decoding multi-channel audio signals
An system, method, and method of encoding/decoding a multi-channel audio signal, including a decoding level generation unit producing decoding-level information that helps a bitstream including a number of audio channel signals and space information to be decoded into a number of audio channel signals, wherein the space information includes information about magnitude differences and/or similarities between channels, and an audio decoder decoding the bitstream according to the decoding-level information. Accordingly, even a single input bitstream can be decoded into a suitable number of channels depending on the type of a speaker configuration used. Scalable channel decoding can be achieved by partially decoding an input bitstream. In the scalable channel decoding, a decoder may set decoding levels and outputs audio channel signals according to the decoding levels, thereby reducing decoding complexity. |
| US09667264B2 |
Transition timing control for switching DC/DC converter
A device is configured to control a transition timing of a switching DC/DC converter for providing power to a load device. The load device has a first operational phase that is sensitive to external noise and a second operational phase that is immune to the external noise. The device includes an input terminal coupled to an external device to receive a start signal of the first operational phase for the load device. The device also includes control circuitry configured to, responsive to the start signal, control a transition frequency of the DC/DC converter to avoid transitioning an output of the switching DC/DC converter during the first operational phase. |
| US09667262B2 |
Digital control oscillator circuit
A digital control oscillator circuit includes: a ring oscillator having delay elements delaying a pulse signal; a counter circuit counting the circulation number of the pulse signal; a rough period generation unit acquiring a period setting value as a magnification ratio for a reference clock, and counting the reference clock using an integer part of the ratio to generate a rough period timing; a fraction conversion unit converting a decimal point part of the ratio into the number of the elements passed by the pulse signal to generate a fraction; and an output processing unit selecting a timing when outputs of the ring oscillator and the counter circuit become values corresponding to the fraction as an output timing when a time corresponding to the fraction has passed after the rough period timing, and generating an output signal oscillating at a period represented by the period setting value according to the output timing. |
| US09667259B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a temperature-dependent control signal
A current-to-voltage converter receives a current which varies with temperature according to a selected one of two or more temperature coefficient factors and converts it to a temperature-dependent voltage to be used as a control signal to a varactor in a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO, to compensate for temperature-induced frequency drift in the VCO. A feedback arrangement with hysteresis is provided for controlling the selection of the temperature coefficient factor and operates by comparing the temperature-dependent voltage with a reference voltage. The reference voltage may be pre-set and equivalent to a known operating temperature. A switching signal is generated when Vout approaches the reference voltage and in response, a control module generates a selection signal for selecting a different temperature coefficient factor. Thus, multi-slope voltage and current generation with a wide dynamic range is continuously provided, which is particularly useful for controlling VCO's used in short range FMCW radar systems. |
| US09667256B2 |
Data processing device and control method therefor
A data processing device includes a data processing unit including a plurality of elements and wiring groups that connect the plurality of elements, wherein respective elements in the plurality of elements include: a logic element; an acquisition unit that switches on and off an input side of the logic element for any wire out of the wiring groups on a cycle-by-cycle basis to latch input data; and a post unit that switches on and off an output side of the logic element for any wire out of the wiring groups on a cycle-by-cycle basis, and the data processing unit also includes a timing control unit that controls logic executed by the logic element and functions of the acquisition unit and the post unit on a cycle-by-cycle basis. |
| US09667254B2 |
Electronic device assembly
An electronic device assembly includes a master device, and a plurality of peripheral devices. The master device includes a signal reading unit, a layer identification unit, and a selecting and controlling unit. The plurality of peripheral devices is coupled to the master device and connected one by one in series. The signal reading unit is configured to read layer signals from the plurality of peripheral devices, the layer identification unit is configured to identify a layer information of the plurality of peripheral devices according to the layer signals; and the selecting and controlling unit is configured to select and control one or more of the plurality of peripheral electronic devices according to the layer information. |
| US09667252B1 |
Duty cycle correction circuit and duty cycle correction method
A duty cycle correction circuit may include: a phase mixing section capable of mixing a first integrated signal generated by integrating a positive clock signal, with a first compensation signal generated by differentiating and integrating the positive clock signal and a negative clock signal, respectively, to generate a first phase-mixed signal, and mixing a second integrated signal generated by integrating the negative clock signal, with a second compensation signal generated by integrating and differentiating the positive clock signal and the negative clock signal, respectively, to generate a second phase-mixed signal; and a noise removal section capable of receiving and removing a common mode noise between the first phase-mixed signal and the second phase-mixed signal by adjusting a cross-point therebetween, and outputting first and second duty-corrected clock signals. |
| US09667251B1 |
Charge steering latch for low soft error rate
A circuit for steering charges generated from ionization radiation away from a latch includes charge steering transistors operating in strong inversion. The charge steering transistors are electrically coupled to other transistors in stacked inverters within the latch. During normal operation, the charge steering transistors are turned on when the other transistors being coupled to are turned off. The charge steering transistors may reduce the negative impact of ionization radiation on the operation of the latch. |
| US09667244B1 |
Method of and apparatus for biasing switches
A control circuit is provided for controlling the voltage at the gate terminal of a field effect transistor acting as a switch. The voltage, at for example, the source terminal of the transistor can be provided to a low pass filter and is then voltage translated to provide the gate signal. The filtering can be arranged so as to compensate for the effect of parasitic capacitances within the transistor, thereby linearizing its frequency response. The voltage translation can help to limit voltage differences between the gate and channel of the transistor. This can be significant as relatively fast transistors, as might be used in microwave circuits, may fail with relatively modest voltages at their gates. |
| US09667235B1 |
Ultra-precision linear phase shifter with gain control
A phase shifter including two or more amplifiers having transistors with approximately linear transconductance to current relationships. The phase shifter also includes one or more loads connected to the transistors of the amplifiers and configured to adjust the gain of the amplifiers by varying the transconductance of the transistors. |
| US09667233B2 |
Compensation circuit for offset voltage in a measurement amplifier and/or for DC-signal component in a measurement signal
A circuit for the compensation of an offset voltage in a measurement amplifier and/or of a DC-signal component contained in a measurement signal is provided. The circuit comprises a measurement-signal terminal for the measurement signal. The non-inverting input of the measurement amplifier serves for the feeding in of an AC-signal component of the measurement signal via a first capacitor. Additionally, the circuit contains a second amplifier for the addition of the DC-signal component in the measurement signal and of a signal corresponding to the negative offset voltage and to the negative DC-signal component, and a unit arranged at the input end or output end of the measurement amplifier for subtraction of an output signal of the second amplifier from the AC-signal component of the measurement signal. |
| US09667230B1 |
Latch and flip-flop circuits with shared clock-enabled supply nodes
A method for operating a latch and a latch circuit are disclosed. The latch circuit comprises a storage sub-circuit, a propagation sub-circuit, and a shared clock-enabled transistor. The storage sub-circuit is configured to capture a level of an input signal when a clock signal transitions from first level to a second level and hold the captured level to generate an output signal while the clock signal is at the second level. The propagation sub-circuit is configured to enable a path through a blocking transistor to the shared clock-enabled supply node to propagate the captured level of the input signal to the storage sub-circuit. The shared clock-enabled transistor is configured to couple the shared clock-enabled supply node to a power supply while the clock signal is at the first level and decouple the shared clock-enabled supply node from the power supply while the clock signal is at the second level. |
| US09667227B2 |
Method and apparatus for use in digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device
A method and apparatus for use in a digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device is described. A Digitally Tuned Capacitor DTC is described which facilitates digitally controlling capacitance applied between a first and second terminal. In some embodiments, the first terminal comprises an RF+ terminal and the second terminal comprises an RF− terminal. In accordance with some embodiments, the DTCs comprise a plurality of sub-circuits ordered in significance from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB) sub-circuits, wherein the plurality of significant bit sub-circuits are coupled together in parallel, and wherein each sub-circuit has a first node coupled to the first RF terminal, and a second node coupled to the second RF terminal. The DTCs further include an input means for receiving a digital control word, wherein the digital control word comprises bits that are similarly ordered in significance from an LSB to an MSB. |
| US09667225B2 |
Surface acoustic wave filter, surface acoustic wave filter device, and duplexer including a shared reflector
A surface acoustic wave filter includes a longitudinally coupled resonator first filter section and a longitudinally coupled resonator second filter section that is electrically connected to the first filter section in parallel or in series and that is provided next to the first filter section in a surface acoustic wave propagation direction. The first filter section includes a first interdigital transducer group arranged in the surface acoustic wave propagation direction. The second filter section includes a second interdigital transducer group arranged in the surface acoustic wave propagation direction. A reflector between the first interdigital transducer group and the second interdigital transducer group is an integrated shared reflector. A number of electrode fingers in reflecting units in the shared reflector is an odd number of no less than nine. |
| US09667224B2 |
Electroacoustic filter comprising low-pass characteristics
An electroacoustic filter has improved low-pass characteristics. The filter includes a first electroacoustic converter, an electroacoustic element and a grid structure between the converter and the element. The grid structure is acoustically active in one frequency range that lies above the acoustically active frequency range of the first electroacoustic converter. |
| US09667223B1 |
Resonator electrode shields
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator includes a resonant semiconductor structure, drive electrode, sense electrode and electrically conductive shielding structure. The first drive electrode generates a time-varying electrostatic force that causes the resonant semiconductor structure to resonate mechanically, and the first sense electrode generates a timing signal in response to the mechanical resonance of the resonant semiconductor structure. The electrically conductive shielding structure is disposed between the first drive electrode and the first sense electrode to shield the first sense electrode from electric field lines emanating from the first drive electrode. |
| US09667221B2 |
Acoustic wave device
An acoustic wave device includes: a first chip that includes a first substrate, and a first filter formed on a first surface of the first substrate; and a second chip that includes a second substrate, and a second filter formed on a second surface of the second substrate, the second surface being located in a plane different from the first surface. |
| US09667220B2 |
Temperature controlled acoustic resonator comprising heater and sense resistors
A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator device comprises a heating coil disposed over a first side of the piezoelectric layer and substantially around a perimeter adjacent to the active area of the acoustic resonator, the heating coil comprising a resistor configured to receive a heater current; and a heat sensor disposed over a second side of the piezoelectric layer and opposing the first side, the heat sensor configured to adjust the heater current in response to a temperature of the heating coil. |
| US09667217B2 |
High performance integrated tunable impedance matching network with coupled merged inductors
A high performance integrated tunable impedance matching network with coupled merged inductors. Embodiments include a combination of merged multiport constructively coupled spiral inductors and tunable capacitors configured to reduce insertion losses, circuit size, and optimization time while maintaining a high Q factor for the coupled spiral inductors. |
| US09667214B2 |
Dynamic compressor with “release” feature
A dynamic range compressor includes an input terminal for receiving input signal to be compressed, an amplifier unit for amplifying the signal to be compressed by an amplification factor, for deriving a compressed output signal, an output terminal for supplying the compressed output signal, a first envelope detector unit for deriving a first envelope signal from the input signal, and an amplifier control unit for generating an amplifier control signal in dependence of an envelope signal. Further including a second envelope detector unit for deriving a second envelope signal from the input signal, a first signal level prediction unit for generating a first prediction signal from the first envelope signal, a second signal level prediction unit for generating a second prediction signal from the second envelope signal, and a signal combination unit for combining the first and second prediction signals to generate a combined prediction signal. |
| US09667213B2 |
Audio signal processing device for adjusting volume
An audio signal processing device includes a volume setting unit that changes a volume of an audio signal according to a control for changing the volume, and a level control unit that controls a level of a predetermined band of the audio signal according to the control. |
| US09667207B2 |
Amplifier control apparatus
An apparatus for controlling a pulse width modulation (PWM) amplifier is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a delay circuit configured to delay an input signal and provide the delayed input signal to the PWM amplifier. The apparatus also includes a controller configured to generate and provide a supply voltage to the PWM amplifier based at least in part on the input signal such that the PWM amplifier generates an output signal based at least partially on the delayed input signal and the supply voltage. |
| US09667206B2 |
Linear row array integrated power combiner for RF power amplifiers
A novel and useful radio frequency (RF) front end module (FEM) circuit that provides high linearity and power efficiency and meets the requirements of modern wireless communication standards such as 802.11 WLAN, 3G and 4G cellular standards, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. The configuration of the FEM circuit permits the use of common, relatively low cost semiconductor fabrication techniques such as standard CMOS processes. The FEM circuit includes a power amplifier made up of one or more sub-amplifiers having high and low power circuits and whose outputs are combined to yield the total desired power gain. An integrated multi-tap transformer having primary and secondary windings arranged in a novel configuration provide efficient power combining and transfer to the antenna of the power generated by the individual sub-amplifiers. |
| US09667205B2 |
Multimode power amplifier and method of switching among multiple modes thereof, and mobile terminal
Disclosed are a multimode power amplifier, also a method for implementing different work mode switching by the multimode power amplifier and a mobile terminal using the multimode power amplifier. The multimode power amplifier includes at least two stage amplification circuits, each stage amplification circuit is connected in serial way; each stage amplification circuit has at least one basic amplification unit array, the amplification unit array is composed of multiple basic amplification units in parallel way. Bias voltage of each basic amplification unit array is controlled independently. By configuring the bias voltage flexibly, the multimode power amplifier can implement the switching between saturation mode and linear mode, and meets the actual needs of multi-communication mode. In addition, the multimode power amplifier also has the advantages of lower cost, simple and flexible circuit, and easy realization. |
| US09667203B2 |
Apparatus and methods power amplifier biasing
Apparatus and methods for biasing a power amplifier are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of biasing a power amplifier includes shaping an enable signal using a time-dependent signal generator to generate a control current, amplifying the control current using a current amplifier to generate a correction current, and generating a bias current for a power amplifier using a primary biasing circuit. The primary biasing circuit is configured to use the correction current to correct for a variation in gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is enabled. |
| US09667202B2 |
Power amplifier and method
A power amplifier may include an amplifying unit configured to amplify an input signal, an impedance varying unit connected between the amplifying unit and an output port that is for outputting an amplified signal of the input signal, and a controller configured to output a first control signal based on a level of power of the amplified input signal of the amplifying unit to control a varying of impedance of the impedance varying unit. |
| US09667201B2 |
Advanced current limit function for audio amplifier
A class-D audio amplifier incorporates an overcurrent protection scheme implementing two overcurrent thresholds to avoid a dynamic impedance drop. When output current reaches the first threshold as a result of an impedance drop across the speaker, the overcurrent protection circuitry limits the output current to the value of the first threshold, but does not shut down the circuit. The second threshold is used to detect an overcurrent condition to shut down the circuit. Current limiting logic of a first channel monitors the overcurrent condition of a second channel and controls the first channel output in response thereto. This permits the second channel output current to reach the second threshold if the circuit is experiencing a short-circuit condition. This scheme also allows the output current to drop below the first threshold if the overcurrent condition of the second channel is caused by an impedance drop across the output speaker. |
| US09667197B2 |
Signal amplification system
An input signal amplification system comprises at least two different means of amplifying input signals in order to obtain amplified signals. It also comprises at least one means of summing amplified signals, and dynamic means of activating or deactivating one or more of the amplifying means based on input signals. |
| US09667195B2 |
Amplifiers operating in envelope tracking mode or non-envelope tracking mode
Various envelope tracking amplifiers are presented that can be switched between an ET (envelope tracking) mode and a non-ET mode. Switches and/or tunable components are utilized in constructing the envelope tracking amplifiers that can be switched between the ET mode and the non-ET mode. |
| US09667194B2 |
Differential switched capacitor circuits having voltage amplifiers, and associated methods
Switched capacitor circuits and charge transfer methods comprising a sampling phase and a transfer phase. Circuits and methods are implemented via a plurality of switches, a set of at least two capacitors, at least one voltage amplifier, and an operational amplifier. In one example, during the sampling phase at least one input voltage is sampled, and during the transfer phase at least a first reference voltage provided by the at least one voltage amplifier is subtracted from the at least one input voltage using the operational amplifier. The same set of at least two capacitors may be used in both the sampling phase and the transfer phase. |
| US09667187B2 |
Motor control apparatus
A motor control apparatus includes a secondary-magnetic-flux-command calculating unit including a minimum-current-secondary-magnetic-flux-command calculating unit that calculates a secondary magnetic flux command for minimizing a current root-mean-square value due to a torque current and an excitation current and a PWM-signal generating unit that generates a torque current command for outputting a desired torque command and an excitation current command for outputting the secondary magnetic flux command, performs vector control such that a q-axis current, which is a detection value of the torque current, and a d-axis current, which is a detection value of the excitation current, respectively coincide with the torque current command and the excitation current command, and generates control signals for turning on and off a switching element in an inverter. |
| US09667184B2 |
Device for determining a position of a rotor of a polyphase electric motor
A device for determining a rotor position in a polyphase electric motor having a first phase, a second phase and a third phase. A power control unit applies a first voltage on the first phase, and a second voltage on the second phase, the first voltage and the second voltage being periodic signals of opposite polarity, alternating between a first part and a second part of the alternating period, such as square waves. A sample unit samples a third voltage on the third phase for acquiring a first sample at a first instant in the first part and a second sample at a second instant in the second part, and a difference value between the first sample and the second sample. The difference value represents a mutual inductance between the stator coils due to the rotor position. A determination unit determines the rotor position based on the difference value. |
| US09667183B2 |
Electronically commutated electric motor
Presented is an electronically commutated electric motor having a power output stage connected to a stator of the electric motor, and a processing unit connected to the power output stage. The processing unit drives the power output stage to produce at least one stator current. The electric motor has a current sensor which is designed to record the stator current produced by the power output stage and to generate a current signal representing the stator current. The processing unit is designed to use the current sensor to record at least one current value of the current at a recording time within an interval of time and to determine a current profile of the current in the interval of time at least on the basis of the current value and to drive the power output stage to energize the stator on the basis of the current profile determined. |
| US09667181B2 |
Motor control circuit and method of monitoring a motor
A method of monitoring an electric motor circuit of the kind comprising an electric motor having a plurality of phases delta configuration, a plurality of electrical switches arranged in a bridge, operable in response to signals from a controller to selectively connect the phases to a power supply, the motor controller being responsive to a current error signal dependent on the difference between a demanded motor current value and an actual motor current value indicative of the actual current flowing in the motor where the method comprising the steps of processing at least one signal that is present in use of the electric motor circuit to identify a frequency component of the at least one signal that meets certain predefined criteria and in the event that the component is identified and that it does meet the criteria providing an indication that there is a fault. |
| US09667177B1 |
System and method for operating a three-phase load from a single phase source
A power converter for operating a three-phase AC electrical machine from a single phase AC power source includes an ASD having a rectifier and inverter, and an add-on power conversion module external to the ASD that is electrically connected to each of the power source and the ASD. The power conversion module includes one or more input inductors configured to store and filter single-phase AC power received from the power source and a pair of switching devices connected to each of the input inductors at an output end thereof. A controller operably connected to the power conversion module selectively controls switching of the pair of switching devices associated with each of the one or more input inductors so as to cause a sinusoidal single phase AC power to be output from the add-on power conversion module for rectification by the rectifier. |
| US09667176B2 |
Motor control circuit and method
In accordance with an embodiment, a method for driving a motor includes generating a position indicator signal in response to a signal from the at least one Hall sensor, wherein the position indicator signal has a first period. A phase shift value is generated using the position indicator signal. The position indicator signal is used to generate an adjusted position indicator signal in response to the phase shift value. In accordance with another embodiment, a lead angle adjustment circuit includes a counter coupled to a subtractor circuit through a multiplier circuit. A storage register is coupled to the output of the counter and to an input of a slope determination circuit, wherein the slope determination circuit is coupled to a first external pin of the lead angle adjustment circuit. A multiplier circuit is coupled to the slope determination circuit and to a second external pin. |
| US09667175B2 |
Motor control circuit and method
In accordance with an embodiment, a method for driving a motor includes decreasing a duty of an input signal to a motor and decreasing a duty of a duty control signal in response to decreasing the duty of the input signal The duty of the duty control signal is maintained at a first level in response to a reverse current signal and decreased from the first level in the absence of the reverse current signal. In accordance with another embodiment a driver circuit includes a state controller having an input coupled to a pulse width modulation detection circuit and an output connected to a reverse current detection circuit. |
| US09667174B2 |
Ceramic electronic component
A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body, inner electrodes, a glass coating layer, and outer electrodes. The glass coating layer extends from an exposed portion of one of the inner electrodes at a first end surface to a first principal surface. The outer electrodes are each constituted by a plating film disposed directly above the glass coating layer. The glass coating layer includes a glass medium and metal powder particles that define conductive paths. The metal powder particles have an elongated or substantially elongated shape and are dispersed in the glass medium. The dimension of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first principal surface in the length direction, is larger than that of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first end surface in the thickness direction. |
| US09667170B2 |
Operating method for an inverter and grid fault tolerant inverter
The disclosure relates to a method for operating an inverter that includes at least one bridge assembly that is actuated in a modulated manner for supplying electrical power to an energy supply network. Initially, the inverter is operated by the unipolar actuation of the at least one bridge assembly and the energy supply network is monitored for the presence of a network fault. If a network fault is detected, the inverter is operated at least at intervals by the bipolar actuation of the at least one bridge assembly. The disclosure further relates to a network fault-tolerant inverter which is equipped for carrying out the method. |
| US09667167B2 |
Systems and methods for power conversion with direct current fault ride-through capability
A power converter including one or more converter legs is provided. Each converter leg includes a first string including a plurality of switches coupled to each other in series. The one or more converter legs also include a second string operatively coupled to the first string at a first node and a second node in a parallel configuration, where the second string includes a plurality of switching units, and where a second string of one converter leg of the one or more converter legs is operatively coupled to second strings corresponding to other converter legs in the one or more converter legs. |
| US09667157B1 |
System and method for operating a power converter
A power converter includes a first bus converter for converting a first direct current (DC) bus voltage into a first high frequency alternating current (AC) voltage and a second bus converter for converting a second high frequency AC voltage into a second DC bus voltage. A resonant circuit couples the first bus converter and the second bus converter. Further, a controller provides switching signals to the first bus converter and the second bus converter to operate the power converter in a soft switching mode. The controller includes a voltage detection circuit connected across at least one switching device of the power converter to detect a device voltage across the at least one switching device and a counter to count a number of hard switching detection pulses of the hard switching pulse signal detector. The controller also includes a calculation module to update the number of hard switching detection pulses of the hard switching instances and to generate a new number of hard switching detection pulses and a comparator to compare the new number of hard switching detection pulses with a threshold value and to provide a control signal if the new number exceeds the threshold value. |
| US09667156B2 |
Power supply with line compensation circuit
A line compensation circuit for a power supply includes a line voltage sense circuit and a current limit adjuster. The line voltage sense circuit senses a slope of an inductor current by way of a compensation capacitor that receives a sense voltage that is representative of the inductor current on a primary side of the power supply. A compensation current that is generated from the compensation capacitor is used by the current limit adjuster to adjust an output current limit of the power supply. |
| US09667155B2 |
Switching power supply with peak current limiter
A switching power supply includes: a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil; a switching element that is connected in series to the primary coil of the transformer so as to turn a direct-current input voltage applied to the primary coil of the transformer ON and OFF; a rectifying and smoothing circuit that rectifies a voltage induced in the secondary coil of the transformer to generate a direct-current output voltage; and a control circuit that turns the switching element ON and OFF in accordance with the direct-current output voltage, wherein the control circuit includes an input correction circuit that detects a switching period of the switching element and limits a peak value of a current flowing through the switching element in accordance with the detected switching period. |
| US09667154B2 |
Demand-controlled, low standby power linear shunt regulator
A shunt regulator for use in a power converter having an energy transfer element for regulating a transfer energy of the output signal delivered to the load. An auxiliary winding of the energy transfer element being utilized to produce an internal bypass voltage, VBP, at a bypass pin coupled to an external capacitive load, the shunt regulator including a two-mode operational amplifier that produces an output signal that controls a shunt current through the shunt switch. At power-up, or at low load conditions, the operational amplifier operates in a low-power mode of operation with low quiescent current. When a current comparator circuit senses that the shunt current exceeds a predetermined level, the current comparator circuit sets a latch which produces a logical signal that causes the operational amplifier to switch to a high-power mode of operation. |
| US09667148B2 |
Photoelectric transducer device including a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer
An object is to obtain a rectifier having a small voltage drop and to reduce the fabrication cost of a converter circuit. A photoelectric transducer device including: a photoelectric transducer element; and a converter circuit stepping up or stepping down an output of the photoelectric transducer element and including a switching element and a rectifier, in which the switching element is a first oxide semiconductor transistor that is normally off and in which the rectifier is a second oxide semiconductor transistor that is diode-connected and normally on. |
| US09667144B2 |
DC-DC converter with reverse current detecting circuit
A DC-DC converter includes a first switching element and a second switching element; a pulse signal generating circuit which generates a pulse signal used to control on/off periods of the switching elements; a limiting circuit which generates a minimum pulse width signal; a selector configured to select one of the pulse signal and the minimum pulse width signal, and a driver circuit switches the first and second switching element and a reverse current detecting circuit detects a reverse current. The driver circuit controls the first or second switching element, when the reverse current is detected. The selector selects the pulse signal when the reverse current is not detected, and selects the minimum pulse width signal when the reverse current is detected. |
| US09667143B2 |
Power conversion circuit and electronic device with the same
A power conversion circuit includes an input port, an output port, a power conversion chip, a path switch, and a protection module. The input port is electrically connected to a power source and the output port is electrically connected to a function module. The power conversion chip includes a voltage input pin electrically connected to the input port and a voltage output pin electrically connected to the output port. The power conversion chip converts the power voltage to an output voltage. The path switch includes a control terminal, a first path terminal connected to the input port, and a second path terminal connected to the voltage input pin. The protection module is connected between the control terminal and the output port, and detects the output voltage on the output port, and turns off the path switch when the output voltage is greater than a predetermined voltage. |
| US09667141B2 |
Switching power supply
A switching power supply includes: a switching type power supply circuit that converts an input voltage to generate an output voltage; and a control IC that executes feedback control that, based on a differential voltage between a target voltage and the output voltage from the power supply circuit, controls a switching element of the power supply circuit and causes the output voltage from the power supply circuit to converge to the target voltage. The control IC sets a this-time value of the target voltage based on a value obtained by adding a preset value to a previous value of the target voltage at a time of startup of the power supply circuit. Provided with this operation is a switching power supply that can precisely reduce an overshoot of the output voltage at the time of startup. |
| US09667140B2 |
Switching power supply circuit that avoids overheating during a short-circuit
A switching power supply circuit includes a semiconductor switching element that is ON/OFF-controlled and controls current through an inductance, an output capacitor that stores power delivered from the inductance through a boost diode, a bypass diode that bypasses the inductance and delivers a DC voltage given to the inductance to the output capacitor, and a switching control section that ON/OFF-controls the semiconductor switching element. The switching power supply circuit includes in particular, an operation frequency reducing means that detects variation of the voltage generated on short-circuit of the bypass diode and lowers a switching frequency of the semiconductor switching element. |
| US09667139B2 |
Power converter with capacitive energy transfer and fast dynamic response
A converter circuit and related technique for providing high power density power conversion includes a reconfigurable switched capacitor transformation stage coupled to a magnetic converter (or regulation) stage. The circuits and techniques achieve high performance over a wide input voltage range or a wide output voltage range. The converter can be used, for example, to power logic devices in portable battery operated devices. |
| US09667138B2 |
Dynamic threshold generator for use in adaptive body biasing of a MOS
An electronic device includes a transistor having a body and a body biasing circuit. The body biasing circuit includes a threshold estimator circuit to estimate a threshold voltage of the transistor and a comparison circuit to compare the threshold voltage of the transistor to a reference threshold voltage and to generate a comparison signal based thereupon. A bias adjust circuit generates a body biasing voltage that biases the body of the transistor as a function of the comparison signal, the body biasing voltage being a voltage that, when applied to the body of the transistor, adjusts the threshold voltage thereof to be equal to the reference threshold voltage. |
| US09667136B1 |
Totem-pole power factor correction circuit
A totem-pole power factor correction circuit (totem-pole PFC) is connected behind an input inductor receiving electric power from an alternating current (AC) power source. The totem-pole PFC is provided, in a high-frequency working area thereof, with at least two current transformer elements or a center-tapped current transformer element. The waveform of current flowing through the totem-pole PFC during positive and negative half cycles of AC power is sensed via the current transformer elements or the center-tapped current transformer element. Thereby, current waveform for the input inductor during positive and negative half cycles may be realized via the obtained current waveform completely, such that the practical problems originating from the conventional necessity for the establishment of bulky Hall device or another current-sensing unit are solved specifically. |
| US09667128B2 |
Power converter resonance detection apparatus and method
Power conversion systems and methods are presented for detecting filter capacitor resonance conditions in a power conversion system in which filter currents are measured and filtered using a bandpass filter, and one or more computed mean, RMS, and/or Fourier transform values are computed based on the filtered value(s). The computed measurement value or values are compared with a predetermined threshold and a suspected filter capacitor resonance condition is selectively identified based on comparison result. |
| US09667127B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a rotor position and rotation speed of an electrical machine
The invention relates to a brush-commutated electrical machine. The machine includes a rotor with rotor coils which are arranged on rotor poles. The machine also includes a commutator with commutator laminations which are electrically connected to the rotor coils, and having two brushes which are arranged offset in relation to one another, with the result that the brushes alternately commutate when the rotor moves. The machine also includes a stator having stator poles which are arranged in the circumferential direction and at least some of which are provided with stator magnets, wherein the stator poles are designed and/or arranged such that an alternating stator magnetic field which is generated by said stator poles in the circumferential direction is formed differently depending on the pole direction of the respective stator pole. |
| US09667121B2 |
Device for converting heat energy into electrical energy with heat-sensitive molecules
A device and method recovering heat energy and converting the heat energy into electrical energy by heat-sensitive molecules to which are connected magnetic particles, with the heat-sensitive molecules able to move the magnetic particles in relation to a conductive circuit to generate an induced current in the circuit. |
| US09667115B2 |
Electronic housing for an electric motor with protection against accidental contact
The present invention concerns an electronic housing for an electric motor, consisting of a housing holder part with a housing floor and a housing wall comprising the housing floor. A housing opening lies opposite the housing floor. Arranged in the housing holder part is a motor electronic component with an electronic printed circuit board, which is arranged parallel to the opening plane of the housing opening. Detachably arranged on the electronic printed circuit board or on the motor electronic component, on a side of the electronic printed circuit board facing away from the housing floor is a contact protecting component, which covers this surface, from an electrically insulating material, which has at least partially a grid structure as an air outlet. |
| US09667111B2 |
Rotor of electric motor and motor using the same
Exemplary embodiments disclose a rotor of an electric motor and an electric motor using the same. The rotor includes a core which includes a plurality of protrusion portions which are arranged along an outer circumference of the core and protrude radially to an outer portion of the core, and a plurality of concave portions interposed between the protrusion portions; a plurality of permanent magnets which are respectively disposed at the plurality of concave portions; and a plurality of pole pieces which are disposed at the plurality of concave portions and at outer sides of the plurality of permanent magnets. A length of each of the plurality of pole pieces in an axial direction is shorter than a length of each of the plurality of protrusion portions in the axial direction. |
| US09667109B2 |
Permanent magnet electrical machine rotors with stacked annular magnets and retainers and construction methods therefor
Permanent magnet electrical machine rotors and construction methods can include at least one magnet and at least one retention element. An axial relative force maintained between one or more magnets and one or more retention elements can urge the retention element along one or more magnet surfaces to induce a hoop stress in the retention elements and a compressive stress within the magnets. |
| US09667103B2 |
Main element of an electric machine
The invention relates to a main element (400) of an electric machine. Said main element (400) comprises several winding strands (100, 200, 300) with electric coils (101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302) which interconnected so as to be electrically conductive and a winding core (K) which comprises first grooves (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9), through which the precisely one coil (101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302) runs, and second grooves (2, 5, 8), through which precisely two different coils (101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302) run. Each coil (101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302) of each winding strand (100, 200, 300) is either a first coil (101, 201, 301) which runs through two first grooves (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9), or a second coil (102, 202, 302) which runs through two second grooves (2, 5, 8). |
| US09667099B2 |
Method for operating an energy installation, and an energy system having such energy installations
A method is disclosed for operating an energy installation having a wind turbine or water turbine connected to a generator, a converter unit connected on the generator side to the generator, and an auxiliary energy unit for providing electrical energy to cover an intrinsic energy demand of the energy installation. The converter unit is connected to an electric power grid and feeds electrical energy generated by the generator into the electric power grid via the converter unit. The auxiliary energy unit is connected to the electric power grid for drawing electrical energy. In the event of a separation of the converter unit and of the auxiliary energy unit from the electric power grid, the auxiliary energy unit draws electrical energy from an energy storage unit for an adjustable period of time, and the auxiliary energy unit then draws electrical energy generated by the generator via the converter unit. |
| US09667098B2 |
Hydraulically-driven extended-runtime flywheel uninterruptible power supply
Apparatus, system and method for providing supplementary power. A vessel is configured to receive and contain hydraulic fluid, where the vessel includes a piston configured within the vessel to be vertically displaced by the hydraulic fluid and provide pressure from the weight of the piston to a fluid supply line. A solenoid valve is operatively coupled to the fluid supply line; and connected to a flywheel power supply that includes a flywheel and a hydraulic drive adapter, wherein the hydraulic drive adapter is operatively coupled to the solenoid valve via the fluid supply line. A signal is received indicating a power outage, where the solenoid valve is further configured to open in response to the signal and provide the hydraulic fluid pressurized by the piston to the hydraulic drive adapter and causes the flywheel to operate and provide the supplementary power. |
| US09667096B2 |
LED-based emergency lighting equipment and methodology
Systems and methods provide LED-based emergency lighting utilizing AC-DC switch mode power conversion technology, NiMH battery technology, and emergency lighting lamps that use high power white LEDs as the emergency lighting source. A low voltage microprocessor based circuit design reduces the battery input voltage for the unit to a nominal level of 2.4 VDC. The microprocessor executes a pulse charging algorithm to lower battery maintenance mode power consumption levels and extend the useful life of the battery. Brownout detection technology does not require the determination of the AC input voltage level or transmission of the brownout detection signal to the secondary side of the circuit. A rechargeable battery is charged by a charge current selectively set to a bulk charge value, a trickle charge high value, or a trickle charge low value based on sampling of the voltage of the rechargeable battery and the charge current. |
| US09667093B2 |
Transportable power plant apparatus and method
Mechanical, electronic, and business method facets are combined to create a highly integrated transportable power plant. A vehicle system incorporates and transports and electrical system capable of using alternating current and direct current electrical power inputs to charge onboard energy storage modules. The electrical system also provides alternating current and direct current electrical outputs via a bank of interoperable connectors whereby appliances such as cell phones and battery operating lighting products may be efficiently recharged. An enclosure of the vehicle system protects the electrical components, provides shelter for the operator, supports roof-mounted, flexible photovoltaic panels, and provides shelf surfaces for organizing and protecting devices being recharged. |
| US09667091B2 |
Battery pack with wireless charging and near field communication functions
A battery pack includes an antenna attached to a battery cell, a sensor configured to sense an energy level induced in the antenna, a controller configured to determine, according to a sensed signal of the sensor, whether the energy level is a first energy level for wireless charging or is a second energy level for near field communication, and a switch connecting the antenna to a battery charger or a near field communication circuit according to a control signal of the controller. |
| US09667084B2 |
Wireless charging systems, devices, and methods
A wireless charging system includes a power transmitting device and a power receiving device. In the transmitting device, a transmitting coil converts a drive signal from a drive signal circuit into an alternating magnetic field. In the receiving device, a receiving coil produces an alternating waveform from the magnetic field, and a rectifier rectifies the alternating waveform to deliver power having a rectified voltage. A modulation circuit causes a loading circuit to be coupled to and uncoupled from the receiving coil at a pre-determined modulation rate when, for example, the rectified voltage is greater than a threshold voltage. Back in the transmitting device, a modulation detector circuit detects modulation of the load impedance, and when the load impedance is modulating at the pre-determined modulation rate, causes the drive signal circuit to adjust a characteristic of the drive signal, resulting in an adjustment in an intensity of the magnetic field. |
| US09667082B2 |
Method for monitoring utilization of an electrochemical energy storage device in a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle
It should be possible in a motor vehicle having an electric drive to allow a deep discharge of the electrochemical energy storage device by a control input (S18), which is otherwise forbidden. In the present case, it is counted how often the deep discharge has occurred, and an event is preferably triggered when a threshold value (i-limit) has been reached for a predetermined number of times, specifically a warning signal is outputted and/or the subsequent deep discharge is blocked (S26). |
| US09667081B2 |
Battery charging system using charger and driving control method of the charger thereof
A battery charging system using a charger and a driving control method of the charger thereof are provided which increase a driving time of the charger when an instantaneous power failure of charger input voltage occurs in the battery charging system. Thus, a sufficient time is secured for obtaining and processing more precise information regarding a driving state of the charger and the capacity of a capacitor is decreased compared to the related art. |
| US09667079B2 |
Charge control device and charge time calculation method
A charge control device includes a charge state (SOC) calculation unit that calculates the SOC of a battery using the voltage and current of the battery. A chargeable power calculation unit calculates the power with which to charge the battery and a charge power calculation unit calculates the charge power to be supplied from the charger. A charge time calculation unit uses a map that correlates in part combinations of charge state values and charge power values to output charge time values is used by the charge state calculation unit when the chargeable power is greater than the outputtable power. When the chargeable power for charging is less than the outputtable power, the charge time calculation unit calculates the remaining charge time by using the map to reduce the remaining charge time determined from the map. |
| US09667077B2 |
Cordless charging apparatus
A cordless charging apparatus is provided. The cordless charging apparatus includes a charging pad, an electronic device including a charging module which is disposed on the charging pad and is electrically conducted so as to cordlessly charge a battery with electric power, and a dispersing member which is disposed in the charging pad and disperses heat generated in the charging module to the charging pad. |
| US09667075B2 |
Wireless charging device and method using the same
A wireless charging device (100) includes a shell (1), a heat conduction plate (2), a charging assembly (4) and a connecting assembly (5). The heat conduction plate (2) includes a first portion (201), a second portion (202) parallel with the first portion (201) and contacted with an inner surface of the shell (1), and a third portion (203) connecting a lower edge of the first portion (201) to a lower edge of the second portion (202). The charging assembly (4) is disposed between the first and second portions (201,202) and includes a circuit board, a chip (401) disposed on the circuit board and contacted with the first portion (201), a charging coil and an exciting unit. The connecting assembly (5) defines a first end electrically connected with the circuit board. A method for charging an apparatus with the wireless charging device (100) is also provided. |
| US09667073B2 |
Controlling polarity in an active balancing system for a battery
A device includes a transformer, a controller, and a switch coupled between the transformer and the controller. The transformer has a primary coil and a secondary coil. The controller receives an indication of a metric of a cell of a battery. In response to the indication, the controller outputs a signal to select a polarity of a balancing current for balancing the cell. The switch receives the signal from the controller. In response to the signal, the switch causes the transformer to generate a primary current of a selected polarity through the primary coil. The transformer generates the balancing current through the secondary coil by inductively coupling the primary coil to the secondary coil. The transformer outputs the balancing current having the polarity for balancing the cell. |
| US09667071B2 |
Method for providing control power by an energy store by using tolerances in the determination of the frequency deviation
A method for providing control power for an electricity network in which at least one energy store connected to the electricity network supplies energy to the electricity network as required and/or takes up energy from the electricity network as required, the control power being delivered in dependence on a frequency deviation from a setpoint value of a network frequency, a tolerance with respect to the frequency deviation being used to set a charging state of the energy store at a same time as providing the control power by the energy store. A device for carrying out such a method includes a control system and an energy store, the device being connected or connectable to an electricity network, the control system being connected to the energy store and controlling the control power that is given off and/or taken up by the energy store. |
| US09667069B2 |
Adaptive load sharing of parallel inverters system
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a method of operating a UPS system having a first UPS and a second UPS, the method comprising powering on the first UPS, receiving power from a first input power source coupled to an input of the first UPS, providing power to a load coupled to an output of the first UPS, adjusting the power provided to the load by the first UPS in response to power characteristics of the first UPS and power characteristics of the second UPS. |
| US09667064B2 |
Daisy chain configuration for power converters
A system includes a plurality of power supplies and a controller. The plurality of power supplies outputs power to a load. A serial bus connects the plurality of power supplies in a daisy chain. The controller is connected to first and last ones of the power supplies by the serial bus. The controller is connected to a management bus via a management bus interface. The controller monitors the plurality of power supplies via the serial bus. The controller transmits status information of the plurality of power supplies to the management bus via the management bus interface of the controller. |
| US09667063B1 |
Harmonic filter for multipulse converter systems
An improved scheme to filter harmonics and damp resonance for multipulse converter systems using a single characteristic passive filter branch without a plurality of non-characteristic harmonic filters is disclosed. The filter includes a first capacitor, a first inductor and a frequency-dependent resistor block connected in series. The frequency-dependent resistor block includes a second inductor connected in parallel with a circuit which is assembled by a second capacitor in series with a resistor. |
| US09667057B2 |
System and method for protecting a power converter during an adverse voltage event
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for protecting a power converter of a renewable energy power system and/or a stand-alone energy storage system connected to a power grid during an adverse voltage event, such as a high voltage ride through (HVRT) event. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring, via a control system, a current-voltage parameter of the power converter, wherein the current-voltage parameter is indicative of an adverse voltage event occurring at the power grid. Another step includes transferring, via a switching power supply, energy from a DC link of the power converter to one or more energy storage devices of an energy storage system coupled to the power converter when the current-voltage parameter indicates that an adverse voltage event is occurring. |
| US09667050B1 |
Conduit to box unitary support bracket assembly
An apparatus for conduit to box unitary support bracket uses a plate. An electrical conduit box has end knockout openings on sides thereof, each end knockout opening having an elevation and size and location. The plate is disposed substantially perpendicular to said end knockout openings and comprising rows of thin, selectively bendable fingers bent towards the knockout openings to support at least one wire carrier in alignment with an elevation and size and location of corresponding end knockout openings. A method of assembling bends tabs on the plate 90 degrees, installs a connector in an end knockout on a side of the box, bends in a direction toward the electrical conduit box a plurality thin metal rowed fingers on the tab, secures the box to the plate, and feeds a wire carrier through the tabs, resting on the metal fingers bent and feeds the wire carrier into the connector. |
| US09667042B2 |
Wire support member for an environmental control system
A wire support member for an environmental control system, the wire support member has a first bracket with inner and outer surfaces and a second bracket with inner and outer surfaces. A bracket connecter is disposed between and connects the first bracket and the second bracket. A ratio between the thickness of the first bracket and an offset between the first inner surface and the second inner surface optimizes the position of a wire harness and prevents the wire harness from contacting other surfaces within the aircraft. |
| US09667036B2 |
ESD protection component
An ESD protection component includes opposite electrodes and a ground electrode. The opposite electrodes and the ground electrode each have an extraction portion and an opposite portion. The respective opposite portions of the opposite electrodes and the ground electrode are placed on the same layer. At least one of the opposite electrodes and the ground electrode, the extraction portion and the opposite portion are placed on respective different layers and, also, are electrically connected to each other via a through hole conductor. |
| US09667034B1 |
Enhanced photoluminescence
Embodiments include a gain system and method. The system includes a gain medium with a plurality of plasmonic apparatus. Each plasmonic apparatus includes a substrate having a first plasmonic surface, a plasmonic nanoparticle having a second plasmonic surface, and a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic surface and the second plasmonic surface. A plasmonic cavity is created by an assembly of the first plasmonic surface, the second plasmonic surface, and the dielectric-filled gap, and has a first fundamental wavelength λ1 and second fundamental wavelength λ2. Fluorescent particles are located in the dielectric-filled gap. Each fluorescent particle has an absorption spectrum at the first fundamental wavelength λ1 and an emission spectrum at the second fundamental wavelength λ2. An excitation applied to the gain medium at the first fundamental wavelength λ1 produces an amplified electromagnetic wave emission at the second resonant wavelength λ2. |
| US09667033B2 |
Laser device
The invention relates to a laser device, comprising a laser configured to generate laser light and a laser control module configured to receive at least a portion of the laser light generated by the laser, to generate a control signal and to feed the control signal back to the laser for stabilizing the frequency, wherein the laser control module comprises a tunable frequency discriminating element which is preferably continuously frequency tunable, and where the laser control module is placed outside the laser cavity. |
| US09667030B2 |
Laser apparatus in which laser oscillation part, air cooling machine and dehumidifier are cooled by common cooling water
The laser apparatus includes a laser oscillation part including a water-cooled plate, an air cooling machine including a radiator, a dehumidifier including a water-cooled plate, and a cooling water supply device including a cooling water pipe through which a cooling water is supplied. The air cooling machine and the dehumidifier are arranged in a housing. The cooling water pipe is branched so that the water-cooled plate in the laser oscillation part, the radiator, and the water-cooled plate in the dehumidifier are connected in parallel. The cooling water supply device supplies a common cooling water of the same temperature to the water-cooled plate in the laser oscillation part, the radiator, and the water-cooled plate in the dehumidifier. |
| US09667028B2 |
Laser device
In a laser device, a different refractive index region 6B of a photonic crystal layer is arranged at a lattice point position of a square lattice. In the case where a plane shape of the different refractive index regions 6B is a nearly isosceles right triangle, two sides forming a right angle extend along longitudinal and horizontal lateral lines of the square lattice. A direction parallel to or vertical to an oblique side of the triangle and a direction of polarization in the periodic polarization inversion structure of a nonlinear optical crystal NL are the same. |
| US09667022B1 |
Distributed laser power architecture for laser diode arrays
Laser diode drivers include switching power supplies situated proximate one or more laser diode arrays so as to provide laser diode drive currents at frequencies of 200 kHz or more. The switching power supplies are generally buck/boost supplies that can provide well regulated outputs even when regulating remote power received from a power supply via a cables having inductances in the hundreds of nH. Multiple laser diode arrays can be driven with independently selectable powers. A drive current for a particular laser array can be controlled so as to reduce voltage drop at voltage control elements such as FETs, leading to increased efficiency, increased product life and decreased sense element failure. |
| US09667018B2 |
Protective cap for radio-frequency connector and application method of protective cap
The present invention discloses a protective cap for a radio-frequency connector. The radio-frequency connector comprises a plug connecting piece and a socket connecting piece, wherein the protective cap can be removably mounted to the socket connecting piece for protection. The protective cap comprises a protection part structured to engage with the socket connecting piece and an inspection part structured to only allow a matched plug connecting piece to be inserted in. Hence, the inspection part can be used for inspecting the specific type of the plug connecting piece. The present invention further discloses an application method of the protective cap. |
| US09667015B2 |
Method for manufacturing at least one functional area on an electric contact element such as a switching contact or a plug contact
The invention relates to a method for producing at least one functional region (1) on an electrical contact element (30) such as, for example, a switching contact or a plug type contact. The at least one functional region (1), for example, a contact location or a connection region for crimping or soldering connections is limited to a partial area of the contact element. In order to prevent the high environmental burden which is disadvantageous in wet-chemical methods and to overcome the restriction to a very small number of materials caused in hot dip methods in physical technical terms, and to substantially improve the spatial possibility for selection and structuring which is insufficient in both techniques, there is provision according to the invention for at least one material coating (4) to be applied mechanically in a highly selective manner to the contact element in the functional region (1) and subsequently highly energetic thermal radiation (9) such as, for example, a particle beam in the form of an ion and/or electron beam, to be directed onto the at least one material coating (4). The material coating (4) can contain new materials or material combinations which cannot be provided by previous methods. The invention further relates to a device for producing such a functional region and a contact element having such a functional region (1), the contact element (30) being produced in accordance with the above method. |
| US09667014B2 |
Method of manufacturing a connection structural body
A cover stripping step of peeling off an insulating cover on a distal end side of an insulated wire to form a wire tip; a marking step of forming a marking on the insulating cover at a predetermined position; a first marking inspection step of inspecting a stripping state and the marking; a wire insertion step of inserting the wire tip into a closed-barrel-type pressure-bonding section; a pressure-bonding step of pressure-bonding the pressure-bonding section to be connected to the wire tip; and a second marking inspection step of inspecting a pressure-bonded state of the pressure-bonding section to the wire tip using the marking are performed in this order, and the first marking inspection step and the second marking inspection step are performed using the same inspection step part. |
| US09667013B2 |
Air-tight and water-tight electrical bonding device
A bonding device electrically bonds metallic surfaces through serrated metal teeth which embed into each metal surface as a fastener is tightened. A sealing material circumferentially outward and inward from the teeth create an air-tight and water-tight seal around the teeth, protecting the bonding location. The device can have an extended central collar extending axially from the through-hole in the center of the device, which will allow it to be installed in holes, or on a stud without the use of adhesives or other retaining methods. |
| US09667011B2 |
Coated electric wire attached connector terminal
A coated electric wire attached connector terminal includes a barrel part which is crimped to a core line which is exposed from a sheath at one end of an electric wire, a terminal part to be electrically connected to a mating terminal, a connecting plate which is formed between the barrel part and the terminal part, and connects the barrel part and the terminal part, adhesive material which is applied to the connecting plate, and a resin molded part which is formed to cover the connecting plate, the barrel part and the sheath. |
| US09667010B1 |
Carbon brush holder
A carbon brush holder is provided, which includes an insulating base, a metal brush frame, and two carbon brushes, wherein the insulating base includes a first base and two second bases correspondingly engaging with two matching portions of the first base respectively; the first base has a first slot having a straight section and two winding sections respectively connected to two ends of the straight section and each of the second bases has a second slot, and a protrusion is formed on a slot wall thereon. The metal brush frame includes a main frame and two branch frames respectively connected to two ends of the main frame, wherein the main frame is embedded in the first slot; the two branch frames are embedded in the two second slots, and are connected to two carbon brushes respectively, to thereby provide an improved contact between the two carbon brushes and a slip ring assembly. |
| US09667009B1 |
HVAC wall mountable connector with movable door
A wall mountable connector for securing a thermostat to a wall is disclosed. The wall mountable connector provides electrical connections between the wall mountable connector and a plurality of field wires that are operably coupled with HVAC equipment. The wall mountable connector also providing electrical connections between the wall mountable connector and the thermostat. The wall mountable connector includes a door that is movable between an open position in which the electrical connections with the field wires are accessible and a closed position in which the electrical connections with the field wires are not accessible and/or visible to the user. |
| US09667004B1 |
Patch panel
A patch panel includes sockets and mounting frames. The mounting frames each have a plugging side and a terminal side. Plugging planes of the sockets are exposed from a vias on mounting surfaces of the mounting frames. The sockets are disposed on each mounting frame and arranged in two parallel rows, including an upper row and a lower row. The plugging planes of the sockets of one of the upper and lower rows retract from the mounting surface toward the terminal side by a predetermined distance; hence, the retracted plugging planes of the retracted row do not lie on the same plane as the non-retracted plugging planes of the non-retracted row. The patch panel features larger spacing between a disturbing channel and a disturbed channel and lesser significant alien crosstalk, thereby offsetting alien crosstalk without violating the EIA-310 standard. |
| US09666997B1 |
Gasket plate for a receptacle assembly of a communication system
A connector module assembly includes a plurality of communication connectors arranged side-by-side and secured together as a communication module. Each communication connector has a contact array arranged within a shroud at a mating interface mated with a corresponding pluggable module. The connector module assembly includes a gasket plate coupled to the communication module having at least one sheet positioned between the communication module and the pluggable modules and spanning across and between each of the communication modules. The gasket plate has a plurality of openings receiving corresponding shrouds. The gasket plate has pluggable module interfaces around each of the openings for interfacing with mating ends of the pluggable modules. The gasket plate is conductive to provide EMI shielding at the pluggable module interfaces. |
| US09666991B2 |
Header transition connector for an electrical connector system
A header transition connector includes a header housing having a first end and a second end with a separating wall separating a first cavity from a second cavity. The separating wall has signal contact openings and ground shield openings therethrough. Header signal contacts are held in corresponding signal contact openings and arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The header signal contacts have first mating ends in the first cavity and second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with first and second receptacle connectors, respectively. Header ground shields are held in corresponding ground shield openings and have walls surrounding associated pairs of header signal contacts on at least two sides thereof. The header ground shields have first mating ends in the first cavity and second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with the first and second receptacle connectors, respectively. |
| US09666990B1 |
Plug connector having resonance control
A plug connector includes a plug body having a terminating end terminated to an electrical component and a mating end mated with a mating electrical connector. The plug body has first and second outer sides. The plug body has pockets between the first and second outer sides. A plug shroud extends from the plug body at the terminating end that is configured to be coupled to the electrical component. A contact array is held by the plug body and includes signal and ground contacts. The signal and ground contacts are exposed along the first and second outer sides. At least some of the ground contacts are aligned with corresponding pockets. Resonance-control lossy inserts are provided in corresponding pockets adjacent corresponding ground contacts. The lossy inserts are manufactured from lossy material capable of absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the plug body. |
| US09666987B1 |
Connector and connector assembly
A connector comprises a movable member and an operating member and is mateable with a mating connector. The movable member is movable between a front position and a rear position of a movement range. The operating member is movable between a front position and a rear position of an operation range and is movable relative to the movable member. The mated state of the connector is locked when the operating member is positioned at the front position of the operation range and when the movable member is positioned at the front position of the movement range. The mated state is unlocked when the operating member is positioned rearward of the front position of the operation range by a predetermined distance and when the movable member is positioned at the front position of the movement range. |
| US09666981B1 |
Integrated electrical harness and connector
The present invention is an integrated electrical harness and connector in which the connectors are annular with pins and receptacles on opposing faces. A threaded fastener can be driven through the inner diameter of each annulus, connecting the pins to the receptacles. Each annulus is attached to a rigid conduit that carries electrical wire. The conduit can be formed and sized to fit into any application. The conduit can also be integrated into motor vehicle body panels. The two annular connector halves can have a series of rims and cylinders in order to create a water-resistant connection. |
| US09666976B1 |
Portable cable assembly
A portable cable assembly includes a first connection port, a second connection port, a cable, an absorptive element, a shell and a sleeve. The first connection port has a first base portion and a first mating portion, the first base portion defines a containing groove in an outer surface thereof. The second connection port has a second base portion and a second mating portion. Two ends of the cable are connected with the first base portion and the second base portion. the absorptive element is accommodated in the containing groove. The shell surrounds the first base portion and the absorptive element. The sleeve is capable of sliding to sleeve the first connection port and the second connection port therein, and the sleeve can be absorbed on the shell by the absorptive element. |
| US09666974B2 |
Socket insert for an electrosurgical device, electrosurgical device with a socket insert and set with a removal tool
The invention relates to a socket insert for an electrosurgical device with a front plate (10) comprising at least one plug opening (11), first and second side walls (12, 13) which are connected to the front plate (10) and bound a receiving space (14) for electronic components, and at least one latching device (15), which is connected to the first side wall (12) and can be transferred from a locked position into an unlocked position. At least the first side wall (12) includes a guide channel (16), which forms an access hole (17) in the front plate (10) and through which the latching device (15) can be manipulated for unlocking. The invention also relates to an electrosurgical device with a socket insert and a set with a removal tool. |
| US09666972B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes a front housing having front terminal channels and rear housing having rear terminal channels aligned with the front terminal channels. An ISL device is coupled to the housing with a front plate positioned in front of the front housing and a lock plate positioned between the front housing and the rear housing. The ISL device has a staged mating sequence with the housing, wherein in a first stage, lock plate channels are aligned with the front and rear terminal channels to allow the terminals to at least partially pass therethrough, and wherein in a second stage, the lock plate is moved relative to the housing to a blocking position where the lock plate blocks the terminals from removal from the front terminal channels. |
| US09666971B1 |
Connector cover and connector module
A connector cover adapted to cover a connector is provided. Two protrusions protruding from two ends of a connector body of the connector have two protrusion inner walls facing to each other and two grooves caved in the protrusion inner walls. The connector cover includes a cover body, having a cover top surface, and at least one cover protrusion disposed at a side of the cover body and protruding from the cover top surface. Each cover protrusion includes two cover protrusion side surfaces and at least one covering portion. Each covering portion, extending from one of the cover protrusion side surfaces and bending along outline of the protrusion protrusion inner wall to cover at least a portion of the protrusion protrusion inner wall, includes a protruding arm adapted to be located in the groove A cover module is further provided. |
| US09666968B2 |
Electrical busbar, electrical connector assembly and power converter
An electrical connector assembly is provided with an electrical busbar for conducting power. The busbar has a width, a length, and a thickness. The busbar has a first portion with a first length, and a second portion with a second length. The second portion is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the first portion. A connector is mounted to the busbar. One of the width and the thickness is reduced for receipt of a sensor about the busbar. A power converter assembly is provided with a direct current bus capacitor and a power module oriented in a housing. A plurality of the electrical connector assemblies are each connected to at least one of the direct current bus capacitor and the power module. |
| US09666965B2 |
Electrical interconnection system and electrical connectors for the same
The present invention provides an electrical interconnection system comprising: a paddle card comprising a plurality of first contact pads positioned on a first surface of the paddle card and a plurality of second contact pads positioned on an opposite second surface of the paddle card; a first wafer comprising a plurality of first conductors each having a first contact portion; and a second wafer comprising a plurality of second conductors each having a second contact portion; wherein the first wafer and the second wafer are assembled together to have the first contact portion and the second contact portion face each other and be able to form a gap therebetween for accommodating at least part of the paddle card; each first contact portion is adapted to be in electrical contact with a corresponding first contact pad and each second contact portion is adapted to be in electrical contact with a corresponding second contact pad when the paddle card is at least partly accommodated in the gap. |
| US09666961B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes a housing stack comprising a front housing and a rear housing coupled to the front housing at a seam. The housing stack defines plural contact cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing between mating and mounting ends. A lossy spacer is disposed at the seam between the front and rear housings. The lossy spacer has plural contact cavities aligned with corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. Signal and ground contacts are disposed in corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. The signal contacts extend through the lossy spacer such that the signal contacts do not directly engage the lossy spacer. The ground contacts extend through the contact cavities in the lossy spacer such that the ground contacts are coupled by the lossy spacer. |
| US09666958B2 |
Capacitively coupled connector junctions having parallel signal paths and related connectors and methods
Coaxial connector junctions include a first coaxial connector that has a first center conductor extension and a first outer conductor extension and a second coaxial connector that is mated with the first coaxial connector, the second coaxial connector including a second center conductor extension and a second outer conductor extension. A communications path between the first outer conductor extension and the second outer conductor extension includes a first capacitively coupled outer conductor communications path and a second galvanically coupled outer conductor communications path. |
| US09666956B2 |
Minute current crimping terminal and minute current wire harness
A minute current crimping terminal (1) includes a wire barrel portion (37) connected to a core wire including any one of aluminum and aluminum alloy, a current flowing through the core wire being lower than a normal current. The wire barrel portion (37) includes a base material (31) including any one of iron and iron alloy with corrosion resistance, at least a first layer (33) provided on a surface of a part of the base material (31) configuring the wire barrel portion (37), and at least a second layer (35) provided on a surface of the first layer (33), wherein the first layer (33) includes a material to remove a passive film present on a surface of the base material (31), and the second layer (35) includes a material capable of increasing corrosion resistance and lubricity, and stabilizing a value of electrical resistance. |
| US09666954B2 |
Antenna device and method for operating the same
Provided are an antenna device and a method for operating the antenna device. The antenna device includes a horizontal polarization antenna implemented on a first layer in a multi-layer circuit board and a vertical polarization antenna implemented on a plurality of second layers that are different from the first layer in the multi-layer circuit board, in which the horizontal polarization antenna and the vertical polarization antenna are stacked spaced apart from each other at an edge of a side of the multi-layer circuit board. The antenna device and the method for operating the antenna device may be implemented variously according to embodiments. |
| US09666952B2 |
Antenna device
An antenna device includes a wireless module, a module substrate, and a metal plate. The wireless module includes an antenna element that operates in a millimeter wave band. The module substrate is a multi-layer wiring module substrate on which the wireless module is mounted. The metal plate has a length of 1/10 or more of an operation wavelength and is positioned in a vertical direction relative to a plane surface of the antenna element and in a predetermined distance from the antenna element. |
| US09666950B1 |
Biconical antenna assembly with balun feed
An antenna assembly having a pair of generally cone-shaped conductive elements directed in divergent directions, with each pair of conductive elements including a conical sheet conductor and a cylindrical sheet conductor, and radiating wire conductors extending away from each cylindrical sheet conductor. A balun feed system is defined between the pair of conical sheet conductors. A radome assembly protects at least the radiating wire conductors from damage from external forces. |
| US09666947B2 |
Dielectric-free metal-only dipole-coupled broadband radiating array aperture with wide field of view
Dielectric-free, metal-only, dipole-coupled broadband radiating array aperture with wide field of view. |
| US09666943B2 |
Lens based antenna for super high capacity wireless communications systems
An antenna includes a stack of cylindrical lenses combined with feed elements to provide multi-beam coverage for a given wireless communication sector. Each cylindrical lens disc has approximately the same height as the feed elements being used with the lens. To overcome the problem of interference from cables and opposing feeds, feed elements are placed around the lens. The cylindrical lenses are stacked such that a small gap exists between each pair of adjacent cylindrical lenses, allowing for cable lines to pass through between the pair of the cylindrical lenses, and thus removing interference for 360 degree coverage. Cable lines are arranged such that they only traverse the portion of the circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical lenses that do not interfere with the field of view of the RF signals generated by the corresponding feed elements. |
| US09666941B2 |
Modular parallel beamforming system and associated methods
A beamforming system comprising a plurality of modular beamformers is provided. The modular beamformers may be operatively coupled to each other (for example, in parallel). Each modular beamformer may comprise a plurality of signal generation units configured to generate signals. Each modular beamformer may further comprise a plurality of delaying units configured to receive the signals and adaptively delay output of the signals. Each modular beamformer may further comprise a plurality of multipliers assigned to the delaying units to generate conditioned signals by adaptively applying weights to the signals output by the plurality of delaying units. Each modular beamformer may further comprise a plurality of summers configured to combine the conditioned signals to generate a phased array output signal. |
| US09666939B2 |
Antenna bandwidth expander
Disclosed is an antenna bandwidth expander capable of improving transmission/reception performance of a wireless communication device by expanding a bandwidth of an antenna in which broadband frequency characteristics including various communication bands are necessary like an LTE smartphone. The antenna bandwidth expander may improve the transmission and reception performance of a terminal by easily and conveniently expanding a bandwidth of an antenna in first and second resonant frequency bands. |
| US09666937B2 |
LTE MIMO antenna system for automotive carbon fiber rooftops
The present disclosure is related to an antenna system for a vehicle, such as a vehicle that has a non-metallic roof. The antenna system includes two metallic supports coupled to the roof. Additionally, the antenna system includes a first MIMO antenna pair. A first antenna of the first MIMO antenna pair is coupled to a first support of the two metallic supports, and a second antenna of the first MIMO antenna pair is coupled to a second support of the two metallic supports. The antenna system further includes a second MIMO antenna pair. A first antenna of the second MIMO antenna pair is coupled to the first support of the two metallic supports, and a second antenna of the second MIMO antenna pair is coupled to the second support of the two metallic supports. Yet further, the two metallic supports of the antenna system are physically separated from each other. |
| US09666934B2 |
Antenna link in ultra-thin device with single-piece metal housing
An enhanced portable communication device includes a one-piece metal back plate with integral antennas. The one-piece metal back plate includes four integral antennas in an embodiment, forming an antenna pair at each end of the device. A printed circuit board (PCB) of the device is configured to drive one or more of the antennas capacitivly or, in an embodiment, via a direct feed. |
| US09666928B1 |
High power slide screw tuners
Impedance tuners used in high power measurements suffer fast heating and consequently thermal expansion of the center conductor, which has a very small mass and is thermally isolated from the environment and tuner housing. This leads to false measurements or catastrophic tuner failure (short) of either the DUT or the tuner. Modified center conductors are made of two pieces and comprise a flexible joint between them that allows longitudinal center conductor expansion and contraction, thus preserving tuner accuracy and safety. Practical tests have shown significant improvement in thermal behavior. |
| US09666925B2 |
Transmission line, a transmission line apparatus, and an electronic device
A main transmission line includes a substantially elongated dielectric body in which first and second substantially elongated signal conductors are disposed with a distance therebetween in a width direction. A first reference ground conductor and a first auxiliary ground conductor sandwich therebetween the first signal conductor in a thickness direction. A second reference ground conductor and a second auxiliary ground conductor sandwich therebetween the second signal conductor in the thickness direction. The second auxiliary ground conductor includes two substantially elongated conductors and a first bridge conductor, and the second auxiliary ground conductor includes two substantially elongated conductors and a second bridge conductor. The positions of the first and second bridge conductors in a lengthwise direction are different. |
| US09666924B2 |
Radiofrequency filter with dielectric element
A radiofrequency filter exhibiting at least one resonant mode comprises: at least one cavity at least partially closed using conductive walls, having a cylindrical outer surface defined by a directing curve described by a generatrix and having a point of symmetry, an axis passing through a point of symmetry and parallel to the generatrix being a longitudinal axis of the cavity. At least one dielectric element is arranged in the cavity and comprises: a first portion having a thickness according to the longitudinal axis and a section according to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis whose vertices are distributed according to a polygon, at least two vertices being short-circuited between them by the conductive walls of the cavity, via an electrical or radiofrequency contact between the vertices and walls, at least one pyramidal portion comprising an apex and a base coinciding with an extreme section of the first portion. |
| US09666923B2 |
Filtering circuit with slot line resonators
The present invention relates to a filtering circuit comprising at least two slot line resonators arranged side by side and realized on a dielectric substrate having a first face equipped with a conductive layer and a second parallel face, each of said at least two resonators comprising a slot line etched in the conductive layer and folded according to a spiral pattern counting a plurality of turns, with a shape factor such that the slot line has parts noticeably parallel or concentric. According to embodiments of the invention, at least one turn of the spiral pattern of each of the resonators comprises at least one discontinuity, the discontinuities of said at least two slot line resonators being arranged in such a manner as to increase the electromagnetic coupling between said at least two slot line resonators. |
| US09666922B2 |
Dielectric filter, duplexer, and communication device
There are provided a dielectric filter with excellent electrical characteristics, a duplexer, and a communication device using the dielectric filter. A dielectric filter includes a dielectric block provided with first through holes; inner conductors disposed on inner surfaces of the first through holes; second through holes; a terminal electrode connected to an inner conductor located at on end; a terminal electrode connected to an inner conductor located at the other end; and an outer conductor surrounding the dielectric block, being connected to a reference potential, wherein the first through holes are located on a second main surface side, and the second through holes are located on a first main surface side with respect to the first through holes. A duplexer and a communication device use this dielectric filter. |
| US09666919B1 |
Refuelable electrochemical battery
A refuelable electrochemical battery is provided that features three phases of operation that repeat cyclically. In an intake phase a mixture of electrochemically active particles or pellets (e.g., aluminum pellets) and a suitable electrolyte (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide) are fed into a cavity or chamber. In a power phase the resulting electrochemical reaction produces electrical energy. The particles are mechanically combined or collected to form one electrode, while a gas-diffusion membrane permeable by oxygen is another electrode. During the exhaust phase, a piston forces the residue of the reaction from the cavity in order to prepare for the next cycle of operation. |
| US09666917B2 |
Air cell and assembled battery employing same
In air cells which are stacked on one another and used as an assembled battery, an electrolytic solution layer is formed between a positive electrode material and a negative electrode material, and one or two or more deformation prevention materials are arranged for preventing deformation by abutting the positive electrode material or the negative electrode material or abutting both of them. |
| US09666915B2 |
Transfer priority for a wireless transfer station
A technology for a wireless transfer station that is operable to wirelessly provide energy to other wireless transfer stations. A wireless transfer request can be received from one or more of the other wireless transfer stations to receive wireless energy from the wireless transfer station. A transferring of wireless energy to the one or more of the other wireless transfer stations can be prioritized using selected energy transfer priority criteria. Wireless energy can be provided to the one or more of the other wireless transfer stations based on the prioritization. |
| US09666914B2 |
Thermoelectric-based battery thermal management system
In certain embodiments, a battery thermal management system includes at least one battery, at least one thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the at least one battery, and a conduit comprising an inlet configured to allow a working fluid to enter and flow into the conduit and into thermal communication with the at least one thermoelectric device. The conduit further comprises an outlet configured to allow the working fluid to exit and flow from the conduit and away from being in thermal communication with the at least one thermoelectric device. The battery thermal management system can further include a first flow control device which directs the working fluid through the inlet of the conduit and a second flow control device which directs the working fluid through the outlet of the conduit. The first flow control device and the second flow control device are each separately operable from one another. |
| US09666912B2 |
Heat-exchanger assembly
For a technical object whose temperature is to be controlled, in particular a battery for an electric vehicle drive, there is provided a heat exchanger arrangement, the heat exchanger of which is in the form of a heat-exchanging pouch which has an inflow and outflow duct and which is in heat-conducting contact with internal surfaces of the object whose temperature is to be controlled. The heat-exchanging pouch is produced in a simple manner by means of edge welding of two foil pieces arranged one above the other. The mounting of said heat-exchanging pouch in a narrow gap space of a heat exchanger arrangement, and good heat transfer to adjacent walls, are made possible by means of a pressure pouch which is likewise formed from a foil material and which is filled with a compressible medium. |
| US09666911B2 |
Intrinsic overcharge protection for battery cell
The specification discloses a battery cell having an intrinsic overcharge protection, a battery made with the battery cell, and a method for manufacturing the battery cell. The battery cell includes, in the following order, a positive electrode, at least one polymer film that is electrically conducting and has an ion conducting electrolyte distributed therein, a P-doped and electrically semi-conducting and ion conducting film, an N-doped and electrically semi-conducting and ion conducting film, and a negative electrode. |
| US09666907B2 |
Thermal management for high-capacity large format Li-ion batteries
A lithium ion battery includes a cathode in electrical and thermal connection with a cathode current collector. The cathode current collector has an electrode tab. A separator is provided. An anode is in electrical and thermal connection with an anode current collector. The anode current collector has an electrode tab. At least one of the cathode current collector and the anode current collector comprises a thermal tab for heat transfer with the at least one current collector. The thermal tab is separated from the electrode tab. A method of operating a battery is also disclosed. |
| US09666906B2 |
High voltage electrolyte and lithium ion battery
The present application discloses a high voltage electrolyte including an electrolyte solvent which includes a mixture of a dinitrile solvent and a nitrile solvent and is stable at voltage of about 5 V or above. The dinitrile solvent may include at least one selected from the group consisting of malononitrile, succinonitrile, glutaronitrile, adiponitrile, pimelonitrile, suberonitrile, azelanitrile and sebaconitrile. The nitrile solvent may include at least one selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, pivalonitrile and capronitrile. The present application also discloses a lithium ion battery including the above high voltage electrolyte. The lithium ion battery exhibits a cyclic performance of greater than about 300 cycles and with a capacity retention of greater than about 80%. |
| US09666905B2 |
Electrolytic solution, electrochemical device, lithium ion secondary battery, and module
An electrolytic solution including a nonaqueous solvent (I), an electrolyte salt (II), and 0.001 to 20% by mass of a compound represented by the formula (1) or the formula (A) as defined herein. |
| US09666897B2 |
Electrolyte for lithium secondary batteries and lithium secondary battery including the same
Disclosed are an electrolyte for lithium secondary batteries including a lithium salt and a non-aqueous solvent, in which the non-aqueous solvent includes an ether based solvent and a glyme based solvent and a ratio of the ether based solvent to the glyme based solvent is 20:80 to 60:40 based on the total volume of the non-aqueous solvent, and a secondary battery including the same. |
| US09666896B2 |
Positive electrode for nonaqueous secondary battery
To provide a positive electrode for nonaqueous secondary batteries having improved charge/discharge cycle characteristics, the positive electrode contains in its active material layer a compound represented by formula: LizNi1-x-yTix(MpLiq)yO2 wherein x is a positive number less than 0.3; y is a positive number less than 0.25; z is a number from 0.95 to 1.05; M is a polyvalent metal satisfying the relation: prM+qrL=54 to 69 pm (where rM is the ionic radius of M, and rL is the ionic radius of Li+); p is a positive number; q is 0 or greater; p and q satisfy the relations: p+q=1 and pv+q=3; and v is the valence of the metal M. When analyzed by XRD, the compound shows diffraction peaks assigned to the planes (003) and (104). The ratio of the area of the peak of the (003) plane to that of the (104) plane is 0.5 to 0.75. |
| US09666895B2 |
Computational method for design and manufacture of electrochemical systems
A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell. The method includes generating spatial information including an anode geometry, a cathode geometry, a separator geometry, and one or more current collector geometries. The method also includes storing the spatial information including the anode geometry, the cathode geometry, the separator geometry, and the one or more current collector geometries into a database structure. In a specific embodiment, the method includes selecting one or more material properties from a plurality of materials and using the one or more material properties with the spatial information in a simulation program. The method includes outputting one or more performance parameters from the simulation program. |
| US09666893B2 |
Hydrothermal treatment method for producing redox-active transition metal coordination compounds
A method for producing an aqueous electrolyte comprising a redox-active coordination compound of a transition metal which comprises reacting an oxide of the corresponding transition metal in an aqueous reaction medium with a chelating agent in a hydrothermal reaction zone at a temperature in the range of from 100° C. to 160° C. for a period of from 4 hours to 48 hours. |
| US09666885B2 |
Solid oxide fuel cell system
A solid oxide fuel cell system (10) comprises a solid oxide fuel cell stack (12) and a gas turbine engine (14). The solid oxide fuel cell stack (12) comprises a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (16). The gas turbine engine (14) comprises a compressor (24) and a turbine (26). The compressor (24) supplies oxidant to the cathodes (22) of the fuel cells (16) via an oxidant ejector (60) and the oxidant ejector (60) supplies a portion of the unused oxidant from the cathodes (22) of the fuel cells (16) back to the cathodes (22) of the fuel cells (16) with the oxidant from the compressor (24). The fuel cell system (10) further comprises an additional compressor (64), an additional turbine (66), a cooler (70) and a recuperator (72). The compressor (24) supplies oxidant via the cooler (70) to the additional compressor (64) and the additional compressor (64) supplies oxidant to the oxidant ejector (60) via the recuperator (72). The solid oxide fuel cell stack (12) supplies exhaust gases to the turbine (26) and the turbine (26) supplies the exhaust gases through the recuperator (72) to heat the oxidant flowing through the recuperator (72). |
| US09666884B2 |
Fuel cell stack having improved heat change between inflow air and exhausted coolant
A fuel cell stack includes a membrane electrode assembly including an polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode, and a cathode. A separating plate is disposed at two sides of the membrane electrode assembly and includes a coolant path, an air path, and a fuel path. A coolant outlet manifold communicating with the coolant path is formed in the separating plate, and an air inlet manifold communicating with the air path is formed adjacent to the coolant outlet manifold. At least one cooling fin for heat transfer is formed in the coolant outlet manifold and the air inlet manifold. |
| US09666883B2 |
Method for accessing the quality of membrane electrodes assemblies
A method for assessing the quality of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the method comprising: applying a first voltage across the thickness of a first (MEA) passed through a nip of a first pair of rollers thereby providing a first charge to the first MEA; determining a first electrical figure of merit (FOM) of the first charged MEA at a first period of time; after the first period of time applying a second voltage across the thickness of the first (MEA) passed through a nip of a second pair of rollers thereby providing a second charge to the first (MEA); determining a second electrical (FOM) of the second charged first (MEA) at a second, later period of time; and calculating a total electrical (FOM) using the first and second electrical (FOM); and comparing the total electrical (FOM) to a predetermined quality value to assess the quality of the first (MEA). |
| US09666882B2 |
Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells and fuel cell stacks comprising the same
Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells are provided. The spliced bipolar plate includes a supporting plate and a splice plate. The supporting plate has three inlet openings and three outlet openings formed thereon. A plurality of coolant flow channels are provided on one side of the supporting plate, while a recess of a uniform thickness is provided on the opposite side of the supporting plate. One side of the recess is opened to a transverse or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate. The splice plate is divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate. The size of the reaction zone part is substantially the same as the volume of the recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the recess, connecting the splice plate to the supporting plate. The extended part of the splice plate is projected beyond the supporting plate. |
| US09666880B2 |
Interconnect for fuel cell stack
A metal interconnect for a fuel cell stack is formed from an electrically conductive metal sheet having at least four stamped slots through the metal sheet, and often many more than four slots. The stamped slots individually extend lengthwise parallel to the direction of fluid flow during operation of the fuel cell stack assembly and are disposed on the metal sheet in a pattern extending parallel and perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow, so as to define at least one metal strip portion between adjacent slots extending parallel to the direction of fluid flow and at least one metal strip portion between adjacent slots extending perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow. The metal strip portion(s) include portions of reduced thickness that allow for fluid flow between adjacent slots and portions of greater thickness that provide discrete locations of electrical connection between the separator plate fuel cell electrode. |
| US09666877B2 |
Metal-oxide catalysts for fuel cells
A method of preparing catalytic materials comprising depositing platinum or non-platinum group metals, or alloys thereof on a porous oxide support. |
| US09666876B2 |
Oxygen reduction reaction catalyst having a non-conductive substrate
An oxygen reduction reaction catalyst (ORR) and a method for making the catalyst are provided. The method may include depositing (e.g., by PVD) conductive catalyst material onto a non-conductive substrate, such as particles or powder, to form an intermediate ORR catalyst. The intermediate ORR catalyst may then be heat treated and another deposition process may be performed to form a thin, electrically interconnected catalyst network layer overlying the non-conductive substrate. The catalyst material may include, for example, platinum, gold, or other platinum group or noble metals, or alloys thereof. The non-conductive substrate may be a ceramic, for example, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). |
| US09666875B2 |
Processes for producing catalyst-layer-supporting substrate, catalyst-layer-supporting substrate, membrane electrode assembly, and fuel cell
A catalyst-layer-supporting substrate comprising a substrate supporting a catalyst layer; wherein the catalyst layer comprises two or more porous catalyst metal particle layers that are superposed alternately with (i) two or more intersticed layers comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Sn, Al, and Cu; or (ii) two or more fibrous carbon layers having interstices among fibers of the fibrous carbon. A method for forming a catalyst-layer-supporting structure that comprises porous catalyst metal particle by removing a pore-forming metal from a mixture layer containing a pore-forming metal and a catalyst metal. |
| US09666873B2 |
Apparatus and methods for treating water and generating electrical power
Apparatuses for generating electrical power and/or treating water desalinating salt water are described, and may include a top manifold comprising one or more inlets, a bottom manifold comprising one or more outlets, a casing connecting the top manifold and the bottom manifold to define an internal space, and at least one electrode set disposed in the internal space. The electrode set may include a silver chloride cathode in fluid communication with a first fluid container including an aqueous solution, such as diluted sodium chloride solution, and a silver anode in fluid communication with a second fluid container including another aqueous solution, e.g., a higher concentration sodium chloride solution. The electrode set also may include a membrane that allows chloride and sodium ions to pass therethrough, and a connector electrically connecting the cathode to the anode to form an electrical circuit. |
| US09666872B2 |
Conductive porous layer for batteries and fabrication method for same
The conductive porous layer for batteries according to the present invention comprises a laminate comprising a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer includes at least a conductive carbon material and a polymer. The second conductive layer includes at least a conductive carbon material and a polymer. The conductive porous layer satisfies at least one of the following two conditions: “the polymer in the first conductive layer is present with a high density at the surface of the layer in contact with the second conductive layer than at the surface not in contact with the second conductive layer” and “the polymer in the second conductive layer is present with a higher density at the surface of the layer in contact with the first conductive layer than at the surface not in contact with the first conductive layer.” This makes it possible to provide a conductive porous layer with good adhesion between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and with reduced film thickness variation in each conductive layer. The conductive porous layer of the present invention can be used for fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and the like. |
| US09666868B2 |
Lead-acid battery construction
A lead-acid battery or cell comprises electrode(s) of with current collector(s) of a fibrous material with an average interfiber spacing of less than 50 microns. The current collector material may be a carbon fiber material which has been thermally treated by electric arc discharge. The fibrous current collector material may comprise an impregnated paste comprising a mixture of lead sulphate particles and dilute sulfuric acid. |
| US09666865B2 |
Magnesium-sulfur secondary battery containing a metal polysulfide-preloaded active cathode layer
A rechargeable magnesium-sulfur cell comprising an anode layer, an electrolyte, a metal polysulfide-preloaded active cathode layer, wherein the active cathode layer comprises: (a) an integral porous structure having massive surfaces (specific surface area >100 m2/g) or pores with a size from 1.0 nm to 100 nm and wherein multiple particles; and (b) a metal polysulfide, MxSy, preloaded in the pores or deposited on the massive surfaces, wherein x is an integer from 1 to 3 and y is an integer from 1 to 10, and M is a metal element selected from an alkali metal, an alkaline metal, a transition metal, a metal from groups 13 to 17 of the periodic table, or a combination thereof. The metal polysulfide is in a form of solid-state thin coating or small particles with a thickness or diameter less than 50 nm. |
| US09666861B2 |
High capacity electrodes
An electrode comprises carbon nanoparticles and at least one of metal particles, metal oxide particles, metalloid particles and/or metalloid oxide particles. A surfactant attaches the carbon nanoparticles and the metal particles, metal oxide particles, metalloid particles and/or metalloid oxide particles to form an electrode composition. A binder binds the electrode composition such that it can be formed into a film or membrane. The electrode has a specific capacity of at least 450 mAh/g of active material when cycled at a charge/discharge rate of about 0.1C. |
| US09666856B2 |
Method of manufacturing electrode for lithium secondary battery and electrode manufactured using the same
Disclosed are a method of manufacturing an electrode for secondary batteries that includes surface-treating a current collector so as to have a morphology wherein a surface roughness Ra of 0.001 μm to 10 μm is formed over the entire surface thereof to enhance adhesion between an electrode active material and the current collector and an electrode for secondary batteries that is manufactured using the method. |
| US09666852B2 |
Composite separator with aligned particles
An ionically conductive composite separator for a rechargeable battery and methods for producing the same are provided. The separator may include a bulk material having an anode side and a cathode side and a thickness extending therebetween and a region of aligned particles extending across the bulk material thickness. The aligned particles may be formed as a particle chain and the particles may be formed of a solid electrolyte material. The ionically conductive separator may be formed by providing a plurality of particles within a bulk material and applying an AC electric field to the particles and the bulk material while the bulk material is in a liquid state to align the particles into at least one ionically conductive aligned particle region within the bulk material. |
| US09666850B2 |
Safety enhanced Li-ion and lithium metal battery cells having protected lithium electrodes with enhanced separator safety against dendrite shorting
Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. |
| US09666849B2 |
Separator having improved porous coating layer having high packing density and electrochemical device comprising the same
A separator may include (A) a porous substrate having pores, and (B) a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate and made from a mixture of inorganic particles and a binder polymer, and the binder polymer may contain a copolymer of (a) a first monomer unit with at least one of an amine group and an amide group at a side chain, and (b) a second monomer unit of (meth)acrylate with an alkyl group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms. The porous coating layer of the separator may have a high packing density, thereby easily forming a thin film battery without hindering safety, and may have good adhesive strength with the porous substrate, thereby preventing detachment of the inorganic particles in the porous coating layer during assembly of an electrochemical device. |
| US09666847B2 |
Thin battery separators and methods
In accordance with at least selected aspects, objects or embodiments, optimized, novel or improved membranes, battery separators, batteries, and/or systems and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization are provided. In accordance with at least selected embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved battery separators that prevent dendrite growth, prevent internal shorts due to dendrite growth, or both, batteries incorporating such separators, systems incorporating such batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization thereof. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved ultra thin or super thin membranes or battery separators, and/or lithium primary batteries, cells or packs incorporating such separators, and/or systems incorporating such batteries, cells or packs. In accordance with at least particular certain embodiments, the present invention is related to shutdown membranes or battery separators, and/or lithium primary batteries, cells or packs incorporating such separators, and/or systems incorporating such batteries, cells or packs. |
| US09666846B2 |
Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an external electrode terminal, a current collecting tab, a lead, and first and second insulating members. The lead has a hollow portion, electrically connecting the external electrode terminal and the diaphragm. The diaphragm is placed to cover the hollow portion and allow the diaphragm to deform toward the hollow portion. The first insulating member is interposed between the sealing plate and the lead. The second insulating member is interposed between the diaphragm and the current collecting tab. Side walls of the first insulating member and side walls of the second insulating member are coupled to each other. The battery is configured such that the diaphragm deforms toward the outside of the battery when a gas pressure increases in the battery, thereby breaking an electric connection between the external electrode terminal and an electrode assembly of the battery. |
| US09666839B2 |
Secondary battery
A secondary battery including a case, at least one electrode assembly housed in the case, and a cap plate coupled to the case includes a terminal protruding through the cap plate, a collector between the cap plate and the electrode assembly electrically coupling the terminal and the electrode assembly, and an insulation member between the collector and the electrode assembly. The insulation member may include a flow passage between the collector and the insulation member configured to allow an electrolyte of the secondary batter to flow through. |
| US09666834B2 |
Organic light-emitting display apparatus and manufacturing method thereof
An organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus, the apparatus including a substrate; an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), the OLED including a pixel electrode on the substrate; an opposite electrode that faces the pixel electrode; and an emission layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode; and a protection layer that covers the OLED, wherein the protection layer includes an alternate layer formed by alternately arranging organic layers and inorganic layers on a same layer. |
| US09666833B2 |
Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof, flexible display panel and display device
An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, a flexible display panel and a display device are provided. The array substrate includes a flexible substrate divided into a display region and a periphery region, the periphery region surrounding the display region. The array substrate further includes: an array layer and a first film layer sequentially formed in the display region on the flexible substrate; a plurality of integrate circuits and a flexible printed circuit board interface formed in the periphery region on the flexible substrate; a flexible protective film layer formed on a junction of the periphery region and the first film layer and in a region of the periphery region other than the integrate circuits and the flexible printed circuit board interface on the flexible substrate. |
| US09666832B2 |
Display device and method of manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a display device, includes preparing a first substrate formed such that a first resin layer is formed on a first support substrate, and thereafter a display element portion and a mounting portion are formed above the first resin layer and a protection layer, which extends from an end portion of the first resin layer along the mounting portion onto the first support substrate, is disposed, preparing a second substrate formed such that a second resin layer is formed on a second support substrate, attaching the first substrate and the second substrate, and mounting a flexible printed circuit board, which is in a state in which the flexible printed circuit board is opposed to the protection layer, on the mounting portion. |
| US09666829B2 |
Organic electroluminescent display device
An organic electroluminescent display device includes a first insulating layer that buries a peripheral portion of a first electrode and has an opening exposing an area of the first electrode inner to the peripheral portion thereof; a second electrode that is in contact with the first electrode in the opening and is provided continuously on a top surface of the first electrode and onto a top surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the second electrode; an organic EL layer; and a third electrode. The second electrode includes a stepped portion. An area where the stepped portion is included and the second electrode, the organic electroluminescence layer and the third electrode overlap each other is a light emitting area. Light emitted by the organic EL layer is reflected by the stepped portion. |
| US09666828B2 |
Method for producing a substrate for organic electronic devices
Provided are methods of manufacturing a substrate for an OED and an OED. According to the methods of manufacturing a substrate for forming an OED such as an OLED and an OED, a substrate for forming a device having excellent light extraction efficiency and improved reliability by preventing penetration of moisture or air into the device, or device using the same may be provided. |
| US09666817B2 |
Organic photodetector and image sensor
An organic photodetector includes an anode and a cathode facing each other and an active layer between the anode and the cathode and including a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor, wherein an energy barrier between the anode or the cathode and the active layer is greater than or equal to about 1.3 eV, a difference between a HOMO energy level of the p-type semiconductor and a LUMO energy level of the n-type semiconductor is greater than or equal to about 0.8 eV. |
| US09666811B2 |
Organic compound and organic light emitting diode device including the same
A compound and an organic light emitting diode device, the compound being represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: |
| US09666810B2 |
Organic photoelectric device, and image sensor and electronic device including the same
An organic photoelectric device includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other and a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes a p-type semiconductor compound and an n-type semiconductor compound, and the organic photoelectric device satisfies Equation 1, and has external quantum efficiency (EQE) of greater than or equal to about 40% at −3 V. |
| US09666807B2 |
Organic light emitting device
An organic light-emitting device including a first electrode; a second electrode opposite to the first electrode; and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the organic layer including an emission layer, wherein the organic layer includes a first compound represented by the following Formula 1 and a second compound represented by the following Formula 2: |
| US09666803B2 |
Photoelectrode and method for preparing the same
The present invention relates to an photoelectrode and the preparation method thereof, wherein said photoelectrode comprises a substrate and a titania layer composed of a mesoporous titania bead having a diameter of 200-1000 nm, specific surface area of 50-100 m2/g, porosity of 40-60%, pore radius of 5-20 nm, pore volume of 0.20-0.30 cm3/g, and the titania comprised in the bead is anatase titania. |
| US09666801B2 |
Methods of forming a non-volatile resistive oxide memory cell and methods of forming a non-volatile resistive oxide memory array
A method of forming a non-volatile resistive oxide memory cell includes forming a first conductive electrode of the memory cell as part of a substrate. Metal oxide-comprising material is formed over the first conductive electrode. Etch stop material is deposited over the metal oxide-comprising material. Conductive material is deposited over the etch stop material. A second conductive electrode of the memory cell which comprises the conductive material received is formed over the etch stop material. Such includes etching through the conductive material to stop relative to the etch stop material and forming the non-volatile resistive oxide memory cell to comprise the first and second conductive electrodes having both the metal oxide-comprising material and the etch stop material therebetween. Other implementations are contemplated. |
| US09666800B2 |
Buried low-resistance metal word lines for cross-point variable-resistance material memories
Variable-resistance material memories include a buried salicide word line disposed below a diode. Variable-resistance material memories include a metal spacer spaced apart and next to the diode. Processes include the formation of one of the buried salicide word line and the metal spacer. Devices include the variable-resistance material memories and one of the buried salicided word line and the spacer word line. |
| US09666797B1 |
Memory structure having material layer made from a transition metal on interlayer dielectric
A memory structure and a manufacturing method for the same are disclosed. The memory structure comprises a lower electrode, an upper insulating layer, a material layer, a dielectric film, and an upper electrode. The upper insulating layer is on the lower electrode. The material layer is on the upper insulating layer. The upper insulating layer and the material layer have a common opening to expose a portion of the lower electrode. The dielectric film is on the exposed portion of the lower electrode. The dielectric film and the material layer contain a same first transition metal. The upper electrode is on the dielectric film and fills the common opening. |
| US09666791B2 |
Topological method to build self-aligned MTJ without a mask
A method of forming a self-aligned MTJ without using a photolithography mask and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a first electrode over a metal layer, the metal layer recessed in a low-k dielectric layer; forming a MTJ layer over the first electrode; forming a second electrode over the MTJ layer; removing portions of the second electrode, the MTJ layer, and the first electrode down to the low-k dielectric layer; forming a silicon nitride-based layer over the second electrode and the low-k dielectric layer; and planarizing the silicon nitride-based layer down to the second electrode. |
| US09666787B2 |
Sensor device and electronic apparatus
A sensor device and an electronic apparatus by which downsizing and a reduction in costs can be achieved is provided. A sensor device according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a sensor element and a semiconductor element. The semiconductor element includes a first surface, a second surface, and a via-hole. The first surface includes a first terminal on which the sensor element is mounted and is an inactive surface. The second surface includes a second terminal for external connection and is an active surface. The via-hole electrically connects the first surface and the second surface to each other. |
| US09666775B2 |
Light emitting device package and light unit having the same
A light emitting device package including a package body including a recess which is provided with a bottom face and a plurality of inner walls surrounding the bottom face, the plurality of inner walls including a first inner wall and a second inner wall, which are opposing walls; a lead frame including a first portion disposed on the bottom face of the package body and at least one second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion including a planar upper surface exposed at the bottom face and a planar lowermost surface positioned opposite to the planar upper surface; a light emitting element provided on the planar upper surface of the first portion; and a transparent material provided in the recess of the package body to cover the light emitting element. The at least one second portion includes an upper surface exposed at the first inner walls and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; the lower surface of the at least one second portion includes a lower curved surface; the planar lowermost surface of the first portion is positioned lower than the lower curved surface of the at least one second portion; a stepped portion is positioned between the lower curved surface of the at least one second portion and the lowermost surface of the first portion; and the stepped portion contacts the package body. |
| US09666774B2 |
Light emitting device and method for producing the same
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting element; and a light reflective member having a multilayer structure and covering the side faces of the semiconductor light emitting element. The light reflective member includes: a first layer disposed on an inner, semiconductor light emitting element side, the first layer comprising a light-transmissive resin containing a light reflective substance, and a second layer disposed in contact with an outer side of the first layer, the second layer comprising a light-transmissive resin containing the light reflective substance at a lower content than that of the first layer. |
| US09666771B2 |
Method of forming a wavelength converted light emitting device
A method according to embodiments of the invention includes disposing a support layer (32) on a surface of a wavelength converting ceramic wafer (30). The wavelength converting ceramic wafer and the support layer are diced (42) to form wavelength converting members. A wavelength converting member is attached to a light emitting device. After attaching the wavelength converting member to the light emitting device, the support layer is removed. |
| US09666769B2 |
Light emitting device, LED light source for plant cultivation, and plant factory
A substrate-type LED light source (10) includes: at least one blue LED chip (2) which has an emission peak in a range from 400 nm to 480 nm so as to correspond to a blue light region absorption peak of chlorophyll; a red phosphor (7b) which emit, upon receiving excitation light from the at least one blue LED chip (2), light having a peak wavelength in a range from 620 nm to 700 nm so as to correspond to a red light region absorption peak of chlorophyll; and a resin layer (7) in which the red phosphor 7b is dispersed and which covers the at least one blue LED chip (2). |
| US09666768B2 |
Quantum dot nanoparticles having enhanced stability and luminescence efficiency
Certain dithio-compounds have been found to be superior capping ligands for quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles. Example dithio-ligands include dithiocarbamate ligands. These strongly binding ligands are capable of coordinating to both positive and negative atoms on the surface of the nanoparticle. The ligands are bi-dentate and thus their approach to the QD surface is not as sterically hindered as is the approach of mono-dentate ligands. These ligands can therefore completely saturate the QD surface. |
| US09666766B2 |
Quantum dots having a nanocrystalline core, a nanocrystalline shell surrounding the core, and an insulator coating for the shell
Semiconductor nanocrystal structures having silica insulator coatings encapsulating the nanocrystals and methods of fabricating semiconductor nanocrystal structures having silica insulator coatings encapsulating the nanocrystals involve adding a silicon-containing silica precursor species to a solution of nanocrystals, subsequently forming a silica-based insulator layer on the nanocrystals from a reaction involving the silicon-containing silica precursor species, and adding additional amounts of the silicon-containing silica precursor species after initial formation of the silica-based insulator layer while continuing to form the silica-based insulator layer to finally encapsulate each of the nanocrystals. |
| US09666764B2 |
Wafer level packaging of multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) on a single carrier die
An LED wafer includes LED dies on an LED substrate. The LED wafer and a carrier wafer are joined. The LED wafer that is joined to the carrier wafer is shaped. Wavelength conversion material is applied to the LED wafer that is shaped. Singulation is performed to provide multiple LED dies that are joined to a single carrier die. The multiple LED dies on the single carrier die are connected in series and/or in parallel by interconnection in the LED dies and/or in the single carrier die. The singulated devices may be mounted in an LED fixture to provide high light output per unit area. Related devices and fabrication methods are described. |
| US09666763B2 |
Glass sealing with transparent materials having transient absorption properties
Transparent glass-to-glass hermetic seals are formed by providing a low melting temperature sealing glass along a sealing interface between two glass substrates and irradiating the interface with laser radiation. Absorption by the sealing glass and induced transient absorption by the glass substrates along the sealing interface causes localized heating and melting of both the sealing glass layer and the substrate materials, which results in the formation of a glass-to-glass weld. Due to the transient absorption by the substrate material, the sealed region is transparent upon cooling. |
| US09666762B2 |
Multi-chip light emitter packages and related methods
Light emitter packages having multiple light emitter chips, such as light emitting diode (LED) chips, and related methods are provided. In one aspect, a light emitter package can include a submount, an array of light emitter chips disposed on a portion of the submount, and a lens provided over the submount and covering at least portions of the array. In some aspects, at least some of the light emitter chips can be adapted to emit light of a first dominant wavelength. In further aspects, at least some other light emitter chips are adapted to emit light of a second dominant wavelength that is different than the first dominant wavelength. In some aspects, the lens can be asymmetric. In some aspects, a collective center of the chips, or a center of an array of chips can be offset from a center of the asymmetric lens. |
| US09666756B2 |
Optoelectronic semiconductor module and display having a plurality of such modules
An optoelectronic semiconductor module includes a plurality of light-emitting areas, which emit light when in operation. At least two abutting lateral edges of at least one light-emitting area are arranged at an angle of more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees to each other. Further embodiments relate to a display having a plurality of such modules. |
| US09666755B2 |
Method of manufacturing sealed body and method of manufacturing light-emitting device
Methods of manufacturing a sealed body and a light-emitting device with high airtightness in which generation of a crack in a substrate and a frit glass in an overlap region where laser light irradiation is started and ended is prevented are provided. A high-reflectivity region having high reflectivity with respect to laser light and a low-reflectivity region having lower reflectivity than the high-reflectivity region are provided in a region which overlaps with the frit glass and is over a substrate facing a substrate on which the frit glass is formed. When scanning with laser light is started from the low-reflectivity region, a crack is less likely to be generated in the frit glass. |
| US09666754B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor substrate and substrate for semiconductor growth
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor substrate may include: forming a buffer layer on a growth substrate; forming a plurality of openings in the buffer layer, the plurality of openings penetrating through the buffer layer and being spaced apart from one another; forming a plurality of cavities on the growth substrate, the plurality of cavities being aligned to respectively correspond to the plurality of openings; growing a semiconductor layer on the buffer layer, the growing the semiconductor layer including filling the plurality of openings with the semiconductor layer; and separating the buffer layer and the semiconductor layer from the growth substrate, wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of openings at a boundary between the growth substrate and the buffer layer is smaller than a diameter of each of the plurality of cavities at the boundary. |
| US09666753B2 |
Nitride semiconductor light emitting device and method of fabricating the same
A nitride semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate as a base and an n-type semiconductor layer grown on a surface side of the substrate. Antimony (Sb) is added to the n-type semiconductor layer so that a molar fraction is not less than 0.1% and is less than 1%. A concentration of an n-type impurity in the n-type semiconductor layer is lower than an electron concentration. |
| US09666750B2 |
Photovoltaic cells having electrical contacts formed from metal nanoparticles and methods for production thereof
Photovoltaic cells having copper contacts can be made by using copper nanoparticles during their fabrication. Such photovoltaic cells can include a copper-based current collector located on a semiconductor substrate having an n-doped region and a p-doped region. The semiconductor substrate is configured for receipt of electromagnetic radiation and generation of an electrical current therefrom. The copper-based current collector includes an electrically conductive diffusion barrier disposed on the semiconductor substrate and a copper contact disposed on the electrically conductive diffusion barrier. The copper contact is formed from copper nanoparticles that have been at least partially fused together. The electrically conductive diffusion barrier limits the passage of copper therethrough. |
| US09666744B2 |
Edgelit multi-panel lighting system
A lighting system can include a lightguide having an edge and two major surfaces. The lightguide can be mounted in a frame so that one of the major surfaces faces towards an area to be illuminated, while the other major surface faces away from the area. LEDs can couple light into the lightguide edge, with the coupled light emitting from both major surfaces. Light emitted from the major surface that faces away from the area to be illuminated can be reflected back into the lightguide by a reflective surface. The reflective surface can be separated from the lightguide by an air gap. The air gap can promote internal reflection at the major surface facing away from the area to be illuminated, thereby enhancing homogeneity and output of light towards the area to be illuminated. The frame can include integral wireways, reflector retention clips, and grounding circuitry. |
| US09666740B2 |
Solar cell module manufacturing method
A solar cell module manufacturing method includes: preparing a front-side transparent protective member and a back-side protective sheet member, the front-side transparent protective member including a first principal surface and a second principal surface, a surface area of at least the first principal surface being larger than a projected area of the first principal surface, the back-side protective sheet member including a third principal surface and a fourth principal surface; and disposing a solar cell between the second principal surface of the front-side transparent protective member and the third principal surface of the back-side protective sheet member, and sealing the solar cell with a bonding layer therebetween. A breaking elongation of the back-side protective sheet member is 300% or more. |
| US09666735B2 |
Trench process and structure for backside contact solar cells with polysilicon doped regions
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. A trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. The trench structure may include a textured surface for increased solar radiation collection. Among other advantages, the resulting structure increases efficiency by providing isolation between adjacent P-type and N-type doped regions, thereby preventing recombination in a space charge region where the doped regions would have touched. |
| US09666734B2 |
Emitter wrap-through solar cell and method of preparing the same
The present invention relates to an emitter wrap-through solar cell and a method for preparing the same. The solar cell according to the present invention has a structure that may minimize generation of leakage current and minimize energy conversion efficiency measurement error. And, the preparation method of a solar cell according to the present invention may easily confirm the alignment state of the electrode, and thus, provide more improved productivity. |
| US09666731B2 |
Composition for solar cell electrodes, electrode fabricated using the same, and solar cell having the electrode
A composition for solar cell electrodes, an electrode fabricated using the same, and a solar cell including the electrode, the composition including a conductive powder; a glass frit; and an organic vehicle, wherein the conductive powder includes silver powder and aluminum powder, the silver powder includes silver particles having an average particle size D50 of 1.5 μm or more in an amount of 50 wt % or more, based on a total weight of the silver powder. |
| US09666729B2 |
Nano structured paraelectric or superparaelectric varactors for agile electronic systems
An electronic device in the form a two-dimensional array of nanopillars extending generally normal to a substrate is provided. The nanopillars are made from a paraelectric or superparaelectric material. In addition, a linear dielectric medium is located between individual nanopillars. A two-dimensional array of paraelectric or superparaelectric nanopillars and a linear dielectric medium form the effective dielectric medium of a paraelectric or superparaelectric varactor. In some instances, the nanopillars are cylindrical nanopillars that have an average diameter and/or average height/length between 1-300 nanometers. In other instances, the nanopillars are quasi-nanoparticles that form self-aligned nano-junctions. In addition, each of the nanopillars has a single paraelectric or superparaelectric dipole domain therewithin. As such, each of the nanopillars can be void of crystallographic defects, polycrystallinity, interactions between ferroic domains, and defects due to ferroic domain walls. |
| US09666718B2 |
Method for producing semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a first fin-shaped silicon layer and a second fin-shaped silicon layer on a substrate using a sidewall formed around a dummy pattern on the substrate. A first insulating film is formed around the first fin-shaped silicon layer and the second fin-shaped silicon layer. A first pillar-shaped silicon layer is formed in an upper portion of the first fin-shaped silicon layer, and a second pillar-shaped silicon layer is formed in an upper portion of the second fin-shaped silicon layer. |
| US09666716B2 |
FinFET transistor
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having isolation regions formed therein and a fin-shaped semiconductor structure protruding vertically above the isolation regions and extending laterally in a first direction. The device additionally includes a gate dielectric wrapping a channel region of the fin-shaped semiconductor structure and a gate electrode wrapping the gate dielectric. The channel region is interposed in the first direction between a source region and a drain region and has sloped sidewalls and a width that continuously decreases from a base towards a peak of the channel region. The channel region comprises a volume inversion region having a height greater than about 25% of a total height of the channel region. |
| US09666713B2 |
Ultra high voltage device
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. The device includes: The second region has a greater curvature than the first region. The device includes: an N-type epitaxy layer; a P-well in the N-type epitaxy layer; a drain in the N-type epitaxy layer; a source in the P-well; and a bulk in the P-well and in contact with the source, wherein the bulk has a greater area in the second region than in the first region. |
| US09666711B1 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first conductive type substrate; a second conductive type body region disposed in the first conductive type substrate, wherein the first conductive type is different from the second conductive type; a first conductive type first well region disposed in the second conductive type body region; a gate structure disposed over the top surface of the first conductive type substrate; a source region, wherein the source region includes a heavily-doped first conductive type source region and is disposed in the second conductive type body region; and a drain region, wherein the drain region is heavily doped first conductive type and is disposed in the first conductive type first well region. |
| US09666708B2 |
III-N transistors with enhanced breakdown voltage
Techniques related to III-N transistors having enhanced breakdown voltage, systems incorporating such transistors, and methods for forming them are discussed. Such transistors include a hardmask having an opening over a substrate, a source, a drain, and a channel between the source and drain, and a portion of the source or the drain disposed over the opening of the hardmask. |
| US09666707B2 |
Nitride-based transistors with a cap layer and a recessed gate
An anneal of a gate recess prior to formation of a gate contact, such as a Schottky contact, may reduce gate leakage and/or provide a high quality gate contact in a semiconductor device, such as a transistor. The use of an encapsulation layer during the anneal may further reduce damage to the semiconductor in the gate recess of the transistor. The anneal may be provided, for example, by an anneal of ohmic contacts of the device. Thus, high quality gate and ohmic contacts may be provided with reduced degradation of the gate region that may result from providing a recessed gate structure as a result of etch damage in forming the recess. |
| US09666705B2 |
Contact structures for compound semiconductor devices
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including a plurality of compound semiconductor layers and a two-dimensional charge carrier gas channel region formed in one of the compound semiconductor layers. The semiconductor device further includes a contact structure disposed in the semiconductor body. The contact structure includes a metal region and a doped region. The metal region extends into the semiconductor body from a first side of the semiconductor body to at least the compound semiconductor layer which includes the channel region. The doped region is formed in the semiconductor body between the metal region and the channel region so that the channel region is electrically connected to the metal region through the doped region. |
| US09666702B2 |
Advanced heterojunction devices and methods of manufacturing advanced heterojunction devices
Methods of manufacture of advanced electronic and photonic structures including heterojunction transistors, transistor lasers and solar cells and their related structures, are described herein. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein. |
| US09666700B2 |
Vertical bipolar junction transistor and manufacturing method thereof
The present disclosure relates to a vertical bipolar junction transistor. A vertical bipolar junction transistor includes a high concentration doping region emitter terminal disposed on a semiconductor substrate; a high concentration doping region collector terminal disposed on a semiconductor substrate; a high concentration doping region base terminal disposed between the emitter terminal and the collector terminal; a drift region having a first doping concentration surrounding the emitter terminal and being deeper than either the base terminal or the collector terminal; a base layer disposed below the drift region; a collector layer in contact with the base layer, the collector layer having a second doping concentration higher than the first doping concentration. The manufacturing cost of the vertical bipolar junction transistor can be lowered and a current gain can be elevated using a low-cost BCD process. |
| US09666699B1 |
Semiconductor device having field plate disposed on isolation feature and method for forming the same
The invention provides a semiconductor device, including a buried oxide layer disposed on a substrate. A semiconductor layer is disposed on the buried oxide layer. A first well is disposed in the semiconductor layer. A second well and a third well are disposed to opposite sides of the first well and separated from the first well. An isolation feature covers the first well and the third well. A poly field plate is disposed on the isolation feature and over the semiconductor layer between the first well and the third well. A first anode doped region is disposed on the second well. A second anode doped region and a third anode doped region are disposed on the second well. The second anode doped region is positioned directly on the third anode doped region. A first cathode doped region is coupled to the third well. |
| US09666694B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is provided. The element isolation insulating bodies form active areas extending in one direction along a surface of a semiconductor substrate in a surface region of the semiconductor substrate, and partition the surface region into the active areas. The tunnel insulating films are formed on the active areas respectively. The floating gate electrodes are formed on the tunnel insulating films respectively. The inter-gate insulating films are formed on the floating gate electrodes. The control gate electrodes are provided on the inter-gate insulating films. The source regions and drain regions are formed in the active areas respectively. Each of the active areas has steps at side surfaces. A width of a portion of each of the active areas deeper than the steps is larger than that of a portion of each of the active areas shallower than the steps. |
| US09666693B1 |
Structure and method to minimize junction capacitance in NANO sheets
A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a nanosheet stack including a first layer and a second layer; patterning a gate stack on the nanosheet stack; forming a first spacer along a sidewall of the gate stack; removing an endwall portion of the nanosheet stack that extends beyond the first spacer such that a portion of the second layer is exposed from a sidewall of the first spacer; depositing a second spacer along a sidewall of the first spacer; recessing the substrate beneath the second spacer to form an isolation region; depositing an oxide on the gate stack and within the isolation region and partially recessing the oxide; removing a portion of the second spacer such that the portion of the second layer is exposed; and growing an epitaxial layer on the portion of the second layer that is exposed to form a source/drain over the isolation region. |
| US09666692B2 |
Method of forming FinFET gate oxide
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor fin, a first silicon nitride based layer, a lining oxide layer, a second silicon nitride based layer and a gate oxide layer. The semiconductor fin has a top surface, a first side surface adjacent to the top surface, and a second side surface which is disposed under and adjacent to the first side surface. The first silicon nitride based layer peripherally encloses the second side surface of the semiconductor fin. The lining oxide layer is disposed conformal to the first silicon nitride based layer. The second silicon nitride based layer is disposed conformal to the lining oxide layer. The gate oxide layer is disposed conformal to the top surface and the first side surface of the semiconductor fin. |
| US09666678B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
An object is to reduce leakage current and parasitic capacitance of a transistor used for an LSI, a CPU, or a memory. A semiconductor integrated circuit such as an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using a thin film transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor which becomes an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor by removing impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than that of a silicon semiconductor. With use of a thin film transistor using a highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device with low power consumption due to leakage current can be realized. |
| US09666677B1 |
Manufacturable thin film gallium and nitrogen containing devices
A method for manufacturing a laser diode device includes providing a substrate having a surface region and forming epitaxial material overlying the surface region, the epitaxial material comprising an n-type cladding region, an active region comprising at least one active layer overlying the n-type cladding region, and a p-type cladding region overlying the active layer region. The epitaxial material is patterned to form a plurality of dice, each of the dice corresponding to at least one laser device, characterized by a first pitch between a pair of dice, the first pitch being less than a design width. Each of the plurality of dice are transferred to a carrier wafer such that each pair of dice is configured with a second pitch between each pair of dice, the second pitch being larger than the first pitch. |
| US09666673B2 |
Electronic device having carbon layer and method for manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device includes: a carbon layer including graphene, a thin film layer formed on the carbon layer, a channel layer formed on the thin film layer, a current cutoff layer formed between the thin film layer and the channel layer so as to cut off the flow of current between the thin film layer and the channel layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the channel layer. |
| US09666668B2 |
Semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same
A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate having a trench surrounding an active island of the substrate. The active island has a top surface, a sidewall, and an inclined surface connecting the top surface to the sidewall. The inclined surface is inclined relative to the top surface at a first angle. The sidewall is inclined relative to the top surface at a second angle. The first angle is greater than the second angle. The semiconductor device structure includes an isolation structure in the trench. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate insulating layer over the top surface and the inclined surface. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate over the gate insulating layer and the isolation structure. The gate crosses the active island. |
| US09666659B2 |
External storage device and method of manufacturing external storage device
An external storage device including an interconnect substrate having a contact type external terminal, at least one semiconductor chip disposed over a first surface of the interconnect substrate, and a sealing resin layer which seals the at least one semiconductor chip and does not cover the external terminal. The at least one semiconductor chip includes a storage device, an inductor being connected to the storage device, a driver circuit configured to control the inductor and an interconnect layer. The interconnect layer is formed at a first surface of the semiconductor chip and includes the inductor. The first surface of the semiconductor chip is other than facing the first surface of the interconnect substrate, and the inductor and the driver circuit are connected to each other through the interconnect layer. |
| US09666655B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a transistor including first and second gates. A first terminal of the transistor is electrically connected to a third wiring. A first switch controls electrical connection between a first wiring and the first gate. A second switch controls electrical connection between a second wiring and the second gate. A third switch controls electrical connection between the first gate and a second terminal of the transistor. A fourth switch controls electrical connection between a fifth wiring and the second terminal of the transistor. A first capacitor retains a potential difference between the first gate and the second terminal of the transistor. A second capacitor retains a potential difference between the first gate and the second gate. A first terminal of the light-emitting element is electrically connected to the second terminal of the transistor. A second terminal of the light-emitting element is electrically connected to a fourth wiring. |
| US09666654B2 |
Organic light-emitting display device
An organic light-emitting display device includes a first substrate having transmitting regions and pixel regions separated from each other by the transmitting regions, a plurality of thin film transistors on the first substrate in the pixel regions, a passivation layer covering the plurality of thin film transistors, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the passivation layer and electrically connected to the thin film transistors, the pixel electrodes being in the pixel regions and overlapping the thin film transistors, an opposite electrode in the transmitting regions and the pixel regions, the opposite electrode facing the plurality of pixel electrodes and being configured to transmit light, an organic emission layer interposed between the pixel electrodes and the opposite electrode, and a color filter in corresponding pixel regions. |
| US09666653B2 |
Method for manufacturing TFT substrate and structure thereof
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a TFT substrate and a structure thereof. The method for manufacturing a TFT substrate uses a gray tone mask to apply a single photolithographic process to simultaneously manufacture a gate insulation layer, a semiconductor layer, and a etch stop so as to reduce the number of the photolithographic processes used from ten processes to eight processes and reduce the number of masks used thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and effectively increasing the manufacturing efficiency and the yield rate. The TFT substrate structure of the present invention includes a gate insulation layer, a semiconductor layer, and an etch stop layer that are manufactured at the same time with a photolithographic process by using a gray tone mask so that the structure is simple, the manufacturing is easy, and the manufacturing efficiency and yield rate are effectively increased. |
| US09666652B2 |
High resolution organic light-emitting diode devices, displays, and related method
An organic light-emissive display may include a substrate; a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate; a first hole conducting layer overlying the plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate; and organic light emissive material disposed at locations overlying the emissive layer confinement regions. The first hole conducting layer may comprise emissive layer confinement regions exhibiting a first liquid affinity property and boundary regions exhibiting a second liquid affinity property differing from the first liquid affinity property, a respective confinement region overlying at least one of the plurality of electrodes provided on the substrate. The second liquid affinity property of the boundary regions can inhibit migration of the organic light emissive material so as to confine the organic light emissive material within the emissive layer confinement regions. |
| US09666647B2 |
OLED display and method of manufacturing the same
There are provided an OLED display and a method of manufacturing the same, in order to improved resolution of the OLED display. The OLED display comprises a substrate and a plurality of light emitting array units provided and periodically arranged on the substrate, each light emitting array unit comprising first, second and third light emitting units arranged in this order. Each light emitting unit comprises an anode, a cathode and an organic material functional layer located therebetween, the organic material functional layer comprising a light emitting layer. For each light emitting array unit, the first light emitting layer is formed within the first and second light emitting units, the second light emitting layer is formed within the second and third light emitting units, and the first and second light emitting layers are configured to emit light of different colors; in the second light emitting unit, the first and second light emitting layers overlap with each other and are configured so that only one of them is capable of emitting light. In each light emitting array unit, one of two light emitting units which have the same light emitting layer for emitting light further comprises a light color conversion layer arranged on a light exiting side of the one light emitting unit, the light color conversion layer being configured to convert light from its corresponding light emitting layer to light having a color different from those of light emitted by other light emitting units of the light emitting array unit. |
| US09666646B2 |
Light emitting element disposed in a display region of a substrate
A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element disposed in a display region and including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting functional layer. The light-emitting device includes a wiring formed in a periphery of the display region and that is electrically connected to the second electrode, and a filter layer having a first color filter that overlaps the light-emitting element and a first layer that overlaps the peripheral wiring. The first color filter and the first layer are formed from a first colored layer that transmits light having a first wavelength. |
| US09666645B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a substrate; a first light emitting layer extending in a first direction along a column or a row of a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a matrix on the substrate; a second light emitting layer that extends in the first direction, is arranged alternately with the first light emitting layer in a second direction, and emits light of a wavelength different from that of the first light emitting layer; and a color conversion layer that is arranged at a position for covering at least part of the first light emitting layer, absorbs light emitted from the first light emitting layer, and converts the absorbed light so that a wavelength of the absorbed light becomes longer. |
| US09666638B2 |
Methods for forming backside illuminated image sensors with front side metal redistribution layers
Methods for forming backside illuminated (BSI) image sensors having metal redistribution layers (RDL) and solder bumps for high performance connection to external circuitry are provided. In one embodiment, a BSI image sensor with RDL and solder bumps may be formed using a temporary carrier during manufacture that is removed prior to completion of the BSI image sensor. In another embodiment, a BSI image sensor with RDL and solder bumps may be formed using a permanent carrier during manufacture that partially remains in the completed BSI image sensor. A BSI image sensor may be formed before formation of a redistribution layer on the front side of the BSI image sensor. A redistribution layer may, alternatively, be formed on the front side of an image wafer before formation of BSI components such as microlenses and color filters on the back side of the image wafer. |
| US09666637B2 |
Integrated sensor chip package with directional light sensor, apparatus including such a package and method of manufacturing such an integrated sensor chip package
Disclosed is an integrated sensor chip package comprising an integrated sensor chip enveloped in a packaging layer (30), the integrated circuit comprising a substrate (10) having a major surface; and a light sensor comprising a plurality of photodetectors (12a-d) on a region of said major surface; the packaging layer comprising an opening (32) exposing said region, the integrated sensor chip package further comprising a light blocking member (20) over said opening, the light blocking member defining an aperture (22) exposing a first set of photodetectors to light from a first range of directions and exposing a second set of photodetectors to light from a second range of directions, wherein the first range is different to the second range. An apparatus including such an integrated sensor chip package and a method of manufacturing such an integrated sensor chip package are also disclosed. |
| US09666633B2 |
Solid-state image pickup device
A solid-state image pickup device is provided which can inhibit degradation of image quality which may occur when a global electronic shutter operation is performed. A gate drive line for a first transistor of gate drive lines for pixel transistors is positioned in proximity to a converting unit. |
| US09666630B2 |
Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacturing thereof, and image sensor devices
Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacturing thereof, and image sensor devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip comprising an array region, a periphery region, and a through-via disposed therein. The semiconductor device comprises a guard structure disposed in the semiconductor chip between the array region and the through-via or between the through-via and a portion of the periphery region. |
| US09666628B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and method for manufacturing the same
A solid-state imaging device includes: a light-receiving pixel part configured to be formed on a semiconductor substrate; a black-level reference pixel part configured to be formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a multilayer interconnect part configured to be provided over the semiconductor substrate. The multilayer interconnect part includes an insulating layer formed over the semiconductor substrate and metal interconnect layers formed as a plurality of layers in the insulating layer. The multilayer interconnect part has a first light-blocking film formed above an area between first metal interconnects of a first metal interconnect layer as one of the metal interconnect layers above the black-level reference pixel part, and a second light-blocking film that is connected to the first light-blocking film and is formed of a second metal interconnect layer over the first metal interconnect layer. |
| US09666623B2 |
Imaging element, method for manufacturing imaging element, pixel design method, and electronic apparatus with light collecting parts having plural projection and depression structures
An imaging element includes a plurality of pixels that are two-dimensionally arranged and each have a light receiving part including a photoelectric conversion element and a light collecting part that collects incident light toward the light receiving part. Each of the light collecting parts in the plurality of pixels includes an optical functional layer having, in a surface, a specific projection and depression structure depending on the pixel position. |
| US09666621B2 |
Solid-state imaging device
In a solid-state imaging device, a photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor, and at least a part of electric charge holding unit, among pixel constituent elements, are disposed on a first semiconductor substrate. An amplifying transistor, a signal processing circuit other than a reset transistor, and a plurality of common output lines, to which signals are read out from a plurality of pixels, are disposed on a second semiconductor substrate. |
| US09666606B2 |
Semiconductor device and electronic device
Decrease of the output voltage of the logic circuit is inhibited by raising the gate voltage using a capacitor. In a first transistor, a drain and a gate are electrically connected to a first wiring, and a source is electrically connected to a first node. In a second transistor, a drain is electrically connected to the first node, a source is electrically connected to a second wiring, and a gate is electrically connected to a second node. In a third transistor, a drain is electrically connected to a third wiring, and a source is electrically connected to a third node, and a gate is electrically connected to the first node. In a fourth transistor, a drain is electrically connected to the third node, a source is electrically connected to a fourth wiring, and a gate is electrically connected to the second node. In a capacitor, one electrode is electrically connected to the first node, and the other electrode is electrically connected to the third node. OS transistors are preferably used as the transistors above. |
| US09666601B2 |
Semiconductor device, and manufacturing method thereof
In a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a large sized display screen is realized under low power consumption. A surface of a source wiring line of a pixel portion employed in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device is processed by way of a plating process operation so as to lower a resistance value of this source wiring line. The source wiring line of the pixel portion is manufactured at a step different from a step for manufacturing a source wiring line of a drive circuit portion. Further, electrodes of a terminal portion are processed by a plating process operation so as to reduce a resistance value thereof. |
| US09666600B2 |
Direct bandgap substrates and methods of making and using
An indirect bandgap thin film semiconductor circuit can be combined with a compound semiconductor LED such as to provide an active matrix LED array that can have high luminous capabilities such as for a light projector application. In another example, a highly efficient optical detector is achievable through the combination of indirect and direct bandgap semiconductors. Applications can include display technologies, light detection, MEMS, chemical sensors, or piezoelectric systems. An LED array can provide structured illumination, such as for a light and pattern source for projection displays, such as without requiring spatial light modulation (SLM). An example can combine light from separate monolithic light projector chips, such as providing different component colors. An example can provide full color from a single monolithic light projector chip, such as including selectively deposited phosphors, such as to contribute individual component colors to an overall color of a pixel. |
| US09666593B2 |
Alternating refractive index in charge-trapping film in three-dimensional memory
Techniques are provided for fabricating a three-dimensional, charge-trapping memory device with improved long term data retention. A corresponding three-dimensional, charge-trapping memory device is also provided which includes a stack of alternating word line layers and dielectric layers. A charge-trapping layer is deposited in a memory hole. The refractive index of portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the word line layers is increased relative to the refractive index of portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the dielectric layers. This can be achieved by doping the portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the word line layers. In one approach, the charge-trapping layer is SiON and is doped with Si or N. In another approach, the charge-trapping layer is HfO and is doped with Hf. In another approach, the charge-trapping layer is HfSiON and is doped with Hf, Si or N. |
| US09666586B2 |
CMOS compatible memory cells
A memory cell and a process for production thereof, the memory cell having a CMOS substrate having two adjacent wells of opposite conductivity types, having trench isolation between the wells, wherein one of the wells is connected to a ground voltage level and the other one to a constant voltage level; a shallow lightly doped n layer in a first one of the wells; a shallow lightly doped p layer in a second one of the wells; at least a first and second deep heavily doped p regions in the first well; at least a first and second deep heavily doped n regions in the second well; and a conductor to connect the first and second deep p regions, the shallow n region, the first and second deep n regions and the shallow p region to the same input voltage level relative to the ground voltage level. |
| US09666584B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuit device
Using an STI insulating film in a high breakdown voltage MOSFET leads to deterioration in reliability due to impact ionization near the bottom corner of a drain isolation insulating film.The invention provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device including forming a hard mask film, an opening therein, and a sidewall insulating film on the side surface thereof; forming a shallow trench in the opening with the hard mask film as a mask and oxidizing at least an exposed portion; filling the trench with an insulating film and then removing it so as to leave it outside the trench in the opening and thereby forming a drain offset STI insulating film inside and outside the trench; and forming a gate electrode extending from the upper portion of a gate insulating film in an active region contiguous thereto to the upper portion of the drain offset insulating film. |
| US09666583B2 |
Methods of containing defects for non-silicon device engineering
An apparatus including a device including a channel material having a first lattice structure on a well of a well material having a matched lattice structure in a buffer material having a second lattice structure that is different than the first lattice structure. A method including forming a trench in a buffer material; forming an n-type well material in the trench, the n-type well material having a lattice structure that is different than a lattice structure of the buffer material; and forming an n-type transistor. A system including a computer including a processor including complimentary metal oxide semiconductor circuitry including an n-type transistor including a channel material, the channel material having a first lattice structure on a well disposed in a buffer material having a second lattice structure that is different than the first lattice structure, the n-type transistor coupled to a p-type transistor. |
| US09666579B2 |
Semiconductor device
In a plan view of a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate includes a pillar exposing area in which the pillar region is exposed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, a pillar contacting area in which the pillar region is in contact with a deeper side of the anode contact region, and an anode contacting area in which the anode region is in contact with the deeper side of the anode contact region. In a direction along which the pillar contacting area and the anode contacting area are aligned, a width of the pillar contacting area is smaller than a width of the anode contacting area. |
| US09666576B2 |
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes a semiconductor substrate and a pair of first well regions formed in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pair of first well regions have a first conductivity type and are separated by at least one portion of the semiconductor substrate. In addition, the ESD protection device further includes a first doping region formed in a portion of the at least one portion of the semiconductor substrate separating the pair of first well regions, having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. Moreover, the ESD protection device further includes a pair of second doping regions respectively formed in one of the first well regions, having the first conductivity type, and a pair of insulating layers respectively formed over a portion of the semiconductor substrate to cover a portion of the first doped region and one of the second doping regions. |
| US09666572B2 |
Process for forming package-on-package structures
A device includes an inter-layer dielectric, a device die under the inter-layer dielectric; and a die-attach film under the inter-layer dielectric and over the device die, wherein the die-attach film is attached to the device die. A plurality of redistribution lines includes portions level with the die-attach film. A plurality of Z-interconnects is electronically coupled to the device die and the plurality of redistribution lines. A polymer-comprising material is under the inter-layer dielectric. The device die, the die-attach film, and the plurality of Z-interconnects are disposed in the polymer-comprising material. |
| US09666571B2 |
Package-on-package structures
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a package on package arrangement comprising a bottom package and a second package. The first package includes a substrate layer including (i) a top side and (ii) a bottom side that is opposite to the top side. Further, the top side defines a substantially flat surface. The first package also includes a die coupled to the bottom side of the substrate layer. The second package includes a plurality of rows of solder balls, and the second package is attached to the substantially flat surface of the substrate layer via the plurality of rows of solder balls. |
| US09666570B2 |
Memory device and method of manufacturing the same
The invention provides a memory device and a manufacturing method thereof. The memory device includes a substrate, a capacitor, a protection device, a first metal interconnect, and a second metal interconnect. The capacitor is located on the substrate of a first region. The protection device is located in the substrate of a second region. The capacitor includes a plurality of bottom electrodes, a top electrode, and a capacitor dielectric layer. The top electrode has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is extended to the second region. The capacitor dielectric layer is located between the bottom electrodes and the top electrode. The first metal interconnect is located between the capacitor and the substrate. The second metal interconnect is located between the second portion of the top electrode and the protection device. The top electrode is electrically connected to the protection device through the second metal interconnect. |
| US09666568B2 |
Photoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same
A photoelectric device includes an electrode structure, an LED (light emitting diode) element, a zener diode and a reflective cup. The LED element, the zener diode and the reflective cup are arranged on the electrode structure. The LED element and the zener diode are electrically connected in anti-parallel with each other. The reflective cup comprises an inner surface defined thereof and a nick defined in an outside of the reflective cup. The LED element is surrounded by the inner surface of the reflective cup and the zener diode is arranged in the nick. |
| US09666567B2 |
Light emitting device having underlying protective element
A light emitting device includes a base member; a light emitting element disposed on the base member via at least one first electrically conductive joining member such that a space is located between the light emitting element and a surface of the base member; and a protective element disposed on the base member via at least one second electrically conductive joining member. The protective element is located in the space. A light reflecting resin is located in the space and covers the protective element. |
| US09666560B1 |
Multi-chip microelectronic assembly with built-up fine-patterned circuit structure
A microelectronic assembly includes a dielectric element having bumps projecting from a first surface thereof, the bumps having end surfaces flush with a planarized encapsulation. A circuit structure having a thickness less than or equal to 10 microns, formed by depositing two or more dielectric layers and conductive layers on the respective dielectric layers, has electrically conductive features thereon which electrically contact the bumps. The circuit structure can be formed separately on a carrier and then joined with the bumps on the dielectric element, or the circuit structure can be formed by a build up process on the planarized surface of the encapsulation and the planarized surfaces of the bumps. |
| US09666559B2 |
Multichip modules and methods of fabrication
In a multi-chip module (MCM), a “super” chip (110N) is attached to multiple “plain” chips (110F; “super” and “plain” chips can be any chips). The super chip is positioned above the wiring board (WB) but below at least some of plain chips (110F). The plain chips overlap the super chip. Further, the plain chips' low speed IOs can be connected to the WB by long direct connections such as bond wires (e.g. BVAs) or solder stacks; such connections can be placed side by side with the super chip. Such connections can be long, so the super chip is not required to be thin. Also, if through-substrate vias (TSVs) are omitted, the manufacturing yield is high and the manufacturing cost is low. Other structures are provided that combine the short and long direct connections to obtain desired physical and electrical properties. |
| US09666557B2 |
Small footprint semiconductor package
A semiconductor assembly includes a substrate with electrically conductive regions and a semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die, first and second terminals, and a mold compound. The die has opposing first and second main surfaces, an edge disposed perpendicular to the first and second main surfaces, a first electrode at the first main surface, and a second electrode at the second main surface. The first terminal is attached to the first electrode. The second terminal is attached to the second electrode. The mold compound encloses at least part of the die and the first and second terminals so that each of the terminals has a side parallel with and facing away from the die that remains at least partly uncovered by the mold compound. The first and second terminals of the semiconductor package are connected to different ones of the electrically conductive regions of the substrate. |
| US09666553B2 |
Millimeter wave integrated circuit with ball grid array package including transmit and receive channels
A millimeter wave integrated circuit (IC) chip. The IC chip comprises an IC die and a wire bond ball grid array package encapsulating the IC die. The wire bond ball grid array package comprises a solder ball array, a millimeter wave transmit channel, and a millimeter wave receive channel, wherein each millimeter wave transmit and receive channel electrically couples the IC die to a signal ball of the solder ball array and is configured to resonate at an operating frequency band of the millimeter wave IC chip. |
| US09666546B1 |
Multi-layer metal pads
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a conductive liner over a first landing pad in a first region and over a second landing pad in a second region. The method further includes depositing a first conductive material within first openings within a resist layer formed over the conductive liner. The first conductive material overfills to form a first pad and a first layer of a second pad. The method further includes depositing a second resist layer over the first conductive material, and patterning the second resist layer to form second openings exposing the first layer of the second pad without exposing the first pad. A second conductive material is deposited over the second layer of the second pad. |
| US09666545B2 |
Semiconductor device with advanced pad structure resistant to plasma damage and metnod for forming same
A connective structure for bonding semiconductor devices and methods for forming the same are provided. The bonding structure includes an alpad structure, i.e., a thick aluminum-containing connective pad, and a substructure beneath the aluminum-containing pad that includes at least a pre-metal layer and a barrier layer. The pre-metal layer is a dense material layer and includes a density greater than the barrier layer and is a low surface roughness film. The high density pre-metal layer prevents plasma damage from producing charges in underlying dielectric materials or destroying subjacent semiconductor devices. |
| US09666538B1 |
Semiconductor package with barrier for radio frequency absorber
Semiconductor packages and methods of manufacturing semiconductor packages are described herein. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor package includes a housing including a first compartment and a second compartment, the first and second compartments being divided from one another. The semiconductor package can also include an integrated device die disposed in the first compartment, and a radio frequency (RF) absorber disposed in the second compartment. |
| US09666528B1 |
BEOL vertical fuse formed over air gap
A method of forming an electrical device that includes forming a first level including an array of metal lines, wherein an air gap is positioned between the adjacent metal lines. A second level is formed including at least one dielectric layer atop the first level. A plurality of trench structures is formed in the at least on dielectric layer. At least one of the plurality of trench structures opens the air gap. A conductive material is formed within the trenches. The conductive material deposited in the open air gap provides a vertical fuse. |
| US09666526B2 |
E-fuse structure of semiconductor device
Provided is an e-fuse structure of a semiconductor device having improved fusing performance so as to enable a program operation at a low voltage. The e-fuse structure includes a first metal pattern formed at a first vertical level, the first metal pattern including a first part extending in a first direction and a second part extending in the first direction and positioned to be adjacent to the first part, and a third part adjacent to the second part, the second part being positioned between the first part and the third part, the first part and the second part being electrically connected to each other, and the third part being electrically disconnected from the second part; and a second metal pattern electrically connected to the first metal pattern and formed at a second vertical level different from the first vertical level. |
| US09666522B2 |
Alignment mark design for packages
A package includes a device die, a molding material molding the device die therein, a through-via penetrating through the molding material, and an alignment mark penetrating through the molding material. A redistribution line is on a side of the molding material. The redistribution line is electrically coupled to the through-via. |
| US09666519B2 |
Power semiconductor module and power unit
A power semiconductor module includes: a plurality of semiconductor element substrates disposed on the same plane, each of which includes an insulating substrate with a front-side electrode formed on one of the surfaces of an insulator plate and a back-side electrode formed on the other surface of the insulator plate and a power semiconductor element fixed on a surface of the front-side electrode; and a wiring member that electrically connects with each other the semiconductor element substrates adjacent to each other; and the semiconductor element substrates and the wiring member are molded with mold resin; wherein the mold resin is provided with a recessed part, between the insulating substrates adjacent to each other, which is not filled with the resin constituting the mold resin to a predetermined depth from the side of the back-side electrode. |
| US09666515B2 |
Wiring board and electronic device
This wiring board is provided with: an insulating base that has a lateral surface having an incision part; an electrode that is provided on the inner surface of the incision part; and a wiring conductor that is provided within the insulating base or on the surface of the insulating base and is electrically connected to the electrode via a connection conductor. The width of the incision part is larger than the depth thereof, and the connection conductor is connected to the electrode at an end of the incision part in the width direction. An electronic device according to the present invention is provided with this wiring board and an electronic component that is mounted to the upper surface of this wiring board. |
| US09666513B2 |
Wafer-level flipped die stacks with leadframes or metal foil interconnects
An assembly includes a plurality of stacked encapsulated microelectronic packages, each package including a microelectronic element having a front surface with a plurality of chip contacts at the front surface and edge surfaces extending away from the front surface. An encapsulation region of each package contacts at least one edge surface and extends away therefrom to a remote surface of the package. The package contacts of each package are disposed at a single one of the remote surfaces, the package contacts facing and coupled with corresponding contacts at a surface of a substrate nonparallel with the front surfaces of the microelectronic elements therein. |
| US09666512B2 |
Semiconductor package
A semiconductor package with a leadframe to mount a transistor device prevents malfunction. The semiconductor package includes a leadframe including at least one or more transistor die attach pads where a first transistor device and a second transistor device are arranged, a driver die attach pad where a driver semiconductor chip is arranged, a first driver lead electrically connected to the driver semiconductor chip, and a second driver lead arranged between the first driver lead and the at least one or more transistor die attach pads, a chip bonding wire electrically connecting the first transistor device with the driver semiconductor chip, a first transistor bonding wire electrically connecting the first driver lead with the second transistor device, and a first insulator arranged on the second driver lead to insulate the second driver lead and the first transistor bonding wire from each other. |
| US09666511B2 |
Isolation method for a stand alone high voltage laterally-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor
A semiconductor package having a lead frame over which a first device and a second device are spaced is provided. The lead frame includes a die pad upon which a first chip and a second chip are spaced and bonded. The first chip includes the first device, which has a first operating voltage. The second chip includes the second device, which has a second operating voltage greater than the first operating voltage. A dielectric layer is arranged between the die pad and the second device. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor package is also provided. |
| US09666509B2 |
Semiconductor device
One embodiment provides a semiconductor device having a first chip for lowering an input voltage and a second chip for performing signal processing, mounted on a die pad. Lead terminals are divided into a first lead row and a second lead row. The first lead row are connected with the first chip, the first chip are connected with the second chip or the second lead row, and the second chip are connected with the second lead row. A distance between the lead terminals of the first lead row is set longer than a distance between the lead terminals of the second lead row, and a sealing resin is provided to fill at least between the lead terminals of the first lead row. |
| US09666505B1 |
Power MOS transistor die with temperature sensing function and integrated circuit
A power metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor die with a temperature sensing function and an integrated circuit are provided. The power MOS transistor die has a control terminal, a phase terminal, a ground terminal and a temperature signal output terminal, and that further includes a power switch part and a temperature sensing part. The power switch part has: a first electrode coupled to the control terminal; a second electrode coupled to the ground terminal; and a third electrode coupled to the phase terminal. The temperature sensing part has: a first electrode; a second electrode coupled to the temperature signal output terminal; and a third electrode coupled to the third electrode of the power switch part. The power switch part and the temperature sensing part are configured as a MOS transistor made by a same manufacturing process, and are capable of sensing temperature precisely. |
| US09666500B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming insulating layer disposed over the semiconductor die for stress relief
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die and conductive layer formed over a surface of the semiconductor die. A first channel can be formed in the semiconductor die. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die. A second channel can be formed in the encapsulant. A first insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor die and first conductive layer and into the first channel. The first insulating layer extends into the second channel. The first insulating layer has characteristics of tensile strength greater than 150 MPa, elongation between 35-150%, and thickness of 2-30 micrometers. A second insulating layer can be formed over the semiconductor die prior to forming the first insulating layer. An interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die and encapsulant. The interconnect structure is electrically connected to the first conductive layer. The first insulating layer provides stress relief during formation of the interconnect structure. |
| US09666496B2 |
Systems and methods for chemical mechanical planarization with photoluminescence quenching
A method includes performing a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) on an article, providing a polishing fluid including luminescent particles capable of generating a fluorescent light in response to a light incident on the article, and detecting an intensity of the fluorescent light. An apparatus that is capable of performing the method and a system that includes the apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US09666494B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
The present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing a deviation in a characteristic of a semiconductor device. There is provided a technique includes: (a) receiving data representing a thickness distribution of a polished silicon-containing layer on a substrate comprising a convex structure whereon the polished silicon-containing layer is formed; (b) calculating, based on the data, a process data for reducing a difference between a thickness of a portion of the polished silicon-containing layer formed at a center portion of the substrate and that of the polished silicon-containing layer formed at a peripheral portion of the substrate; (c) loading the substrate into a process chamber; (d) supplying a process gas to the substrate; and (e) compensating for the difference based on the process data by activating the process gas with a magnetic field having a predetermined strength on the substrate. |
| US09666493B2 |
Semiconductor device structure with 110-PFET and 111-NFET curent flow direction
A FinFET comprises a hybrid substrate having a top wafer of (100) silicon, a handle wafer of (110) silicon, and a buried oxide layer between the top wafer and the handle wafer; a first set of fins disposed in the top wafer and oriented in a <110> direction of the (100) silicon; and a second set of fins disposed in the handle wafer and oriented in a <112> direction of the (110) silicon. The first set of fins and the second set of fins are aligned. |
| US09666491B1 |
Method of forming semiconductor device
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes following steps. Firstly, a first transistor is formed on a first surface of a substrate. Next, a thinning process is performed on the second surface of the substrate which is opposite to the first surface, to form a third surface. Then, a second transistor is formed on the third surface, in which the second transistor and the first transistor are electrically connected to each other through a through-silicon via penetrating through the first surface and the third surface. |
| US09666487B2 |
Method for manufacturing germanium-based CMOS comprising forming silicon cap over PMOS region having a thickness less than that over NMOS region
A semiconductor structure includes a germanium substrate having a first region and a second region. A first silicon cap is over the first region of the germanium substrate. A second silicon cap is over the second region of the germanium substrate, wherein a first thickness of the first silicon cap is less than a second thickness of the second silicon cap. A PMOS device includes a first gate dielectric over the first silicon cap. An NMOS device includes a second gate dielectric over the second silicon cap. |
| US09666481B2 |
Reduced height M1 metal lines for local on-chip routing
Systems and methods are directed to an integrated circuit comprising a reduced height M1 metal line formed of an exemplary material with lower mean free path than Copper, for local routing of on-chip circuit elements of the integrated circuit, wherein the height of the reduced height M1 metal line is lower than a minimum allowed or allowable height of a conventional M1 metal line formed of Copper. The exemplary materials for forming the reduced height M1 metal line include Tungsten (W), Molybdenum (Mo), and Ruthenium (Ru), wherein these exemplary materials also exhibit lower capacitance and lower RC delays than Copper, while providing high electromigration reliability. |
| US09666480B2 |
Array substrate, method for manufacturing the same and method for measuring the same, display device
An array substrate comprising an electrical connection block exposed to its surface. By manufacturing a passivation layer via hole in a passivation layer, a drain electrode or a pixel electrode of a thin-film transistor is exposed, so that the electrical connection block fills the passivation layer via hole and is provided in contact with the drain electrode or the pixel electrode. Thereby, when the electrical characteristic value of a TFT is measured, the pixel probe of a measuring apparatus may be electrically connected with the drain electrode or the pixel electrode by directly contacting the electrical connection block, so that the measuring of the electrical characteristics of the TFT may be realized. |
| US09666479B2 |
Patterning method for low-k inter-metal dielectrics and associated semiconductor device
Semiconductor fabrication techniques and associated semiconductor devices are provided in which conductive lines are separated by a low dielectric constant (low-k) material such as low-k film portions or air. An insulation layer such as SiO2 is etched to form raised structures. The structures are slimmed and a low-k material or sacrificial material is deposited. A further etching removes the material except for portions on sidewalls of the slimmed structures. A metal barrier layer and seed layer are then deposited, followed by a metal filler such as copper. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) removes portions of the metal above the raised structures, leaving only portions of the metal between the raised structures as spaced apart conductive lines. The sacrificial material can be removed by a thermal process, leaving air gaps. The raised structures provide strength while the air gap or other low-k material reduces capacitance. |
| US09666476B2 |
Dimension-controlled via formation processing
Methods are provided for dimension-controlled via formation over a circuit structure, including over multiple adjacent conductive structures. The method(s) includes, for instance, providing a patterned multi-layer stack structure above the circuit structure, the stack structure including at least one layer, and a pattern transfer layer above the at least one layer, the pattern transfer layer being patterned with at least one via opening; providing a sidewall spacer layer within the at least one via opening to form at least one dimension-controlled via opening; and etching through the at least one layer of the stack structure using the at least one dimension-controlled via opening to facilitate providing the via(s) over the circuit structure. In one implementation, the stack structure includes a trench-opening within a patterned hard mask layer disposed between a dielectric layer and a planarization layer, and the via(s) is partially self-aligned to the trench. |
| US09666473B2 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor device
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate, a spacer, a doped region, and a deep trench isolation (DTI). The silicon substrate has a deep trench. The spacer is formed on an upper portion of the sidewall of the deep trench. The doped region is formed on a lower portion of the sidewall of the deep trench. The deep trench isolation is formed in the deep trench. |
| US09666472B2 |
Method for establishing mapping relation in STI etch and controlling critical dimension of STI
The present invention provides a method for controlling a critical dimension of shallow trench isolations in a STI etch process, comprises the following steps: before the STI etch process, pre-establishing a mapping relation between a post-etch and pre-etch critical dimension difference of a BARC layer and a thickness of the BARC layer; and during the STI etch process after coating the BARC layer, measuring the thickness of the BARC layer and determining a trimming time for a hard mask layer according to a critical dimension difference corresponding to the measured thickness in the mapping relation and a critical dimension of a photoresist pattern, then performing a trimming process for the hard mask layer lasting the trimming time to make a critical dimension of the hard mask layer equal to a required critical dimension of an active area, and etching a substrate to form shallow trenches with a predetermined critical dimension. |