| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09673432B2 |
Battery case and electric skateboard using same
A battery case includes a bottom plate part and two side plate parts extending oppositely from the bottom plate part, wherein each of the side plate parts has at least one opening, in which an elastic element is arranged. An electric skateboard includes a bearing deck, wheels mounted on both ends of the bearing deck, an electric motor mounted under the bearing deck, and said battery case which is mounted under the bearing deck. The side plate parts of the battery case have openings in which elastic elements are arranged. Therefore, when pressure is exerted by the bearing deck to the battery case, the opening of the battery case is able to squeeze the elastic element so that the battery case can undergo an elastic deformation easily. |
| US09673431B2 |
Battery having a brick architecture including cells arranged in series or in parallel
Battery comprising several cells disposed in several modules (112) linked together in series, characterized in that it comprises at least one brick (120) comprising a lower terminal and an upper terminal, between which are arranged two cells (111) and at least three switches (113), so as to be able to dispose the two cells (111) in series or in parallel between the two terminals and in that the battery comprises a control circuit (127) for the switches (113) of the said at least one brick. |
| US09673428B2 |
Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided, including a battery element having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator; an exterior member for the battery element including: a first layer; a second layer; a bending part for partitioning the first layer and the second layer from each other; a sealing part which is formed by a peripheral part of the first layer in contact with a peripheral part of the second layer and which seals the battery element; a thick-walled part that is a portion of the sealing part and includes at least a part of the bending part, wherein the thick-walled part has a greater thickness in a thickness direction of the battery element than a thickness of a portion of the sealing part other than the thick-walled part, and wherein the thickness direction of the battery element corresponds to a stacking direction of the battery element. |
| US09673421B2 |
OLED display and manufacturing method thereof
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The OLED display includes a plurality of sub-pixel units each including a first region and a second region. The first region includes a first electrode, a first organic material functional layer and a second electrode disposed in order on a base substrate. The second region includes a third electrode, a second organic material functional layer and a fourth electrode disposed in order on the base substrate. The first electrode and the third electrode each include an opaque metal layer, and the second electrode and the fourth electrode are translucent metal electrodes. The first electrode, the first organic material functional layer and the second electrode constitute a first micro-cavity, the third electrode, the second organic material functional layer and the fourth electrode constitute a second micro-cavity, and the first micro-cavity and the second micro-cavity have different micro-cavity effects. |
| US09673420B2 |
Organic electroluminescent device, illumination apparatus, and illumination system
An organic electroluminescent device includes a first electrode, an insulating layer, an organic light emitting layer, a second electrode, and a light transmissive part. The first electrode has an upper face. The insulating layer is provided on the upper face. The insulating layer includes first to fifth insulating parts. The organic light emitting layer is provided on the upper face in between the insulating parts. The second electrode is provided on the organic light emitting layer. The light transmissive part overlaps the first region of the first electrode when projected onto the plane. The light transmissive part makes a phase of a first light permeating the first region to be different from a phase of a second light permeating the second region of the first electrode. |
| US09673419B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method thereof
Provide is a display device that prevents adverse effects on pixel circuits, resulting from a process related to a sealing film, and a manufacturing method of the display device. A display device includes pixel circuits on a substrate and a sealing film having a multilayer structure on the pixel circuits. The sealing film includes a first layer being formed in contact with the pixel circuits and being made of a silicon-containing inorganic material. The first layer is a mixed film containing at least one component changing seamlessly in a stacking direction. |
| US09673418B2 |
Display device
Provided is a display device including a display panel configured to display an image, and a window panel located on the display panel, the window panel having a display area for transmitting an image displayed on the display panel, and a non-display area surrounding the display area, wherein the window panel includes a window substrate, and a print layer on a lower surface of the window substrate in the non-display area, and including a silicon-based polymer or a fluorine-based polymer. |
| US09673415B2 |
Blue light organic light-emitting diode and display including same
The present disclosure provides a blue light organic light-emitting diode, which includes a first electrode layer; a first hole injection layer disposed on the first electrode layer; a second hole injection layer disposed on first hole injection layer; a hole transport layer disposed on the second hole injection layer; a blue light emitting material layer disposed on the hole transport layer; an electron transport layer disposed on the blue light emitting material layer; and a second electrode layer disposed on the electron transport layer, wherein the second hole injection layer has a thickness of 85 nm˜105 nm. The present disclosure further provides a display including the device. The blue light organic light-emitting diode of the present disclosure can control blue light energy components having a wavelength less than 435 nm within 0.2%, which reduces the harm of the blue light in the wave band to human eyes to a great extent. |
| US09673414B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode and method for preparing the same
An organic light-emitting diode and a method for preparing the same are disclosed. The organic light-emitting diode at least comprises a luminescent layer between an anode and a cathode, and the organic light-emitting diode further comprises at least two electron transport layers set between the luminescent layer and the cathode and an N-type doped layer set between every two adjacent electron transport layers. For the organic light-emitting diode of the invention, an electron transport material and an N-type dopant are sequentially evaporated in turn, and the electron injection and transportation capacity is improved by forming an N-type doping-like effect from interface dope effect and the diffusion of an N-type dopant, so that carrier concentration can be balanced, exciton utilization can be improved, and the photoelectric properties of the OLED device can be improved. |
| US09673412B2 |
System and method for matching electrode resistances in OLED light panels
Provided are an OLED device and a method of manufacturing the OLED device that may provide improved luminance uniformity. The disclosed OLED may have a first electrode that has a first sheet resistance Rs, and a second electrode that has a second sheet resistance, wherein the second sheet resistance may be in the range of 0.3 Rs-1.3 Rs. In addition, the disclosed OLED may have a plurality of equal potential difference between points on a first electrode and a second electrode. The equal potential difference may be provided by a gradient resistance formed on at least one of the electrodes. |
| US09673410B2 |
Deposition apparatus, method thereof and method for forming quantum-dot layer using the same
A deposition apparatus includes a first nozzle configured to spray a first deposition material toward a substrate and a second nozzle configured to spray a second deposition material, a first deposition source configured to supply the first deposition material to the first nozzle and a second deposition source configured to supply the second deposition material to the second nozzle. The deposition apparatus further includes a barrier member disposed between the first nozzle and the second nozzle and is configured to block the first deposition material evaporated through the first nozzle from being mixed with the second deposition material evaporated through the second nozzle and a vacuum chamber configured to surround the first and second nozzles, the first and second deposition sources and the barrier member. |
| US09673409B2 |
Phosphorescent tetradentate metal complexes having modified emission spectra
Multidentate metal complexes useful as phosphorescent emitters in display and lighting applications having the following structures: |
| US09673408B2 |
Luminescent diazabenzimidazole carbene metal complexes
The present invention relates to metal-carbene complexes of the general formula (I), where variable M is Ir or Pt and that are characterized by variable R being a group of formula (a). The complexes are used in organic electronic devices, especially OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes), illuminating elements, stationary visual display units and in material layers as emitter, charge transport material and/or charge or exiton blocker. |
| US09673403B2 |
Heterocyclic compound and organic light emitting device using the same
The present specification provides a heterocyclic compound, and an organic light emitting device including: a first electrode, a second electrode, and organic material layers formed of one or more layers including a light emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, in which one or more layers of the organic material layers include the heterocyclic compound or a compound in which a heat-curable or photo-curable functional group is introduced into the heterocyclic compound. |
| US09673399B2 |
Floating evaporative assembly of aligned carbon nanotubes
High density films of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes having a high degree of nanotube alignment are provided. Also provided are methods of making the films and field effect transistors (FETs) that incorporate the films as conducting channel materials. The single-walled carbon nanotubes are deposited from a thin layer of organic solvent containing solubilized single-walled carbon nanotubes that is continuously supplied to the surface of an aqueous medium, inducing evaporative self-assembly upon contacting a solid substrate. |
| US09673398B2 |
Difluorothienothiophene based conjugated polymers
A polymer having a monomer repeat unit comprising wherein Ar is an aryl group. |
| US09673395B2 |
Apparatus and method for forming organic thin film and manufacturing method of organic thin film device using the same
Provided is an organic thin film forming apparatus, an organic thin film forming method, and a method of manufacturing an organic thin film device using the same, in which an organic light-emitting layer (photoactive layer) and/or an electron transport layer can be formed on a substrate when an organic light emitting diode (OLED) or an organic solar cell is manufactured. The organic thin film forming apparatus includes: a solution spray unit for spraying a solution on a substrate; and a hot gas spray unit for spraying a hot gas onto fine liquid droplets that have been sprayed from the solution spray unit and that are in flight, to thereby evaporate a solvent contained in the fine liquid droplets. |
| US09673392B2 |
Phase change material switch and method of making the same
A phase change material (PCM) switch is disclosed that includes a resistive heater element, and a PCM element proximate the resistive heater element. A thermally conductive electrical insulating barrier layer positioned between the PCM heating element and the resistive heating element, and conductive lines extend from ends of the PCM element and control lines extend from ends of the resistive heater element. |
| US09673389B2 |
Memory device
According to one embodiment, a memory device includes a first interconnect group, a second interconnect group, and a memory cell. In the first interconnect group, first interconnects are stacked. The first interconnect group includes first regions in which the first interconnects are formed along a first direction, and a second region in which first contact plugs are formed on the first interconnects. In the second region, the first interconnect group includes a step portion. Heights of adjacent terraces of the step portion are different from each other by the two or more first interconnects. |
| US09673388B2 |
Integrated circuit structures with spin torque transfer magnetic random access memory and methods for fabricating the same
A method for fabricating an STT-MRAM integrated circuit includes forming a fixed layer over a bottom electrode layer, forming a silicon oxide layer a hardmask layer over the fixed, and forming a trench within the silicon oxide and hardmask layers, thereby exposing an upper surface of the fixed layer and sidewalls of the silicon oxide and hardmask layer. The method further includes forming a conformal barrier layer along the sidewalls of the silicon oxide and hardmask layers and over the upper surface of the fixed layer, such that the conformal barrier layer comprises sidewall portions adjacent the sidewalls of the silicon oxide and hardmask layers and a central portion in between the sidewall portions and adjacent the upper surface of the fixed layer. The method further includes forming a free layer between the sidewall portions of the barrier layer and over the central portion of the barrier layer. |
| US09673383B2 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component and method of manufacturing the same
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including: a ceramic body in which internal electrodes containing a first electrode material and dielectric layers are alternately disposed; external electrodes provided on outer surfaces of the ceramic body and containing a second electrode material; and diffusion parts each disposed to be connected to one end of the internal electrode and the external electrode and containing the first electrode material and the second electrode material mixed with each other, wherein the diffusion part includes an internal diffusion portion disposed within the ceramic body and an external diffusion portion protruding outside of the ceramic body. |
| US09673379B2 |
Piezoelectric material, piezoelectric element, and electronic device
A piezoelectric material that does not contain lead and has excellent piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (−30° C. to 50° C.) is provided. A piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite metal oxide represented by following general formula (1), and a first auxiliary component containing Mn, wherein an amount of the contained Mn is 0.002 moles or more and 0.015 moles or less relative to 1 mole of the metal oxide. (Ba1-yBiy)a(Ti1-x-zZrxFez)O3 (1) (where 0.010≦x≦0.060, 0.001≦y≦0.015, 0.001≦z≦0.015, 0.950≦y/z≦1.050, and 0.986≦a≦1.020). |
| US09673374B2 |
Cost-effective single crystal multi-stake actuator and method of manufacture
This invention pertains to piezoelectric actuators made of single crystal active elements which not only exhibit uniform and superior displacement in the axial direction but also of lower cost to produce than full single crystal ring or tube actuators. Said multi-stake actuator is made up of multiple longitudinal (d33) or transverse (d3i or d32) mode piezoelectric single crystal active elements, bonded together by epoxy with the aid of shaped edge- and top and bottom washer-stiffeners which are configured to suit various application needs. |
| US09673372B2 |
Actuator device and manufacturing method for actuator device
An actuator device and a manufacturing method for the actuator device with which an outer electrode electrically connected to an inner electrode can be reliably formed even when using a film made of an electrostrictive material. An actuator device includes a plurality of stacked electrostrictive films each of which is made of an electrostrictive material and includes inner electrodes formed on one surface or both surfaces of the film. Lead electrodes are formed to be led out respectively from the inner electrodes toward the outside of the electrostrictive film 31. At least one cut portion is formed in each of the lead electrodes, and conductive ink is applied to the cut portion. The conductive ink reaches, from the cut portions, the lead electrodes formed on the electrostrictive film. |
| US09673371B2 |
Anisotropically elongated thermoelectric material, process for preparing the same, and device comprising the material
An anisotropically elongated thermoelectric nanocomposite includes a thermoelectric material. |
| US09673368B2 |
Light emitting device having first and second electrodes on one side of a light emitting structure
A light emitting device having an enhanced surface property and an electrical property is provided. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, a first electrode disposed on one side of the light emitting structure and electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer, a second electrode disposed on one side of the light emitting structure and electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact including a first layer disposed between the second electrode and the second semiconductor layer and having aluminum (Al), a second layer including at least one MxAly alloy formed by a reaction with Al included in the first layer, and a third layer disposed on the second layer and having gold (Au) is provided. |
| US09673367B2 |
Substrate for mounting chip and chip package
A chip mounting substrate including a plurality of conductive portions to apply an electrode voltage to a mounted chip having electrode portions, at least one insulation portion configured to electrically isolate conductive portions, a cavity depressed inward of the conductive portions and providing a space in which the chip is mounted and bumps formed on surfaces of the conductive portions having the cavity and bonded to the electrode portions. In the case of a metal substrate, a tight bonding is enabled between the chip and the substrate by bonding a plating layer formed on the electrode portions of the chip using bumps formed on the metal substrate. |
| US09673365B2 |
Optoelectronic component and electronic device having an optoelectronic component
An electronic device includes a printed circuit board having a cutout, wherein an optoelectronic component including a housing having an outer surface, the housing has a chip receptacle space at a top side, an optoelectronic semiconductor chip is arranged in the chip receptacle space, the housing has a first soldering contact surface and a second soldering contact surface, the first soldering contact surface and the second soldering contact surface face in the same spatial direction as the outer surface, and the first soldering contact surface and the second soldering contact surface are set back relative to the outer surface, is arranged in the cutout. |
| US09673356B2 |
Packaging device and packaging method
The present invention discloses a packaging device and a packaging method and relates to a field of manufacturing technique of a display panel. The packaging device is used to package a display panel, the display panel comprising a first substrate and a second substrate that are arranged opposed to each other and are able to be packaged by a sealing material, the packaging device comprising a first adsorption part and a second adsorption part that are able to attract each other through a magnetic force, one of the first adsorption part and the second adsorption part configured to be detachably arranged on the outside of the first substrate, and the other of the first adsorption part and the second adsorption part configured to be detachably arranged on the outside of the second substrate. |
| US09673355B2 |
Light emitting diode having electrode pads
A light-emitting diode includes at least two light emitting cells disposed on a substrate and spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the at least two light emitting cells includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer. Each of the at least two light emitting cells includes a cathode disposed on the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an anode disposed on the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and the cathode of a first light emitting cell of the at least two light emitting cells is electrically connected in series to the anode of a second light emitting cell of the at least two light emitting cells adjacent to the first light emitting cell by an interconnecting section. |
| US09673354B2 |
Light emitting device
Disclosed is a light emitting device including a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer under the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer under the active layer, a first electrode electrically connected with the first conductive semiconductor layer, a mirror layer under the light emitting structure, a window semiconductor layer between the mirror layer and the light emitting structure, a reflective layer under the mirror layer, a conductive contact layer between the reflective layer and the window semiconductor layer and in contact with the second conductive semiconductor layer, and a conductive support substrate under the reflective layer. The window semiconductor layer includes a C-doped P-based semiconductor doped with a higher dopant concentration. The conductive contact layer includes material different from that of the mirror layer with a thickness thinner than that of the window semiconductor layer. |
| US09673351B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor chips
A method of manufacturing semiconductor chips includes: forming grooves on a front face side of a substrate; and forming grooves on a back face side of the substrate as defined herein, and in manufacturing conditions in which a variation range of a top section of the cutting member having a tapered tip end shape with no top face in the groove width direction changes from a range included in the groove on the front face side to a range away from the groove on the front face side as wear of the cutting member advances, the use of the cutting member is stopped before the variation range changes from the range included in the groove on the front face side to the range away from the groove on the front face side. |
| US09673343B2 |
Transducer to convert optical energy to electrical energy
A transducer to convert optical energy to electrical energy. The transducer or photo-transducer has a base layer which has a group of connecting elements formed therein at separations which are increasing with the distance away from an emitter layer formed atop the base layer. The connecting elements separate and electrically connect the base layer into base segments, the base segments having increasing thicknesses with the distance away from the emitter layer. The photo-transducer generates an output voltage that is greater than the input light photovoltage. The photo-transducer output voltage is proportional to the number of connecting elements formed in the base layer. |
| US09673342B2 |
Textured silicon substrate and method
A method of texturizing a silicon substrate comprising a) contacting the substrate with an etching solution comprising glycolic acid, b) etching a surface of the substrate thereby forming disruptions in said surface of the substrate, and c) removing the etching solution to yield a texturized substrate, said texturized substrate having a plurality of disruptions in at least one surface with a surface density of disruptions of a minimum of 60 disruptions in a 400 micron square area. |
| US09673341B2 |
Photovoltaic devices with fine-line metallization and methods for manufacture
A method for use in forming a photovoltaic device includes forming a doped semiconductor layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate and forming a metal film on the doped semiconductor layer. A patterned etched resist is formed on the metal film and a dielectric layer is formed on the doped semiconductor layer and the etched resist. A laser having a wavelength absorbable by the patterned etch resist is applied through the dielectric layer to the patterned etch resist to remove the patterned etch resist. |
| US09673337B2 |
Semiconductor device
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 included in an LSI, a CPU, or a memory is manufactured using the transistor which is formed using an oxide semiconductor which is an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductor obtained by removal of impurities which serve as electron donors (donors) from the oxide semiconductor and has larger energy gap than a silicon semiconductor, and is formed over a semiconductor substrate. With the transistor which is formed over the semiconductor substrate and includes the highly purified oxide semiconductor layer with sufficiently reduced hydrogen concentration, a semiconductor device whose power consumption due to leakage current is low can be realized. |
| US09673332B2 |
Circuit substrate manufacturing method
A method of manufacturing a circuit substrate comprising a semiconductor element disposed on a transparent substrate, includes: forming an island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer on the transparent substrate; forming a patterned etch-stop layer made of an insulating material so as to cover at least a center portion of the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer; depositing a conductive layer over an entire surface of the transparent substrate including a region over the patterned etch-stop layer; forming a patterned resist on the conductive layer; and etching the conductive layer using the patterned resist as a mask to form a patterned conductive layer from the conductive layer, wherein the patterned conductive layer includes a source electrode, a source wiring line, and a drain electrode, and continuing to etch the island-shaped oxide semiconductor thereunder using the patterned conductive layer and the patterned etch-stop layer as a mask to form a cutout in the island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer. |
| US09673331B2 |
Structure and formation method of semiconductor device structure
Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a fin structure over a semiconductor substrate and a gate stack covering a portion of the fin structure. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer, a work function layer, and a conductive filling over the work function layer. The semiconductor device structure also includes a dielectric layer covering the fin structure. The dielectric layer is in direct contact with the conductive filling. |
| US09673327B2 |
Strained semiconductor using elastic edge relaxation of a stressor combined with buried insulating layer
An SOI wafer contains a compressively stressed buried insulator structure. In one example, the stressed buried insulator (BOX) may be formed on a host wafer by forming silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxide layers so that the silicon nitride layer is compressively stressed. Wafer bonding provides the surface silicon layer over the stressed insulator layer. Preferred implementations of the invention form MOS transistors by etching isolation trenches into a preferred SOI substrate having a stressed BOX structure to define transistor active areas on the surface of the SOI substrate. Most preferably the trenches are formed deep enough to penetrate through the stressed BOX structure and some distance into the underlying silicon portion of the substrate. The overlying silicon active regions will have tensile stress induced due to elastic edge relaxation. |
| US09673316B1 |
Vertical semiconductor device having frontside interconnections
A semiconductor device including a VDMOS device formed therein includes a terminal, or contact, to the drain region of the VDMOS device from the frontside of the device. In one or more implementations, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a vertical diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor device formed within the semiconductor substrate. The vertical diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor device includes at least one source region formed proximate to the first surface and at least one drain region formed proximate to the second surface. A through-substrate via is formed within the semiconductor substrate, and the through-substrate via electrically connected to the drain region. The through-substrate via provides an electrical interconnection to the drain region from the first surface. |
| US09673315B2 |
Semiconductor device, inverter circuit, driving device, vehicle, and elevator
A semiconductor device according to the embodiments includes a SiC layer having a first plane, an insulating layer, and a region between the first plane and the insulating layer, the region including at least one element in the group consisting of Be (beryllium), Mg (magnesium), Ca (calcium), Sr (strontium), and Ba (barium), a full width at half maximum of a concentration peak of the element being equal to or less than 1 nm, and when a first area density being an area density of Si (silicon) and C (carbon) including a bond which does not bond with any of Si and C in the SiC layer at the first plane and a second area density being an area density of the element, the second area density being equal to or less than ½ of the first area density. |
| US09673310B2 |
Direct drive LED driver and offline charge pump and method therefor
In one embodiment, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) driving device for driving a plurality of LEDs has a switching matrix utilizing a plurality of one of a turn off thyristors or turn off triacs coupled to the plurality of LEDs. A controller is coupled to the switching matrix responsive to a voltage of a rectified AC halfwave, wherein combinations of the plurality of LEDs are altered to ensure a maximum operating voltage of the plurality of LEDs is not exceeded. A current limiting device is coupled to the combinations of the plurality of LED to regulate current.In a second embodiment an offline charge pump utilizes a switching matrix to recombine capacitors in accordance with the voltage on the AC half wave and then in accordance with a desired output voltage to feed a load, such that said recombinations occur at a frequency much higher than the frequency of the AC rectified half wave such that charge is “pumped” from the input at one voltage to the output at another voltage through the AC halfwave while providing a constant output voltage to the load. |
| US09673303B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
Provided are a semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof. The semiconductor device may include a fin-shaped active pattern and a gate electrode provided on a substrate, first and second spacers provided on a sidewall of the gate electrode, impurity regions provided at both sides of the gate electrode, a contact plug electrically connected to one of the impurity regions, and a third spacer enclosing the contact plug and having a top surface positioned at substantially the same level as a top surface of the contact plug. |
| US09673301B1 |
Methods of forming spacers on FinFET devices
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a liner layer above a layer of spacer material, forming an ion-containing region in at least a portion of a first portion of the liner layer while not forming the ion-containing region in a second portion of the liner layer, performing a liner etching process on the first and second portions of the liner layer so as to remove the second portion of the liner layer while leaving at least a portion of the first portion of the liner layer positioned adjacent a gate structure and, with the first portion of the liner layer positioned adjacent the gate structure, performing at least one spacer formation anisotropic etching process on the layer of spacer material so as to define a spacer adjacent the gate structure. |
| US09673300B2 |
Semiconductor devices including a gate core and a fin active core and methods of fabricating the same
Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same are provided. The methods may include forming an isolation region defining a fin active region, forming a sacrificial field gate pattern on the isolation region and forming a sacrificial fin gate pattern on the fin active region. The method may also include forming a field gate cut zone comprising a first recess exposing a surface of the isolation region and a fin active cut zone comprising a second recess exposing a surface of the fin active region, forming a fin active recess in the second recess of the fin active cut zone and forming a field gate core and a fin active core by forming an insulation material in the first recess of the field gate cut zone and the fin active recess, respectively. |
| US09673297B2 |
Vertical power MOSFET and methods of forming the same
A device includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, and a first and a second body region over the semiconductor layer, wherein the first and the second body regions are of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. A doped semiconductor region of the first conductivity type is disposed between and contacting the first and the second body regions. A gate dielectric layer is disposed over the first and the second body regions and the doped semiconductor region. A first and a second gate electrode are disposed over the gate dielectric layer, and overlapping the first and the second body regions, respectively. The first and the second gate electrodes are physically separated from each other by a space, and are electrically interconnected. The space between the first and the second gate electrodes overlaps the doped semiconductor region. |
| US09673295B2 |
Contact resistance optimization via EPI growth engineering
A transistor contact structure and methods of making the same. The method includes forming a first semiconductor layer in a source/drain opening of a substrate, the first layer having a non-planar top surface; forming a second semiconductor layer directly on the first layer, the second layer having a defect density greater than the first layer; and forming a silicide region formed with the second layer, the silicide region having a non-planar interface with the first layer. A portion of the silicide interface may be higher than a top surface of the substrate and another portion may be below. |
| US09673292B2 |
Semiconductor device having modified profile metal gate
A semiconductor device having a semiconductor substrate with a dielectric layer disposed thereon. A trench is defined in the dielectric layer. A metal gate structure is disposed in the trench. The metal gate structure includes a first layer and a second layer disposed on the first layer. The first layer extends to a first height in the trench and the second layer extends to a second height in the trench; the second height is greater than the first height. In some embodiments, the second layer is a work function metal and the first layer is a dielectric. In some embodiments, the second layer is a barrier layer. |
| US09673290B2 |
Self-aligned source and drain regions for semiconductor devices
A method for forming a semiconductor device includes patterning a gate conductor, formed on a substrate, and a two-dimensional material formed on the gate conductor. Recesses are formed adjacent to the gate conductor in the substrate, and a doped layer is deposited in the recesses and over a top of the two-dimensional material. Tape is adhered to the doped layer on top of the two-dimensional material. The tape is removed to exfoliate the doped layer from the top of the two-dimensional material to form source and drain regions in the recesses. |
| US09673289B2 |
Dual oxide trench gate power MOSFET using oxide filled trench
A power MOSFET device including a semiconductor layer, an active trench formed in the semiconductor layer and housing a dual oxide thickness trench gate structure where a bottom of the trench gate is isolated from a bottom of the active trench by a liner oxide layer having a first thickness, and a termination trench formed in the semiconductor layer apart from the active trench and housing a dual oxide thickness trench gate structure where a bottom of the trench gate is isolated from a bottom of the termination trench by the liner oxide layer having a second thickness. In one embodiment, the second thickness is greater than the first thickness. In another embodiment, the trench gate in each of the active trench and the termination trench is formed as a single polysilicon layer. |
| US09673286B2 |
Group III-V transistor with semiconductor field plate
There are disclosed herein various implementations of a group III-V transistor with a semiconductor field plate. Such a group III-V transistor includes a group III-V heterostructure situated over a substrate and configured to produce a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). In addition, the group III-V transistor includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate situated over the group heterostructure. The group III-V transistor also includes an insulator layer over the group III-V heterostructure and situated between the gate and the drain electrode, and a semiconductor field plate situated between the gate and the drain electrode, over the insulator layer. |
| US09673276B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined by a trench, a device isolation layer provided in the trench to surround the active region, a gate electrode extending in a direction crossing the active region, and formed on the active region and the device isolation layer, and a gate insulating layer between the active region and the gate electrode. The active region may have a first conductivity type, and the device isolation layer may include a first silicon oxide layer on an inner surface of the first trench and a different layer, selected from one of first metal oxide layer and a negatively-charged layer, on the first silicon oxide layer. |
| US09673275B2 |
Isolated complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices for radio-frequency (RF) circuits
Isolated complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices for radio-frequency (RF) circuits are disclosed. In some aspects, an RF circuit includes CMOS devices, a silicon substrate having doped regions that define the CMOS devices, and a trench through the silicon substrate. The trench through the silicon substrate forms a continuous channel around the doped regions of one of the CMOS devices to electrically isolate the CMOS device from other CMOS devices embodied on the silicon substrate. By so doing, performance characteristics of the CMOS device, such as linearity and signal isolation, may be improved over those of conventional CMOS devices (e.g., bulk CMOS). |
| US09673273B2 |
High breakdown n-type buried layer
A semiconductor device has an n-type buried layer formed by implanting antimony and/or arsenic into the p-type first epitaxial layer at a high dose and low energy, and implanting phosphorus at a low dose and high energy. A thermal drive process diffuses and activates both the heavy dopants and the phosphorus. The antimony and arsenic do not diffuse significantly, maintaining a narrow profile for a main layer of the buried layer. The phosphorus diffuses to provide a lightly-doped layer several microns thick below the main layer. An epitaxial p-type layer is grown over the buried layer. |
| US09673270B2 |
Metal insulator metal capacitor and method for making the same
A semiconductor device includes one or more metal-insulator-metal (MiM) capacitors. The semiconductor device includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer located above, and in physical contact with, the bottom electrode, a top electrode located above, and in physical contact with, the dielectric layer, a first top contact contacting the top electrode, a first bottom contact contacting the bottom electrode from a top electrode direction, a first metal bump connecting to the top contact, and a second metal bump connecting to the bottom contact. The top electrode has a smaller area than the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode, the dielectric layer, and the top electrode is a MiM capacitor. Top electrodes of a number of MiM capacitors and bottom electrodes of a number of MiM capacitors are daisy chained to allow testing of the conductivity of the electrodes. |
| US09673266B2 |
OLED pixel structure and method for manufacturing the same, OLED display panel and OLED display device
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an OLED pixel structure and a method for manufacturing the same, an OLED display panel having the OLED pixel structure, and an OLED display device having the OLED display panel. An OLED pixel structure comprises a plurality of sub-pixel units. Each of said sub-pixel units comprises: a first electrode, an organic material functional layer and a second electrode arranged in that order on said substrate plate; and an intermediate layer arranged between said substrate plate and said first electrode; wherein, a surface of said intermediate layer away from said substrate plate has a recess of arc shape; and said first electrode is located within said recess such that said first electrode, said organic material functional layer and said second electrode each has an arc shape corresponding to the arc shape of said recess. With these technical solutions according to the present disclosure, these problems of the narrow angle of view, and of different strengths and colors of the light as being viewed from different viewing angles, can be alleviated. |
| US09673262B2 |
COA substrate, display device and method for manufacturing COA substrate
The present disclosure provides a COA substrate, a display device and a method for manufacturing the COA substrate. The COA substrate includes a base substrate, a TFT array arranged on the base substrate, a protective layer covering the TFT array, and a color filter including a color pixel and a white pixel, wherein the white pixel is made of a photoresist material. |
| US09673258B2 |
Organic pixels including organic photodiode, manufacturing methods thereof, and apparatuses including the same
Provided is an organic pixel, which includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel circuit, an interconnection layer having a first contact and a first electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an organic photo-diode formed on the interconnection layer. For example, the organic photo-diode includes an insulation layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode and a photo-electric conversion region formed between the first contact, the insulation layer and the second electrode. The photo-electric conversion region includes an electron donating organic material and an electron accepting organic material. The organic photo-diode may further include a second contact electrically connected to the first contact. The horizontal distance between the second contacts and the insulation layer may be less than or equal to a few micrometers, for example, 10 micrometers. |
| US09673256B2 |
Phase change memory stack with treated sidewalls
Memory devices and methods for fabricating memory devices have been disclosed. One such memory device includes a first electrode material formed on a word line material. A selector device material is formed on the first electrode material. A second electrode material is formed on the selector device material. A phase change material is formed on the second electrode material. A third electrode material is formed on the phase change material. An adhesion species is plasma doped into sidewalls of the memory stack and a liner material is formed on the sidewalls of the memory stack. The adhesion species intermixes with an element of the memory stack and the sidewall liner to terminate unsatisfied atomic bonds of the element and the sidewall liner. |
| US09673255B2 |
Resistive memory device and fabrication methods
A method for forming a resistive memory device includes providing a substrate comprising a first metal material, forming a conductive silicon-bearing layer on top of the first metal material, wherein the conductive silicon-bearing layer comprises an upper region and a lower region, and wherein the lower region is adjacent to the first metal material, forming an amorphous layer from the upper region of the conductive silicon-bearing layer, and disposing an active metal material above the amorphous layer. |
| US09673254B2 |
Light emitting device
Disclosed is a light emitting device comprising a plurality of light emitting cells, and a bridge electrode electrically connecting two adjacent light emitting cells, and the plurality of light emitting cells comprise a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer and an active layer between the first conductive semiconductor layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer, a first electrode on the first conductive semiconductor layer and a second electrode on the second conductive semiconductor layer, wherein the bridge electrode has a part thicker than the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US09673251B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, method for manufacturing solid-state imaging device, and imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging device includes, in a semiconductor substrate, a pixel portion provided with a photoelectric conversion portion, which photoelectrically converts incident light to obtain an electric signal and a peripheral circuit portion disposed on the periphery of the pixel portion, wherein a gate insulating film of aMOS transistor in the peripheral circuit portion is composed of a silicon oxynitride film, a gate insulating film of aMOS transistor in the pixel portion is composed of a silicon oxynitride film, and an oxide film is disposed just above the photoelectric conversion portion in the pixel portion. |
| US09673250B2 |
Shallow trench textured regions and associated methods
Photosensitive devices and associated methods are provided. In one aspect, for example, a photosensitive imager device can include a semiconductor layer having multiple doped regions forming a least one junction, a textured region coupled to the semiconductor layer and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation. The textured region can be formed from a series of shallow trench isolation features. |
| US09673249B2 |
Solid-state image pickup device, electronic apparatus using such solid-state image pickup device and method of manufacturing solid-state image pickup device
A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity. |
| US09673246B2 |
Dual metal for a backside package of backside illuminated image sensor
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device with improved bonding ability is disclosed. The method comprises providing a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; forming one or more sensor elements on the front surface of the substrate; forming one or more metallization layers over the front surface of the substrate, wherein forming a first metallization layer comprises forming a first conductive layer over the front surface of the substrate; removing the first conductive layer from a first region of the substrate; forming a second conductive layer over the front surface of the substrate; and removing portions of the second conductive layer from the first region and a second region of the substrate, wherein the first metallization layer in the first region comprises the second conductive layer and the first metallization layer in the second region comprises the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. |
| US09673245B2 |
Implant isolated devices and method for forming the same
A device includes a semiconductor substrate and implant isolation region extending from a top surface of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate surrounding an active region. A gate dielectric is disposed over an active region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate dielectric extends over the implant isolation region. A gate electrode is disposed over the gate dielectric and an end cap dielectric layer is between the gate dielectric and the gate electrode over the implant isolation region. |
| US09673240B2 |
Low cross-talk for small pixel barrier detectors
Methods and structures of barrier detectors are described. The structure may include an absorber that is at least partially reticulated. The at least partially reticulated absorber may also include an integrated electricity conductivity structure. The structure may include at least two contact regions isolated from one another. The structure may further include a barrier layer disposed between the absorber and at least two contact regions. |
| US09673239B1 |
Image sensor device and method
A system and method for forming pixels in an image sensor is provided. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an image sensor including a first pixel region and a second pixel region in a substrate, the first pixel region being adjacent to the second pixel region. A first anti-reflection coating is over the first pixel region, the first anti-reflection coating reducing reflection for a first wavelength range of incident light. A second anti-reflection coating is over the second pixel region, the second anti-reflection coating reducing reflection for a second wavelength range of incident light that is different from the first wavelength range. |
| US09673236B2 |
Pixel array of an image sensor and image sensor
A pixel array of an image sensor includes a substrate, a chromatic pixel including a first photodiode formed in the substrate and a color filter formed over the first photodiode, and an achromatic pixel including a second photodiode formed in the substrate, the second photodiode having a nano pillar pattern at a surface region of the substrate. |
| US09673234B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device provided with a plurality of kinds of transistors with different device structures suitable for functions of circuits is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to third transistors with different device structures over one substrate. A semiconductor layer of the first transistor is an oxide semiconductor film with a stacked-layer structure, and a semiconductor layer of each of the second and third transistors is an oxide semiconductor film with a single-layer structure. Each of the first and second transistors includes a back gate electrode connected to its gate electrode. |
| US09673226B2 |
Thin film transistor array substrate, display panel and display device
A thin film transistor array substrate for a display device generally includes: a substrate; a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines arranged on the substrate intersecting with and insulated from each other; and a plurality of pixel elements arranged in areas defined by the gate lines and the data lines. At least one of the pixel elements includes: a switch element; an insulation layer located on the switch element; and a pixel electrode located at the insulation layer. The insulation layers of the pixel elements define a plurality of vias. The pixel electrodes of two adjacent pixel elements are electrically coupled with the corresponding switch elements of the two adjacent pixel elements through a common via defined by the insulation layers of the two adjacent pixel elements. The two adjacent pixel elements are disposed along extensions of the plurality of the gate lines. |
| US09673223B2 |
Electroluminescence display device
Disclosed is an electroluminescence device having a substrate, a thin film transistor over the substrate, an insulating film over the thin film transistor, an electroluminescence element over the insulating film, a passivation film over the electroluminescence element, and a counter substrate over the passivation film. The electroluminescence element is configured to emit light through the counter substrate, and a space between the substrate and the counter substrate is filled with a filler. The electroluminescence device is featured by the tapered side surface of a gate electrode of the thin film transistor. |
| US09673222B2 |
Fin isolation structures facilitating different fin isolation schemes
Methods and semiconductor structures formed from the methods are provided which facilitate fabricating semiconductor fin structures. The methods include, for example: providing a wafer with at least one semiconductor fin extending above a substrate; transforming a portion of the semiconductor fin(s) into an isolation layer, the isolation layer separating a semiconductor layer of the semiconductor fin(s) from the substrate; and proceeding with forming a fin device(s) of a first architectural type in a first fin region of the semiconductor fin(s), and a fin device(s) of a second architectural type in a second fin region of the semiconductor fin(s), where the first architectural type and the second architectural type are different fin device architectures. |
| US09673217B1 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a stacked body, a semiconductor body, and a stacked film. The stacked body includes a plurality of tungsten layers and a plurality of alloy layers of tungsten and molybdenum. At least portions of the tungsten layers are stacked with an air gap interposed. The alloy layers are provided on surfaces of the tungsten layers opposing the air gap. The semiconductor body extends in a stacking direction through the stacked body. The stacked film is provided between the semiconductor body and the tungsten layers. The stacked film includes a charge storage portion. |
| US09673213B1 |
Three dimensional memory device with peripheral devices under dummy dielectric layer stack and method of making thereof
A method of manufacturing a structure includes forming an in-process alternating stack including insulating layers and spacer material layers over a substrate, forming two sets of stepped surfaces by dividing the in-process alternating stack into a first alternating stack and a second alternating stack, the first alternating stack having first stepped surfaces and the second alternating stack having second stepped surfaces, forming at least one memory stack structure through the first alternating stack, each of the at least one memory stack structure including charge storage regions, a tunneling dielectric, and a semiconductor channel, replacing portions of the insulating layers in the first alternating stack with electrically conductive layers while leaving intact portions of the insulating layers in the second alternating stack, and forming a contact via structure through the second alternating stack to contact a peripheral semiconductor device under the second stack. |
| US09673212B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device may include pipe channel layer, and a pipe gate surrounding the pipe channel layer. The semiconductor device may include an oxidization layer formed between the pipe gate and the pipe channel layer. The semiconductor device may include a source side channel layer and a drain side channel layer extended from the pipe channel layer to protrude further than the oxidization layer. |
| US09673210B1 |
Semiconductor structure including a nonvolatile memory cell having a charge trapping layer and method for the formation thereof
A semiconductor structure including a nonvolatile memory cell element including an active region formed in a semiconductor material, a select gate structure, a dummy control gate structure and a transfer gate structure is provided. Additionally, an electrically insulating structure extending around each of the select gate structure, the dummy control gate structure and the transfer gate structure is provided. The dummy control gate structure is removed, wherein a first recess is formed in the semiconductor structure. After removing the dummy gate structure, a charge trapping layer and a layer of a control gate electrode material are deposited over the semiconductor structure. Portions of the charge trapping layer and the layer of the control gate electrode material over the electrically insulating structure are removed. Portions of the charge trapping layer and the layer of control gate electrode material in the recess provide a control gate structure of the nonvolatile memory cell. |
| US09673209B2 |
Memory device and method for fabricating the same
A device comprises a nanowire over a substrate, wherein the nanowire comprises a first drain/source region over the substrate, a channel region over the first drain/source region and a second drain/source region over the channel region, a high-k dielectric layer and a control gate layer surrounding a lower portion of the channel region and a tunneling layer and a ring-shaped floating gate layer surrounding an upper portion of the channel region. |
| US09673196B2 |
Field effect transistors with varying threshold voltages
A method including providing a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device, the first and second semiconductor devices including dummy spacers, dummy gates, and extension regions; protecting the second semiconductor device with a mask; removing the dummy spacers from the first semiconductor device; and depositing in-situ doped epitaxial regions on top of the extension regions of the first semiconductor device. |
| US09673194B2 |
Semiconductor arrangement and formation thereof
A semiconductor arrangement and method of forming the same are described. A semiconductor arrangement includes a first gate structure on a first side of an active area and a second gate structure on a second side of the active area, where the first gate structure and the second gate structure share the active area. A method of forming the semiconductor arraignment includes forming a deep implant of the active area before forming the first gate structure, and then forming a shallow implant of the active area. Forming the deep implant prior to forming the first gate structure alleviates the need for an etching process that degrades the first gate structure. The first gate structure thus has a desired configuration and is able to be formed closer to other gate structures to enhance device density. |
| US09673189B2 |
ESD unit
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) unit is described, including a first device, and a second device coupled to the first device in parallel. In an ESD event, the first device is turned on before the second device is turned on. The second device may be turned on by the turned-on first device to form an ESD path in the ESD event. |
| US09673187B2 |
High speed interface protection apparatus
The disclosed technology relates to electronics, and more particularly, to protection devices that protect circuits from transient electrical events such as electrical overstress/electrostatic discharge. A protection device includes a semiconductor substrate having formed therein at least two wells and a deep well underlying and contacting the at least two wells. The device additionally includes a first PN diode formed in one of the at least two wells and having a first heavily doped region of a first conductivity type and a first heavily doped region of a second conductivity type, and includes a second PN diode formed in one of the at least two wells and having a second heavily doped region of the first conductivity type and a second heavily doped region of the second conductivity type. The device additionally includes a first PN diode and the second PN diode are electrically shorted by an electrical shorting structure to form a first plurality of serially connected diodes having a threshold voltage. The device further includes a PNPN silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) having a trigger voltage and comprising the first heavily doped region of the first conductivity type, the at least two wells, the deep well, and the second heavily doped region of the second conductivity type. |
| US09673179B1 |
Discrete electronic device embedded in chip module
The invention relates to a method for embedding a discrete electronic device in a chip module. The chip module comprises a multilayer substrate which comprises a plurality of electrically conductive layers stacked above each other and an electrically non-conductive layer arranged between each pair of electrically conductive layers. The chip module is configured to receive one or more chips to be mounted onto a top surface thereof. Each electrically conductive layer comprises one or more electrically conductive structures. A recess is provided in a side surface of the chip module. The discrete electronic device is inserted into the recess. A first electrically conductive connection between a first electrical contact of the discrete electronic device and a first electrically conductive structure is established. Further, a second electrically conductive connection between a second electrical contact of the discrete electronic device and a second electrically conductive structure is established. |
| US09673177B1 |
Selectively soluble standoffs for chip joining
A technique relates to forming a chip assembly. Top and bottom chip stack elements containing solder pads and a solder material are provided. Soluble standoffs are applied to the bottom chip stack element. The chip stack elements are aligned to bring the top solder pad in proximity to the bottom solder pad and the temperature is raised to a temperature above the melting temperature of the solder material to form a connected chip assembly. The connected chip assembly is cooled to re-solidify the solder material and soluble standoffs are removed from the connected chip assembly. |
| US09673176B2 |
Metal to metal bonding for stacked (3D) integrated circuits
The present invention provides a stabilized fine textured metal microstructure that constitutes a durable activated surface usable for bonding a 3D stacked chip. A fine-grain layer that resists self anneal enables metal to metal bonding at moderate time and temperature and wider process flexibility. |
| US09673175B1 |
Heat spreader for package-on-package (PoP) type packages
A package-on-package (PoP) device has a first package and an interposer heat spreader. The first package includes a die and a substrate. The substrate has die contact pads, top contact pads, bottom contact pads, and interconnects between the die contact pads, the top contact pads, and the bottom contact pads. The die is electrically connected to the die contact pads. The top contact pads are adapted to be electrically connected to a second package to form the PoP device. The heat spreader has a central section thermo-conductively connected to the die. The heat spreader includes at least one arm connected to the central section and extending out past an edge of the first package. The heat spreader also has openings for electrical interconnects between the first package and the second package. |
| US09673172B2 |
Integrated electronic device including an interposer structure and a method for fabricating the same
An integrated circuit device and a method of fabricating the same are presented. The integrated circuit device (1) includes two or more active components (30a, 30b), possibly fabricated by different semiconductor technologies, and an interposer structure (10) adapted for carrying the two or more active components such that at least one of the active components is carried on a top surface of the interposer structure. The integrated circuit device also includes at least one metal cap (40), furnished on the top surface of the interposer structure and encapsulating at least one of the active components. Some variants of the integrated circuit device of the invention are suited for operation under extreme conditions. |
| US09673170B2 |
Batch process for connecting chips to a carrier
Methods for connecting chips to a chip carrier are disclosed. In some embodiments the method for connecting a plurality of chips to a chip carrier includes placing first chips on a transfer carrier, placing second chips on the transfer carrier, placing the transfer carrier with the first and second chips on the chip carrier and forming connections between the first chips and the chip carrier and the second chips and the chip carrier. |
| US09673164B2 |
Semiconductor package and system with an isolation structure to reduce electromagnetic coupling
A system and method for packaging a semiconductor device that includes a structure to reduce electromagnetic coupling is presented. The semiconductor device has a substrate on which a first circuit and a second circuit with inputs and outputs are formed proximate to each other. An isolation structure of electrically conductive material is located between components of the first and second circuits, the isolation structure being configured to reduce inductive coupling between those components during an operation of the semiconductor device. The isolation structure may be positioned on or over exterior surfaces of the semiconductor device housing or inside the housing. In one embodiment, the isolation structure includes a first leg extending transverse to the surface of the substrate and a first cross member connected to and projecting from the first leg over the substrate. |
| US09673154B2 |
Semiconductor device
A seal ring structure is formed through a multilayer structure of a plurality of dielectric films in a peripheral part of a chip region to surround the chip region. A dual damascene interconnect in which an interconnect and a plug connected to the interconnect are integrated is formed in at least one of the dielectric films in the chip region. Part of the seal ring structure formed in the dielectric film in which the dual damascene interconnect is formed is continuous. A protection film formed on the multilayer structure has an opening on the seal ring. A cap layer connected to the seal ring is formed in the opening. |
| US09673150B2 |
EMI/RFI shielding for semiconductor device packages
An encapsulated semiconductor device package with an overlying conductive EMI or RFI shield in contact with an end of a grounded conductive component at a lateral side of the package, and methods of making the semiconductor device package. |
| US09673149B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a transparent substrate having a visible region and an invisible region; forming a gate and at least an alignment mark coplanarly on the transparent substrate, wherein the gate is located in the visible region and the alignment mark is located in the invisible region; forming a gate insulation layer to cover the gate and cover the alignment mark; forming an oxide semiconductor layer on the gate insulation layer above the gate; and forming an etching stop layer above the gate and the alignment mark. |
| US09673145B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit layout structure
A semiconductor integrated circuit layout structure includes a first active region, a second active region isolating from the first active region, a gate structure straddling the first active region and the second active region, and a plurality of conductive structures. The first active region at two opposite sides of the gate structure respectively forms a first source region and a first drain region. The second active region at two opposite sides of the gate structure respectively forms a second source region and a second drain region. The conductive structures include a plurality of slot-type conductive structures and one island-type conductive structure. The slot-type conductive structures are respectively formed on the first source region, the first drain region, the second source region and the second drain region. The island-type conductive structure is formed on the gate structure. |
| US09673139B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, a first wiring, a second insulating film, and a second wiring. The first insulating film is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The first wiring is formed on the first insulating film. The second insulating film is provided on the first insulating film to cover the first wiring. The second wiring is formed on the second insulating film. Furthermore, the second insulating film has a first opening part and a second opening part which expose the first wiring. The second wiring has a seed layer and a first plating layer. The first plating layer covers an entire side surface of the seed layer. The seed layer is not provided in the second opening part and a periphery thereof. |
| US09673137B2 |
Electronic device having a lead with selectively modified electrical properties
A die package having a plurality of connection pads, a die substrate supporting a plurality of connection elements, a first lead having a first metal core with a first core diameter, and a dielectric layer surrounding the first metal core, the dielectric layer having a first dielectric thickness that varies along its length and/or the dielectric layer having an outer metal layer at least partially surrounding the dielectric layer, for selectively modifying the electrical characteristics of the lead. |
| US09673136B2 |
Housing arrangement, method of producing a housing and method of producing an electronic assembly
A housing arrangement includes a plurality of interconnected housings for electronic components, each housing including a leadframe section of a leadframe, wherein the leadframe section is formed from an electrically conductive material and has a receiving region that receives the electronic component and/or a contact region that contacts the electronic component, a molding material into which the leadframe section is embedded and which has at least one receiving opening in which the receiving region and/or the contact region are exposed, and at least one stress reduction opening formed in the molding material and free of the receiving region and/or the contact region, wherein the housings connect to one another via the leadframe and the molding material, the stress reduction openings are formed at transitions from in each case one of the housings to another of the housings. |
| US09673135B2 |
Semiconductor device having mirror-symmetric terminals and methods of forming the same
A semiconductor device having substantially minor-symmetric terminals and methods of forming the same. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor switch having a control node and a switched node, the switched node being coupled to first and second output terminals of the semiconductor device, the first and second output terminals being positioned in a substantially minor-symmetric arrangement on the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device also includes a control element having first and second input nodes and an output node, the first and second input nodes being coupled to first and second input terminals, respectively, of the semiconductor device and the output node being coupled to the control node of the semiconductor switch, the first and second input terminals being substantially center-positioned on the semiconductor device. |
| US09673134B2 |
Semiconductor component and method of manufacture
A common mode filter coupled to a protection device. In accordance with an embodiment, the common mode filter has first and second coils, each coil having a spiral shape, a central region, an exterior region, a first terminal, and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first coil is formed in a first portion of the central region, the first terminal of the second coil is formed in a second portion of the central region, and wherein the central region is laterally bounded by the first and second coils and the exterior region is not surrounded by the first and second coils. The protection device has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first coil and a second terminal coupled to the first terminal of the second coil. |
| US09673133B2 |
Semiconductor devices having through-electrodes
Semiconductor devices having through-electrodes are provided. The semiconductor devices may include a substrate, a through-electrode penetrating vertically through the substrate, a circuit layer on the substrate and metal lines in the circuit layer. The metal lines may include two first metals on opposing edges of a top surface of the through-electrode and second metals above the top surface of the through-electrode. At least some of the second metals may not vertically overlap the two first metals. |
| US09673131B2 |
Integrated circuit package assemblies including a glass solder mask layer
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for integrated circuit package assemblies including a glass solder mask layer and/or bridge. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more build-up layers having electrical routing features and a solder mask layer composed of a glass material, the solder mask layer being coupled with the one or more build-up layers and having openings disposed in the solder mask layer to allow coupling of package-level interconnect structures with the electrical routing features through the one or more openings. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09673130B2 |
Semiconductor device having a cooler
A cooler 20 of a semiconductor device includes an inlet portion 27 and an outlet portion 28 for a cooling liquid, an inlet path 24, an outlet path 25, and a cooling flow path 26. The inlet path 24 and the outlet path 25 have asymmetrical planar shapes. A connection portion 271 between the inlet path 24 and the inlet portion 27 is opposed to the cooling flow path 26 of a part immediately below plural circuit substrates 13 arranged on the cooler 20. A connection portion 281 between the outlet path 25 and the outlet portion 28 is opposed to the cooling flow path 26 of a part immediately below plural circuit substrates 13 arranged on the cooler 20. |
| US09673129B2 |
Semiconductor device
In a semiconductor device, an insulated substrate is bonded with a cooling body with lowered thermal resistance without a holding unit. The semiconductor device includes an insulated substrate where a wiring pattern copper plate unit for forming a plurality of wiring patterns is disposed on one side of an insulating plate unit, and a heat radiation copper plate unit disposed on the other side of the insulating plate unit; a semiconductor chip mounted on the wiring pattern copper plate unit; a cooling body contacted with the heat radiation copper plate unit; and a wiring conductor plate connected between the semiconductor chip and the wiring pattern copper plate unit. The heat radiation copper plate unit and the cooling body are bonded with a metal sintered material, and thicknesses of the wiring pattern copper plate unit and the heat radiation copper plate unit are set to such thermal stress is relaxed. |
| US09673126B2 |
Multi-functional semiconductor refrigerating and warming dual-purpose box and manufacturing method
A multi-functional semiconductor refrigerating and warming dual-purpose box includes a box body, a refrigerating and heating unit, a composite condenser unit, and a liquid delivering pump. The box body includes two independent rooms, a bottom machine room, an upper working room, and a lower working room. The refrigerating and heating unit includes an upper room semiconductor refrigerating and heating unit and a lower room semiconductor refrigerating and heating unit, the upper room semiconductor refrigerating and heating unit comprising an external heat exchanger of the upper room, a first semiconductor chilling plate, and an internal heat exchanger of the upper room. The composite condenser unit and the liquid delivering pump are connected to the external heat exchanger of the upper room and the external heat exchanger of the lower room through pipes. A manufacturing method of a multi-functional semiconductor refrigerating and warming dual-purpose box is also provided. |
| US09673123B2 |
Electronic device module and method of manufacturing the same
The electronic device module includes a sealing part sealing an electronic component therein, and an external connection terminal disposed on one surface of the sealing part. The electronic device module also includes a dummy bonding part configured on a surface of the sealing part and spaced apart from the external connection terminal. |
| US09673113B2 |
Method and system for real-time polishing recipe control
Systems and methods are provided for controlling a polishing process in real-time. First and second characteristics are identified in first and second data sets, respectively, with each data set corresponding to a real-time wafer polishing data. A time delta is computed between the times at which the first and second characteristics occur within their respective data sets, and polishing parameters are then updated in real-time based on the computed time delta. |
| US09673111B2 |
Methods for extreme ultraviolet mask defect mitigation by multi-patterning
Methods for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask defect mitigation by using multi-patterning lithography techniques. In one exemplary embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit including identifying a position of a defect in a first EUV photolithographic mask, the photolithographic mask including a desired pattern and transferring the desired pattern to a photoresist material disposed on a semiconductor substrate. Transferring the desired pattern further transfers an error pattern feature to the photoresist material as a result of the defect in the first EUV photolithographic mask. The method further includes, using a second photolithographic mask, transferring a trim pattern to the photoresist material, wherein the trim pattern removes the error pattern feature from the photoresist material. |
| US09673105B2 |
CMOS devices with Schottky source and drain regions
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, and an NMOS device at a surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the NMOS device comprises a Schottky source/drain extension region. The semiconductor structure further includes a PMOS device at the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the PMOS device comprises a source/drain extension region comprising only non-metal materials. Schottky source/drain extension regions may be formed for both PMOS and NMOS devices, wherein the Schottky barrier height of the PMOS device is reduced by forming the PMOS device over a semiconductor layer having a low valence band. |
| US09673101B2 |
Minimize middle-of-line contact line shorts
Semiconductor structures and methods of forming such structures are disclosed. In an embodiment, the semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a dielectric layer, and a plurality of gates, including a first gate and a pair of adjacent gates. The method comprises forming gate caps on the adjacent gates, including etching portions of the gate electrodes in the adjacent gates to recess the gate electrodes therein, and forming the caps above the recessed gate electrodes. Conductive metal trenches are formed in the dielectric layer, on the sides of the first gate; and after forming the trenches, a contact is formed over the gate electrode of the first gate and over and on one of the conductive trenches. In embodiments, the contact is a gate contact, and in other embodiments, the contact is a non-gate contact. |
| US09673096B2 |
Method for processing a semiconductor substrate and a method for processing a semiconductor wafer
According to various embodiments, a method for processing a semiconductor substrate may include: covering a plurality of die regions of the semiconductor substrate with a metal; forming a plurality of dies from the semiconductor substrate, wherein each die of the plurality of dies is covered with the metal; and, subsequently, annealing the metal covering at least one die of the plurality of dies. |
| US09673093B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of making wafer level chip scale package
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor wafer and a first conductive layer formed over the semiconductor wafer as contact pads. A first insulating layer formed over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer including an interconnect site is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. The second conductive layer is formed as a redistribution layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the second conductive layer. An opening is formed in the second insulating layer over the interconnect site. The opening extends to the first insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. Alternatively, the opening extends partially through the second insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. An interconnect structure is formed within the opening over the interconnect site and over a side surface of the second conductive layer. The semiconductor wafer is singulated into individual semiconductor die. |
| US09673090B2 |
Seed layers for metallic interconnects
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for depositing two or more PVD seed layers for electroplating metallic interconnects over a substrate, the substrate including a patterned insulating layer which includes at least one opening surrounded by a field, the at least one opening having top corners, sidewalls, and bottom, the field and the at least one opening being ready for depositing one or more seed layers, and the method includes: (a) depositing by a PVD technique, in a PVD chamber, a continuous PVD seed layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the at least one opening, using a first set of deposition parameters; and (b) depositing by a PVD technique, in a PVD chamber, another PVD seed layer over the substrate, using a second set of deposition parameters, wherein (i) the second set of deposition parameters includes at least one deposition parameter which is different from any of the parameters in the first set of deposition parameters, or the second set of deposition parameters includes at least one deposition parameter whose value is different in the two sets of deposition parameters, (ii) at least one of the PVD seed layers includes a material selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, or alloys including one or more of these metals, (iii) the PVD seed layers have no substantial overhangs sealing or pinching-off the top corners of the at least one opening, (iv) the combined thickness of the seed layers over the field is sufficient to enable uniform electroplating across the substrate, and (v) the combined seed layers inside the at least one opening leave sufficient room for electroplating inside the at least one opening. |
| US09673085B2 |
Method for manufacturing SOI wafer
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an SOI wafer including a step of forming an insulator film on an entire surface of a bond wafer before bonding, bringing a bonded wafer before delaminating the bond wafer at an ion implanted layer into contact with a liquid that enables dissolving the insulator film while protecting the insulator film on a back surface on the opposite side of a bonding surface of the bond wafer, or exposing the bonded wafer to a gas that enables dissolving the insulator film, and thus etching the insulator film placed between the bond wafer and a base wafer from an outer peripheral end of the bonded wafer toward a center of the bonded wafer. |
| US09673081B2 |
Isolated through silicon via and isolated deep silicon via having total or partial isolation
Disclosed are a structure for improving electrical signal isolation in a semiconductor substrate and an associated method for the structure's fabrication. The structure includes a deep trench having sidewalls disposed in the semiconductor substrate. An isolation region may be formed along at least an upper portion of the sidewalls of the deep trench, and a metallic filler may be disposed in the deep trench. The isolation region may include a PN junction formed by one or more of ion implantation and annealing, deposition of highly doped polysilicon and out diffusion, and gas phase doping and annealing. In the alternative, the isolation region may be a dielectric isolation region formed by one or more of uniform dielectric deposition, partial dieletric deposition, and dielectric deposition by ionic reaction. |
| US09673080B2 |
Semiconductor piece manufacturing method
A semiconductor piece manufacturing method includes: a process of forming a fine groove on a front surface side including a first groove portion having a width that is gradually narrowed from a front surface of a semiconductor substrate W toward a rear surface thereof; a process of attaching a dicing tape having an adhesive layer on the front surface after the fine groove on the front surface side is formed; a process of forming a groove on a rear surface side having a width greater than the width of the fine groove on the front surface side along the fine groove on the front surface side from a rear surface side of the substrate by a rotating dicing blade; and a process of separating the dicing tape from the front surface after the groove on the rear surface side is formed. |
| US09673069B2 |
High frequency filter for improved RF bias signal stability
A plasma-assisted etch process for the manufacture of semiconductor or MEMS devices employs an RF source to generate a plasma that is terminated through an electrode. The termination is designed as a “short” at the frequency of the RF source to minimize voltage fluctuations on the electrode due to the RF source energy. The electrode voltage potential can then be accurately controlled with a bias source, resulting in improved control of etch depth of a semiconductor substrate disposed on the electrode. |
| US09673062B1 |
Plasma processing method
To provide a plasma processing device, a plasma processing method and a method of manufacturing electronic devices capable of performing high-speed processing as well as using the plasma stably. In an inductively-coupled plasma torch unit, a coil, a first ceramic block and a second ceramic block are arranged in parallel, and a long chamber has an annular shape. Plasma generated in the chamber is ejected from an opening in the chamber toward a substrate. The substrate is processed by moving the long chamber and the substrate mounting table relatively in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the opening. A discharge suppression gas is introduced into a space between the inductively-coupled plasma torch unit and the substrate inside the chamber through a discharge suppression gas supply hole, thereby generating long plasma stably. |
| US09673061B2 |
Method for thermal process in packaging assembly of semiconductor
A method for thermal process in packaging assembly of semiconductor is disclosed. The high-pressure overheated vapor is injected into the process chamber. The overheated vapor becomes saturated vapor in atmosphere (1 ATM) immediately and generates condensed liquid film onto all the surface of semiconductor work and also the chamber walls as condensation phenomenon occurs. The process temperature of vapor condensation is very close to and never exceeds the boiling point of perfluorinated compounds (PFC). Therefore, the latent heat of the saturated vapor is transferred to semiconductor work through the surface of liquid film evenly and uniformly. |
| US09673059B2 |
Method for increasing pattern density in self-aligned patterning integration schemes
Provided is a method for increasing pattern density of a structure on a substrate using an integration scheme comprising: providing a substrate having a patterned layer comprising a first mandrel and an underlying layer; performing a first conformal spacer deposition creating a first conformal layer; performing a first spacer reactive ion etch (RIE) process on the first conformal layer, creating a first spacer pattern; performing a first mandrel pull process removing the first mandrel; performing a second conformal spacer deposition creating a second conformal layer; performing a second RIE process creating a second spacer pattern, the first spacer pattern acting as a second mandrel; performing a second mandrel pull process removing the first spacer pattern; and transferring the second spacer pattern into the underlying layer; where the integration targets include patterning uniformity, pulldown of structures, slimming of structures, and gouging of the underlying layer. |
| US09673056B2 |
Method to improve finFET cut overlay
A patterned photoresist having an overlay tolerance of (x+y)/2 is formed over preselected hard mask portions or semiconductor fin portions, wherein x is a width of a semiconductor fin and y is a distance between a neighboring pair of semiconductor fins. Hard mask portions or semiconductor fin portions not protected by the patterned photoresist are then removed by an isotropic etching process. The patterned photoresist is removed. In some embodiments, the remaining hard mask portions are employed as fin forming etch masks. |
| US09673051B1 |
High density patterned material on integrated circuits
An integrated circuit comprises a plurality of strips of material over a substrate, the plurality of strips including strips S(i), each strip S(i) for i going from 3 to n having a first segment and a second segment separated by a gap from the first segment. The integrated circuit comprises a plurality of landing areas, the plurality of landing areas including landing areas A(i), each landing area A(i) for i going from 3 to n−2 connecting a first segment of strip S(i) in the plurality of strips with a second segment of strip S(i+2) in the plurality of strips, and disposed within the gap between the first and second segments in strip S(i+1). The strips S(i) have a first pitch in a direction orthogonal to the strips, and the landing areas A(i) have a second pitch twice the first pitch in the direction orthogonal to the strips of material. |
| US09673047B2 |
Solid phase epitaxy of 3C—SiC on Si(001)
A method of making a SiC buffer layer on a Si substrate comprising depositing an amorphous carbon layer on a Si(001) substrate, controlling the thickness of the amorphous carbon layer by controlling the time of the step of depositing the amorphous carbon layer, and forming a deposited film. A 3C—SiC buffer layer on Si(001) comprising a porous buffer layer of 3C—SiC on a Si substrate wherein the porous buffer layer is produced through a solid state reaction. |
| US09673046B2 |
Gallium nitride substrate and manufacturing method of nitride semiconductor crystal
The invention provides a nonpolar or semipolar GaN substrate, in which a nitride semiconductor crystal having a low stacking fault density can be epitaxially grown on the main surface of the substrate, and a method for manufacturing an M-plane GaN substrate by forming a mask pattern having a line-shaped opening parallel to an a-axis of a C-plane GaN substrate on an N-polar plane of the C-plane GaN substrate, growing a plane-shape GaN crystal of which thickness direction is an m-axis direction from the opening of the mask pattern by an ammonothermal method, and cutting out the M-plane GaN substrate from the plane-shape GaN crystal. |
| US09673045B2 |
Integration of III-V devices on Si wafers
An insulating layer is conformally deposited on a plurality of mesa structures in a trench on a substrate. The insulating layer fills a space outside the mesa structures. A nucleation layer is deposited on the mesa structures. A III-V material layer is deposited on the nucleation layer. The III-V material layer is laterally grown over the insulating layer. |
| US09673039B2 |
Devices comprising high-K dielectric layer and methods of forming same
Provided is a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor substrate and a 10 to 40 Å thick high-k dielectric layer that contains one or both of hafnium dioxide (HfO2) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). The high-k dielectric layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and it contains at least some tetragonal phase HfO2 and/or tetragonal phase ZrO2. Also provided are methods for making the semiconductor device, and electronic devices that employ the semiconductor device. |
| US09673033B2 |
Multi-reflection mass spectrometer
A multi-reflection mass spectrometer comprising two ion-optical mirrors, each mirror elongated generally along a drift direction (Y), each mirror opposing the other in an X direction and having a space therebetween, the X direction being orthogonal to Y; the mass spectrometer further comprising one or more compensation electrodes each electrode being located in or adjacent the space extending between the opposing mirrors; the compensation electrodes being configured and electrically biased in use so as to produce, in at least a portion of the space extending between the mirrors, an electrical potential offset which: (i) varies as a function of the distance along the drift length, and/or; (ii) has a different extent in the X direction as a function of the distance along the drift length. In a preferred embodiment the period of ion oscillation between the mirrors is not substantially constant along the whole of the drift length. |
| US09673032B1 |
Sample sprayer with adjustable conduit and related methods
A sample sprayer includes a first conduit for conducting a liquid sample, a second conduit surrounding the first conduit to define an annular passage for conducting a gas, a sprayer tip in which a fluid interaction region receives the liquid sample and the gas. The sprayer tip is configured to produce a sample spray by contact between the liquid sample and the gas in the fluid interaction region and emit the sample spray from the orifice. An adjustable positioning device is configured to translate the first conduit along the longitudinal axis in response to adjustment of the positioning device, wherein an axial position of the first conduit is adjustable relative to the orifice. |
| US09673031B2 |
Conversion of ion arrival times or ion intensities into multiple intensities or arrival times in a mass spectrometer
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a Time of Flight mass analyzer comprising an ion detector comprising an Analog to Digital Converter. Signals from the Analog to Digital Converter are digitized and the arrival time and intensity of ions are determined. The arrival time T0 and intensity S0 of each ion arrival event is converted into two separate intensities S(n),S(n+i) which are stored in neighboring time bins T(n), T(n+1). |
| US09673030B2 |
Computer readable storage mediums, methods and systems for normalizing chemical profiles in biological or medical samples detected by mass spectrometry
Described herein are computer-readable storage mediums, methods and systems useful for analyzing samples via mass spectrometry. Aspects described herein include methods for normalizing mass spectrometry data that include providing a reference set of mass spectrometry data obtained from a first external standard sample having one or more isotopic standards, wherein the reference set of mass spectrometry data comprises one or more m/z intensity ratios. Methods described herein are useful for reducing errors based on instrument response and ionization efficiencies and improve reproducibility of data from instrument to instrument and from day to day. |
| US09673025B2 |
Electrostatic chuck including embedded faraday cage for RF delivery and associated methods for operation, monitoring, and control
A ceramic layer is attached to a top surface of a base plate using a bond layer. The ceramic layer has a top surface configured to support a substrate. At least one clamp electrode is positioned within an upper region of the ceramic layer. A primary radiofrequency (RF) power delivery electrode is positioned within the ceramic layer at a location vertically below the at least one clamp electrode such that a region of the ceramic layer between the primary RF power delivery electrode and the at least one clamp electrode is substantially free of other electrically conductive material. A plurality of RF power delivery connection modules is distributed in a substantially uniform manner about a perimeter of the ceramic layer. Each of the RF power delivery connection modules is configured to form an electrical connection from the base plate to the primary RF power delivery electrode at its respective location. |
| US09673024B2 |
Particle-optical systems and arrangements and particle-optical components for such systems and arrangements
A particle-optical arrangement comprises a charged-particle source for generating a beam of charged particles; a multi-aperture plate arranged in a beam path of the beam of charged particles, wherein the multi-aperture plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein in a predetermined first array pattern, wherein a plurality of charged-particle beamlets is formed from the beam of charged particles downstream of the multi-aperture plate, and wherein a plurality of beam spots is formed in an image plane of the apparatus by the plurality of beamlets, the plurality of beam spots being arranged in a second array pattern; and a particle-optical element for manipulating the beam of charged particles and/or the plurality of beamlets; wherein the first array pattern has a first pattern regularity in a first direction, and the second array pattern has a second pattern regularity in a second direction electron-optically corresponding to the first direction, and wherein the second regularity is higher than the first regularity. |
| US09673023B2 |
System for discharging an area that is scanned by an electron beam
A method and a system for imaging an object, the system may include electron optics that may be configured to scan a first area of the object with at least one electron beam; wherein the electron optics may include a first electrode; and light optics that may be configured to illuminate at least one target of (a) the first electrode and (b) the object, thereby causing an emission of electrons between the first electrode and the object. |
| US09673021B2 |
Positioning control device
An object of the invention is to provide a positioning apparatus and a positioning control device that may perform precise positioning by suppressing relative displacement of a movable point and positioning target objects. In a positioning apparatus including a movable stage, a stage position detector that detects a position of the movable stage, a control device that performs positioning of the movable stage, a positioning target object for positioning of the movable stage, and at least one or more sensors in a structure of the positioning target object or the movable stage, the control device includes an amount of relative displacement estimation unit that estimates an amount of relative displacement of the movable stage and the positioning target object using information of the sensor and information of the stage position detector, and a unit that controls the position of the stage using information calculated by the amount of relative displacement estimation unit. |
| US09673020B2 |
Charged particle beam device, method for adjusting charged particle beam device, and method for inspecting or observing sample
A charged particle beam device capable of observing a sample in an air atmosphere or gas atmosphere has a thin film for separating the atmospheric pressure space from the decompressed space. A vacuum evacuation pump evacuates a first housing; and a detector detects a charged particle beam (obtained by irradiation of the sample) in the first housing. A thin film is provided to separate the inside of the first housing and the inside of a second housing at least along part of the interface between the first and second housings. An opening part is formed in the thin film so that its opening area on a charged particle irradiation unit's side is larger than its opening area on the sample side; and the thin film which covers the sample side of the opening part transmits or allows through the primary charged particle beam and the charged particle beam. |
| US09673018B2 |
Charged particle beam writing apparatus and charged particle beam writing method
A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a limiting aperture member at the downstream side of the emission source, arranged such that its height position can be selectively adjusted, according to condition, to be one of the n-th height position (n being an integer of 1 or more) based on the n-th condition depending on at least one of the height position of the emission source and an emission current value, and the (n+m)th height position (m being an integer of 1 or more) based on the (n+m)th condition depending on at least one of the height position of the emission source and the emission current value, and a shaping aperture member at the downstream side of the electron lens and the limiting aperture member to shape the charged particle beam by letting a part of the charged particle beam pass through a second opening. |
| US09673015B2 |
Partially grounded depressed collector
A depressed beam collector and an RF source comprising a depressed beam collector. The RF source may include, e.g., a multi-beam klystron, a single beam klystron, or other RF sources having an electron gun. The beam collector collects spent electrons from the electron gun and comprises a grounded portion configured to collect a portion of electrons entering the collector and a biased portion configured to collect another portion of the electrons entering the collector and having a depressed energy. |
| US09673013B2 |
Electrical switching apparatus, and interface assembly and display apparatus therefor
An interface assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus includes a housing, a first handle partially extending through the housing, separable contacts located within the housing, an operating mechanism to open and close the separable contacts, a main printed circuit board located within the housing, and a number of electrical rating settings associated with the main printed circuit board. Each of the electrical rating settings has a magnitude. The interface assembly includes: a base assembly comprising a base, the base being disposed on the housing, the base having a mounting surface; and a second handle coupled to the mounting surface, the second handle and the first handle being structured to drive each other. The mounting surface has at least one port. The magnitude of a corresponding one of the electrical rating settings is visible through the at least one port. |
| US09673008B2 |
Electromagnetic switch
An electromagnetic switch includes a contact housing case; a plurality of contact mechanisms each having a fixed contact and a movable contact contacting to and separating from the fixed contact, and disposed in parallel inside the contact housing case; a movable contact holding portion holding the movable contacts of the plurality of contact mechanisms; and an electromagnet unit having a movable plunger moving the movable contact holding portion. |
| US09673002B2 |
Double seesaw switch
A double seesaw switch has two seesaw switches arranged side-by-side inside a case. Each of the two seesaw switches has a central terminal arranged on a bottom surface inside the case, a pair of fixed contacts separately arranged, a moving contact supported pivotably with respect to the central terminal and has a contact portion for contacting one of the fixed contacts, an operation body supported rotatably with respect to the case, and pivots the moving contact by moving on the moving contact in correspondence with a rotation movement of the operation body, and a biasing part biasing the operation body towards a neutral position. The biasing part is a leaf spring piece formed in a U shape from a portion of a ceiling surface of the case, and to press against the operation body in a power storing state of a leading end portion compressed. |
| US09672999B1 |
Mechanical keyboard button structure
The invention discloses a mechanical keyboard button structure including a base plate, a circuit board, a mechanical switch and a keycap, wherein the base plate, the circuit board, the mechanical switch and the keycap are connected in order from bottom to top; the mechanism switch is used for guiding the keycap to move up and down and converting a pressure of the keycap into a switch signal to transmit to the circuit board to communicate a circuit; the mechanical switch includes a supporting plate and a switch spindle arranged on the supporting plate and further includes a pair of scissors, the upper portion of the pair of scissors is fixed with the bottom surface of the keycap, while the lower portion is fixed with the supporting plate, and the switch spindle passes through the pair of scissors and supports against the bottom surface of the keycap. According to the invention, the mechanical axle structure is combined with the scissor structure, so that the button is supported more stably, the service life is long, and the corner has both better hand feeling and function; second, the structure can be used for the keyboard with a shorter stroke, so that the keyboard is thinner and lighter and is more widely applied in the market; at last the whole circuit does not need to be replaced when the trigger circuit below a single key is damaged, and the single button can be repaired and replaced. |
| US09672994B2 |
Device for operating multiple functions in a motor vehicle
A device for operating multiple functions includes an operating element and a base. The base has side bearings with guide slots, hinge joints with pivot pins, and an actuator. The operating element is mounted in the guide slots to pivotably be mounted to the side bearings about an axis of rotation to thereby be movable between positions. At least one of the positions is assigned to a switching function. The operating element is mounted to the base on a centered bearing between the side bearings. The operating element is supported on the pivot pins. Upon the operating element being actuated to trigger a switching function, the actuator produces a haptic feedback by generating an actuating force on the operating element which causes the pivot pins to pivot in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation thereby causing the operating element to axially displace along this same direction. |
| US09672991B2 |
Purified carbon nanotubes
The present invention relates to a method of preparing purified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) comprising mixing starting CNTs with an organic solvent in the presence of sonication; substantially removing the organic solvent to obtain a CNT composition; and heating the CNT composition at 200° C. or higher to obtain the purified carbon nanotubes. The present invention further relates to the purified CNTs and cohesive CNT assemblies prepared from the method described herein, and articles (e.g. capacitor, energy storage device or capacitive deionization device) comprising the purified CNTs. |
| US09672990B2 |
Organic dyes incorporating the oxadiazole moiety for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells
An oxadiazole dye for use as an organic photosensitizer. The oxadiazole dye comprising donor-π-spacer-acceptor type molecules in which at least one of an oxadiazole group acts as a π-conjugated bridge (spacer), a naphthyl unit acts as an electron-donating unit, a carboxyl group act as an electron acceptor group, and a cyano group acts as an anchor group. An optional thiophene group acts as part of the π-conjugated bridge (spacer). The dye for use as organic photosensitizers in a dye-sensitized solar cell. The dye for use in photodynamic therapies. Computational DFT and time dependent DFT (TD-DFT) modeling techniques showing Light Harvesting Efficiency (LHE), Free Energy for Electron Injection (ΔGinject), Excitation Energies, and Frontier Molecular Orbitals (FMOs) indicate that the series of dye comprise a more negative ΔGinject and a higher LHE value; resulting in a higher incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE). |
| US09672988B2 |
High-voltage pulse discharge capacitor and manufacturing method thereof
A high-voltage pulse discharge capacitor of an elongated structure comprises a capacitor body. The capacitor body comprises several high-voltage capacitor parallel units and a high-voltage capacitor core pack. The several high-voltage capacitor parallel units are mutually connected in parallel. The high-voltage capacitor parallel units connected in parallel are then connected as a whole with the high-voltage capacitor core pack in parallel. The high-voltage capacitor parallel unit comprises two capacitor core packs. The two capacitor core packs are mutually connected in parallel. The capacitor core packs connected in parallel are wrapped with a PP film and purple copper foil at an outer side integrally. The purple copper foil is connected to axial faces located at a head and a tail of a combination integral of the two capacitor core packs. Using a preceding parallel connection mode enables the capacitor to provide greater current when discharging electricity, reduces heat generated by internal resistance when the capacitor discharges the electricity, and prolongs a service life of the capacitor. |
| US09672982B2 |
Production method for a figure-of-eight-shaped laminated coil
There is provided a production method for a laminated coil, the production method including: a process of producing a coil part of one axis by stacking a flat coil in an axial direction, a process of bending the flat coil of a connection portion in an extended state thereof in a length direction to allow for the division of a first coil part and a second coil part, wherein the connection portion connecting two coil parts is produced by bending the flat coil of the connection portion, and a process of finally spreading the bent connection portion, such that the first coil part and the second coil part may be disposed to be parallel in the same direction on the same plane. |
| US09672970B2 |
Inductor bridge and electronic device
An inductor bridge is configured to bridge-connect a first circuit and a second circuit to each other, and includes a flexible flat plate base body, a first connector at a first end portion of the base body and connected to the first circuit, a second connector at a second end portion of the base body and connected to the second circuit, and an inductor section in the base body between the first connector and the second connector. The inductor section includes conductor patterns including a plurality of layers. The inductor bridge further includes a bending portion between the inductor section and the first connector, and a slot at an inner side of the bending portion that reduces a thickness of the base body. |
| US09672966B2 |
Bobbin, winding apparatus and coil
A bobbin has a winding core and multiple partitioning walls, so that multiple winding areas are formed in an axial direction. A groove is formed in each of the partitioning walls, so that a wire rod strides over the partitioning wall bypassing through the groove when a winding process for one of the winding areas is finished and a winding process for a neighboring winding area will be started. The groove has a first and a second guide wall surfaces, which are opposed to each other in a circumferential direction. Each of the first and the second guide wall surfaces is inclined in the axial direction such that each of the first and the second guide wall surfaces comes closer to a circumferential winding-end side in the axial direction to a stride-end side. |
| US09672964B2 |
High field strength varistor material
The present invention relates to a varistor material for a surge arrester with target switching field strength ranging from 250 to 400 V/mm comprising ZnO forming a ZnO phase and Bi expressed as Bi2O3 forming an intergranular bismuth oxide phase, said varistor material further comprising a spinel phase, characterized in that the amount of a pyrochlore phase comprised in the varistor material is such, that the ratio of the pyrochlore phase to the spinel phase is less than 0.15:1. |
| US09672963B2 |
Ceramic electronic component and method of manufacturing the same
A ceramic electronic component includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular parallelepiped shaped laminate in which a ceramic layer and an internal electrode are alternately laminated and an external electrode provided on a portion of a surface of the laminate and electrically connected to the internal electrode. The external electrode includes an inner external electrode covering a portion of the surface of the laminate and including a mixture of a resin component and a metal component and an outer external electrode covering the inner external electrode and including a metal component. The inner external electrode includes, as a metal component, a first metal component of which a portion forms an alloy with the internal electrode so as to connect the internal electrode and the inner external electrode to each other, and a second metal component higher in melting point than the first metal component, of which a portion forms an alloy with the first metal component so as to connect the inner external electrode and the outer external electrode to each other. A concentration of a metal in a surface layer of the inner external electrode is not lower than about 17%. |
| US09672962B2 |
Bushing of an electrical conductor
A bushing of an electrical conductor through a wall which separates two regions from one another, wherein the conductor extends through a passage in the wall, at a distance from said wall, characterized in that a sleeve, which is electrically insulated from the passage and is hermetically sealed, preferably extends approximately coaxially through the passage, and in that the electrical conductor extends through the sleeve and is incorporated in the sleeve in a hermetically sealed, preferably integral, manner. |
| US09672961B2 |
Bus bar module accommodating part structure
A synthetic resin plate (1) includes a plurality of accommodating parts (2) which accommodate at least one of bus bars, terminals, and electric wires which are connected to the terminals, hinges (7) which make first accommodating parts and second accommodating parts of the accommodating parts (2) connected and relatively movable, and projecting parts which are provided on the top surfaces of peripheral wall parts of the first accommodating parts, and which abut against parts of the second accommodating parts to restrict the movable ranges in the movable directions of the second accommodating parts relative to the first accommodating pans. |
| US09672958B2 |
Electrical cable with shielded conductors
An electrical cable includes at least one conductor assembly. Each conductor assembly includes at least one inner conductor that extends along a length, an insulator, and a shield layer. The insulator engages and surrounds a surface of the at least one inner conductor. The insulator is composed of a dielectric material. The shield layer engages and surrounds an outer perimeter of the insulator. The shield layer is formed of a conductive plastic material to provide electrical shielding for the at least one inner conductor and flexibility. |
| US09672956B2 |
High-frequency signal line and manufacturing method thereof
A high-frequency signal line includes a linear signal line and a first ground conductor provided at a dielectric body to extend along the dielectric body. The first ground conductor includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a direction of lamination. A strip-shaped protrusion extending along the signal line is provided on the second main surface of the first ground conductor. |
| US09672955B2 |
Clamp and wire harness having clamp
A clamp includes a base plate that is locked to an adhesive sheet which covers and holds an electric wire, a shaft that projects from the base plate and is inserted through an attaching hole which is bored through the adhesive sheet, an engaging portion that is formed at the distal end of the shaft, is inserted through the attaching hole and is engaged with an engaging hole of an attached body, and fixing pieces that project from the base plate to have an interval between projecting ends of the fixing pieces which is larger than the maximum opening width of the attaching hole, and hold and fix the fringe of the attaching hole with the base plate. |
| US09672942B2 |
Data decoding method of non-volatile memory device and apparatus for performing the method
A method of decoding data of a non-volatile memory device is provided. The method includes a first decoding operation of reading first hard decision data from the non-volatile memory device using a first hard decision read level and performing decoding using the first hard decision data; a second decoding operation of reading first soft decision data from the non-volatile memory device when the decoding fails in the first decoding operation, and performing decoding using the first soft decision; and a third decoding operation of changing from the first hard decision read level to a second hard decision read level when the decoding fails in the second decoding operation, reading second hard decision data using the second hard decision read level, and performing decoding either using the second hard decision data or using both the second hard decision data and the first soft decision data. |
| US09672934B2 |
Temperature compensation management in solid-state memory
Systems and methods are disclosed for programming data in a non-volatile memory array are disclosed. A data storage device includes a non-volatile memory array including a plurality of non-volatile memory cells and a controller configured to receive a signal indicating a temperature of at least a portion of the data storage device. The controller determines a first offset program verify level associated with a first programming level based at least in part on the temperature and programs a first set of the memory cells of the non-volatile memory array using the first offset program verify level. |
| US09672930B2 |
Low power operation for flash memory system
The present invention relates to a circuit and method for low power operation in a flash memory system. In disclosed embodiments of a selection-decoding circuit path, pull-up and pull-down circuits are used to save values at certain output nodes during a power save or shut down modes, which allows the main power source to be shut down while still maintaining the values. |
| US09672929B2 |
Semiconductor memory in which source line voltage is applied during a read operation
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell, a word line electrically connected to a gate of the memory cell, and a source line electrically connected to a first end of the memory cell. During a read operation of the memory cell, a first voltage is applied to the source line in a first operation to determine whether or not a threshold voltage of the memory cell is above a first threshold value, a second voltage is applied to the source line in a second operation to determine whether or not the threshold voltage of the memory cell is above a second threshold value, and a third voltage is applied to the source line in a third operation to determine whether or not the threshold voltage of the memory cell is above a third threshold value. |
| US09672926B2 |
Apparatus and method of programming and verification for a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit configured to repeat a program operation and a verify operation. The control circuit performs a first verify operation of sensing whether threshold voltages of selected memory cells are greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage, and a second verify operation of sensing whether the threshold voltages of the selected memory cells are greater than or equal to a second threshold voltage (first threshold voltage |
| US09672925B2 |
Storage in charge-trap memory structures using additional electrically-charged regions
A device includes a memory and a read/write (R/W) unit. The memory includes multiple gates coupled to a common charge-trap layer. The R/W unit is configured to program and read the memory by creating and reading a set of electrically-charged regions in the common charge-trap layer, wherein at least a given region in the set is not uniquely associated with any single one of the gates. |
| US09672923B1 |
Low power high speed program method for multi-time programmable memory device
A programming method for a PMOS multi-time programmable (MTP) flash memory device biases the select gate transistor to a constant drain current level and sweeps the control gate bias voltage from a low voltage level to a high voltage level while maintaining the cell current around a predetermined cell current limit level. In this manner, the PMOS MTP flash memory device can achieve low power and high speed program using hot carrier injection (HCI). The programming method of the present invention enables multi-bit programming of the PMOS MTP flash memory cells, thereby increasing the programming speed while preserving low power consumption. |
| US09672916B2 |
Operation modes for an inverted NAND architecture
Methods for performing memory operations on a memory array that includes inverted NAND strings are described. The memory operations may include erase operations, read operations, programming operations, program verify operations, and erase verify operations. An inverted NAND string may include a string of inverted floating gate transistors or a string of inverted charge trap transistors. In one embodiment, an inverted floating gate transistor may include a tunneling layer between a floating gate of the inverted floating gate transistor and a control gate of the inverted floating gate transistor. The arrangement of the tunneling layer between the floating gate and the control gate allows electrons to be added to or removed from the floating gate via F-N tunneling between the floating gate and the control gate. The inverted NAND string may be formed above a substrate and oriented such that the inverted NAND string is orthogonal to the substrate. |
| US09672913B1 |
Semiconductor memory device and operating method thereof
There are provided a semiconductor memory device and an operating method thereof. The method of operating a semiconductor memory device may include receiving an erase and write (E/W) cycle mode select command and an operation command. The method may include selecting one E/W cycle mode information among a plurality of E/W cycle mode information stored according to the E/W cycle mode select command and storing the selected one E/W cycle mode information. The method may include performing a general operation of a memory cell array according to the one E/W cycle mode information stored and the operation command. |
| US09672910B2 |
Memory architecture for storing data in a plurality of memory chips
A memory system for storing data in a plurality N of memory chips. The memory system includes a number K of sets of memory chips, wherein each set of the K sets includes a number M of the memory chips, with N=K·M; and one signal processing unit having a number L of signal processing engines for signal processing data of the N memory chips and having a data link interface for interfacing each of the K sets. |
| US09672909B2 |
Memory cell retention enhancement through erase state modification
A method of controlling a resistive memory cell is provided. A resistance threshold value is defined for the memory cell, wherein a circuit identifies the cell as erased if a detected resistance of the cell is above the resistance threshold and identifies the cell as programmed if the detected resistance is below the resistance threshold value. A filament is formed across an electrolyte switching region of the cell by applying an electrical charge, wherein the cell having the formed filament has a first resistance. The cell is then erased to an erased state having a second resistance greater than the first resistance. The cell is then programmed to a quasi-erased state having a third resistance between the first and second resistances, and above the resistance threshold value such that the cell is identified by the circuit as erased. The cell may then be maintained in the quasi-erased state. |
| US09672908B2 |
Apparatuses and methods of reading memory cells based on response to a test pulse
The disclosed technology generally relates to memory apparatuses and methods of operating the same, and more particularly to memory arrays and methods of reading memory cells in a memory array, such as a cross point memory array. In one aspect, the method comprises providing a memory array comprising a memory cell in one of a plurality of states. The method additionally comprises determining whether a threshold voltage (Vth) of the memory cell has a value within a predetermined read voltage window. A test pulse is applied to the memory cell if it is determined that the threshold voltage has a value within the predetermined read voltage window. The state of the memory cell may be determined based on a response of the memory cell to the test pulse, wherein the state corresponds to the one of the pluralities of states of the memory cell prior to receiving the test pulse. |
| US09672906B2 |
Phase change memory with inter-granular switching
A memory device comprising a conglomerate material interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode is provided. The conglomerate material includes nanocrystalline grains embedded in an amorphous matrix. During operations, phase change reactions occur at the inter-grain boundaries in the conglomerate material so as to reduce the operation power. |
| US09672900B2 |
Semiconductor memory device for stably reading and writing data
In a semiconductor memory device, static memory cells are arranged in rows and columns, word lines correspond to respective memory cell rows, and word line drivers drive correspond to word lines. Cell power supply lines correspond to respective memory cell columns and are coupled to cell power supply nodes of a memory cell in a corresponding column. Down power supply lines are arranged corresponding to respective memory cell columns, maintained at ground voltage in data reading and rendered electrically floating in data writing. Write assist elements are arranged corresponding to the cell power supply lines, and according to a write column instruction signal for stopping supply of a cell power supply voltage to the cell power supply line in a selected column, and for coupling the cell power supply line arranged corresponding to the selected column at least to the down power supply line on the corresponding column. |
| US09672896B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and semiconductor system having the same
A semiconductor memory device may include: a data alignment signal generation unit suitable for generating an alignment signal corresponding to an input speed of data; a data alignment unit suitable for aligning the data in response to the alignment signal to output aligned data; and a state data storage unit suitable for storing the aligned data in response to a control signal which is activated at a given time. |
| US09672894B2 |
Device and method of controlling refresh operation for dynamic random access memory (DRAM)
A method of controlling a refresh operation for a memory device is disclosed. The method includes storing a first row address corresponding to a first row of a memory cell array, storing one or more second row addresses corresponding to one or more second rows of the memory cell array, the one or more second row addresses corresponding to the first row address, sequentially generating row addresses as a refresh row address during a first refresh interval, for each generated row address, when a generated row address identical to one of the one or more second row addresses is detected, stopping the generation of row addresses and sequentially outputting the one second row address and the first row address as the refresh row address, restarting the generation of the row addresses as the refresh row address after outputting the one second row address and the first row address. |
| US09672892B2 |
Memory device and memory system including the same
A memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks; an address counter suitable for generating a counted address which is used for a normal refresh operation and changed when all the memory blocks are refreshed; a target address generator suitable for generating a target address used for a target refresh operation, wherein the target address corresponds to an address of a word line to be additionally refreshed in the memory blocks; and a refresh controller suitable for controlling the memory blocks to be refreshed at different times during a first normal refresh operation, controlling a memory block among the memory blocks, which is first refreshed in the first normal refresh operation, to be refreshed through the target refresh operation, and controlling the memory block, which is first refreshed in the first normal refresh operation, to be refreshed last during a second normal refresh operation, based on the refresh command. |
| US09672890B2 |
Semiconductor memory apparatus
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of cell arrays; and a use information storage block configured to determine whether a data write operation has already been performed for the plurality of cell arrays, and generate a plurality of control signals, wherein the semiconductor memory apparatus is configured to control a refresh operation for the plurality of cell arrays according to the plurality of control signals. |
| US09672888B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for setting a signal in variable resistance memory
An example of a method reads a spin torque transfer (STT) memory cell, and writes the STT memory cell using information obtained during the reading of the STT memory cell to set a pulse to write the STT memory cell. An example of an apparatus includes a STT memory cell and read/write circuitry coupled to the STT memory cell to determine a read current (IREAD) through the STT memory cell and to set a pulse to write the STT memory cell using IREAD. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09672886B2 |
Fast and low-power sense amplifier and writing circuit for high-speed MRAM
A fast and low-power sense amplifier and writing circuit for high-speed Magnetic RAM (MRAM) which provides the long retention times and endurance of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cells, while providing faster access speeds, verified writes, and an increased sensing margin. A high-speed and low-power pre-read and write sense amplifier (PWSA) provide VCMA effect precessional switching of MTJ cells which include pre-read and comparison steps which reduce power consumption. An embodiment of the PWSA circuit is described with write and pre-charge circuit, S and D latches, comparison circuit, and a differential amplifier and control circuit. |
| US09672884B1 |
Semiconductor devices and semiconductor systems including the same
A semiconductor device includes a division period signal generation circuit and a clock sampling circuit. The division period signal generation circuit generates a division period signal which is enabled in synchronization with a write period that is set according to a write command and latency information. The clock sampling circuit samples an internal strobe signal to output a sampling clock signal in response to the division period signal and the internal strobe signal during a sampling period. The sampling period is set to be longer than the write period. |
| US09672882B1 |
Conditional reference voltage calibration of a memory system in data transmisson
A method and apparatus for memory subsystem calibration in which periodic calibrations of a data strobe delay and reference voltage are scheduled. After a first calibration, a reference score is determined based on a parameter of an eye opening. On a next scheduled calibration thereafter, the data strobe delay is calibrated at the most recent value of the reference voltage. A score is then determined, and compared to the reference score. If the score is within a specified range of the reference score, then no calibration of the reference voltage is performed on the current cycle. Otherwise, the reference voltage is calibrated as well. |
| US09672875B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for providing a program voltage responsive to a voltage determination
Apparatuses and methods for providing a program voltage responsive to a voltage determination are described. An example apparatus includes a memory array comprising a plurality of access lines. The example apparatus further includes a memory access circuit coupled to the memory array. The memory access circuit is configured to, during a memory program operation, provide an inhibit voltage to the plurality of access lines. The memory access circuit is further configured to, during the memory program operation, provide a program voltage to a target access line of the plurality of access lines responsive to a determination that an access line of the plurality of access lines has a voltage equal to or greater than a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is less than the inhibit voltage. |
| US09672872B2 |
Semiconductor device having multiport memory
A semiconductor device enabling expansion of a noise margin. For example, in a memory area in which each memory cell MC is coupled to a word line WLA for a first port and a word line WLB for a second port, and a plurality of memory cells MC are disposed in a matrix shape, each word line is disposed in the order of WLA0, WLB0, WLB1, WLA1, WLA2. Further, a pitch d2 between WLA-WLA and between WLB-WLB is made smaller than a pitch d1 between WLA-WLB. As such, the word lines of an identical port are disposed at the pitch d2 on one of both sides of a certain word line and the word lines of different ports are disposed at the pitch d1 on the other. |
| US09672870B1 |
Sealed bulkhead electrical feed-through X-Y positioning control
An electrical feed-through, such as a PCB connector, involves a connector part that includes a housing from which first and second positioning flanges extend from opposing ends. A data storage device includes an enclosure base with which the electrical feed-through is coupled, where the base comprises an annular recessed surface surrounding an aperture that is encompassed by the electrical feed-through, and first and second recessed positioning surfaces extending in directions outward from respective longitudinal ends of the annular recessed surface, where each of the recessed positioning surfaces has a corresponding wall extending vertically therefrom. When assembled, each positioning flange of the electrical feed-through mechanically mates with a corresponding recessed positioning surface of the base, such that the position of the electrical feed-through is constrained by the walls of each recessed positioning surface. |
| US09672866B2 |
Automated looping video creation
Automated looping video creation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a digital medium environment is configured to create a looping video that supports repeated playback that appears generally seamless to a user by one or more computing devices. Frames of a video are segmented into foreground and background regions by the one or more computing devices. Similarity of the foreground regions is determined of the segmented frames, one to another, by the one or more computing devices to use as a transition in the looping video. The looping video is synthesized as a subset of the video by the one or more computing devices as having the transition based on the determined similarity of first and second said frames. |
| US09672860B2 |
Recording/reproducing apparatus
According to an embodiment, a recording/reproducing apparatus includes a diffraction grating and a light-receiving element. The diffraction grating divides return light from the guide layer in accordance with areas. The areas include a first area and a second area that does not overlap the first area. The light-receiving element includes (i) a first detecting cell group which receives a zero-order beam to which astigmatism is imparted, (ii) a second detecting cell group which receives at least one of a positive and negative first-order beam, which passes the first area and made astigmatic, and (iii) a third detecting cell group which receives at least one of a positive and negative first-order beam, which passes the second area and made astigmatic. |
| US09672856B1 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording media with lateral exchange control layer
A magnetic media having a lateral exchange control layer formed on a magnetic oxide layer of a magnetic recording layer. A cap layer is formed over the lateral exchange control layer. The lateral exchange control layer can be an alloy comprising Co and one or more of W, Ru, Hf, Ta, Nb and Fe. The lateral exchange control layer has the highest magnetic saturation moment among all the recording layers, and increases spacing between magnetic grains (e.g. increased non-magnetic boundary width), thereby reducing lateral exchange sigma. The presence of lateral exchange control increases signal to noise ratio and reduces bit error rate and increases areal density. |
| US09672849B2 |
Multiple reader stacks disposed in close proximity
In accordance with one embodiment, a multi-reader can be manufactured so as to be able to read from multiple regions of a storage device contemporaneously during operation. Such a device can be configured, for example, by forming a first wall; forming a second wall; and utilizing the first wall and the second wall to form two adjacent reader stacks. |
| US09672837B2 |
Non-uniform parameter quantization for advanced coupling
The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for non-uniform quantization of parameters relating to parametric spatial coding of audio signals. The disclosure further relates to a method and apparatus for reconstructing an audio object in an audio decoding system taking the non-uniformly quantized parameters into account. According to the disclosure, such an approach renders it possible to reduce bit consumption without substantially reducing the quality of the reconstructed audio object. |
| US09672832B2 |
Audio encoder, audio encoding method and program
There is provided an audio encoder comprising a determination part determining, based on frequency spectra of audio signals of a plurality of channels, a mixing ratio as a ratio, relative to a frequency spectrum after mixing for each channel of the plurality of channels, of the frequency spectrum for another channel, a mixing part mixing the frequency spectra of the plurality of channels for each channel based on the mixing ratio determined by the determination part, and an encoding part encoding the frequency spectra of the plurality of channels after mixing by the mixing part. |
| US09672831B2 |
Quality of experience for communication sessions
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for managing quality of experience for communication sessions. In an implementation, a method may include determining a language spoken on a communication session. The method may also include selecting a codec for the communication session based upon, at least in part, the language spoken on the communication session. The method may further include transacting the communication session using the selected codec for the communication session. |
| US09672830B2 |
Voice signal encoding and decoding method, device, and codec system
A voice signal encoding and decoding method, device, and codec system are provided. The coding method includes: encoding an input voice signal to obtain a broadband code stream, where the broadband code stream includes a core layer bit stream and an extension enhancement layer bit stream (101); compressing the core layer bit stream to obtain a compressed code stream (102); and packing the compressed code stream and the extension enhancement layer bit stream to obtain a packed code stream (103). The core layer bit stream is compressed, and the compressed code stream and the extension enhancement layer bit stream are packed, thereby reducing transmission bandwidth occupied by the input voice signal. Since the broadband voice encoding is performed on the input voice signal, a broadband voice code stream is transmitted by using narrowband transmission bandwidth, thereby improving the cost performance of voice signal transmission. |
| US09672829B2 |
Extracting and displaying key points of a video conference
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, system, and computer program product for speech summarization. A computer receives audio and video components from a video conference. The computer determines which participant is speaking based on comparing images of the participants with template images of speaking and non-speaking faces. The computer determines the voiceprint of the speaking participant by applying a Hidden Markov Model to a brief recording of the voice waveform of the participant and associates the determined voiceprint with the face of the speaking participant. The computer recognizes and transcribes the content of statements made by the speaker, determines the key points, and displays them over the face of the participant in the video conference. |
| US09672826B2 |
System and method for efficient unified messaging system support for speech-to-text service
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for communicating information about transcription progress from a unified messaging (UM) server to a UM client. In one embodiment, the transcription progress describes speech to text transcription of speech messages such as voicemail. The UM server authenticates and establishes a session with a UM client, then receives a get message list request from a UM client as of a first time, responds to the get message list request with a view of a state of messages and available transcriptions for transcribable messages in a list of messages associated with the get message list call at the first time, and, at a second time subsequent to the first time, transmits to the UM client a notification that provides an indication of progress for at least one transcription not yet complete in the list of messages. The messages can include video. |
| US09672824B2 |
Query rewrite corrections
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for natural language processing. One of the methods includes receiving a first voice query; generating a first recognition output; receiving a second voice query; determining from a recognition of the second voice query that the second voice query triggers a correction request; using the first recognition output and the second recognition to determine a plurality of candidate corrections; scoring each candidate correction; and generating a corrected recognition output for a particular candidate correction having a score that satisfies a threshold value. |
| US09672821B2 |
Robust speech recognition in the presence of echo and noise using multiple signals for discrimination
Systems and methods for speech recognition system having a speech processor that is trained to recognize speech by considering (1) a raw microphone signal that includes an echo signal and (2) different types of echo information signals from an echo cancellation system (and optionally different types of ambient noise suppression signals from a noise suppressor). The different types of echo information signals may include those used for echo cancelation and those having echo information. The speech recognition system may convert the raw microphone signal and different types of echo information signals (and optional noise suppression signals) into spectral features in the form of a vector, and a concatenator to combine the feature vectors into a total vector (for a period of time) that is used to train the speech processor, and during use of the speech processor to recognize speech. |
| US09672820B2 |
Simultaneous speech processing apparatus and method
According to one embodiment, a simultaneous speech processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a speech recognition unit, a detection unit and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires a speech signal. The speech recognition unit generates a decided character string and at least one candidate character string. The detection unit detects a first character string as a processing piece character string if the first character string included in the decided character string exists commonly in one or more combined character strings on dividing the one or more combined character strings by a boundary indicating a morphological position serving as a start position of a processing piece in natural language processing. The output unit outputs the processing piece character string. |
| US09672818B2 |
Updating population language models based on changes made by user clusters
Technology for improving the predictive accuracy of input word recognition on a device by dynamically updating the lexicon of recognized words based on the word choices made by similar users. The technology collects users' vocabulary choices (e.g., words that each user uses, or adds to or removes from a word recognition dictionary), associates users who make similar choices, aggregates related vocabulary choices, filters the words, and sends words identified as likely choices for that user to the user's device. Clusters may include, for example, users in a particular location (e.g., sets of people who use words such as “Puyallup,” “Gloucester,” or “Waiheke”), users with a particular professional or hobby vocabulary, or application-specific vocabulary (e.g., word choices in map searches or email messages). |
| US09672813B2 |
Systems and methods for configuring matching rules related to voice input commands
Systems, devices and methods are provided for configuring matching rules related to voice input commands. For example, a first mapping relation between one or more first original terms in a preset term database and one or more first identification terms is established; the first mapping relation is stored in a first mapping relation table; one or more first voice input commands are configured for the first identification terms or one or more first statements including the first identification terms; and a second mapping relation between the first identification terms or the first statements and the first voice input commands is stored into a second mapping relation table. |
| US09672812B1 |
Qualifying trigger expressions in speech-based systems
A speech-based audio device may be configured to detect a user-uttered trigger expression and to respond by interpreting subsequent words or phrases as commands. In order to distinguish between utterance of the trigger expression by the user and generation of the trigger expression by the device itself, output signals used as speaker inputs are analyzed to detect whether the trigger expression has been generated by the speaker. If a detected trigger expression has been generated by the speaker, it is disqualified. Disqualified trigger expressions are not acted upon the by the audio device. |
| US09672811B2 |
Combining auditory attention cues with phoneme posterior scores for phone/vowel/syllable boundary detection
Phoneme boundaries may be determined from a signal corresponding to recorded audio by extracting auditory attention features from the signal and extracting phoneme posteriors from the signal. The auditory attention features and phoneme posteriors may then be combined to detect boundaries in the signal. |
| US09672804B2 |
Hearing aid compatible audio device with acoustic noise cancellation
A portable audio device, which includes active noise cancellation circuitry, a hearing aid compliant magnetic radiator, and a speaker/earpiece, is surrounded by ambient acoustic noise. The active noise cancellation circuitry provides an anti-noise signal at an input of the speaker to control/reduce the ambient acoustic noise outside of the device. In addition, the active noise cancellation circuitry provides an inverse anti-noise signal to an input of the magnetic radiator. The magnetic fields produced by the speaker driven by the anti-noise signal and the magnetic radiator driven by the inverse anti-noise signal cancel each other out through phase cancellation such that a hearing aid using a telecoil coupled to the audio device does not produce significant audio waves based on either of these signals. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US09672798B1 |
Systems and methods for providing decorative drum shell wraps
A drum shell wrap is disclosed that includes at least two layers of an acrylic film and a plurality of layers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). |
| US09672781B2 |
Cost effective low pin/ball count level-shifter for LCD bias applications supporting charge sharing of gate lines with perfect waveform matching
A level shifter circuit has a plurality of channels for providing signals to a capacitive load and has circuits for sharing charge stored in the capacitive load between the channels. A first pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a first pair of channels. A second pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a second pair of channels. A pair of switches couple the first pair of channels together and the second pair of channels together, respectively, for sharing charge between the channels. A single resistor is coupled in circuit with all of the channels for controlling a slope of charge sharing between channels. |
| US09672780B2 |
Over drive data generator and display driver including the same
A data generator includes an over drive data generator and a buffer. The over drive data generator generates an over drive data based on a previous display data and a current display data. The buffer provides the previous display data to the over drive data generator. The buffer stores the current display data and the over drive data. The buffer outputs the current display data and the over drive data. The data generator may increase the speed of driving the load connected to a display driver using the over drive voltage corresponding to the over drive data. If the speed of driving the load connected to the display driver is increased, the operational speed of the display device may be increased. |
| US09672779B2 |
Liquid crystal display device, backlight module, and drive circuit for backlight source thereof
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device, a backlight module, and a backlight drive circuit. The backlight drive circuit comprises a booster circuit, a light-emitting unit, a circuit for automatic adjustment of current, and a controller. The current flowing through an LED will be altered by the circuit for automatic adjustment of current when extending an adjustable range of the controller, so as to reach the adjustable range of the controller. |
| US09672775B2 |
Method and circuit for synchronizing input and output synchronization signals, backlight driver of liquid crystal display device using the same and method for driving the backlight driver
Disclosed are method and circuit for synchronizing input and output synchronization signals, which can synchronize an output synchronization signal based on frequency change of an input synchronization signal and limit input and output periods, thereby preventing flickering, a backlight driver of a liquid crystal display device using the same, and a method for driving the backlight driver. The method for synchronizing input and output synchronization signals, includes generating an output synchronization signal whose output period is set based on a comparison result between an input period of an input synchronization signal and a previous output period of the output synchronization signal, and limiting the output period of the output synchronization signal within a predefined limit range from the previous output period. |
| US09672774B2 |
Electronic display device and backlight adjustment method thereof
The present disclosure provides an electronic display device including a backlight module, a light sensor, a storage device, an embedded controller, and a processing unit. The light sensor detects ambient light surrounding the electronic display device. The embedded controller controls intensity of the backlight module according to the ambient light and a brightness table of the storage device. The processing unit performs a basic input/output system to draw a brightness curve diagram according to the brightness table for users to adjust the curve of the brightness curve diagram during a boot process of the electronic display device and update the brightness table in the storage device according to the adjusted brightness curve diagram in response to a storing signal. |
| US09672770B2 |
Pixel circuit and driving method thereof, display device
A pixel circuit is disclosed, comprising: a driving module, an energy storage module, an electroluminescence module, a data voltage write module and a threshold compensation module, the threshold compensation module being connected with a compensation voltage input end, a first end of the energy storage module and at least one control signal input end, adapted to compensate the voltage of the first end of the energy storage module as a sum of the startup threshold of the driving module and the compensation voltage accessed by the compensation voltage input end in response to the control signal accessed by the connected control signal input end. |
| US09672768B2 |
Luminance-chrominance calibration production line of LED display module
A luminance-chrominance calibration production line includes: a rail; multiple stations disposed along the rail and including multiple first darkroom stations; multiple image acquisition apparatuses respectively disposed in the first darkroom stations and for capturing different color images sequentially displayed by a to-be-calibrated LED display module loaded on the rail to acquire color image data; and a rail computer system for controlling a transport movement on the rail and controlling the to-be-calibrated LED display module to display the different color images, and being signally connected to the image acquisition apparatuses to obtain the color image data. By using multiple image acquisition apparatuses to collect various color image information of LED display module in pipelined manner, calibration efficiency is improved, data collection is accurate, data collection error caused by using different image acquisition apparatuses to calibrate different LED display modules is avoided and calibration manpower is reduced. |
| US09672766B2 |
Methods for driving electro-optic displays
A bistable electro-optic display having a plurality of pixels each of which is capable of displaying at least three optical states, including two extreme optical states, is driven by the method comprising a first drive scheme capable of effecting transitions between all of the gray levels which can be displayed by the pixels; and a second drive scheme which contains only transitions ending at one of the extreme optical states of the pixels. |
| US09672765B2 |
Sub-pixel layout compensation
Devices and methods for reducing or eliminating sub-pixel layout artifacts on an electronic display are provided. One such device may include an electronic display to display image data, a processor to generate the image data, and sub-pixel layout compensation circuitry that modifies the image data to reduce or eliminate a sub-pixel layout artifact of the electronic display by modifying pixels of the image data on a sub-pixel-by-sub-pixel basis. The sub-pixel layout compensation circuitry may adjust a sub-pixel of a first color in a first pixel based at least in part on a first gradient between the sub-pixel of the first color of the first pixel and a sub-pixel of the first color of a second pixel. |
| US09672763B2 |
Pixel array and driving method thereof, display panel and display device
The present invention provides a pixel array including multiple pixel units, each of which includes two rows of sub-pixels, and each row of sub-pixels includes four sub-pixels of different colors, wherein in each pixel unit, colors of the first two sub-pixels in the previous row are the same as those of the last two sub-pixels in the next row, colors of the last two sub-pixels in the previous row are the same as those of the first two sub-pixels in the next row, and in the same row, any two adjacent sub-pixels form one pixel block. The present invention further provides a driving method of the above-mentioned pixel array, a display panel including the pixel array and a display device including the display panel. |
| US09672758B2 |
Kit for replicating an implantable prosthetic device
A kit for replicating an implantable prosthetic devices includes a model implant, a geometric tool, and an insert. The model implant may include a first curved surface, and the first curved surface may include a first cutout formed. The geometric tool may include a second curved surface having a second cutout. The geometric configuration of the second cutout may be substantially identical to the geometric configuration of the first cutout of the model implant. The insert may be configured to be engaged with both the first cutout and the second cutout. |
| US09672749B1 |
System and method for updating ILS category and decision height
A system and method is provided for updating an aircraft flight management system with approach and landing information received from a NOTAM transmission. The system and method receives an updated ILS category, updates the ILS category and updates the associated decision height/altitude. In addition, the system and method generates a notification of the NOTAM update and disregards user attempts to select an ILS category and/or decision height that is inconsistent with the NOTAM update. |
| US09672748B2 |
Deep stall aircraft landing
An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation. |
| US09672745B2 |
Awareness enhancing display for aircraft
Systems, methods and computer-storage media are provided for enhancing awareness in an aircraft using a touch-screen instrument panel. In one aspect, a warning is displayed peripherally in the panel in a way that attracts attention without interfering with the use of the panel for other purposes. In another aspect, a crew member is directed by highlighting through menus to a screen that enables the problem causing the warning to be corrected. In another aspect, parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures) are displayed along with oriented graphical representations of system components. In yet another aspect, aircraft parameters are displayed in a historical context so that the user has a time-line context for a value at issue. |
| US09672736B2 |
Site map interface for vehicular application
A system and method for transferring data between an object detection system and a collision processing circuit is provided. The object detection system includes sensors configured to provide coverage of and detect movement within a predetermined area. The object detection system further includes a path predicting circuit and a plotting circuit operable to predict and plot the location of detected objects. The system further includes a map definition of the predetermined area, a grid system plotted onto the predetermined area, and environmental information relating to the predetermined area, and a series of overlays. Each overlay is plotted with the grid system and the predicted location of the detected objects. The object detection system transmits the map definition and series of overlays to the collision processing circuit so as to determine a probability of a collision. |
| US09672735B2 |
Traffic classification based on spatial neighbor model
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for estimating traffic conditions on road segments when no real time traffic data is available. A computing device may access a road topology comprising links from a geographic database. One of the links is selected from road topology. The computing device identifies a subset of the road topology having neighboring links that have an influential conditional probability on the selected link. In one example, the subset of the neighboring links includes parent links for the selected link, child links for the selected link, and parents of child links of the selected link. The computing device generates a traffic estimation model for the selected link using the subset of road topology and historical traffic data for the neighboring links. |
| US09672734B1 |
Traffic aware lane determination for human driver and autonomous vehicle driving system
A system, method, and computer program product for determining lane information in a road segment to drive a first vehicle to minimize travel time. According to an embodiment, navigation data of the first vehicle and at least one other vehicle in a road segment is sent to a computer server system via their respective clique leaders through a communication network. The lane information may include whether a change of lane is required, a lane to avoid, an optimum lane, and rank order of drivable lanes according to increasing order of travel time for the first vehicle to minimize travel time. The determined lane information is sent to the appropriate user device through its clique leader. The user device presents the lane information to a human driver and/or autonomous vehicle driving system of the first vehicle appropriately. |
| US09672729B2 |
Relevance determination of sensor event
Relevance determination of sensor event is disclosed. An apparatus obtains a sensor event created on the basis of sensor data generated by one or more sensors, determines relevance of the sensor event, and if the relevance of the sensor event fulfills a predetermined relevance condition, outputs, with the output interface, the sensor event according to its determined relevance. |
| US09672726B2 |
Hand hygiene compliance monitoring system
A hand hygiene compliance monitoring system includes a method and computer program product for performing sanitation compliance monitoring including receiving sanitation compliance data. The sanitation compliance data includes a zone identifier corresponding to a first device in a zone and an entity identifier corresponding to a second device attached to a mobile entity in the zone. The zone is defined by an area over which the first device and the second device communicate via one-way or two-way communication. It is determined whether the entity is compliant with a sanitation protocol associated with the zone, and a database is updated with results of the determining. |
| US09672725B2 |
Proximity-based reminders
A proximity-based reminder system includes one or more proximity detectors for determining whether a distance between two or more paired electronic devices satisfies various criteria. Data transmissions across a wide area network (WAN) are used to determine whether a distance between paired devices satisfies a first proximity condition. Transmissions across a local area network (LAN) are used to determine whether the distance between the paired devices satisfies a second proximity condition. When the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices. |
| US09672724B2 |
Automatic configuration of alarm aggregations
According to another embodiment, a system for generating alarm aggregation rules is provided. The system includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive information descriptive of a set of devices, each device within the set having one or more devices within the set that are associated with the device and each device of the set being capable of entering at least one anomalous state; identify at least one type of alarm aggregation rule that applies to at least one device within the set based on one or more anomalous states that the at least one device is capable of entering; and store an association between an alarm aggregation rule of the at least one type and the set of devices. |
| US09672716B2 |
Swim-A-Sure system and device
An interactive life system for increasing the safety of person in water having a base station configured to communicate with a remote node; the base station having a first controller having a first microcontroller; and a transceiver means; wherein the base station further includes an alert for alerting a monitor, a pager; a NOAA weather receiver; wherein the remote node comprises a second controller, a second transceiver, a GPS, a buoy, a panic button, a pressure transducer, a visual indicator, a vibrating motor, and a mount; wherein the second controller comprises a second microcontroller; wherein the panic button communicates with the base station; wherein the visual indicator includes light; wherein the vibrating motor includes a mechanical indicator; and where the monitee can wear the device on the wrist. |
| US09672715B2 |
Notifications on a user device based on activity detected by an activity monitoring device
A mobile device is provided, including: a synchronization module configured to receive, at the mobile device, activity data from an activity monitoring device via a wireless connection; an activity data processing module configured to process the activity data to determine an activity metric for a user; a notification generator configured to compare the activity metric against a predefined threshold, the predefined threshold being mapped to a notification message, determine, based on the comparison, that the activity metric has reached or exceeds the predefined threshold, and access an electronic calendar associated with the user to obtain electronic calendar data; a display; and, a notification presenter configured to display the notification message on the mobile device via the display responsive to determining that the activity metric has reached or exceeded the predefined threshold, a timing of the display of the notification message being determined based on the electronic calendar data. |
| US09672711B2 |
System and method for integrated product protection
A method of preventing the theft of packaged products from a building, in which the method includes the steps of incorporating an electronic device into the packaging material for the packaged product, and configuring the electronic device to activate an alarm if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device. In a particular embodiment, the method further includes configuring the electronic device to impair the function or appearance of the packaged product if the packaged product is removed from the building prior to deactivation of the electronic device. |
| US09672710B2 |
Item movement tracking with three-dimensional (3D) proximity exclusions
A proximity exclusion is configured for at least one item in a commercial environment that precludes movement of the at least one item into a defined prohibited region within a structure associated with the commercial environment. Movement of the at least one item is detected within the structure associated with the commercial environment. A determination is made as to whether the movement of the at least one item results in the at least one item being located within the defined prohibited region within the structure associated with the commercial environment. In response to determining that the movement of the at least one item results in the at least one item being located within the defined prohibited region, a proximity exclusion alert is generated indicating that the at least one item is located within the prohibited region. |
| US09672709B2 |
Device and its use for deterring wearing and returning of merchandise
Provided is a device for deterring purchase-wear-return of merchandise, particularly women's dresses, by a consumer. |
| US09672701B2 |
Tactile imaging system
One embodiment of the present invention provides a tactile imaging system. The tactical imaging system includes: a receptive field tactile control unit; and a connecting module configured to connect the tactile imaging system with a host system. In addition, the receptive field tactile control unit includes: a monitoring module configured to monitor a property of a human skin; and a tactile stimulation providing module configured to provide a tactile stimulation. |
| US09672700B2 |
Task lighting system with alarm and dimming features
A temporary task lighting system used on job sites has an alarm mode. The system may be used to provide an alarm indication using the light units of the system. The alarm indication may be cycling the lights through on and off conditions or full on and dimmed conditions. Different systems and methods may be used to activate the alarm. The alarm activation may come from a typical fire alarm switch, a button on the power supply, a button on a central control computer, or a signal from an emergency response system such as a 911 system. The disclosure also provides central control for remote drivers and ballasts. The central control allows different zones of low voltage lighting systems or different zones of low voltage lights to set up, identified, and individually controlled from a central interface. |
| US09672689B2 |
Gaming system with movable ultrasonic transducer
An electronic gaming machine (EMG) includes a locating sensor generating an electronic signal based on a player's location in a sensing space. The EGM also includes a movable connector controllable by an electronic control signal. The electronic control signal controls an amount of movement of the movable connector. The EGM also includes an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit an ultrasonic field when the ultrasonic emitter is activated. The ultrasonic emitter coupled to the movable connector to allow the ultrasonic emitter to move. The EGM also includes one or more processors coupled to the locating sensor, the ultrasonic emitter and the movable connector. The processors configured to: identify a location of a player feature based on the electronic signal generated by the locating sensor; and control the movable connector and the ultrasonic emitter based on the identified location. |
| US09672687B2 |
Processing of a mobile device game-playing transaction based on the mobile device location
An exemplary method comprises receiving information associated with a game-playing transaction conducted between a user device and a game-playing terminal, wherein the game-playing transaction is associated with a request for playing a game; determining a location of the user device associated with the game; determining the user device is located in an approved location associated with the game; and processing the game-playing transaction based on determining the user device is located in the approved location associated with the game. The game-playing transaction is conducted on a first communication interface, and the information associated with the game-playing transaction is received on a second communication interface. |
| US09672680B2 |
Coin separating device
A coin separating device has a conveying device for conveying coins along a conveying section in a conveying direction from an input container, a checking device arranged on the conveying section for checking a coin conveyed along the conveying section and for providing a check result signal, a coin collecting device for collecting coins and a coin bridge device that is arranged between the coin collecting device and the conveying device and is realized to receive the check result signal and, in dependence on the check result signal, either to take over a conveyed coin from the conveying device by means of a movably arranged slide and supply it to the coin collecting device by means of the slide or not to take over a conveyed object from the conveying device such that the conveyed object passes from the conveying device to a return means of the coin separating device. |
| US09672678B2 |
Method and system of using image capturing device for counterfeit article detection
A device, system, and method of detecting counterfeit articles are provided. The method includes receiving article identifying information associated with a test article, using the article identifying information to retrieve an authentic article image associated with the test article from an image storage database, scanning the test article to capture one or more images of the test article under different wavelength illuminations, and displaying the one or more test article images and the authentic article image to allow comparison of the test article and the associated authentic article. Additionally, multiple wavelength emitting elements may be located within an image-capturing device, to provide alternate illuminations of the test article, allowing alternating capture of images highlighting different security features for providing a superimposed image. A system of counterfeit article detection is also provided. |
| US09672677B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting magnetic signal of paper money
A method and an apparatus for detecting a magnetic signal of paper money. By using detecting a magnetic track and repairing an abnormal magnetic track, the detection method solves the phenomenon of the abnormal magnetic track, and greatly improves the recognition accuracy rate and the receiving rate of a paper money recognition apparatus. The detection method comprises: S1: acquiring original data of a paper money magnetic signal; S2: performing abnormal magnetic track detection on the original data to obtain a detection result; S3: if the detection result is an abnormal magnetic track, performing step S4 and step S5, otherwise, performing step S6; S4: repairing the original data according to a preset repair rule to obtain repaired data; S5: comparing the repaired data with a preset standard value to obtain a recognition result; and S6: comparing the original data with the preset standard value to obtain a recognition result. |
| US09672674B2 |
Systems and methods for secure lock systems with redundant access control
Systems and methods for providing secure locks having redundant access channels are disclosed. In some embodiments of the invention, the smart lock has a hardware processor, a power source, a cylinder, a button that forms a rose knob, and a rose protector. The rose knob and rose protector protect and conceal the hardware processor, the power source, and the cylinder. The rose protector forms an annular groove that slidably interlocks with the rose knob. The rose knob has a plurality of redundant access channels for receiving authentication information. The redundant access channels may include a biometric scanner for receiving biometric information, a passcode keypad for entering a token, or a wireless transceiver for receiving a token from a mobile device and transmitting a response to the mobile device. When the user cannot open the lock through the first redundant access channel, the smart lock is configured to allow access through a second access channel. |
| US09672673B1 |
Electronic locker lock system
In a system of locks, typically lockers for temporary use, but also including long-term lockers and locks in office furniture, each electronic lock has an access terminal for entry of a user's code. The electronic locks each have a processor and a programmable memory to receive inputs for setting and resetting access codes for the lock. The system includes a smartphone or other hand-held computer device, with a program for control of lock access. When locks of the system are to be set as to permitted access, or operating parameters of locks are to be adjusted, or for downloading information from the lock, information is entered into the smartphone and downloaded to a portable electronic data key. The data key is then touched to contacts of each lock to be affected, whereby the locks are set or the locks provide audit data to the smartphones. |
| US09672672B2 |
Keyless padlock, system and method of use
A keyless padlock having a padlock body, a shackle, a locking mechanism located in the body and associated with the shackle to lock the shackle to the body in a locked condition and to release at least a part of the shackle in an unlocked condition, the locking mechanism including a signal receiver, at least one control assembly and at least one actuator, the locking mechanism being unlocked upon verification of a signal including an unlock code transmitted by a mobile computing device. |
| US09672671B2 |
Relay attack prevention for passive entry/passive start systems
A keyfob is disclosed for use in detecting an attack on a vehicle. The keyfob includes a microcontroller, a wake receiver and an accelerometer. The wake receiver is configured to measure received signal strength and save the measured value in received signal strength indicator (RSSI). The accelerometer is used to generate acceleration data. The microcontroller detects an attack based on the RSSI and the acceleration data. |
| US09672667B2 |
System for processing fleet vehicle operation information
In one embodiment, a system for presenting fleet vehicle operation information in standardized forms includes a telematics module and a data standardizing module. The telematics module receives measurements related to operation of multiple vehicles in a fleet. The data standardizing module, using a first technique, estimates a first value for a parameter for at least one vehicle of the multiple vehicles based at least on the measurements. Further, the data standardizing module, using a second technique, estimates a second value for the parameter for at least one vehicle of the multiple vehicles based at least on the measurements. The second technique including using some measurement to estimate the second value different from the measurements used to estimate the first value according to the first technique. The data standardizing module outputs one or both of the first value and the second value for presentation to a user. |
| US09672665B1 |
Vehicle diagnostics
Computing systems for vehicle diagnostics are provided. In accordance with some aspects, a computing system may receive, from a vehicle (e.g., from a computing device installed in and/or at the vehicle), a diagnostic code generated by an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle. The computing system may determine an issue with the vehicle based on the diagnostic code and may determine, based on the issue, a remedial action for addressing the issue and a timeframe for performing the remedial action. The computing system may store data identifying the issue, the remedial action, and the timeframe in a record associated with the vehicle. |
| US09672664B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring protection devices of an industrial machine
A system includes a machinery protection monitoring system. The machinery protection monitoring system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of alarm escalation rules associated with an operational protection function of an industrial machine, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to utilize the plurality of alarm escalation rules. The processor is also configured to receive an indication that the operational protection of the industrial machine is at least partially suspended, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate an alarm signal based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. The alarm signal includes an indication of an adverse operational condition of the machinery protection monitoring system. |
| US09672660B2 |
Offloading augmented reality processing
A system and method for offloading augmented reality processing is described. A first sensor of a server generates a first set of sensor data corresponding to a location and an orientation of a display device. The server receives a request from the display device to offload a combination of at least one of a tracking process and a rendering process from the display device. The server generates offloaded processed data based on a combination of at least one of the first set of sensor data and a second set of sensor data. The second set of sensor data is generated by a second sensor at the display device. The server streams the offloaded processed data to the display device. |
| US09672653B2 |
Stereo viewpoint graphics processing subsystem and method of sharing geometry data between stereo images in screen-spaced processing
A stereo viewpoint graphics processing subsystem and a method of sharing geometry data between stereo images in screen-space processing. One embodiment of the stereo viewpoint graphics processing subsystem configured to render a scene includes: (1) stereo frame buffers configured to contain respective pixel-wise rendered scene data for stereo images, and (2) a sharing decision circuit operable to determine when to share geometric data between the stereo frame buffers for carrying out screen-space effect processes to render the scene in the stereo images. |
| US09672652B2 |
Method for processing a computer-animated scene and corresponding device
The invention is related to a method for processing a computer-animated scene, the computer-animated scene being represented with at least an animation graph, at least an animation graph comprising a plurality of nodes connected by paths, the paths being representative of dependencies between the nodes, at least an event being associated with each node, a first information representative of the type of each event being associated with each node. As to optimize the parallelization of the nodes, the method comprises a step of classifying the nodes in at least a first batch and at least a second batch according to the first information associated with each node, at least a first batch comprising nodes to be evaluated in parallel and at least a second batch comprising nodes to be evaluated sequentially. |
| US09672650B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes: a digital processing unit that performs digital processing on accepted one or at least two images, thereby acquiring one or at least two processed images; a physical property information acquiring unit that acquires physical property information, which is information relating to a physical property that has been lost compared with one or more physical properties of a target contained in the images, in the one or at least two processed images; a physical property processing unit that performs physical property processing, which is processing for adding a physical property corresponding to the physical property information, using the one or at least two processed images; and an output unit that outputs a processed image subjected to the physical property processing. Accordingly, it is possible to reproduce lost physical properties of a target expressed in an image, to the fullest extent possible. |
| US09672645B2 |
Method to display a graph containing nodes and edges in a two-dimensional grid
A graph display system that represents graph nodes as grid cells in a two-dimensional grid. Graph edges are represented by placing the edge's nodes in adjacent grid cells, thus eliminating the entanglement of edges that are typically drawn as lines between scattered nodes. Relatedness of two nodes sharing an edge is indicated by the edge's weight. The display system prioritizes placement of higher weight edges such that more related information is grouped together in nearby grid cells. Any graph with n nodes and e edges can be displayed and browsed. |
| US09672643B2 |
Image processing LSI and image processing program
When graphics computations are to be performed to calculate the display data of a figure to be drawn within a frame that is formed of a plurality of lines in accordance with input vector data, the present invention reduces the storage capacity of a RAM to which a work area for storing intermediate data is allocated. When the graphics computations are to be performed, the frame in which the figure is to be displayed is segmented into a plurality of drawing areas for each of the lines. As regards the work area for storing the intermediate data, the same work area is allocated to all the drawing areas. The graphics computations for calculating the intermediate data of the individual drawing areas are sequentially performed by repeatedly using the same work area. |
| US09672642B2 |
Apparatus and method of performing tile binning of bezier curve
An apparatus and method for tile binning with respect to a Bezier curve. The apparatus may include a curve identification unit to identify a Bezier curve included in input data, a bounding box generation unit to generate a plurality of bounding boxes corresponding to the Bezier curve, and a tile binning unit to perform tile binning with respect to the Bezier curve based on the plurality of bounding boxes. |
| US09672640B2 |
Method for interactive manual matching and real-time projection calculation in imaging
Methods and systems are proposed herein for performing manual matching of generated digitally reconstructed radiographs with acquired verification images efficiently without intensive processing and/or memory consumption or hardware requirements. According to one aspect of the claimed subject matter, a system is provided that includes a computing workstation, communicatively coupled to both a data storage device and an image acquisition device. Real time images acquired by the image acquisition device are presented to the user along with one or more digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs)—generated using dynamically selected rendering techniques—from previously acquired image data. The user is able to verify the DRRs as a match to the real time image, or, alternately, to dynamically generate additional DRRs more suitable by actuating a portion of the generated DRR. Based on the user actuation, a new DRR is generated and presented to the user for verification. |
| US09672633B2 |
Image coding method, image decoding method, image coding apparatus, and image decoding apparatus
According to an embodiment, an image coding method is for coding an image including a luminance component and color difference components. The method includes acquiring a reference image; and generating a predicted image by interpolating the luminance component and the color difference components in the reference image according to a motion vector. If a size of a block, which is designated as a unit of the interpolation, is equal to or smaller than a predetermined first threshold value, the generating includes inhibiting a bi-directional prediction, and performing only a uni-directional prediction to generate the predicted image according to the motion vector. |
| US09672625B2 |
Method and apparatus to automatically implement a selection procedure on image data to generate a selected image data set
In a method and apparatus to automatically generate a selected image data set from an entirety of medical measurement data of an examination subject, the entirety of the measurement data of the examination subject is received as input data, and at least a portion of the measurement data is automatically analyzed with regard to a number of specific, topologically representative content feature parameter values of the examination subject selected measurement data from the entirety is made, with the selected data associated with defined, specific, topologically representative content feature parameter values. The selected measurement data are assembled into a selected image data set, as output data. |
| US09672621B2 |
Methods and systems for hair transplantation using time constrained image processing
Methods and systems are described for hair transplantation and other surgical procedures on a body surface. Specifically, methods and systems for computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation and other surgical procedures, using time constrained image processing techniques are described. In various examples, multiple images of a body surface may be divided into overlapping sub regions for comparison. In various other cases, a percentage of an image of a body surface to be processed may be adjusted based on a time constraint. In some implementations, the output of one of these methods may be used as input for the other method. |
| US09672619B2 |
Image processing device, information storage device, and image processing method
An image sequence acquisition section acquires an image sequence including a plurality of images. A processing section performs an image summarization process that acquires a summary image sequence based on first and second deletion determination processes that delete some of the images included in the acquired image sequence. The processing section sets an attention image sequence including one at least one attention image included in the plurality of images, selects a first reference image from the attention image sequence, selects a first determination target image from the plurality of images, and performs the first deletion determination process that determines whether the first determination target image can be deleted based on first deformation information that represents deformation between the first reference image and the first determination target image. The processing section sets a partial image sequence from the image sequence, a plurality of images that have been determined to be allowed to remain by the first deletion determination process being consecutively arranged in the partial image sequence. The processing section selects a second reference image and a second determination target image from the partial image sequence, and performs the second deletion determination process that determines whether the second determination target image can be deleted based on second deformation information that represents deformation between the second reference image and the second determination target image. |
| US09672618B1 |
System and process for dyslexia screening and management
A Dyslexia screening and management system and process for individual user, community and group in general are described. An electronic media based tests for reading, writing, drawing, spelling and listening skills, family drawing, and letter writing test, which uses text, audio, video, and gaze movement to detect a set of symptoms of having dyslexia is described. Multi-modal, language-independent screening test modules have been developed, which gives indications of further dyslexia diagnosis tool. The multimedia retrieval framework is presented to accelerate and ease the process of testing dyslexia at the global level, and to identify and auto assess potential dyslexic patterns and to accumulate huge collection of multimedia test data for in-depth clinical dyslexia pattern analysis. |
| US09672605B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
To increase the processing speed when median processing in the time direction is performed on color images, pixel values of each channel (R, G and B values) are extracted from multiple temporally consecutive frame images; subsequently, identifiers (index numbers) corresponding to frame images from which the pixel values are extracted are assigned to the pixel values; subsequently, a sorting process is performed on a set of pixel values of one channel (G values) to obtain an identifier assigned to a median value thereof; subsequently, a pixel value to which an identifier identical with that assigned to the median value is assigned is selected as a median value of each channel; and subsequently, a median image is generated on the basis of the median value of each channel obtained for each pixel. |
| US09672597B2 |
Method for reducing noise in sequences of fluoroscopic images
A method for reducing noise in flouroscopic images by detection of the traits in the curvelet domain, matching of the detected traits and time-domain filtering adapted to the type of coefficients associated with a trait. The method uses the discrete curvelet transforms of the images from a sequence. The denoised coefficients are detected, then transmitted to a step for locally matching the traits, the matched data subsequently undergo a step for time-domain filtering allowing the movement of the objects to be preserved in the image and a step for a 2D IDCT (Inverse Discrete Curvelet Transform) in order to produce the final image. |
| US09672596B2 |
Image processing apparatus to generate a reduced image of an endoscopic image
A filtering unit applies a filter for suppressing a high-frequency component to a second image generated by performing image processing including at least enlargement processing on a first image captured by using an endoscope. An image reducing unit generates a third image by performing reduction processing on the second image to which the filter has been applied. A filter setting unit sets a characteristic of a filter based on information on a maximum frequency component that can be reproduced in at least the first image and information on a maximum frequency component that should be reproduced in the third image. |
| US09672588B1 |
Approaches for customizing map views
A computing device can present a map of a geographic region. The computing device can determine that a user operating the computing device has performed a particular action. The particular action can be, for example, a particular gesture. The computing device can determine that a distance between the user's face and the display screen of the computing device is within a threshold distance. If the user's face is within a threshold distance of the display screen, the map can be displayed in a dynamic view mode. While in the dynamic view mode, the map for the geographic region includes at least one additional map label for a feature that is located in the geographic region and navigation of the rendered map is disabled. |
| US09672586B2 |
Image synthesis method with DSP and GPU
This patent application focuses on partitioning the computation to perform the image processing on the DSP, communicate the results to the GPU in an optimized manner, and use the GPU to render 3D information to the display. This invention solves the problem of seamlessly merging live streams from plural automotive cameras into a 3D display that can be rotated to see different view points. This purpose is achieved by partitioning the computation task between a digital signal processor (DSP) for image processing and a graphics processing unit (GPU) for rendering and display. This invention also includes meta data structures for communication of results from the DSP to the GPU. |
| US09672576B2 |
System and method for enabling effective work force management of a smart grid
A system and a method are provided for enabling effective work force management of a smart grid. The method includes receiving a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message comprising a state of an electrical component on an electrical grid; and notifying a third party of the state of the electrical component by sending a second SIP message. |
| US09672573B2 |
Graphical user interface for facilitating allocation of variable compensation
Described above is a system for allocating variable compensation to a group of individuals. The system displays objective financial statistics associated with individuals, and subjective factors to be set by a user, where the system can convert subjective factors set by the user into a value. The user can then select base and variable compensation values for each individual. Other details are described herein. |
| US09672570B1 |
Telematics based on handset movement within a moving vehicle
At least a system for providing telematics data associated with a vehicle being driven by a driver is described. The vehicular telematics data may be obtained by tracking the movements of a wireless communications device of a driver of the vehicle. The telematics data may provide, among other things, speed, acceleration, deceleration, times of operation, duration of operation, mileage driven per day, and day of the week the vehicle has been used. At least a system for determining risk behavior of a driver is also described. While a vehicle is being driven, data is obtained related to the position and movement of a wireless communications device. The data may indicate the type of behavior exhibited by the driver while the vehicle is being driven. |
| US09672565B2 |
High speed processing of financial information using FPGA devices
Methods and systems for processing financial market data using a reconfigurable logic device are disclosed. Various operations such as volume weighted average price (VWAP) operations can be performed on the financial market data using firmware logic deployed on the reconfigurable logic device to accelerate the speed of processing. |
| US09672562B1 |
Price determination in an auction system
An apparatus for computing a bid price for a plurality of items includes an input portion, a processing portion, and an output portion. The input portion is adapted to electronically receive a bid for an online auction listing for a plurality of items, the bid including a limit price and an initial bid price for each of the plurality of items, and a total bid price for an entirety of the plurality of items. The processing portion is adapted to electronically compute a bid price for each of the plurality of items, such that a sum of the computed bid prices for the plurality of items is substantially equal to the total bid price. The output portion is adapted to electronically transmit the computed bid prices for the plurality of items to an online auction portion, the online auction portion accepting the bid in accordance with the computed bid prices. |
| US09672561B1 |
Fail-safe ordering
An action submitted via a network may be fulfilled despite the network, or a website accessible via the network, experiencing an error that prevents processing of the action when the action is received. In one example, the user that submitted the action may receive a confirmation page indicating that the action has been received. Transaction data may be retrieved based at least in part on the action and/or the user that submitted the action. Once the transaction data is stored in a queue, the transaction data may be processed either automatically or manually. Subsequently, the action may be fulfilled without the user needing to resubmit the action. Alternatively, the action may be optimistically fulfilled prior to the action being processed. |
| US09672560B2 |
Distributed order orchestration system that transforms sales products to fulfillment products
A distributed order orchestration system provides a plurality of representations of a product, such as a sales-centric representation of a product and a fulfillment-centric representation of a product. The distributed order orchestration system captures an order associated with the product, and creates a sales order based on the sales-centric representation of the product. The distributed order orchestration system then transform the sales order into a fulfillment order, where the fulfillment order is based on the fulfillment-centric representation of the product. As part of the transformation, product information that is associated with the sales order is transformed into product information that is associated with the fulfillment order, using one or more product transformation rules. |
| US09672559B2 |
Methods and systems for a digital interface for displaying retail search results
A user interface for displaying retail search results is disclosed. The system and methods allow users to search for a plurality of retail items while simultaneously viewing a plurality of search results for each of the plurality of retail items. This interface allows users to easily compare the search results for each retail item, and to purchase a plurality of retail items simultaneously. In one example of the present disclosure, users may enter a plurality of retail items into a shopping list. The system may then display multiple results for each item on the shopping list in a carousel-like user interface, so users may view a plurality of results for a plurality of items simultaneously. |
| US09672554B2 |
Methods and systems for deriving a score with which item listings are ordered when presented in search results
Methods and systems for analyzing, ordering and presenting item listings are described. In one example embodiment, a search query is processed to identify item listings satisfying the search query. Then, for each item listing that satisfies the search query, a ranking score is derived and assigned to the item listing. The ranking score is based in part on a relevance score, a listing quality score and a business rules score (or, adjustment factor). Finally, the item listings are ordered, based on their corresponding ranking score, and presented in order in a search results page. |
| US09672553B2 |
Searchable texture index
Electronic content that has a tactile dimension when presented on a tactile-enabled computing device may be referred to as tactile-enabled content. A tactile-enabled device is a device that is capable of presenting tactile-enabled content in a manner that permits a user to experience tactile quality of electronic content. In one example embodiment, a system is provided for generating content that has a tactile dimension when presented on a tactile-enabled device. |
| US09672550B2 |
Fulfillment of orders for items using 3D manufacturing on demand
Methods and systems can be provided for providing items manufactured on demand to users. A user request for an item can be received. The item can have 3D manufacturing instructions associated therewith. A delivery method for the item can be determined. A manufacturing apparatus can be selected to manufacture the item based on the 3D manufacturing instructions. Instructions can be sent to the manufacturing apparatus to manufacture the item based on the 3D manufacturing instructions. Delivery instructions can be provided for delivering the item according to the delivery method. |
| US09672549B2 |
System and method for providing customer service help
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing customer service help. The system first receives, from a user device, contact information associated with the user device, wherein the contact information is received via a customer service terminal having a user interface configured to wirelessly receive data from the user device when the user device is within a distance of the customer service terminal. In response to receiving the contact information, the system then identifies a customer service representative associated with the customer service terminal. The system then sends the contact information to a remote device associated with the customer service representative. The customer service representative can then initiate a customer service communication between the user device and the remote device in order to provide customer service help to the user associated with the user device. |
| US09672548B2 |
Reputation management systems and methods
A method and system to manage user reputations is described. In some embodiments, a first picture is received from a first user and a second picture is received from a second user. The first picture and the second picture are associated with an in-person transaction related to an item. The method determines whether both the first picture and the second picture identify the item. The method further determines whether both the first picture and the second picture were taken at a similar geographic location. If the first picture and the second picture identify the item and were taken at a similar geographic location, transaction feedback is requested from the first user. A reputation score related to the second user is updated based on transaction feedback received from the first user. |
| US09672545B2 |
Optimizing license use for software license attribution
In one embodiment, a system for license management includes logic adapted for arranging entitlement slots under a plurality of licenses, each entitlement slot being configured for affording entitlement to use of an instance of a software application during a particular time frame, logic adapted for determining a license use signature from recorded license attribution information, logic adapted for receiving a notification of an instance not attributed to a license, and logic adapted for attributing the non-attributed instance to one of the plurality of licenses as a function of the license use signature, wherein each license has an entitlement value defining a maximum number of entitlement slots that may be attributed to that license during the time frame and any given instance of the software application may consume any number of the entitlement slots including zero entitlement slots. |
| US09672544B2 |
Method and system for providing accounting services
A computerized system and method for preparing at least one tax return, including, but not limited to: accepting tax information, by at least one accounting module, for the at least one tax return from at least one user; processing the tax information, at the at least accounting module, so that at least one third party tax software application can utilize the tax information to calculate the at least one tax return; and providing calculated results of the at least one tax return, from the at least one accounting module, to the at least one user; wherein third-party software is utilized to calculate the at least one tax return so that the at least one accounting module does not need to calculate the at least one tax return. |
| US09672543B1 |
System and method for device valuation
Described herein is a platform and method for providing a device valuation for an electronic device based on parameter values of the electronic device. The method may comprise obtaining a model information of the electronic device and identifying a base value of the electronic device. In some embodiments, a device specific performance evaluation may be executed on a hardware component contained with the electronic device. Upon execution of the performance evaluation, a set of parameter values may be generated using input collected with respect to the performance evaluation. A valuation of the electronic device may subsequently be generated based upon the base value and the set of parameter values. |
| US09672541B2 |
Visual tag editor
According to various embodiments, techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the editing of computer programming tags associated with a website. A user interface displaying a representation of a website may be presented on a display screen. The representation may include a plurality of webpage identifiers that each identifies a respective webpage associated with the website. The representation may also include a plurality of active tag indicators that are each associated with a respective one of the webpages. Each active tag indicator may identify a respective portion of computer programming code included in the respective webpage with which the active tag indicator is associated. User input indicating an editing action to be performed with respect to one or more of the computer programming code portions may be received, and a message identifying the editing action may be transmitted via a communications interface. |
| US09672538B1 |
Delivering personalized content based on geolocation information in a social graph with sharing activity of users of the open web
A system receives geographic information from devices to determine and deliver relevant advertisements or personalized content for consumers. This ties a user's real-world location, with virtual leads (e.g., advertisements). The system uses geographical information gathered by mobile devices and saves the geographical information to consumer profiles. For example, the system can use different wireless radios present on mobile devices to gather different types of geographical information. Some radios include cellular, Bluetooth, global positioning system (or GPS), Wi-Fi, near field communications (or NFC), and other radios. |
| US09672537B1 |
Dynamic content control in an information processing system based on cultural characteristics
A dynamic content controller is configured for communication with one or more data sources. The dynamic content controller comprises an analytics engine and a personalization engine coupled to the analytics engine. The analytics engine is configured to analyze cultural data collected from the one or more data sources during a current content browsing session. The personalization engine is configured to adapt content to be presented based at least in part on the analysis of the cultural data. The adaptation of the content to be presented is performed during the current content browsing session. |
| US09672536B2 |
Customized vCards
Methods and systems provide customized electronic cards, such as customized vCards. Each vCard can be customized, such as with respect to a particular recipient. Thus, desired specific information can be provided to the recipient and not provided to anyone else who receives a vCard from a user. In this manner, a unique communication between the user and the recipient can be defined. Different vCards, each containing some common information and some unique information, can be communicated to different recipients. |
| US09672534B2 |
Preparing content packages
Preparing a content package by determining a requesting user profile based on the requesting user identity. This includes calculating an inclusion value for a content file based on at least one factor. The factor may be a social networking factor. The social networking factor is based on a profile attribute linking the requesting user identity to at least one friend user identity and a content rating attribute linking the content file to the friend profile. Other factors are a content aging factor based on a content age value and a request length factor based on a content length value. The calculated inclusion value is compared to an inclusion condition. If the calculated inclusion value satisfies the inclusion condition, incorporating the content file into the content package. |
| US09672532B2 |
Monetizing downloadable files based on resolving custodianship thereof to referring publisher and presentation of monetized content in a modal overlay contemporaneously with download
The monetization of downloadable files associated with a custodial host site based on resolving custodianship to a referrer publisher with subsequent presentation of monetized content within a modal overlay is disclosed. A request from a client device has a resource identifier and a referrer publisher identifier. The request for the downloadable file is evaluated against one or more publisher and custodianship policy rules, which relate to a file extension of the downloadable file, a format of the resource identifier, a custodial domain on which the downloadable file is stored, and a referral domain as specified in the referrer publisher identifier. When custodianship is resolved, a modal overlay on which monetized content is incorporated is presented on the client device. The modal overlay is concurrently displayed with the transfer of the downloadable file to the client device. |
| US09672528B2 |
System and method for tracking and rewarding media and entertainment usage including substantially real time rewards
The present invention relates to systems and methods for rewarding entertainment consumers, and more specifically to a system and method for rewarding people for watching or otherwise engaging in various forms of media and entertainment (e.g. broadcast TV, on-demand TV, games, live entertainment, movies, and radio) to promote loyalty to or improve recognition of all entertainment, while collecting useful data about the media consumption habits as well as the rewards consumption patterns associated with those consumers. |
| US09672526B2 |
Systems and methods for tailoring marketing
The systems and methods may be used to recommend an item to a consumer. The methods may comprise determining, based on a collaborative filtering algorithm, a consumer relevance value associated with an item, and transmitting, based on the consumer relevance value, information associated with the item to a consumer. A collaborative filtering algorithm may receive as an input a transaction history associated with the consumer, a demographic of the consumer, a consumer profile, a type of transaction account, a transaction account associated with the consumer, a period of time that the consumer has held a transaction account, a size of wallet, and/or a share of wallet. The method may further comprise generating a ranked list of items based upon consumer relevance values, transmitting a ranked list of items to a consumer, and/or re-ranking a ranked list of items based upon a merchant goal. |
| US09672525B2 |
Identifying related information given content and/or presenting related information in association with content-related advertisements
The usefulness of content (target content), such as advertisements, may be increased by determining additional content and providing such additional content in association with the content. The target content may be text, a Web page, a URL, a search query, etc. The additional content might be related suggested queries (e.g. “Try a search for ——————”), news articles (or excerpts or summaries thereof), reviews (or excerpts or summaries thereof), advertisements, user group messages, etc. |
| US09672522B2 |
System and method for capturing and transferring information onto a gas cylinder using a QR code
The present invention generates and places a Quick Response (QR) matrix barcode on a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and/or label placed on a gas cylinder at a vendor's facility. The gas cylinder is then delivered to a customer. The customer can download onto his/her mobile device an Application from the vendor, by way of a communications network. Using the Application, the QR code can be scanned, decoded, and viewed by the customer. The customer can also download the decoded information into a database, or upload the same information to a third party's database. The information remains accurate, starting at the vendor's facility, arriving at the customer's facility and, finally, reaching the third party's facility. The information is securely transferred, without any possibility of making a mistake in the information transfer. |
| US09672521B1 |
Reformatting legacy system work orders with highlighted process compliance
A data system comprises a legacy system for storing work orders and process data; and a computer-based interface module for retrieving the work orders from the legacy system, reformatting the retrieved work orders to highlight words corresponding to process compliance and insert hyperlinks to process data referenced by the work orders, and presenting the reformatted work orders with the highlighted words and the hyperlinks. |
| US09672514B2 |
Systems and methods for conducting transactions and communications using a trusted third party
Systems and methods are provided for performing transactions and managing communications using a trusted third party. In one embodiment, a sender transfers an encrypted version of a file (such as a digitally encoded audio track, movie, document, or the like) to someone who wishes to receive it. The receiver computes a first hash of at least a portion of the encrypted data content, and sends the first hash to a third party configured to compare at least a portion of the first hash to at least a portion of a second hash. The receiver receives a file decryption key from the third party, and decrypts at least the portion of the received encrypted data content with the decryption key. In some cases, multiple hashes of the encrypted data content may be computed, each using a different portion of the encrypted data content. |
| US09672513B2 |
Cloud based payment method
A cloud based payment method for payment at a merchant's electronic cash register (202) comprising the steps of: —upfront: A. registering payment credentials (101) of a user; —at check-in of a store of a participating merchant: B1. launching a cloud payment application (211) on a mobile terminal (201) to establish connectivity with a cloud payment service (100); —and at check-out at an electronic cash register (202): C1. identifying (221, 222; 321, 323) the user with the cloud payment service (100) through an identification shared with the cloud payment service (100) via the electronic cash register (202) or via the cloud payment application (211); C2. communicating (222; 322) an amount payable from the electronic cash register (202) to the cloud payment service (100); C3. communicating (223; 324) the amount payable from the cloud payment service (100) to the cloud payment application (211); C4. receiving (224; 325) confirmation of the amount payable from the user; C5. obtaining (225; 326) payment authorization using the payment credentials (101); and C6. confirming (226; 327) payment from the cloud payment service (100) to the electronic cash register (202). |
| US09672508B2 |
Over the air update of payment transaction data stored in secure memory
A system, apparatus, and method for processing payment transactions that are conducted using a mobile device that includes a contactless element, such as an integrated circuit chip. The invention enables the updating, correction or synchronization of transaction data maintained by an Issuer with that stored on the device. This is accomplished by using a wireless (cellular) network as a data communication channel for data provided by an Issuer to the mobile device, and is particularly advantageous in circumstances in which the contactless element is not presently capable of communication with a device reader or point of sale terminal that uses a near field communications mechanism. Data transferred between the mobile device and Issuer may be encrypted and decrypted to provide additional security and protect the data from being accessed by other users or applications. If encryption keys are used for the encryption and decryption processes, they may be distributed by a key distribution server or other suitable entity to a mobile gateway which participates in the data encryption and decryption operations. |
| US09672506B2 |
Product identification apparatus with dictionary registration
A product identification apparatus includes a storage device which stores a dictionary including reference data of each of a plurality of products stored in association with identification information of the product, an imaging section which captures image data of a target product, and a processor which performs a dictionary registration process. The processor extracts reference data of the target product from the image data captured by the imaging section. The storage device adds the extracted reference data to previously stored reference data in association with the identification information of the target product. Alternatively, the storage device stores the extracted reference data in association with the identification information of the target product when no reference data is previously stored in association with the identification information of the target product. |
| US09672491B2 |
Virtual office environment
A system and method for monitoring remote employees, having a computer for a user to perform job related tasks, wherein the computer is enabled to record various data regarding the user's use of the computer, and a network to transmit the various data to a storage unit, to allow the data to be accessed by an employer. |
| US09672487B1 |
Systems and/or methods for providing enhanced control over and visibility into workflows where potentially sensitive data is processed by different operators, regardless of current workflow task owner
Certain example embodiments relate to systems and/or methods for providing enhanced control over potentially sensitive data sharable among and/or between different parties. For example, certain example embodiments provide views into computer-enabled workflows managed by external parties, including views into what sensitive data has been accessed, who has accessed it, etc., e.g., throughout the lifecycle of a product granted on the basis of an analysis of such data. A computer-enabled system for automatically assessing received sensitive data in accordance with one or more digitized rule sets also is provided in certain example embodiments, as are computer-mediated tools for helping to automatically, semi-automatically, and/or manually resolve issues detected in the assessments, e.g., via enhanced communication and collaboration, among and/or between parties to a transaction, as well as third-parties who indirectly are involved in the transaction. The data remains secure and traceable, e.g., in accordance with its provider's specifications. |
| US09672485B2 |
Supply chain network strategic design system
A system is provided that designs a supply chain network. The system identifies a service level agreement metric definition. The system further generates a grid including cells, where the grid is located over a representation of a geographical region. The system further computes a service level agreement metric for each cell of the grid using the service level agreement metric definition. The system further selects cells that have the largest service level agreement metrics and that have not been previously selected. The system further positions a supply chain network resource at a center of the selected cells. The system further computes a service level agreement based on the service level agreement metric of the selected cells. |
| US09672482B2 |
System and method for automatic objective reporting via wearable sensors
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for automatically reporting progress in completing objectives and goals of a plan. During operation, the system receives data indicating user selection and/or configuration of a plan with one or more goals, objectives, and/or milestones. The system obtains data generated by sensors in a sensing device and/or a mobile device. The sensors generate physiological data or data from detecting activity or environment associated with the user. Next, the system analyzes the data to determine whether the user has completed an objective, milestone, or goal of the plan. If the system determines that the user has completed an objective, milestone, or goal of the plan, the system pushes an alert to the mobile device indicating that the user has completed the objective, milestone, or goal. |
| US09672480B2 |
Adaptive and dynamic data synchronization system for managing data and inventory
A system and method for adaptive and dynamic synchronization includes a data synchronization controller which enables synchronization of a plurality of different data types between a main computer and one or more remotely disposed computer elements. The controller includes an orchestrator which responds to requests for data synchronization for components in accordance with predetermined policies maintained by a policy management system. A synchronization interface is controlled by the orchestrator in accordance with the policies to select a synchronization engine to service requests for synchronization of different data types from the orchestrator. Synchronization may be handled for on demand and/or for on schedule requests for synchronization in the policy-based system and method. |
| US09672477B1 |
Exam scheduling with customer configured notifications
An exam scheduling device comprises a notification module configured to determine notifications for display to a scheduler in the process of scheduling an exam for a patient. The notifications presented to a particular scheduler may be selected based on one or more exam parameters associated with a patient, for example. Thus, only those notifications that are relevant to the exam parameters associated with a particular patient's exam are presented to the scheduler, and the scheduler is required to respond to only those notifications that a scheduling administrator has determined require a response. |
| US09672471B2 |
Systems, devices, and methods for detecting occlusions in a biological subject including spectral learning
Systems, devices, and methods are described for detecting an embolus, thrombus, or a deep vein thrombus in a biological subject. |
| US09672465B2 |
Solving vehicle routing problems using evolutionary computing techniques
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for solving combinatorial optimization problems is provided. The method may include receiving a plurality of problem instance parameters associated with a graph. The method may also include determining a dynamic path change indicator exists. The method may then include initializing the graph based on the determining the dynamic path change indicator does not exist. The method may further include inserting a placeholder node and at least one placeholder node edge based on the determining the dynamic path change indicator exists. The method may also include reinitializing the graph with the inserted place holder node and the at least one placeholder node edge. The method may then include initializing the reinitialized graph. The method may further include executing a hybrid algorithm on the initialized graph or on the reinitialized graph, wherein the hybrid algorithm comprises an ant colony optimization algorithm and a genetic algorithm. |
| US09672458B2 |
Creation and management of dynamic quick response (QR) codes
In response to detecting a configured quick response (QR) code change event in a retail environment, a changed dynamic QR code is displayed that includes an encoded new unique value. The changed dynamic QR code is changed from a previously-displayed dynamic QR code and is changed based upon a set of contemporaneous data elements associated with an item displayed in the retail environment. |
| US09672454B2 |
Image processing apparatus for rendering plurality of objects by dividing plurality of objects into plurality of groups, and image processing method
An image processing apparatus for rendering objects group by group, which divides a plurality of objects in an application range of an original clip command into a first group and a second group, wherein the image processing apparatus applies, in the rendering of the first group, a clip process based on a first clip command corresponding to the original clip command to a part of the plurality of objects divided into the first group, and applies, in the rendering of the second group, a clip process based on a second clip command corresponding to the original clip command to a rest part of the plurality of objects divided into the second group. |
| US09672453B2 |
Data processing apparatus and print data generating method determining a dot arrangement pattern using a code table
A data processing apparatus includes a holding unit holding a code table, in which each of the codes in the table determines the dot arrangement pattern, a determining unit determining a predetermined number of first offset values which is power of 2, the first offset values denoting a number of pixels by which an arrangement of the codes is shifted in the code table, a table generating unit, in a case where a size of the code table is not power of 2 and the determining unit determines the first offset value wherein a quotient and a remainder when the predetermined number is divided by the size is 1 or more, determining a second offset value wherein the quotient is zero, as substitute for the determined first offset value, and to generate the code table to which an offset is made with the second offset value. |
| US09672451B2 |
Printing system including a printing apparatus and an information processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with the printing apparatus control apparatus, method of controlling the same, and storage medium
According to a print control apparatus and a method of controlling the same of the present invention, when the printing apparatus is in a power saving state, when an instruction for registering in the printing apparatus sheet information stored in a storage unit in association with a sheet feeder of the printing apparatus is received, the sheet information is registered in a list, and when the printing apparatus returns from the power saving state, control is performed so that sheet information registered in the list is transmitted to the printing apparatus. |
| US09672450B2 |
Image recording apparatus and control method therefor
An image recording apparatus according to this invention analyzes image data to be printed, and generates sequence information for defining the moving range of each scanning motion of a recording head and the conveyance amount of a recording medium. The apparatus divides a recording area defined by the generated sequence information into areas so that the processing amounts of a plurality of processing units capable of parallelly executing processes are equal to each other, distributes data of the divided areas to the processing units, and causes each of the processing units to generate recording image data. The apparatus performs recording by controlling driving and a scanning motion of the recording head and conveyance of the recording medium based on the recording image data obtained by the processing units. |
| US09672449B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for calibration of a media processing device
A method, apparatus, and system for calibration of a media processing device are provided. The method may include providing a calibration sub-routine where the calibration sub-routine includes a plurality of calibration operations to be performed in sequence. The method may further include associating an audible note with each calibration operation and generating the audible note for each calibration operation as each respective calibration operation is performed, where the audible note is generated by a frequency of operation of a motor. The audible note associated with one calibration operation may be different from the audible note associated with another calibration operation. |
| US09672448B2 |
Pruning and label selection in Hidden Markov Model-based OCR
Systems and techniques are provided for pruning a node from a possible nodes list for Hidden Markov Model with label transition node pruning. The node may be a label transition node. A frame may be at a predicted segmentation point in decoding input with the Hidden Markov Model. The node may be scored at the frame. The node may be pruned from the possible nodes list for the frame when score for the node is greater than the sum of a best score among nodes on the possible nodes list for the frame and a beam threshold minus a penalty term. A possible nodes list may be generated for a subsequent frame using label selection. A second node may be pruned from the possible nodes list for the subsequent frame with early pruning. |
| US09672431B2 |
Object detection
In an example detection system for vehicles or other objects of interest, objects are detected in real-time at full VGA 30 frame per second resolution. A preprocessor may perform run-length encoding (RLE) to provide detected edges. The image may then be scanned from the bottom up to identify vertical clusters or “stacks” or RLEs. Vertical clusters with low vertical density may be eliminated as poor vehicle candidates. Vertical clusters not eliminated may then be processed with a histogram of gradients algorithm, and confirmed with a support vector machine algorithm. A range to the nearest object may also be calculated, and a warning provided if the object is too close. |
| US09672429B2 |
Boundary line recognizer device
This invention is provided with: a camera for capturing the image of a travel path; an edge point extraction unit for extracting edge points on the basis of the brightness of an image captured by the camera; a candidate line extraction unit for extracting, on the basis of the succession of the extracted edge points, a candidate line for a boundary line demarcating the travel path; a frequency calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of edge points belonging to the candidate line extracted by the candidate line extraction unit, the frequency distribution of the edge points for a parameter that specifies the width of the boundary line; a probability generation unit for calculating, on the basis of the frequency distribution calculated by the frequency calculation unit, the distribution for the probability that the candidate line at the parameter is the boundary line; and a boundary line recognition unit for recognizing the boundary line on the basis of the probability distribution calculated by the probability generation unit. |
| US09672426B2 |
Intelligent monitoring system
An intelligent monitoring system for care place is illustrated. The system includes a thermal camera capturing a thermal image of the care place; an image processing unit obtaining user's position and number of user according to region in which temperature is higher than a preset temperature in the thermal image; a temperature recording unit extracting and records user's temperature from the thermal image. When there is only one user, a abnormal event determining unit of the system determines whether an abnormal event occurs according to user's temperature changing rate. When there are several users, the abnormal event determining unit determines whether the abnormal event occurs according to both of the temperature changing rates of the users and an average temperature of the users. If the abnormal event occurs, the warning unit generates a warning signal. |
| US09672424B2 |
Generation of high resolution population density data sets through exploitation of high resolution overhead imagery data and low resolution population density data sets
Utilities (e.g., systems, methods, etc.) for automatically generating high resolution population density estimation data sets through manipulation of low resolution population density estimation data sets with high resolution overhead imagery data (e.g., such as overhead imagery data acquired by satellites, aircrafts, etc. of celestial bodies). Stated differently, the present utilities make use of high resolution overhead imagery data to determine how to distribute the population density of a large, low resolution cell (e.g., 1000m) among a plurality of smaller, high resolution cells (e.g., 100m) within the larger cell. |
| US09672421B2 |
Method and apparatus for recording reading behavior
A method and an apparatus for recording reading behavior are provided. A movement trajectory of a user's eye is tracked based on an eye-tracking procedure, so as to calculate reading time of a gazing part of an electronic document when it is detected that sight of an eye leaves the gazing part, or when it is detected that the eye keeps gazing the electronic document and reading of the gazing part is finished. And the reading time is recorded to a storage space corresponding to the gazing part. |
| US09672419B2 |
Detection of spurious information or defects on playing card backs
Methods and systems detect markings or flaws on the backs of playing cards. The method includes: providing ambient radiation at a gaming table and reflecting some of that radiation off a back surface of a playing card; capturing reflected radiation with a radiation sensor; the radiation sensor transmitting signals based on the reflected radiation captured by the radiation sensor; the transmitted signals providing data that contains image data of the back of the playing card; and displaying an image of the back of the playing card based on the image data. The transmitted signals provide image data of the back of the playing card and are also received by a processor that evaluates or compares that data. The system may be an installed casino system (with eye-in-the-sky technology), a portable box, or a component within a shuffling device or dealer shoe. |
| US09672418B2 |
Arabic sign language recognition using multi-sensor data fusion
Systems and methods for sign language recognition are described to include circuitry to detect and track at least one hand and at least one finger of the at least one hand from at least two different locations in a room, generate a 3-dimensional (3D) interaction space based on the at least two different locations, acquire 3D data related to the at least one detected and tracked hand and the at least one detected and tracked finger, extract 3D features associated with the at least one detected and tracked hand and the at least one detected and tracked finger, analyze a relevance metric related to the extracted 3D features, classify at least one pattern from each of the at least two different locations based on a fusion of data outputs by the circuitry, and generate a recognized sign language letter based on the fusion of the data outputs. |
| US09672415B2 |
Facial liveness detection in image biometrics
System and techniques for spoofing detection in image biometrics are described herein. A sequence of images may be obtained from a camera; a first plurality of images in the sequence of images including a representation of a user body part, and a second plurality of images in the sequence of images including a representation of an environment of the user. A marker may be created for the representation of the body part. A feature of the environment of the user present during the second plurality of images may be identified in the sequence of images using a third group of circuits. A correlation between the marker and the feature of the environment in the sequence of images may be quantified to produce a synchronicity metric of the degree to which the marker and the feature of the environment correlate. |
| US09672414B2 |
Enhancement of skin, including faces, in photographs
An image processing application performs improved face exposure correction on an input image. The image processing application receives an input image having a face and ascertains a median luminance associated with a face region corresponding to the face. The image processing application determines whether the median luminance is less than a threshold luminance. If the median luminance is less than the threshold luminance, the application computes weights based on a spatial distance parameter and a similarity parameter associated with the median chrominance of the face region. The image processing application then computes a corrected luminance using the weights and applies the corrected luminance to the input image. The image processing application can also perform improved face color correction by utilizing stylization-induced shifts in skin tone color to control how aggressively stylization is applied to an image. |
| US09672413B2 |
Setting operation area for input according to face position
Provided is an information processor which readily permits operation input to be made so as to point a position on a screen when an operation input is received from a user using a captured image obtained by imaging the user. The information processor acquires a captured image including a user's face, identifies the position of the user's face included in the acquired captured image, sets an operation area at a position on the captured image determined in accordance with the identified face position, detects a detection target within the operation area, and receives, as a user-pointed position, a position on the screen corresponding to a relative position of the detected detection target within the operation area. |
| US09672412B2 |
Real-time head pose tracking with online face template reconstruction
Provided are methods and apparatus for tracking a head pose with online face template reconstruction. The method comprises the steps of retrieving a plurality of frames of images of the user; comparing each of the retrieved frames with a predetermined face template to determine one or more head poses that are monitored successfully and obtain head pose information of the determined one or more head poses; and reconstructing, during the step of comparing, the face template from the obtained head pose information; wherein the reconstructed face template is compared with subsequently retrieved images such that the head poses of the user are tracked in time. |
| US09672409B2 |
Apparatus and computer-implemented method for fingerprint based authentication
A computer-implemented method of performing fingerprint based authentication from matching local features represented by binary features which can be matched in an efficient implementation in one or both of software and hardware by computing Hamming distances between the binary features. A local feature in a verification image is said to be matching with a local feature in an enrolment image if the Hamming distance between the binary features falls below a pre-determined threshold. The computer-implemented method retains information about the similarity of local features in the two images and utilities it in an efficient way with the objective of improving fingerprint recognition rates and enabling finger liveness detection. In an aspect a normalized feature similarity distribution is generated as part of the representation in recognition and liveness detection. |
| US09672407B2 |
Fingerprint sensing device with interposer structure
The invention relates to a fingerprint sensing device comprising: a sensing chip comprising an array of sensing elements being configured to be connected to readout circuitry for detecting a capacitive coupling between each of the sensing elements and a finger placed on a sensing surface of the sensing device. A surface of the sensing elements define a sensing plane. The sensing device further comprises a plurality of interposer structures arranged on the sensing chip extending above sensing plane, wherein the plurality of interposer structures have the same height above the sensing plane. A protective plate is attached to the sensing chip by means of an adhesive, and the protective plate rests on the interposer structures such that a distance between the protective plate and the sensing plane is defined by the height of the interposer structures. |
| US09672404B2 |
Active biometric authentication with zero privacy leakage
The invention provides a method for frequent verifications of the identity of a user performed during a long session of client-server communication by secure exchange of keys between the client and the server. A user is represented at the server by a set of random numbers that have nothing to do with his biometric data. The server initiates authentication requests by sending encoded randomly generated permutation to the client. On each request, the client creates a dynamic response key built by using the decoded permutation and biometric data of the user so that this biometric data cannot be retrieved from the key. The key also includes the correlation coefficient between the sound of the user's breathing and the distance between the most outer sides of the wings of his nose and the correlation coefficient between the area of the user's pupil and the brightness of his computer screen. |
| US09672401B2 |
Fingerprint sensing system and method
A fingerprint sensing system comprises a sensor array with a plurality of sensing structures and read-out circuitry connectable to each of the sensing structures, and power supply circuitry arranged to provide to the read-out circuitry a substantially constant supply voltage being a difference between a high potential and a low potential. The fingerprint sensing system is configured in such a way that the low potential and the high potential are variable while substantially maintaining the supply voltage, and the read-out circuitry is connectable to each of the sensing structures in such a way that a variation in the low potential and the high potential while substantially maintaining the supply voltage results in a change of the charge carried by a sensing structure connected to the read-out circuitry. The change in charge is indicative of a capacitive coupling between the sensing structure and the finger. |
| US09672400B2 |
Imaging and peripheral enhancements for mobile devices
An image enhancer device for use with an associated mobile electronic device having a digital camera. The image enhancer device includes an image manipulator coupled to a first region of a housing and configured to modify an optical path of the digital camera; an aimer having an aiming element configured to direct at least one aiming light beam towards an object of interest; an illuminator having an illumination element configured to direct at least one illumination light beam from the housing towards the object of interest; and electronics allowing for communication between the image enhancer device and the associated mobile electronic device. The image enhancer device forms a scan angle relative to a field of view of the digital camera of the mobile electronic device and allows for bar code imaging and/or native image processing with the digital camera of the associated mobile electronic device. |
| US09672395B2 |
Reader control system
An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit. |
| US09672393B1 |
Phase controlled array for wirelessly powering implantable devices
A reader device includes an array of antenna coils configured to electromagnetically couple with devices implanted beneath or within skin of a human body. An implanted device can include a loop antenna or other means configured to couple with at least one antenna coil of the reader device to receive radio frequency energy from the reader device. The antenna coil array is configured to mount to the skin surface to improve the coupling between the implanted device and coils of the array. Further, the reader device is configured to select two or more antenna coils of the array and to operate the selected antenna coils to emit radio frequency power at respective amplitudes and relative phases to provide radio frequency power to the implanted device while increasing efficiency of the power transfer and reducing the exposure of the skin to radio frequency energy. |
| US09672390B2 |
IC card and command processing method for IC card
According to one embodiment, an IC card includes a communication unit, a controller, a data storage unit, a command processor, and a response unit. The controller performs data communication of the communication unit by using a logical channel. The command processor performs access to data specified by a command on a logical channel specified by the command. The response unit outputs a response message in response to the command, with the response message added with information indicating that the specified data is inaccessible because the data is used on an other logical channel, if the data specified by the command is inaccessible because the data is used on a channel other than the logical channel of the command. |
| US09672385B2 |
Method of improving FPGA security using authorization codes
A method for securely programming a population of authorized FPGAs includes defining the population of authorized FPGAs, generating an encrypted configuration bitstream for the population of authorized FPGAs, generating an individual Authorization Code for each FPGA in the population of authorized FPGAs, feeding the individual Authorization Codes into the FPGAs in the population of FPGAs, feeding the encrypted configuration bitstream into all of the FPGAs in the population of FPGAs, and in each FPGA using the Authorization Code to decrypt the encrypted configuration bitstream to program the FPGA. |
| US09672378B2 |
Collision avoidance in a distributed tokenization environment
A client receives sensitive data to be tokenized. The client queries a token table with a portion of the sensitive data to determine if the token table includes a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data. If the mapping table does not include a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data, a candidate token is generated. The client queries a central token management system to determine if the candidate token collides with a token generated by or stored at another client. In some embodiments, the candidate token includes a value from a unique set of values assigned by the central token management system to the client, guaranteeing that the candidate token does not cause a collision. The client then tokenizes the sensitive data with the candidate token and stores the candidate token in the token table. |
| US09672375B2 |
Security key entry using ancillary input device
A physical, non-human readable representation of a digital key may be in a physical key article. The key article may enable a person to generate a signal representing the digital key from a user interface device in communication with a computer by physical manipulation of the key article. Access to digital content via the computer may be unlocked in response to receiving the signal. In addition, a key may be represented by a pattern of unreadable errors in a computer-readable medium. |
| US09672372B2 |
Method for improving mean time to data loss (MTDL) in a fixed content distributed data storage
An archival storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes includes a data protection management system that periodically organizes the then-available nodes into one or more protection sets, with each set comprising a set of n nodes, where “n” refers to a configurable “data protection level” (DPL). At the time of its creation, a given protection set is closed in the sense that each then available node is a member of one, and only one, protection set. When an object is to be stored within the archive, the data protection management system stores the object in a given node of a given protection set and then constrains the distribution of copies of that object to other nodes within the given protection set. As a consequence, all DPL copies of an object are all stored within the same protection set, and only that protection set. This scheme significantly improves MTDL for the cluster as a whole, as the data can only be lost if multiple failures occur within nodes of a given protection set. This is far more unlikely than failures occurring across any random distribution of nodes within the cluster. |
| US09672368B2 |
Providing selective control of information shared from a first device to a second device
A system and method for providing selective control of information shared from a first device to a second device. The system includes a connection detector to detect a short-range communication between the first device and the second device; a security setter to set or acquire a security setting; a disconnect detector to detect whether the short-range communication between the first device and the second device is terminated; and a wiper to perform data management of information shared via the short-range communication between the first device and the second device based on the security setting. |
| US09672367B2 |
Method and apparatus for inputting data
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for inputting data. The present invention relates to the communications field and aims to improve security of input information. The method includes: acquiring, by a virtual machine manager, input data; performing, by the virtual machine manager, encryption processing on the input data according to an encryption rule of a security connection to obtain encrypted data; and sending, by the virtual machine manager, the encrypted data to the server. The present invention is applicable to a data input scenario. |
| US09672364B2 |
Differentially private linear queries on histograms
The privacy of linear queries on histograms is protected. A database containing private data is queried. Base decomposition is performed to recursively compute an orthonormal basis for the database space. Using correlated (or Gaussian) noise and/or least squares estimation, an answer having differential privacy is generated and provided in response to the query. In some implementations, the differential privacy is ε-differential privacy (pure differential privacy) or is (ε,δ)-differential privacy (i.e., approximate differential privacy). In some implementations, the data in the database may be dense. Such implementations may use correlated noise without using least squares estimation. In other implementations, the data in the database may be sparse. Such implementations may use least squares estimation with or without using correlated noise. |
| US09672357B2 |
System and method to mitigate malware
Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can be configured to receive script data, determine a checksum tree for the script data, compare each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums, and assign one or more classifications to the script data. In one example, the checksum tree is an abstract syntax tree. |
| US09672347B2 |
Integrity for security audit logs
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for storing event data in an audit log file. Implementations include actions of receiving event data, determining a first signature based on the event data and an end marker, and appending the event data and the first signature to the audit log file, the first signature comprising at least a portion of a signature chain associated with the audit log file. |
| US09672346B2 |
Object tracking by establishing a mesh network and transmitting packets
A communication device configured to form a cluster with one or more other communication devices in its vicinity, monitor the presence, in the cluster, of those other communication devices and provide information about the presence, in the cluster, of the other communication devices to another device. |
| US09672345B2 |
Method and apparatus for making a decision on a card
Method and devices for making access decisions in a secure access network are provided. The access decisions are made by a portable credential using data and algorithms stored on the credential. Since access decisions are made by the portable credential non-networked hosts or local hosts can be employed that do not necessarily need to be connected to a central access controller or database thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining the secure access network. |
| US09672341B2 |
Systems and methods for spoof detection in iris based biometric systems
The invention provides methods, systems and computer program products for spoof detection in iris based biometric recognition. In an embodiment, the invention comprises (i) obtaining a first image of an iris at an imaging apparatus configured to a first exposure setting (ii) obtaining a second image of the iris at the imaging apparatus configured to a second exposure setting (iii) comparing incidence of reflection patterns within the first and second iris images and (iv) determining authenticity of the imaged iris based on a result of comparing the incidence of reflection patterns within the first and second iris images. |
| US09672339B2 |
Electro-biometric authentication
Electro-biometric data obtained from a user of a processor-based device may be used to authenticate that user. In some cases, no special action may need to be taken to initiate authentication. |
| US09672336B1 |
Security system for verification of user credentials
A system is disclosed that enables network-based systems to confirm the identity of users and/or the authenticity of their credentials during their registration process by providing a database of verified users and various means for requesting and verifying user-provided information using the database. For example, the system may verify credentials and/or other aspects of the user and store such information in a database. The system may also generate badges that can be displayed on various content sites and that link to a summary of the user's verified information. The summaries may be customized for each content site at which the user has registered. |
| US09672335B2 |
Cognitive-based logon process for computing device
A method of user logon to a computing device or computer system that, distinct from requiring entry of a set of known logon credentials such as a username and password, introduces an additional thought-directed user interface whereby the user must respond to one or more prompts that measure the user's cognitive function at the time of logon or during an active logon session. The user's responses to these prompts are evaluated for several purposes, including determining whether the user demonstrates the required level of cognitive function to gain access to the computer system or continue an active logon session. The user's responses and associated data may also be stored and retrieved at a later time for various purposes, including determining whether and to what extent the user's level of cognitive function is improving, diminishing, or remaining static over time. |
| US09672333B2 |
Trusted storage
In one embodiment, a method for authenticating access to encrypted content on a storage medium, wherein the encrypted content is encrypted according to a full disk encryption (FDE) key, the storage medium including an encrypted version of the FDE key and an encrypted version of a protected storage area (PSA) key, and wherein the encrypted version of the FDE key is encrypted according to the PSA key, the method comprising: providing an authenticated communication channel between a host and a storage engine associated with the storage medium; at the storage engine, receiving a pass code from the host over the authenticated communication channel; hashing the pass code to form a derived key, wherein the encrypted version of the PSA key is encrypted according to the derived key; verifying an authenticity of the pass code; if the pass code is authentic, decrypting the encrypted version of the PSA key to recover the PSA key; decrypting the encrypted FDE key using the recovered PSA key to recover the FDE key; and decrypting the encrypted content using the FDE key. |
| US09672330B2 |
Mass spectrometer
A product ion spectrum is created on the basis of MS2 analysis data respectively obtained for a parent compound and a metabolite (S1 and S2). Additionally, a neutral loss spectrum, in which the mass of each product ion is replaced with a mass difference between the mass of the product ion and that of a precursor ion, is created (S3). Then, a common peak having the same mass on the neutral loss spectrums of both the parent compound and the metabolite is extracted (S4), and a complementary peak appearing on the product ion spectrum of the metabolite is extracted (S5); this peak appears at a position corresponding to the difference between the mass of the common peak and that of the precursor ion. The ion corresponding to the complementary peak is designated as a precursor ion for the next MS3 analysis (S6), and this MS3 analysis is performed (S7). By a dissociation operation, if a portion common to the parent compound and the metabolite is desorbed in the form of a neutral molecule while a different portion remains in the form of an ion, an MS3 analysis in which the ion of the different portion is used as the precursor ion is performed to obtain structural information of a site of metabolism. |
| US09672328B2 |
Medicine administering system including injection pen and companion device
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for administering a medicament to a patient. In one aspect, a system includes an injection pen device in wireless communication with a mobile communication device. The injection pen device includes a housing including a chamber to encase a cartridge containing medicine, a dose setting and dispensing mechanism to set the mechanism to dispense a particular dose of the medicine from the loaded cartridge, a sensor unit to detect a dispensed dose based on positions and/or movements of the dose setting and dispensing mechanism, and an electronics unit in communication with the sensor unit to process the detected dispensed dose and time data associated with a dispensing event and to wirelessly transmit the dose data to a user's device. The mobile communication device provides a software application to provide the user with health information using the processed dose data. |
| US09672327B2 |
System and apparatus for item management
Item-management systems, apparatus, and methods are described, preferably for management of items such as medicaments. In embodiments, an item-management system comprises a container defining plural cells, a docking station configured to receive the container, sources of visible information to indicate the cell(s) into which an item is to be loaded, and at least one controller operable to control the visible information sources to indicate the cell into which the item is to be received. |
| US09672325B2 |
Methods and apparatus for establishing a healthcare data interface using a practice management system
Methods and apparatus for establishing a healthcare data interface for a healthcare provider associated with a practice management system, wherein the healthcare data interface is established between the practice management system and a healthcare trading partner to enable electronic transmission of data between the practice management system and the healthcare trading partner. The method comprises receiving a request from the healthcare provider to establish the healthcare data interface with the healthcare trading partner and prompting, via a user interface, the healthcare provider for configuration information, wherein the prompting is performed based, at least in part, on information associated with the healthcare trading partner stored by the practice management system. The method further comprises receiving the configuration information from the healthcare provider, and configuring the healthcare data interface for the healthcare provider based, at least in part, on the received configuration information. |
| US09672323B2 |
Reduction of warpage of multilayered substrate or package
A method that minimizes adjustment of a wiring layer in reducing a warpage of a multilayered substrate and enables location of a part of a wiring layer that needs correction in order to reduce the warpage. The difference in average coefficient of thermal expansion, Δα, varies in a substrate. The method focuses in on the difference in Δα with a great length scale (low frequency) having a relatively significant effect on the warpage compared to the difference in Δα with a smaller length scale (high frequency) and corrects only the difference in Δα with a greater length scale. The distribution of the difference in Δα in a plane of substrate is determined. Then digital filtering is performed to extract only the difference in Δα with a low frequency and the difference in Δα between before and after correction, thereby revealing a part that requires correction. |
| US09672318B2 |
Synthesis of reduced netlist having positive elements and no controlled sources
In one embodiment, a circuit analysis method includes obtaining a netlist of a circuit, generating a reduced model from the netlist, using the reduced model to synthesize a positive netlist having no controlled current or voltage sources, unstamping the synthesized positive netlist, and simulating the circuit using the unstamped synthesized positive netlist. |
| US09672314B2 |
Logic structure aware circuit routing
A method, executed by a computer, for routing a circuit includes receiving a logic structure for a circuit, retrieving a logic template, determining whether the logic structure for the circuit matches the logic template, and routing the circuit using a routing recipe corresponding to the logic template in response to determining that the logic structure matches the logic template. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed herein. |
| US09672312B2 |
Method wherein test cells and dummy cells are included into a layout of an integrated circuit
A method includes receiving a layout of an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of layers, one of the layers is selected and one or more tile number values are provided. A die area of the integrated circuit is partitioned into a plurality of tiles on the basis of the tile number values. It is determined, on the basis of the layout, if a portion of the selected one of the layers in the tile has an available space for inclusion of a test cell or a dummy cell, and a label indicative of a result is assigned to the tile. It is determined, on the basis of the labels assigned, if one or more space availability criteria are fulfilled and, if fulfilled, the labels are used for placing at least one of one or more test cells and one or more dummy cells in the layout. |
| US09672311B2 |
Method and system for via retargeting
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for SAV (self-aligned via) retargeting. The SAV (Self Aligned Vias) process aids in the alignment of the vias with the metal above (Mx+1) during the dual damascene process. The retargeting enables an increase the area of the via during photolithography without affecting the final critical dimension. SAV retargeting is the via retargeting during the mask tape-out to reshape the via and protect it against possible via-to-Mx+1 overlay error. With embodiments of the present invention, the via edge movement is linked to the actual driver behind the SAV retargeting, which is maintaining a minimum area coverage with the metal above at extreme overlay error conditions. Accordingly, for a via edge to get SAV retargeted, a calculation is first made to determine how much its opposite via edge is subject to be cut during SAV due to overlay error. |
| US09672307B2 |
Clock placement for programmable logic devices
Various techniques are provided to efficiently implement user designs in programmable logic devices (PLDs). In one example, a computer-implemented method includes determining clock resources in a design identifying operations to be performed by a PLD, determining available clock resources of the PLD, determining a flow network model corresponding to the design and the PLD, and determining a clock resource placement based on the flow network model. The flow network model may include a plurality of levels of vertices disposed between source and sink vertices, where vertices are coupled to each other using edges with unit capacity. |
| US09672305B1 |
Method for gating clock signals using late arriving enable signals
A method for designing clock gates which may reduce timing requirements associated with clock gating control signals may include identifying a clock gating function included in a Hardware Description Language of an integrated circuit, wherein the clock gating function may include capturing a state of an enable signal dependent upon a clock signal. The method may include determining a delay time for capturing the state of the enable signal dependent on a time difference between transitions of the enable signal and the clock signal. The method may include creating a gating circuit, in which the gating circuit includes a delay unit coupled to a source of the clock signal, and wherein a delay value is dependent upon the amount of time to delay capturing the enable signal. The method may include modifying the HDL model dependent upon the clock gating circuit. |
| US09672302B2 |
Producing a three-dimensional model of an implant
Determining a shape of a medical device to be implanted into a subject produces an image including a defective portion and a non-defective portion of a surface of a tissue of interest included in the subject. The tissue of interest is segmented within the image. A template, representing a normative shape of an external anatomical surface of the tissue of interest, is superimposed to span the defective portion. An external shape of an implant, is determined as a function of respective shapes of the defective portion as seen in the template, for repairing the defective portion. |
| US09672301B2 |
Pattern selection for lithographic model calibration
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for test pattern selection for computational lithography model calibration. According to some aspects, the pattern selection algorithms of the present invention can be applied to any existing pool of candidate test patterns. According to some aspects, the present invention automatically selects those test patterns that are most effective in determining the optimal model parameter values from an existing pool of candidate test patterns, as opposed to designing optimal patterns. According to additional aspects, the selected set of test patterns according to the invention is able to excite all the known physics and chemistry in the model formulation, making sure that the wafer data for the test patterns can drive the model calibration to the optimal parameter values that realize the upper bound of prediction accuracy imposed by the model formulation. |
| US09672300B2 |
Pattern generation method
A pattern generation method for generating a pattern of a cell used to generate a pattern of a mask using a computer, includes obtaining data of pattern of the cell, calculating image of the pattern of the cell to obtain an evaluation value of the image by repeatedly changing a parameter value of an exposure condition when the mask which has the pattern of the cell is illuminated to project image of the pattern of the cell onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and a parameter value of the pattern of the cell, and determining parameter value of the pattern of the cell when the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined evaluation standard. |
| US09672292B2 |
Affinity-based page navigation
This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling affinity-based page navigation. These techniques and apparatuses enable page navigation, such as page flipping, page searches, and other navigation based on affinities associated with various pages. These affinities can include a reference to a page, such as a link or quotation in a social networking service, an encyclopedia, a webpage, an article, a newspaper, or a blog. These affinities can also or instead include usage, such as how many users have read, highlighted, dog-eared, or bookmarked a page. |
| US09672287B2 |
Method and apparatus for gesture-based searching
A content searching technique that includes sensing at least three types of input gestures from a user, each of the at least three input gestures representative of a respective one of a search term, a class of assets to be searched and a location to be searched. The sensed at least three types of input gestures are translated into the search term, the class of assets to be searched and the location to be searched. The specified location is searched for the class of assets corresponding to the search term. A list of assets residing or available from at the searched location corresponding to the search term are presented in a user interface display. |
| US09672286B2 |
Singular, collective and automated creation of a media guide for online content
Systems and methods are provided in which a content guide includes one or more tags associated with a single user, a group of users or a channel subscribed to by users that enables the retrieval of content for subsequent viewing and which can be supplemented by recommendations and data from other sources. |
| US09672285B2 |
System and method for improving access to search results
Aspects of the disclosure provide a system and method for prerendering of search result pages. A search engine may process search queries received from a client. The search engine may determine one or more search results in response to the search query. One or more of the search results may be associated with prerender instructions, such that when the search results are received by the client, the client prerenders the search results associated with the prerender instructions. Prerender instructions may be associated with the search results in various manners, including ranking the search results based on relevance, or ranking the search results based on the likelihood of selection. Metrics and analytical data may be collected from the client to improve the search result prerendering process. |
| US09672284B2 |
Categorizing social network objects based on user affiliations
Groups of users of a social networking system are categorized based on their association with a type of malicious activity. A set of predetermined malicious groups is identified. Users associated with the malicious groups are selected based on their level of interactions with the malicious groups. Other groups associated with the selected users are identified as being potentially malicious groups. The potentially malicious groups are further analyzed based on occurrences of keywords associated with the type of malicious activity and manual verification by experts. The potentially malicious groups are either classified as being malicious or non-malicious or assigned a score based on their likelihood of being associated with the type of malicious activity. The methods and system disclosed can be used for categorizing other types of social network objects based on their association with a type of malicious activity, for example, users, events, and content. |
| US09672283B2 |
Structured and social data aggregator
Information is obtained from the Internet is combined with processed and rated information from social networking services by a structured and social data aggregator providing highly relevant search results. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a product information crawler, which crawls the Internet in search of web pages relevant to a requested subject or product. The product information crawler conveys captured web pages to a structured data extractor, which extracts product information. A social networking crawler crawls social networking services in search of social network information to the requested subject or product. The processed product information and processed social network information is conveyed to an information aggregator, which merges the information and stores it in a data store that can be queried by a user. A user would then be able conduct a single search about a subject or product, and retrieve highly relevant structured product information enhanced by social networking information. |
| US09672279B1 |
Cluster labeling system for documents comprising unstructured text data
An apparatus comprises a processing platform configured to implement a cluster labeling system for documents comprising unstructured text data. The cluster labeling system comprises a clustering module and a visualization module. The clustering module implements a topic model generator and is configured to assign each of the documents to one or more of a plurality of clusters based at least in part on one or more topics identified from the unstructured text data using at least one topic model provided by the topic model generator. The visualization module comprises multiple view generators configured to generate respective distinct visualizations of a selected one of the clusters. The multiple view generators include at least a bigram view generator configured to provide a visualization of a plurality of term pairs from the selected cluster, and a summarization view generator configured to provide a visualization of representative term sequences from the selected cluster. |
| US09672275B2 |
Recommendation apparatus, recommendation method, and storage medium
There is provided a technique capable of recommending more useful contents to a recommendation target user who is the current work user. A group of recommendation candidate contents is obtained from a similar work case similar to work by the recommendation target user. A relationship between an arbitrary user and the recommendation candidate contents is detected. Recommendation candidate contents having the detected relationship with the recommendation target user are recommended by priority from among the group of recommendation candidate contents. |
| US09672273B2 |
Representing a machine-to-machine device model based on ontological relationships
In an approach for creating a machine-to-machine device model based on ontological relationship, one or more computer processors determine a plurality of characteristics of one or more machine-to-machine devices within a machine-to-machine communication environment. The one or more computer processors determine one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices. The one or more computer processors create a semantic device model, based, at least in part, on the one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices. |
| US09672272B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for efficiently performing operations on distinct data values
An apparatus, computer-readable medium, and computer-implemented method for efficiently performing operations on distinct data values, including receiving a query directed to a column of data, the query defining one or more group sets for grouping the data retrieved in response to the query, and for each of the one or more group sets, generating one or more entity map vectors, the length of each entity map vector being equal to the number of unique data values in a domain which corresponds to the column of data, the position of each bit in the entity map vector corresponding to the lexical position of a corresponding unique data value in a lexically ordered list of the unique data values, and the value of each bit in the entity map vector indicating the presence or absence of the corresponding unique data value in the group set. |
| US09672266B2 |
Method and apparatus for ensuring consistent outcomes in updates to distributed databases
Methods of conducting database transactions. One such method comprises receiving data to be written to a database; identifying a set of shard replicas corresponding to the database to which the data is to be written; transmitting, to each of the replicas in the set, a request to write the data thereto; receiving votes back from the replicas in the set, each vote representing whether the respective replica commits to a writing of the data thereto; determining whether to commit to the writing of the data to the database according to whether a majority of the replicas of every shard having replicas in the set has transmitted a vote committing to the writing of the data thereto; and transmitting an outcome of the determining to each of the replicas in the set. |
| US09672263B1 |
Reliability engineering data integration
Exemplary practice of the present invention provides an electronic system for integrating information from various network sources. The inventive system includes a server computer and at least one client computer (e.g., tablet). According to the software logic resident in the server computer, information is transmitted from various online resources (e.g., web-accessible collections of data) to an enterprise service bus (ESB), and the ESB collates some or all of the information received and stores the collated information in a network database. According to the software logic resident in each client computer, the collated information stored in the network database is downloaded onto an online webpage, parsed, stored in a local database, synched, and downloaded onto an offline webpage. A client can direct the server to collate a particular segment of information, thus affording the client offline access to pertinent, well-organized information on a portable, wireless platform such as a tablet. |
| US09672258B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamically selecting graphical query result display modes
Systems and methods for displaying graphical database query results on a map by dynamically selecting graphical query result display modes are described. In one example, the system includes a distributed database query system having a remote server and a local client computer. The remote server receives a query request from the client and obtains a threshold number of results for display. If a particular query provides less than the threshold number of results, the system uses a first interactive graphical query result mode utilizing client rendering. If the query provides the threshold number of results or more, the system uses a second non-interactive graphical query result mode utilizing server rendering. |
| US09672253B1 |
Ranking a search result document based on data usage to load the search result document
Methods and apparatus for ranking one or more documents that are responsive to a search query. A document that is responsive to the search query may be ranked based on a data measure of the document that is indicative of an amount of data usage required to load the document. In some implementations, the data measure of the document may be a measured value based on actual data usage during retrieval of the document. In some implementations, the ranking of two or more documents may be based on comparison of the data measures of the two or more documents. |
| US09672248B2 |
Embracing and exploiting data skew during a join or groupby
A hybrid approach for performing a join in a database includes: obtaining a distribution of data values in a join column of an inner table; using the distribution, identifying one or more data ranges containing skew; for each data range identified as containing skew, performing, by the processor, the join operation using a skew specific join scheme; and for each data range not identified as containing skew, performing, by the processor, the join operation using a non-skew specific join scheme. One skew specific join scheme involves a compact array table, a highly populated array that represents the range of values that the inner table join column contains. One non-skew specific join scheme involves a compact hash table, an optimized hash table that allows high load factors with a small memory overhead. In combining multiple join techniques, joins may be performed more efficiently for skewed and non-skewed data. |
| US09672246B1 |
Time-varying data retrieval
Methods for determining the representation of time-dependent attributes stored in a database and extracting data according to the representation of the time-dependent attributes are described. In some cases, a time-dependent attribute may comprise a time scale varying attribute (TSV) in which a sum may be computed for any date range. In some embodiments, a time-dependent attribute may be represented as a Character Large Object (CLOB) that encodes information about the time-dependent attribute in a text string and may be accessed by table functions. Alternatively, some time-dependent attributes may also be represented as Binary Large Objects (BLOBs) that are used to populate timeslicing tables. Upon receiving a query for data pertaining to a stored time-dependent attribute, a system identifies whether the stored time-dependent attribute is represented as a CLOB or a BLOB, and generates the queried data in a manner dependent on the representation of the time-dependent attribute. |
| US09672245B2 |
Memory storage apparatus, method of supporting transaction function for database, and memory system
A memory storage apparatus interworking with a database management system and a file system includes a flash translation layer (FTL) configured to guarantee atomicity of a transaction for the database management system by utilizing a copy-on-write (CoW) mechanism. |
| US09672244B2 |
Efficient undo-processing during data redistribution
A method and system for facilitating an undo operation. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a plurality of control files, where each of the control files is associated with a batch of data that is received from a sending partition during a redistribution process, and where each control file includes a list of pages and corresponding ranges of rows of data that have been appended to the pages. The method also includes writing the control files to a persistent memory for each control file where all of the associated rows of the respective consistency point have been appended to pages and written to a persistent memory. The method also includes, in response to an interruption in the redistribution process, identifying pages and rows to be deleted during an undo operation based on the plurality of control files. |
| US09672238B2 |
Dynamic filter processing
The disclosed subject matter includes systems, methods, and computer readable medium for automatically updating data source objects (DSO). First and second DSO can be created and mapped to first and second data, respectively. A third DSO can be created and mapped to the first subset of the first stored data by filtering the first stored data mapped to the first DSO with the second stored data mapped to the second DSO. A listener can be created for the third DSO to detect changes to the first DSO. Listener can receive notification of a change to the first DSO. the mapping of the third DSO can be updated by applying the change. A remapping can be requested of the third DSO to a second subset of first stored data by filtering the first stored data mapped to the first DSO with the second stored data mapped to the second DSO. |
| US09672235B2 |
Method and system for dynamically partitioning very large database indices on write-once tables
Methods and systems for partitioning and dynamically merging a database index are described. A database index includes a single first-level index partition stored in a data cache. As the first-level index partition in the data cache reaches a predetermined size, it is copied to secondary storage and a new index partition is generated in the data cache. When the number of index partitions in secondary storage reaches some predetermined number, the index partitions are merged to create a single index partition of a higher level in a hierarchy of index partitions having an exponentially increasing size with each increase in level within the hierarchy. |
| US09672231B2 |
Concurrent access for hierarchical data storage
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums are presented for aggregating multiple values for an object using database rows. Each value added to the database for the object may include a same primary key and a unique sequence key. This allows multiple values to be added for an object concurrently by simply adding additional rows to the database table. After values have been added, a process can identify multiple rows having the same primary key and aggregate the values stored in those rows together into a single database row having the primary key. This can be done as part of a garbage-collection routine or in response to other processes attempting to add additional values for the object. |
| US09672227B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image display method, and image display program
An image processing apparatus includes: a display device; a storage unit configured to store a plurality of image data having information corresponding to a search key; a search key specifying unit configured to specify a search key used for image search; a search unit configured to search and extract image data having information relating to the search key specified by the search key specifying unit from the storage unit; and a display control unit configured to control the image corresponding to image data extracted by the search unit to be displayed on the position corresponding to the degree of association as to the search key on the display screen of the display device. |
| US09672221B2 |
Identification of moved or renamed files in file synchronization
A method for synchronizing files is provided. Current metadata including a filename and a hash identifier for each file of the synchronized folder is created. The current metadata is compared to previous metadata. Based on the comparison, a first file and a first folder added to the synchronized folder and a second file and a second folder deleted from the synchronized folder are identified. The hash identifiers of the first and second files are compared. If the hash identifiers match, the filenames of the first and second files are compared. If the filenames do not match, the first file is identified as a renamed file. Metadata is sent to a synchronized device with information related to the first folder sent before information related to the first file, which is sent before information related to the second folder. |
| US09672218B2 |
Systems and methods for data chunk deduplication
A method includes receiving information about a plurality of data chunks and determining if one or more of a plurality of back-end nodes already stores more than a threshold amount of the plurality of data chunks where one of the plurality of back-end nodes is designated as a sticky node. The method further includes, responsive to determining that none of the plurality of back-end nodes already stores more than a threshold amount of the plurality of data chunks, deduplicating the plurality of data chunks against the back-end node designated as the sticky node. Finally, the method includes, responsive to an amount of data being processed, designating a different back-end node as the sticky node. |
| US09672215B2 |
Database storage reclaiming program
The computer retrieves a list of the data elements contained in a database. The computer performs a static and dynamic analysis on the list to determine which data elements have been active in a static or dynamic Structured Query Language (SQL) statement, then removes active data elements from the list. The computer performs a dependency test to determine which data elements on the list are depended on by data objects not on the list and removes those data elements which are depended on. The computer analyzes application code to extract SQL statements and determine whether data elements on the list are active in application code SQL. Any data elements on the list which are active in application code SQL are removed from the list and the remaining data elements on the list are sorted in descending order based on size. |
| US09672214B2 |
Incrementally updating a large key-value store
The present disclosure extends to incrementally updating a database in a production environment in a way that maintains data freshness and allows for high priority updates for critical changed values and regular updates for noncritical changed values in the database. |
| US09672213B2 |
Providing media items from playback history
Embodiments are described for providing media items from a playback history for media items played by one or more playback zones in a media playback system. A computing device maintains the playback history. The playback history includes, for each of the media items, (i) an indication of a playback zone in which the media item was played, (ii) a time at which the media item was played, and (iii) metadata associated with the media item. The metadata may include, among others, at least one of an album associated with the media item, a genre associated with the media item, and a track name associated with the media item. The computing device, in response to a request, may transmit a portion of the playback history based on the request. The portion of the playback history identifies media items played by one of the playback zones at a given time. |
| US09672212B1 |
System and method for supporting remote accesses to a host computer from a mobile computing device
Users of a client computer having non-conventional input devices interact with a host computing platform with the same user experience as if he or she was operating the client computer natively. This is achieved by having the non-conventional input devices of the client device appear local to the applications that are running on the host platform, even though the host computing platform may not be equipped with drivers for the non-conventional input devices. |
| US09672211B1 |
Script unique prompts
Providing unique prompts for script, comprising sequencing, by a processor, at least one script in a design order having at least one prompt, identifying, by the processor, duplicate prompts of the at least one prompt, identifying, by the processor, unique prompts of the at least one prompt, translation tagging, by the processor, the identified unique prompts and replicating, by the processor, the translation tagged unique prompts to the identified duplicate prompts. |
| US09672210B2 |
Language translation with head-worn computing
Aspects of the present invention relate to language translation systems for head-worn computers. |
| US09672209B2 |
Dynamic translation substitution
Mechanisms are provided for translating messages output by processes associated with the data processing system. Language based user activities occurring via a data processing system are tracked and automatically analyzed to determine a relative priority ordering of one or more languages used by a user performing the user activities. A sequence of preferred language translation substitutions is generated for outputting messages based on results of the analysis and is automatically applied to a received message from a process associated with the data processing system to generate a translated message using one of the preferred language translation substitutions in the sequence of preferred language translation substitutions. The translated message is output via an output device of the data processing system. |
| US09672199B2 |
Electronic device and electronic device control method
Disclosed are an electronic device and an electronic device control method that can use address information on the basis of an inputted string. The disclosed electronic device is provided with: a memory (44) that stores an address book that has names and address information; input keys (14) for inputting strings; a display unit (21) that displays both an input string inputted via the input keys (14) and a conversion candidate string which is a conversion candidate for the input string; a search execution unit (46) that searches the address book on the basis of an input string inputted via the input keys (14); and a control unit (45) that has the display unit (21) display, as a conversion candidate string, a name or address information that corresponds to the input string and was searched for by the search execution unit (46). |
| US09672183B2 |
Integration of downstream ports in a multiple interface device
One aspect of a multiple data type interface device can include a plurality of upstream ports, wherein at least two of the upstream ports are of a different type, a plurality of downstream ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of downstream ports is configured to connect to an external device, and one or more processors configured to detect a connection at one of the plurality of upstream ports, and route an upstream port signal associated with one of the plurality of upstream ports to the at least one of the plurality of downstream ports configured to connect to the external device when the connection is detected at the one of the plurality of upstream. |
| US09672180B1 |
Cache memory management system and method
A system comprises a first cache controller and at least a second cache controller. The first cache controller and the second cache controller each include a cache memory interface, an inter-cache controller communication link configured for bidirectional communication with the other cache controller, a first peripheral interface, a second peripheral interface, and logic circuitry. The first peripheral interface communicates with a first host device and the second peripheral interface communicates with a second host device. The first host device and the second host device are each connected to the first and second cache controllers by the first and second peripheral interfaces. The logic circuitry loads a cache command from a cache command memory of the first host device, loads a cache command from a cache command memory of the second cache controller, and performs the cache commands. |
| US09672175B2 |
Communication system
A communication system having a plurality of communication nodes connected by a communication bus is provided. The system allows at least one non-periodical data message to have a higher priority order than a periodical data message that is transmitted in response to a periodically-transmitted reference message from a master node ECU. In such a manner, a transmission of an urgent non-periodical data message has a higher priority than a transmission of the periodical data message. As a result, a wait time before a start of a transmission of the non-periodical data message is reduced. |
| US09672160B1 |
System and method for caching data
A method, computer program product, and computing system for storing a plurality of frontend data chunks within a cache system. The plurality of frontend data chunks correspond to a plurality of backend data chunks stored within a data array. A device weight is determined for each of the plurality of backend data chunks. The device weight is indicative of the type of storage device upon which each of the plurality of backend data chunks is stored within the data array. A deletion score is assigned to each of the plurality of frontend data chunks. Each deletion score is based, at least in part, upon the device weight determined for its corresponding backend data chunk. |
| US09672156B2 |
Dynamic data caches, decoders and decoding methods
Dynamic data caches (DDCs), decoders and decoding methods that may fit into a smaller width area. The DDCs, decoders and decoding method may be used in flash memory devices. A single column select line may be provided to select a plurality of cached bytes, while a second select line selects a byte of the selected plurality. The column select line may be routed parallel to bit lines carrying data, while the second select line may be routed perpendicular to the bit lines. |
| US09672152B2 |
Size dependent type in accessing dynamically typed array objects
A method and an apparatus for providing a flat array type in an object model for dynamically typed programs are described. Whether an array object is of a flat array type can be dynamically tracked for a dynamic language based program. Array elements of an array object of the flat array type may be stored in an inline storage within an object cell of the array object. The inline storage may be limited by available memory space between adjacent object cells. The flat array type of an array object may be detected based on whether the inline storage has sufficient memory space to store elements of the array. An array object of the flay array type may allow array elements of the array object to be accessed within a object cell without additional memory loading via a pointer stored in the object cell. |
| US09672149B2 |
Partial page programming of nonvolatile memory device
In one embodiment of the inventive concept, a partial page program method is provided for a system comprising a nonvolatile memory device. The method comprises loading random data stored in the nonvolatile memory device into a page buffer circuit in the nonvolatile memory device, reloading partial page data having a size corresponding to a portion of one page into the page buffer circuit after the random data is loaded by receiving the partial page data from a memory controller, and programming, to a target page, page data stored in the page buffer circuit after the random data is loaded and the partial page data is reloaded. |
| US09672145B2 |
Service associated with persistent storage
Examples are disclosed for allocating a block of persistent storage or accessing a block of persistent storage based on a storage service string that includes a universally unique identifier and associated metadata. |
| US09672144B2 |
Allocating additional requested storage space for a data set in a first managed space in a second managed space
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for allocating additional requested storage space for a data set in a first managed space in a second managed space. A request for additional storage space is received for a requested data set stored in a first managed space in the storage. A revised amount of storage space for the requested data set comprises at least an amount of space currently allocated to the requested data set in the first managed space and the requested additional storage space. If the revised amount of storage space exceeds a value, then allocation is made of the revised amount of storage space in allocated storage space in a second managed space of the storage. The data set is stored in the allocated storage space in the second managed space. |
| US09672143B2 |
Remote memory ring buffers in a cluster of data processing nodes
A data processing node has an inter-node messaging module including a plurality of sets of registers each defining an instance of a GET/PUT context and a plurality of data processing cores each coupled to the inter-node messaging module. Each one of the data processing cores includes a mapping function for mapping each one of a plurality of user level processes to a different one of the sets of registers and thereby to a respective GET/PUT context instance. Mapping each one of the user level processes to the different one of the sets of registers enables a particular one of the user level processes to utilize the respective GET/PUT context instance thereof for performing a GET/PUT action to a ring buffer of a different data processing node coupled to the data processing node through a fabric without involvement of an operating system of any one of the data processing cores. |
| US09672141B1 |
Generic language application programming interface interpreter
Technical solutions are described for facilitating a first computer program product to communicate with a second computer program product. The first computer program product invokes an application programming interface (API) function from an API of the second computer program product, where the first computer program product and the second computer program product use distinct programming languages. The solutions described herein initiate a record corresponding to the API function and invoke an interpreter that calls the API function in the second programming language. Upon receiving, from the interpreter, an indication that the API function has completed execution, result of the execution are obtained from the record and returned to the first computer program product. |
| US09672136B2 |
Crosstalk emulator for xDSL cable
A crosstalk emulator for a cable, preferably a xDSL telecommunication cable, represented by several emulation paths each comprising a first segment (L1a/L4a) serially connected to a second segment (L1b/L4b) on a printed circuit board PCB. The first and second segments of a same emulation path form an angle, e.g. of about 90 degrees, at their junction point. All the emulation paths have a same length and preferably run in parallel over the PCB. As a result, each emulation path crosses only once (X21) any other emulation path at a cross-point. Furthermore, the area occupied by the crosstalk emulator on the PCB is reduced with respect to a matrix topology, whereby the present topology can easily be extended to large numbers of couplings, allowing design guidance for a passive coupling emulator with a large amount of coupling elements (CP) at the cross-points. |
| US09672135B2 |
System, method and apparatus for debugging of reactive applications
A debugger executes on a computer system to receive a first debugging command from a client, where the first debugging command sets a first instruction in the reactive application to suspend execution of the reactive application, and where during execution of the reactive application the first instruction is triggered which suspends execution of the reactive application. Responsive to the execution of the reactive application being suspended, a system clock of the reactive application is replaced with a substitute clock and the substitute clock is paused. The debugger then receives a second debugging command, where the second debugging command triggers a second instruction in the reactive application to continue execution of the reactive application. Responsive to the execution of the reactive application being continued, clocking of the substitute clock is continued. |
| US09672131B2 |
False power failure alert impact mitigation
A method includes receiving a signal indicating a loss of power, starting a timer, the timer configured to expire after a specific time period, copying, by a distributed storage system having volatile memory configured as a write cache, write cache data from the volatile memory to a solid state device, upon receiving the signal indicating the loss of power to the storage system, configuring, the solid state device as both a read cache and the write cache, performing a health test on the storage system upon receiving the signal indicating the loss of power, and determining the loss of power as a false alarm if the timer expires and the storage system passes a health test on the storage system. |
| US09672129B2 |
Testing tray
A testing tray includes a receiving member and a connector. The receiving includes a tray and a latching member. The tray includes a bottom wall, a peripheral sidewall protruded from the bottom wall, a resisting member and a guide groove. The resisting member includes a resisting portion and two elastic portions coupling the resisting portion with the peripheral sidewall. The tray includes at least one latching portion protruded from the peripheral sidewall. The latching member includes a sliding portion slidably mounted on the bottom wall to cover the guide groove and an elastic member located between the sliding portion and the bottom wall. The connector includes a fixed member detachably mounted on the at least one latching portion and a conducting member detachably mounted on the fixed member. The conducting member is capable of coupling the electronic device with a testing device. |
| US09672125B2 |
Ability to partition an array into two or more logical arrays with independently running software
A plurality of storage nodes in a single chassis is provided. The plurality of storage nodes includes a first plurality of storage nodes configured to communicate together as a first storage cluster and a second plurality of storage nodes configured to communicate together as a second storage cluster. Each of the first and second pluralities of storage nodes has nonvolatile solid-state memory for user data storage and each of the first and second pluralities of storage nodes is configured to distribute user data and metadata associated with the user data throughout a respective plurality of storage nodes such that a respective storage cluster maintains ability to read the user data, using erasure coding, despite a loss of one or more of the respective plurality of storage nodes. |
| US09672121B2 |
Methods and systems for automatically rerouting logical circuit data
An example involves assigning a first logical circuit identifier to a logical failover circuit prior to a failure of a dedicated logical circuit. The dedicated logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route data through a first local access and transport area (LATA), second variable communication paths to route the data through a second LATA, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first LATA, the second LATA, and an inter-exchange carrier. The failure of the dedicated logical circuit is identified based on status information pertinent to the dedicated logical circuit. The logical failover circuit includes an alternate communication path for communicating the data. When the first logical circuit identifier does not match the second logical circuit identifier, the second logical circuit identifier is renamed to match the first logical circuit identifier. The data is rerouted to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention. |
| US09672119B2 |
Methods and systems for replicating an expandable storage volume
Machine implemented method and system for generating a disaster recovery copy of an expandable storage volume having a namespace for storing information for accessing data objects stored at a data constituent volume is provided. A transfer operation for transferring a point in time copy of the expandable storage volume from a first location to a second location is generated. Information regarding the expandable storage volume from the first location is retrieved and a destination expandable storage volume is resized to match components of the expandable storage volume at the first location. Thereafter, the point in time copy of the expandable storage volume from the first location to the second location is transferred and configuration information regarding the point in time copy is copied from the first location to the second location; a data structure for storing information regarding the transferred point in time copy of the expandable storage volume is updated. |
| US09672114B2 |
Conditional saving of input data
This document relates to preserving input data. One example includes obtaining a request that a service perform processing on input data to produce an output representation of the input data. This example also includes applying criteria to the request, and preserving the input data responsive to determining that the criteria are met. |
| US09672111B2 |
Load control backup signal generating circuit
A load control backup signal generating circuit for supplying a backup control signal to a switch of a load connected to an output of a control processor in a case that abnormality occurs in the control processor, includes a first input terminal that receives a constant period signal that is output periodically from the control processor when the control processor is normal, a constant period signal monitoring section that monitors a state of the constant period signal for identifying whether a length of the time during which a high or low level state of the constant period signal continues is longer than a predetermined time, and that outputs the signal corresponding to a result of the identification, and a backup signal output section that outputs the backup control signal when the output of the constant period signal monitoring section satisfies a predetermined condition. |
| US09672109B2 |
Adaptive dispersed storage network (DSN) and system
A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and a processing module operably coupled to the interface and to the memory such that the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to perform various operations. When additional unique pillar combinations of at least read threshold number of encoded data slices (EDSs) supported by EDSs may be needed, the computing device dispersed error encodes each data segment in accordance to generate additional pluralities of EDSs and distributedly stores the additional pluralities of EDSs associated respectively with the data object across the plurality of SUs within the DSN to support the additional unique pillar combinations of the at least read threshold number of EDSs. |
| US09672108B2 |
Dispersed storage network (DSN) and system with improved security
A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and a processing module operably coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processing module, when operable within the computing device based on the operational instructions, is configured to perform various operations including to receive, via the interface, content retrieval messages for a data object. Then, based on the content retrieval messages for the data object and respectively for each associated data segment, the processing module determines respective groups of unique pillar combinations of at least read threshold number of EDSs, retrieves the respective groups of unique pillar combinations of at least read threshold number of EDSs from storage units (SUs) within the DSN, and provides the respective groups of unique pillar combinations of at least read threshold number of EDSs respectively to recipient device(s). |
| US09672101B2 |
Memory device having address and command selectable capabilities
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to memory management, and more particularly to partitioning a memory based on memory attributes. |
| US09672099B2 |
Error detection and recovery for synchronous input/output operations
Aspects include receiving, at an operating system (OS) executing on a server, a notification that an error was detected during execution of a synchronous I/O operation issued by the OS to a persistent storage control unit (SCU). The notification is received from firmware executing on the server and it includes a command response block that includes error condition information about the error. The method can also include selecting, by the OS, a recovery operation for the synchronous I/O operation. The selecting is based on the error condition information about the error in the command response block. The selected recovery option is performed by the OS. |
| US09672098B2 |
Error detection and recovery for synchronous input/output operations
Aspects include receiving, at an operating system (OS) executing on a server, a notification that an error was detected during execution of a synchronous I/O operation issued by the OS to a persistent storage control unit (SCU). The notification is received from firmware executing on the server and it includes a command response block that includes error condition information about the error. The method can also include selecting, by the OS, a recovery operation for the synchronous I/O operation. The selecting is based on the error condition information about the error in the command response block. The selected recovery option is performed by the OS. |
| US09672096B2 |
Network of devices forming a diagnostic system
The present invention relates to the field of systems and methods of diagnosis of apparatuses constituting a vast machine-to-machine communication network. The system proposed is based on a virtual network linking the various apparatuses so as to form a hierarchical tree. This virtual network is reliant on the network for real communication between the apparatuses. However, the topology of the virtual network is independent of that of the real network. Each apparatus includes a diagnostic agent offering local self-diagnostic capabilities. Each apparatus enables offering a state of its operation and of the operation of the entire sub-network of which it is the father. The self-diagnostic capabilities of an apparatus are implemented either locally by the apparatus, or within apparatuses of its close network environment as a function of the capabilities of the various items of equipment. |
| US09672095B2 |
Safety level specific error response scheme for mixed criticality systems
An error response method for a mixed criticality system includes assigning a safety level to an application executed by a processor. Executing the application includes a transaction between the processor and a resource. The safety level is stored at the resource. The safety level and a fault indication are transmitted from the resource to a fault collection and control unit (FCCU). The fault indication is responsive to a fault from the resource. The FCCU responds to the fault indication with an action determined by the safety level. |
| US09672089B2 |
Method to determine BER (bit error rate) from an eye diagram
A system and method for calculating a bit error rate for a mask is described. For each time during the time duration of the mask, the minimum and maximum voltages of the mask at that time are determined. The maximum bit error rate can be calculated for each time by integrating between those voltages. The maximum bit error rate for all times during the time duration of the mask can be selected as the maximum bit error rate for the mask. |
| US09672088B2 |
Hardware device controller, image forming apparatus, and control method
A hardware device controller includes a controlling unit, a relay unit, and a watchdog timer. The controlling unit outputs a control signal to control a hardware device. The relay unit outputs, on the basis of the control signal, a control signal to the hardware device. When not receiving a first signal output from the controlling unit via the relay unit for a predetermined length of time or longer, the watchdog timer outputs a second signal. When the second signal is output, the controlling unit and the relay unit perform initialization process, and the hardware device stops driving. |
| US09672083B2 |
Operating a program code object in conjunction with an application context
A method is provided for operating a program code object in conjunction with an application context in an application server environment. The method includes identifying a program code object in the application server environment and identifying an application context enabling the provision of a service. The application context is not directly accessible by the program code object. An entry point of the program code object is identified and a tag identifier referencing the application context is associated with the entry point. When executing the program code object in the application server environment, the tag identifier is used to access the application context. |
| US09672082B2 |
Guaranteeing the event order for multi-stage processing in distributed systems
Systems and methods for guaranteeing the event order for multi-stage processing in distributed systems are disclosed. In some examples, a warm-up period is used to accurately determine a starting point for ordered events of an event stream. Skip-beats may be utilized as dummy events so that the event processor does not wait too long for events that were filtered out at earlier stages. |
| US09672080B2 |
Systems and methods for enabling dynamic calls via filtering, grouping, and substitution mechanisms
Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems and methods that enable the dynamic execution of code library calls using external system data. A processing device processes unstructured data to generate structured data that optionally may be filtered. The processing device uses the structured data and one or more parameter groupings to execute various commands associated with a code library of an external system. |
| US09672078B2 |
Deployment and management of virtual containers
A system virtualizes applications on a managed endpoint using containers. A managed endpoint receives a virtualized container from an IT automation appliance. The virtualized container includes an application and a virtualization module. The virtualization module includes computer program instructions for virtualizing the application. An operating system API call made by the application during execution is intercepted, and a portion of the computer program instructions are executed based on the operating system API call. The computer program instructions modify the behavior of the application to effect the file and data virtualization of the application. A virtualized container can be deployed and updated from an IT automation appliance along with an agent to support the deployment and updating of the virtualized container. |
| US09672068B2 |
Virtual machine scheduling using optimum power-consumption profile
Methods and systems of determining an optimum power-consumption profile for virtual machines running in a data center are disclosed. In one aspect, a power-consumption profile of a virtual machine and a unit-rate profile of electrical power cost over a period are received. The methods determine an optimum power-consumption profile based on the power-consumption profile and the unit-rate profile. The optimum power-consumption profile may be used reschedule the virtual machine over the period. |
| US09672066B2 |
Systems and methods for mass distribution of 3-dimensional reconstruction over network
Systems and methods are described for distributing a 3-dimensional model of a target space, including, but not limited to: determining a position of an object within a target space; encoding the position of the object as RGB values associated with at least one pixel of a base frame; and transmitting the base frame to a user device for decoding the position of the object. |
| US09672065B2 |
Parallel simulation using multiple co-simulators
A method includes accepting a simulation task for simulation by a simulator that controls multiple co-simulators. Each of the multiple co-simulators is assigned to execute one or more respective sub-tasks of the simulation task. The simulation task is executed by invoking each co-simulator to execute the respective assigned sub-tasks. |
| US09672062B1 |
Batched memory page hinting
Systems and methods for batching memory page hints that may enable a hypervisor to reuse a particular memory page without copying the particular memory page to and from swap space. An example method may comprise: releasing, by a guest operating system, a plurality of memory pages in use by the guest operating system; adding, by the guest operating system, the memory pages to a set of memory pages; determining, by the guest operating system, that the set of memory pages satisfies a predetermined threshold quantity; and responsive to the determining, notifying a hypervisor that the memory pages released by the guest operating system are available for reuse by the hypervisor. |
| US09672060B2 |
Managing virtual machine migration
Exemplary embodiments provide techniques for managing VM migrations that use relatively simple and uncomplicated commands or APIs that can be executed through scripts or applications. Configuration and preparation for the conversion may be addressed by one set of command-lets or APIs, while the conversion itself is handled by a separate set of command-lets or APIs, which allows the conversion command-lets to be uncomplex and to require little input. Moreover, the architecture-specific commands can be largely abstracted away, so that the configuration and conversion processes can be carried out through straightforward general commands, which automatically cause an interface (e.g., at the conversion server) to call upon any necessary architecture-specific functionality. Still further, the information that must be entered by a user may be kept to a minimum, because the initial configuration information may be used by the system to automatically discover additional information that is needed to perform the conversion. |
| US09672058B2 |
Reduced service partition virtualization system and method
A reduced service partition system and method for a host computing device having a host processor and system resources including memory divided into most privileged system memory and less privileged user memory. The system includes a virtualization boot application that operates in the less privileged user memory and divides the host computing device into a resource management partition, at least one virtual service partition and at least one virtual guest partition. The virtual guest partition provides a virtualization environment for at least one guest operating system. The virtual service partition provides a virtualization environment for the basic operations of the virtualization system. The resource management partition maintains a resource database for use in managing the use of the host processor and the system resources. A monitor operates in the most privileged system memory, and maintains guest applications in the at least one virtual guest partition within memory space allocated by the virtual service partition to the at least one virtual guest partition. A context switch between the at least one monitor and the respective virtual guest partitions and the virtual service partition controls multitask processing in the partitions on the at least one host processor. |
| US09672050B2 |
Method of distributed layout negotiation in a user interface framework
A method of determining a layout of a user interface (UI) that composites elements from a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications having a respective UI client engine, the method comprising: receiving, from one of a plurality of UI client engines, a request to change layout parameters; negotiating, between the plurality of UI client engines, changes to the layout parameters to determine negotiated layout parameters; and transmitting the negotiated layout parameters to a UI rendering engine, as a component tree structure, for rendering to a display. A UI system, electronic device and computer program product are also provided. |
| US09672049B2 |
Dynamic and configurable user interface
In some embodiments, a method for generating a mobile device's user interface is provided. The method may include: receiving, via the mobile device, input from a user of the mobile device, the input being related to a property for presenting dynamic context-dependent informational cues; determining a context; identifying a subset of a set of informational cues, the subset being associated with the context; and predominately presenting, via the mobile device, the identified subset to the user, the presentation being predominate as compared to any presentation of other informational cues in the set of informational cues, wherein the presentation accords with the received user input. |
| US09672048B2 |
Electronic device and method for waking up operating system thereof
An electronic device and method for operating system waking up thereof are provided. The electronic device includes a processing unit, a timer coupled to the processing unit and a basic input/output system unit (BIOS) coupled to the processing unit. When an operating system operated by the processing unit is in a sleep state and the processing unit receives a wake-up signal, the processing unit executes a wake-up procedure through the BIOS to switch the operating system from the sleep state to a work state, and also controls the timer to start a timing procedure. When the processing unit determines that a timing value of the timing procedure exceeds a threshold and the operating system fails to switch from the sleep state to the work state, the processing unit executes a reset procedure through the BIOS. |
| US09672046B2 |
Apparatus and method for intelligently powering heterogeneous processor components
An intelligent power allocation architecture for a processor. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of processor components for performing a corresponding plurality of processor functions; a plurality of power planes, each power plane associated with one of the processor components; and a power control unit (PCU) to dynamically adjust power to each of the power planes based on user experience metrics, workload characteristics, and power constraints for a current use of the processor. |
| US09672044B2 |
Space efficient checkpoint facility and technique for processor with integrally indexed register mapping and free-list arrays
A processor may efficiently implement register renaming and checkpoint repair even in instruction set architectures with large numbers of wide (bit-width) registers by (i) renaming all destination operand register targets, (ii) implementing free list and architectural-to-physical mapping table as a combined array storage with unitary (or common) read, write and checkpoint pointer indexing and (iiii) storing checkpoints as snapshots of the mapping table, rather than of actual register contents. In this way, uniformity (and timing simplicity) of the decode pipeline may be accentuated and architectural-to-physical mappings (or allocable mappings) may be efficiently shuttled between free-list, reorder buffer and mapping table stores in correspondence with instruction dispatch and completion as well as checkpoint creation, retirement and restoration. |
| US09672039B2 |
Register file having a plurality of sub-register files
Register files for use in an out-of-order processor that have been divided into a plurality of sub-register files. The register files also have a plurality of buffers which are each associated with one of the sub-register files. Each buffer receives and stores write operations destined for the associated sub-register file which can be later issued to the sub-register file. Specifically, each clock cycle it is determined whether there is at least one write operation in the buffer that has not been issued to the associated sub-register file. If there is at least one write operation in the buffer that has not been issued to the associated sub-register file, one of the non-issued write operations is issued to the associated sub-register file. Each sub-register file may also have an arbitration logic unit which resolves conflicts between read and write operations that want to access the associated sub-register file in the same cycle by prioritizing read operations unless a conflicting write instruction has reached commit time. |
| US09672038B2 |
System and method for supporting a scalable concurrent queue in a distributed data grid
A scalable concurrent queue includes a central queue associated with multiple temporary queues for holding batches of nodes from multiple producers. When a producer thread or service performs an insertion operation on the scalable concurrent queue, the producer inserts one or more nodes into a batch in one of the multiple temporary queues associated with the central queue. Subsequently, the producer (or another producer) inserts the batch held in the temporary queue into the central queue. Contention between the multiple producers is reduced by providing multiple temporary queues into which the producers may insert nodes, and also by inserting nodes in the central queue in batches rather than one node at a time. The scalable concurrent queue scales to serve large number of producers with reduced contention thereby improving performance in a distributed data grid. |
| US09672036B2 |
Instruction and logic to provide vector loads with strides and masking functionality
Instructions and logic provide vector loads and/or stores with stride and mask functionality. Some embodiments, responsive to an instruction specifying: a set of loads, destination register, mask register, memory address, and stride length; execution units read values in the mask register, wherein fields in the mask register correspond to stride-length multiples from the memory address to data elements in memory. A first mask value indicates the element has not been loaded from memory and a second value indicates that the element does not need to be, or has already been loaded. For each having the first value, the corresponding multiple of said stride length is generated according to the data field's position in the mask register to load the data element from memory into the corresponding destination register location, and the corresponding value in the mask register is changed to the second value. These instructions can restart after faults. |
| US09672030B2 |
Generating comprehensive symbol tables for source code files
A computer-implemented method includes identifying a primary symbol table associated with a primary source code file and identifying a secondary symbol table associated with a secondary source code file. The computer-implemented further includes receiving a source code association indication. The source code association indication includes at least one association relationship between the primary source code file and the secondary source code file. The computer-implemented further includes creating a comprehensive symbol table. The comprehensive symbol table comprises contents of the primary symbol table and contents of the secondary symbol table. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed. |
| US09672025B2 |
Encryption for telematics flashing of a vehicle
A vehicle may receive an encrypted software update responsive to an update request to an update server; identify a key offset into a long key stored to the vehicle according to a timestamp of the update request; and decrypt the encrypted software update according to the long key indexed to the key offset. An update server may receive, from a vehicle, an update request including a timestamp and a vehicle identifier; retrieve a long key according to the vehicle identifier; identify a key offset into the long key according to a timestamp of the update request; and encrypt a software update into an encrypted software update to send to the vehicle according to the long key indexed to the key offset. |
| US09672024B2 |
Techniques for automatic software provisioning
Techniques to perform automatic software provisioning are described. An apparatus may comprise a provisioning database, a client provisioning module and a network interface. The provisioning server may be operative to store software update packages for different packet telephony devices. The client provisioning module may be operative to automatically provision packet telephony devices in response to provisioning requests from the packet telephony devices. For example, the client provisioning module may receive device configuration information for a packet telephony device, and retrieve a software update package from the provisioning database based on the device configuration information. The network interface may send the software update package to the packet telephony device on behalf of the client provisioning module. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09672023B2 |
Providing a unified update center for security software updates and application software updates
A graphical user interface (GUI) for a unified software update display center is provided. The GUI includes a first display area for displaying a set of available security system software updates. The GUI includes a second display area for displaying a set of available non-security system software updates. The GUI includes a third display area for displaying a set of available application software updates. The GUI includes a single selection tool for installing all available security updates without installing any updates displayed in the second and third display areas. The GUI includes individual selection tools for installing individual updates displayed in the second and third display areas. The GUI includes a selection tool to receive further updates from a system update server and an application update server. The critical security updates are displayed with different display attributes or in different sections to distinguish them from other types of updates. |
| US09672022B2 |
Applications including multiple experience modules
An application on a device includes multiple experience modules that each implement a set of features when the application is running on the device. Each of the multiple experience modules includes a first component that includes code specific to a particular type of the device, and a second component that includes code that is common across multiple types of devices. Update packages changing individual ones of the multiple experience modules can be received from a deployment service and installed on the device. |
| US09672021B2 |
Identification of an application associated with a third party system and transmission of application installation information to a user by an online system
An online system allows a user to provide information for accessing the online system to a third party system, which communicates the information to the online system. Based on the received information, the online system determines whether the user is authorized to access the third party system. Additionally, the online system determines whether an application is associated with the third party system. When determining whether an application is associated with the third party system, the online system may also account for characteristics of a client device associated with the user. If an application is associated with the third party system, the online system sends information for installing the application to the client device associated with the user. |
| US09672016B2 |
Process execution method and information processing apparatus
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium has a program stored therein for causing a computer to execute a process of processing a program by repeating analysis and execution of a source code having been read. The process includes associating, when the source code includes a definition of a function, a function name identifying the function, with an intermediate representation of the source code corresponding to the function, to be stored; determining whether the intermediate representation having the function associated is stored, when calling the function; executing a procedure corresponding to the function, by using the intermediate representation, when the intermediate representation is stored; and generating the intermediate representation by analyzing the source code corresponding to the function, when the intermediate representation is not stored. |
| US09672015B2 |
Automatic determination of compiler configuration
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for automatically determining configuration properties of a compiler. One of the methods includes determining that an executable of the newly created process is a compiler called by the build system to compile source code of a source code file. In response to the determining, a plurality of configuration properties of the compiler called by the build system are determined, the configuration properties including first properties of a plurality of built-in functions of the compiler, second properties of a plurality of built-in types of the compiler, or both. A compiler emulator is configured to emulate the behavior of the compiler called by the build system using the determined configuration properties. Access to the source code is provided to the compiler emulator configured using the determined configuration properties. |
| US09672014B2 |
Transparent network substrate system
A transparent network substrate system including at least one server module and at least one client module. The server module provides a selected functionality, such as moving an actuator, performing a mathematical operation, and receiving data from a sensor. Upon execution the server module's machine code writes information necessary to describe the selected functionality to memory. The information written to memory includes information necessary to invoke the server module functionality and may include types, members, and parameters. The client module searches the memory for the selected functionality; requests information from the server module; and invokes the functionality of the server module. Once invoked by the client the server module uses the information in memory for creating dynamic function calls. |
| US09672010B2 |
Unified modeling language (UML) analysis system and method
A universal modeling language (UML) analysis method may include importing a plurality of tool-specific UML models from a plurality of UML tools. The tool-specific UML models are in different tool-specific formats. The method may also include capturing snapshots, which may include text data and diagrams, of the plurality of tool-specific UML models. The method may also include translating each of the tool-specific UML models into a transformed UML model having a universal UML format. The translating operation may include extracting base data and one or more associated extended elements from the tool-specific UML model. The method may also include storing the transformed UML models within a UML tool database. |
| US09672007B2 |
Device for performing arithmetic operations of multivariate polynomials, control method, and program
Provided is an arithmetic operation device including a plurality of shift registers each constituted by first to (N+1)th registers and a control unit configured to cause the shift registers to move stored values. The control unit causes the stored values to be output from a predetermined pair of registers constituting the first shift register while causing the stored values to move so that all combinations of a pair of stored values selectable from the stored values are output, and causes the stored values to be output from a predetermined pair of registers constituting the other shift register while causing the stored values to move. |
| US09672001B1 |
Insect decoder and communicator
An insect decoder and communicator, comprising a user input interface, a microcontroller, a power source, a non-user input, an output interface, and a communication interface to communicate with external devices, where the user input interface, microcontroller, power source, non-user input, output interface, and communication interface are electronically connected, a preset pattern of insect communication from an external device loaded into the microcontroller through the communication interface and stored into memory, and the non-user input connected to the microcontroller and causing the microcontroller to modify the frequency of the preset patterns of insect communication produced by the output interface to accurately emulate patterns of insect communications affected by ambient temperature. |
| US09671996B2 |
Mirror display system and mirror display method
A mirror display system and a mirror display method are present. The mirror display system comprises a transporting device and a receiving device. The mirror display method comprises following steps of: establishing a network connection with a receiving device at the transporting device; loading a plurality of contents; transforming the plurality of contents into a plurality of display data; transporting the plurality of display data to the receiving device via network; merging the plurality of display data into an output display data at the receiving device; transporting the output display data to a display unit for displaying. This application allows user to watch current screens of execution of the contents of the transporting device via a single display unit. |
| US09671994B2 |
Didactic information portal system
A method of updating a didactic information display includes providing information for display on a number of interactive information devices. The method includes receiving and aggregating data related to interactions from users of the number interactive information devices. The data includes a location and a timestamp associated with each of the interactions. Each of the interactions is related to a subset of the information displayed on one of the number of interactive information devices. The method includes determining a most relevant subset of the information for a plurality of sets of parameters and determining a current set of parameters from the plurality of sets of parameters. The method includes communicating a command to a passive display device located remotely from the number of interactive information devices. The command may cause the passive display device to display the most relevant subset of the information based on the current set of parameters. |
| US09671992B2 |
Flexible display device monitoring system
A flexible display device monitoring system includes a display layer that is configured to flex into a plurality of flexed orientations. A sensor layer is coupled to the display layer and is configured to flex with the display layer into the plurality of flexed orientations. The sensor layer includes a plurality of sensors that each generate stress data in response to the sensor layer being flexed. A stress monitoring engine is coupled to the sensor layer and receives the stress data from the plurality of sensors when the sensor layer is flexed. The stress monitoring engine determines that the stress data exceeds a stress threshold and, in response, activates an alert system that may provide a vibration alert, a sound alert, or a visual alert. Visual alerts may include activating a relative portion on the display layer that corresponds to sensors that provided sensor data that exceeded the stress threshold. |
| US09671991B2 |
Printing apparatus connectable with Wi-Fi direct, method of controlling the same, and storage medium
A printing apparatus that makes it possible to prevent the operation of an application from being interrupted against the intention of a user during Wi-Fi direct connection, and thereby smoothly perform processing intended by the user. A printing apparatus equipped with a Wi-Fi direct function performs wireless connection to an external apparatus, by Wi-Fi direct connection. The printing apparatus determines based on information acquired from the external apparatus whether or not the user is operating a print application on the external apparatus, and if it is determined that the user is operating the print application on the external apparatus, the Wi-Fi direct connection between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus is extended. |
| US09671990B2 |
Image forming apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium for controlling display of an operation screen based on setting values
An image forming apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set whether to use personal setting information stored for each user, and a reflection unit configured to reflect a setting value changed by an authenticated user to personal setting information of the authenticated user, in a case where using the personal setting information has been set by the setting unit, and to reflect the setting value changed by the authenticated user to common setting information shared by a plurality of users, in a case where not using the personal setting information has been set by the setting unit. |
| US09671988B2 |
Image forming apparatus with preview image
An image forming apparatus includes a storage portion, a preview image generating circuit, an output image generating circuit, a data information obtaining circuit, and a display circuit. The storage portion stores image data that is an output target. The preview image generating circuit generates a preview image from the image data based on an output setting. The output image generating circuit generates an output image from the image data based on the output setting. The data information obtaining circuit obtains data information from output image data of the output image, and discards the output image data from which the data information was obtained. The display circuit displays the data information together with the preview image. |
| US09671985B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method for controlling thereof, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect an object, a reception unit configured to receive an operation of a user, and a shifting unit configured to shift, if the detection unit detects an object, a power state of the image forming apparatus from a first power state to a second power state different from the first power state, and shift, if the reception unit receives an operation of a user, the power state of the image forming apparatus from the second power state to the first power state. |
| US09671983B2 |
Technique for information processing device and printer which are capable of changing status information in server
An information processing device may receive, from a server, identification information for identifying an image file being stored in the server and status information indicating a print process status of the image file, display a first screen indicating these information, and send a change instruction to the server. The change instruction may be for changing status information of a designated image file into a first status indicating where a print process for an image file has not been performed. The information processing device may send print instruction information and authentication information to a printer. The print instruction information may be for causing the printer to acquire print data from the server. The authentication information may be used by the printer to acquire the print data from the server. |
| US09671981B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method for information processing apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for controlling and stopping display of an indicator for causing a user to recognize that image processing is in progress
An information processing apparatus capable of performing a software program including a first program layer with an instruction set to be interpreted and performed by a processor and a second program layer with an instruction set compiled in advance by a unit other than the processor comprises a unit configured to transmit parameter information used for image processing from the first program layer to the second program layer, a unit configured to perform the image processing in the second program layer according to the parameter information, a display control unit configured to display an indicator for allowing a user to recognize that the image processing is in progress, and a unit configured to issue an instruction to control display of the indicator from the second program layer to the first program layer, the display control unit controls the display according to the instruction. |
| US09671976B2 |
Data management system for managing storage of data on primary and secondary storage
A data management system for managing the storage of data on primary and secondary storage from a primary information source having original file content to be stored including: a data file stub stored on primary storage; a data file stored on secondary storage; and wherein: the data file stub comprises original file meta data and additional stub meta data relevant to the data file; the data file comprises the original file content and additional file meta data relevant to the data file stub; the additional stub meta data includes location and information relevant to locate and recover the data file; the additional file meta data includes information relevant to the location and content of the stub; the additional stub meta data and additional file meta data being so formed and arranged that the data to be stored may be accessed without stateful middleware. |
| US09671975B2 |
Partial release management
A method, system, and computer program product for managing a partial release for a unit of storage space in a storage facility is disclosed. The method, system, and computer program product include establishing an invocation threshold for initiating a partial release for a unit of storage space. The method, system, and computer program product include establishing a preservation threshold for releasing a fractional amount of the unit of storage space. The method, system, and computer program product include initiating the partial release in response to reaching the invocation threshold. The method, system, and computer program product include releasing the fractional amount based on the preservation threshold. |
| US09671974B2 |
Storage system and deduplication control method therefor
A storage system according to the present invention includes: a block detecting means for checking whether respective block data obtained by division are already stored in a storage device; and a data writing means for storing the respective block data obtained by division with duplicated storage eliminated into the storage device. The block detecting means detects a share rate representing a rate of a shared portion between a plurality of consecutive block data configuring a predetermined range in write target data among the block data obtained by division and a plurality of block data in a predetermined range already stored consecutively in the storage device. The data writing means, depending on the detected share rate, newly stores the block data obtained by division, into the storage device. |
| US09671970B2 |
Sharing an accelerator context across multiple processes
The present disclosure relates to sharing a context on a coherent hardware accelerator among multiple processes. According to one embodiment, in response to a first process requesting to create a shared memory space, a system creates a shared hardware context on the coherent hardware accelerator and binds the first process and the shared memory space to the hardware context. In response to the first process spawning one or more second processes, the system binds the one or more second processes to the shared memory space and the hardware context. Subsequently, the system performs one or more operations initiated by the first process or one of the one or more second processes on the coherent hardware accelerator according to the bound hardware context. |
| US09671969B2 |
Data storage having recovery function for threshold voltage distribution change of memory cells due to applying surface mounting technology and operating method
Methods of programming firmware in a data storage device include pre-programming memory cells included in at least one nonvolatile memory of a plurality of nonvolatile memories using a first verification voltage higher than a first reference voltage before a surface mounting technology is applied to the nonvolatile memories. |
| US09671968B2 |
Programmable peak-current control in non-volatile memory devices
A method includes, in a memory device, receiving a command that specifies a peak power consumption that is not to be exceeded by the memory device. A memory of the memory device is configured in accordance with the peak power consumption specified in the command. A data storage operation in the configured memory is performed, while complying with the specified peak power consumption. |
| US09671961B2 |
Memory controller, storage apparatus, information processing system, and control method for the same
There is provided a memory controller that includes an address conversion information buffer that stores address conversion information about a correlation between logical and physical addresses, the physical address including a memory area number, an address conversion section that converts the logical address into the physical address in accordance with the address conversion information, the logical address being in a command issued by a host computer, an allocation information storage section that stores allocation information indicating a correlation between an access size and the memory area number, a memory identification section that outputs the memory area number in accordance with the allocation information, the memory area number corresponding to the access size in the command, and a control section that performs, when the memory area number in the physical address is different from the one identified by the memory identification section, data writing to the identified memory area. |
| US09671959B2 |
Tiered sub-unit throughputs in mass storage assemblies
Tiered mass storage assemblies are presented. The mass storage assembly in one example includes a plurality of drive interfaces configured to couple to a plurality of storage devices, with each drive interface of the plurality of drive interfaces being configured to exchange digital data at a predetermined maximum interface throughput, one or more low-output storage drives coupled to one or more corresponding drive interfaces, with a low-output storage drive exchanging digital data using the predetermined maximum interface throughput, and one or more high-output storage drives, with each high-output storage drive of the one or more high-output storage drives being coupled to two or more drive interfaces and with a high-output storage drive exchanging digital data using two or more predetermined maximum interface throughputs of the two or more drive interfaces. |
| US09671948B2 |
Image-display control system, image-display control method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing image-display control program
An image-display control system including: a display having a display area; a touch panel; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: display object images arranged in a first direction in the display area; determine a touch and a position of the touch; define, in the display area, first and second operation regions arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the first operation region being not defined in the identical position to the second operation region, at least a part of each object image being displayed in the two operation regions; when determined the touch in the first operation region, execute a unique process assigned for one of the object images displayed at a position of the touch; and when determined the touch in the second operation region and when determined that a position of the touch is moving in the first direction while keeping the touch, scroll the object images in the first direction. |
| US09671942B2 |
Dynamic user interface for inheritance based avatar generation
The generation of characters within computer animations is a labor intensive and expensive activity. Whereas prior art approaches have sought to reduce this loading by providing reference avatars, these do not fundamentally overcome the intensive steps in generating these reference avatars, and they provide limited variations to the businesses employing them. Accordingly the invention provides the user with a simple and intuitive mechanism to affect the weightings applied in establishing the physical characteristics of an avatar generated using an inheritance based avatar generator. The inheritance based generator allowing, for example, the user to select a first generation of four grandparents, affect the weightings in generating the second generation parents, and subsequently affect the weightings in generating the third generation off-spring avatar from these parents, therein providing a wide range of avatars from an initially limited set of avatars. Accordingly the invention provides animators with a means of rapidly generating and refining the off-spring avatar to provide the character for their animated audio-visual content. |
| US09671940B1 |
Game event display with scroll bar and play event icons
A method is disclosed for receiving a plurality of play events associated with a sporting event, wherein each play event of the plurality of play events comprises a timestamp; for each of the play events, associating the play event with a sports team of a plurality of sports teams; for each of the play events, associating with the play event a particular icon from among a plurality of different icons based, at least in part, on the sports team that is associated with the play event; causing to display a bar in a graphical user interface of a mobile computing device, wherein the bar represents at least a portion of a time duration of the sporting event; for each of the play events, causing to display the particular icon at a position in the bar, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the timestamp of the event. |
| US09671937B2 |
System and method for decluttering an image on a cockpit display system
An avionics system and method is provided that de-clutters an image on a cockpit display system on a host aircraft, thus increasing a pilot's situational awareness. The avionics display system comprises a processor and a display system. The processor is coupled to the display system, a user input device, and a plurality of sources of information layers. When the de-clutter process is enabled, a filter parameter is applied to a selected information layer, and a graphic display of the filtered information layer is provided. The adjustable filter parameter can be applied to any of the information layers displayed on the cockpit display system. |
| US09671927B2 |
Selecting an option based on context after waking from sleep
System and method involving user interfaces and remote control devices. More specifically, these user interfaces may be particularly useful for providing an intuitive and user friendly interaction between a user and a device or application using a display, e.g., at a “10 foot” interaction level. The user interfaces may be specifically designed for interaction using a simple remote control device having a limited number of inputs. For example, the simple remote control may include directional inputs (e.g., up, down, left, right), a confirmation input (e.g., ok), and possibly a mute input. The user interface may be customized based on current user activity or other contexts (e.g., based on current or previous states), the user logging in (e.g., using a communication device), etc. Additionally, the user interface may allow the user to adjust cameras whose video are not currently displayed, rejoin previously left videoconferences, and/or any of a variety of desirable actions. |
| US09671922B1 |
Scaling of displayed objects with shifts to the periphery
Some examples relate to facilitating multi-tasking in a computing environment. A focus area component defines a focus area within a display space—the focus area occupying a subset area of the display space area. A scaling component scales display objects as a function of proximity to the focus area, and a behavior modification component modifies respective behavior of the display objects as a function their location of the display space. Some implementations provide for interaction technique(s) and user interface(s) in connection with managing display objects on a display surface. Further, some examples define a central focus area, such that the display objects are displayed and behave as usual. Also included is a periphery outside the focus area where the display objects are reduced in size based on their location, getting smaller as the display objects near an edge of the display surface with many more objects visible. |
| US09671918B2 |
Electronic induction type sensor panel and method for reducing indication error
To reduce an indication error at a peripheral part of an electromagnetic induction type coordinate detection device, sensor coils having a coil width of 21 pitches are arranged at a central part at intervals of 4 pitches. At a peripheral part, the coil width is shortened from sensor coil #5 to coil #1 sequentially so that the coil width of a sensor coil is shorter than a coil width of an inwardly adjacent sensor coil by 2 pitches. This enables the coil side pitch that is 1 all over the coil group 222, and an area enabling three-point supplementing can be enlarged from the conventional one. The sensor coils at the peripheral part have a coil pitch of 3, and so an indication error there can be reduced compared with the conventional case of coil pitch of 4 for two-point supplementing as well. Dummy wires required at the peripheral part conventionally can be eliminated. |
| US09671917B2 |
Display device
A touch panel includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a plurality of wirings. Each of the plurality of first electrodes has a first portion formed on a layer different from that on which the second electrodes are formed and intersecting the second electrodes, and a second portion formed on the same layer as that on which the second electrodes are formed, but separated from the second electrode. The second electrode and the second portion of the first electrode are formed on a layer different than the layer where the wiring is formed. The first portion of the first electrode is connected to the second portion through a contact portion formed in an insulating film made of a negative resist between the first portion and the second electrode. |
| US09671915B2 |
Avoidance of bending effects in a touch sensor device
Disclosed herein include an input device, processing system and methods for touch sensing. Implementations advantageously are resistive to diminished performance when a film stack of an input device is bent in response to an input (touch) event. In one implementation, an input device is provided that includes a housing, a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a pattern on a substrate, a plurality of routing traces coupled to the sensor electrodes, an electrically conductive shield and a compressible layer. The electrically conductive shield has an areal extent approximately equal or greater than an areal extent of the pattern of sensor electrodes. The electrically conductive shield and the substrate are part of a display film stack disposed in the housing. The compressible layer is disposed between the display film stack and housing. The compressible layer is configured to allow the display film stack to deflect towards a bottom of the housing. |
| US09671906B2 |
Touch display circuit, drive method thereof, array substrate and display device
The present invention provides a touch display circuit of a pixel unit, a drive method thereof, an array substrate and a display device, by means of which the process steps in manufacturing a touch display product can be reduced, and meanwhile, the aperture ratio of the product can be increased to raise the added value. The touch display circuit comprises a touch unit and a display unit; a first scanning line, a second scanning line, a detection signal line, a data line and a signal control line connected with the touch unit; and a gate line and a data line connected with the display unit, wherein the touch unit comprises a first switch transistor, a second switch transistor, a first capacitor, a touch electrode and an amplifier transistor. |
| US09671903B1 |
Modular optical touch panel structures
An apparatus has a first ring of infrared emitters and a second ring of infrared detectors positioned adjacent to the first ring. A controller applies signals to the first ring and collects signals from the second ring. |
| US09671900B2 |
Optical touch tomography
An optical touch-sensitive device has the capability to determine touch locations of multiple simultaneous touch events. The touch events disturb optical beams propagating across the touch sensitive surface. With multi-touch events, a single beam can be disturbed by more than one touch event. In one aspect, a non-linear transform is applied to measurements of the optical beams in order to linearize the effects of multiple touch events on a single optical beam. In another aspect, the effect of known touch events (i.e., reference touches) is modeled in advance, and then unknown touch events are determined with respect to the reference touches. |
| US09671891B2 |
Mobile apparatus displaying end effect and control method thereof
A method of controlling a mobile apparatus to display an end effect is provided. The method includes displaying at least one object on a first layer on a touch screen, converting the at least one object in response to a first gesture that converts the at least one object, detecting that the conversion for the at least one object is ended, and displaying an end effect, which represents a message saying that the at least one object to be converted does not exist anymore or represents additional information, on the touch screen. |
| US09671885B2 |
High-accuracy flat touch display panel structure
A high-accuracy flat touch display panel structure includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a liquid crystal layer configured between the upper and lower substrates, a thin film transistor and wiring layer, and a sensing electrode layer. The thin film transistor and wiring layer is disposed at one side of the lower substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, and a plurality of wirings. The sensing electrode layer is disposed at one side of the thin film transistor and wiring layer facing the liquid crystal layer, and has a plurality of sensing conductor lines. The plurality of sensing conductor lines are disposed corresponding to positions of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of source lines. |
| US09671878B2 |
Mobile terminal and cursor display control method
A mobile phone comprises a display provided with a touch panel, etc. When an end portion of the touch panel is touched, a touch icon that indicates a touch position is displayed. Furthermore, if a distance between the touch position and the end portion of the touch panel becomes larger than a first threshold value, a cursor is displayed based on the touch position. This cursor moves if a touch position changes with a touch operation. At this time, if a moving amount of the cursor is large, an afterimage object that indicates the last position (locus) of the cursor is displayed. On the other hand, a moving amount of the cursor is small, the above-described afterimage object is not displayed. |
| US09671871B2 |
Apparatus for recognizing gesture using infrared ray and method thereof
An apparatus and a method of recognizing a gesture uses an infrared ray. The apparatus for recognizing a gesture, includes a sensing unit which detects a gesture using an infrared sensor to obtain a sensing value from the sensing result; a control unit which performs gesture recognition to which an intention of a user is reflected in accordance with a predetermined recognizing mode based on the obtained sensing value; and a storing unit which stores the predetermined recognizing mode when the gesture recognition set in advance by the user is performed. The predetermined recognizing mode includes a first recognizing mode in which the gesture is directly recognized and a second recognizing mode in which the gesture is recognized after recognizing a hold motion for determining start of the gesture recognition. |
| US09671868B2 |
System and method for volumetric computing
A system and method is provided for analyzing the movement of an object. The system is comprised of a sensor that is coupled to a processor that is configured to generate a volume that corresponds to a predefined area and the location of the object. The sensor detects the movement of the object and determines if the object's movement is within the volume. If the movement is within the volume, then an information channel is created between the volume and the user defined algorithm. The movement is then compared with the requirements of the user defined algorithm and accepted if the movement meets the requirements. Otherwise, the object's movement is discarded if the movement is not within the volume or does not meet the requirements of the user defined algorithm. |
| US09671860B2 |
Manipulation input device and manipulator system having the same
A manipulation input device includes a master grip having a grip part and manipulation handles movably supported on the grip part, a spring configured to generate manipulation resistance in response to a displacement amount of the manipulation handles when the manipulation handles are manipulated, and a force magnitude adjusting unit configured to adjust the force magnitude of the manipulation resistance relative to the displacement amount. |
| US09671859B2 |
Information processing device, client device, server device, list generation method, list acquisition method, list providing method and program
There is provided an information processing device including a plurality of specifying devices used to respectively specify a plurality of types of parameter values representing music features; a music extraction portion that extracts, from a first database in which a plurality of pieces of music and the parameter values are associated with each other, pieces of music that match the parameter values specified using the specifying devices; and a list generation portion that generates a list of the pieces of music extracted by the music extraction portion. |
| US09671857B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for dynamic power management across heterogeneous processors in a shared power domain
Systems and methods for dynamically adjusting an input parameter to a power domain in a portable computing device are disclosed. The power domain includes two or more processing resources that share a power source. Dynamic use of the two or more processing resources creates an opportunity to adjust the input parameter when a status change associated with a processing resource in the power domain occurs. A controller in the power domain includes logic that responds to a status indicator associated with a respective processing resource in the power domain by generating a control signal that directs a device to adjust one or both of input voltage and clock frequency. |
| US09671855B2 |
Apparatuses and methods of entering unselected memories into a different power mode during multi-memory operation
Disclosed are examples of apparatuses including memory devices and systems comprising memories sharing a common enable signal, wherein the memories may be put into different power modes. Example methods for setting the different power modes of the memories are disclosed. In some examples, different power modes may be set by issuing memory group-level commands, memory-level commands, or combinations thereof. |
| US09671849B2 |
Controlling power supply unit selection based on calculated total on duration
A power supply system is provided to control one or more power supply units associated with an information handling system. A first power supply unit and a second power supply unit are electrically coupled to the information handling system. A controller is provided in communication with both the first and second power supply units. The controller functions to select one of the first and second power supply units to electrically power the information handling system. The non-selected unit generates zero output. |
| US09671846B1 |
Power sequencing for optimal system load at start up
A method for power sequencing is provided. The method includes determining a chassis configuration prior to blades within slots of the chassis being powered up and generating a power sequence based on the determining. The method includes applying the power sequence to the blades and monitoring the applying and the chassis configuration to achieve an optimal system load. |
| US09671844B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing global chip power on a multicore system on chip
According to at least one example embodiment, a method and corresponding apparatus for controlling power in a multi-core processor chip include: accumulating, at a controller within the multi-core processor chip, one or more power estimates associated with multiple core processors within the multi-core processor chip. A global power threshold is determined based on a cumulative power estimate, the cumulative power estimate being determined based at least in part on the one or more power estimates accumulated. The controller causes power consumption at each of the core processors to be controlled based on the determined global power threshold. The controller may directly control power consumption at the core processors or may command the core processors to do so. |
| US09671837B2 |
Air dam for a datacenter facility
A method, apparatus, and system in which an air dam is incorporated into an air ventilation stream of a datacenter to control the temperature of an interior space of the datacenter. The datacenter may include a raised floor in which the ventilation stream is injected through perforations within the raised floor. An air dam may be positioned at an entry region of the under floor plenum to obstruct the flow of air from a supply air plenum. The air dam is used to create a positive pressure across the raised floor at a substantially constant pressure distribution. |
| US09671836B2 |
Data storage transfer archive repository
A memory system includes c-shell units, PCBs, and a controller logic. The c-shell units are positioned side-by-side adjacent each other. Each c-shell unit has at least two sled-less memory bays and the sled-less memory bays are positioned vertically relative to each other. Each of the sled-less memory bays receives a memory device. A PCB is vertically mounted to a corresponding c-shell unit. The control logic controls access to and from the memory devices so that it manages storing data to the memory devices and retrieving data from the memory devices. Each PCB comprises traces to route signals between the control logic and the memory devices. |
| US09671835B2 |
Personal cloud case cover with a plurality of modular capabilities
A personal cloud contained in a case for a portable computing device such as a tablet personal computer (PC), mobile phones, portable media players, or the like. The personal cloud case may be fitted with memory, a network connection, two-way wireless charging, external memory slots, external connections and other components for portable personal cloud computing. |
| US09671834B2 |
Retractable screen-and-keyboard assembly for tables
Retractable screen (1) and keyboard (2) assembly for tables, comprising a supporting structure provided with a frame (3) defining a housing (4), and with a supporting frame (5) on the table, the screen (1) being able to rotate from a position in which it is stowed inside the housing (4) and flush with the supporting frame (5) to an elevated use position, a platform (6) arranged in the housing (4) on which the keyboard (2) rests, means for guiding (G) the platform (6) vertically from a lower position which leaves space for the stowed screen (1) and an upper use position, and further comprising a base (7) for the screen (1) which can rotate about a fixed axis (Γ) in relation to said frame (3), the screen (1) being mounted on said base (7), the screen (1) and base (7) assembly being able to rotate about said axis (Γ) from the stowed position to the use position. |
| US09671825B2 |
Device, method, and graphical user interface for navigating through an electronic document
An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface stores a document having primary content, supplementary content, and user-generated content. The device displays a representation of the document in a segmented user interface on the display. Primary content of the document is displayed in a first segment of the segmented user interface and supplementary content of the document is concurrently displayed in a second segment of the segmented user interface distinct from the first segment. The device receives a request to view user-generated content of the document. In response to the request, the device maintains display of the previously displayed primary content, ceases to display at least a portion of the previously displayed supplementary content, and displays user-generated content of the document in a third segment of the segmented user interface distinct from the first segment and the second segment. |
| US09671820B2 |
Communication device, communication method, and communication system
A slave device (20), which is a communication device, receives and analyzes commands, and returns the results to a master device (10). During the command analysis period, an IIC control unit (205) and a CPU (210), which form a control unit, control an SCL control unit (201) so as to stop an SCL signal. When the value of a timer (206) is equal to or less than a threshold value, transmit data are saved in a transmission FIFO (203), control for stopping the SCL signal is canceled, and in synchronization with the SCL signal, an SDA control unit (202) transmits the data saved in the transmission FIFO (203) to the master device (10). When the value of the timer (206) exceeds the threshold value, control for stopping the SCL signal is canceled, the clock control unit is placed in a state to receive the clock signal, and the SDA control unit (202) is placed in a state to receive a slave address indicating a communication device that operates in the slave mode. |
| US09671816B2 |
Suspension and/or throttling of processes for connected standby
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for assigning power management classifications to a process, transitioning a computing environment into a connected standby state based upon power management classifications assigned to processes, and transitioning the computing environment from the connected standby state to an execution state. That is, power management classifications, such as exempt, throttle, and/or suspend, may be assigned to processes based upon various factors, such as whether a process provides desired functionality and/or whether the process provides functionality relied upon for basic operation of the computing environment. In this way, the computing environment may be transitioned into a low power connected standby state that may continue executing desired functionality, while reducing power consumption by suspending and/or throttling other functionality. Because some functionality may still execute, the computing environment may transition into the execution state in a responsive manner to quickly provide a user with up-to-date information. |
| US09671809B2 |
Reactive power compensation device having function of detecting system impedance
In a reactive power compensation device, a control unit controls a magnitude of reactive power to be output by a reactive power output unit, based on a detected system voltage and one or more control parameters in a first operation mode. In a second operation mode, the control unit changes the magnitude of the reactive power to be output by the reactive power output unit to a power system in an output change period, calculates system impedances of the power system at a plurality of detection time points within the output change period, based on change amounts of the system voltage detected at the plurality of detection time points and corresponding change amounts of the reactive power, and, when a variation in the calculated system impedances is within an acceptable range, adjusts the one or more control parameters, based on the calculated system impedances. |
| US09671807B2 |
Power grid stabilization system and power grid stabilization method
Plural power storage systems 10 are provided in a power system. The power storage systems 10 are connected to a management system 60 via a communication network CN1. The power storage systems each include a power storage device 11, 12, and a control device 100 for controlling the power storage device. The control device stores performance information about the power storage system including the control device, location information indicating a location in the power system of the power storage system including the control device, and order information indicating an order of operation allocated to the power storage system including the control device. When a disturbance occurs in the power system, the control device performs a predetermined compensation operation based on the location information and the order information, and then returns to a preset stand-by state. |
| US09671802B2 |
Voltage regulator having overshoot suppression
Provided is a voltage regulator capable of applying an optimal overshoot suppression unit depending on states. The voltage regulator includes: an amplifier for controlling an output transistor based on a voltage obtained by amplifying a difference between a divided voltage and a reference voltage; a first overshoot suppression unit for controlling a gate voltage of the output transistor, to thereby suppress overshoot of the output voltage; a second overshoot suppression unit for controlling an operating current of the amplifier, to thereby suppress the overshoot of the output voltage; and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to turn on the first overshoot suppression unit immediately after the voltage regulator is powered on, and turn off the first overshoot suppression unit under a state in which the output voltage is stable. |
| US09671799B2 |
System and method for a power supply controller
In accordance with an embodiment, a power supply controller includes an error signal input configured to be coupled to a sensing node of a power supply, a control output configured to be coupled to a switch control circuit, and a control circuit having an input coupled to the error signal input. The control circuit is configured to provide a first variable limit signal if the error signal input is in a first range, and to adjust the first variable limit signal according to the error signal input. |
| US09671798B2 |
System and method for manufacturing
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a customizable bio-manufacturing system which includes a manufacturing space having a first air handling system for providing supply air and a second air handling system for handling exhaust air, the supply air system being optionally provided with at least one of filtration, heating, cooling and or humidity control and a plurality of portable modules provided within the manufacturing space. At least one module having an interior capable of being interconnected with another module interior and each module's interior includes one or more components to perform at least one specific task of a biological, chemical, and/or pharmaceutical manufacturing process. At least one module includes an on-board environmental control system for controlling an environment within the module and a connection means for interconnecting the module interior with another module interior. The system also includes a central controller operating to at least perform one or more of operation and information collection for the operation of at least one of the system and one or more modules. |
| US09671797B2 |
Optimization of gas turbine combustion systems low load performance on simple cycle and heat recovery steam generator applications
Provided herein is a system and method for tuning the operation of a turbine and optimizing the mechanical life of a heat recovery steam generator. Provided therewith is a turbine controller, sensor means for sensing operational parameters, control means for adjusting operational control elements. The controller is adapted to tune the operation of the gas turbine in accordance preprogrammed steps in response to operational priorities selected by a user. The operational priorities preferably comprise optimal heat recovery steam generator life. |
| US09671796B2 |
Pressure governor and air dryer
A pressure governor includes a first valve that determines the introducing pressure and a second valve that determines the releasing pressure. A first valve receiving chamber in which the first valve is received and a second valve receiving chamber in which the second valve is received are formed independently from each other. Thus, there is no need to form the valves coaxially, and each valve can be easily fabricated with high accuracy by simple processing. |
| US09671794B1 |
Safety valve control system and method of use
A safety valve control system may include a remotely operable control assembly, a first transducer, a valve assembly, and a compressor assembly in communication with the control assembly. The control assembly is operable to actuate the pump and valve assemblies to supply fluid to actuate the safety valve into open and closed positions, in response to one or more signals received from the first transducer. A method of operation may include maintaining the safety valve in an open or closed position while sensing a physical property with the control system; communicating a signal corresponding to the sensed physical property to the control system; and automatically closing or opening the safety valve in response to a comparison of the sensed physical property to a pre-set condition. |
| US09671785B1 |
V2X object-location verification system for automated vehicles
An object-detection system suitable for use in an automated vehicle includes a transceiver, and object-detector, and a controller. The transceiver is suitable to install on a host-vehicle. The transceiver is used to receive an indicated-location of an object proximate to the host-vehicle. The object-detector is suitable to install on the host-vehicle. The object-detector is used to detect a relative-location of the object relative to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the transceiver and the object-detector. The controller determines a confirmed-location of the object relative to the host-vehicle based on the indicated-location and the relative-location. Determining the confirmed-location of the object allows for selecting from a variety of optimized algorithms to better track subsequent expected motion of the object, and reducing the risk of unnecessary or erratic action by the host-vehicle caused by hacking of the wireless-transmission or deliberate malicious content in the wireless-transmission. |
| US09671780B2 |
Playback device control
Examples described herein involve a playback device performing one or more playback device actions based on locations of one or more physical contacts on an external surface of the playback device. A processor of the playback device may receive from an array of proximity sensors underlying an external surface of the playback device, location data indicating a physical contact at a location on the external surface. Based on at least the location, the processor may identify a playback device action from a plurality of playback device actions, and cause at least the playback device to perform the identified playback device action. The playback device may further include at least one orientation sensor from which the processor may also receive orientation data indicating an orientation of the playback device. The processor may identify identify the playback device action also based on the orientation of the playback device. |
| US09671777B1 |
Training robots to execute actions in physics-based virtual environment
A disclosed system includes a physically plausible virtual runtime environment to simulate a real-life environment for the simulated robot and a test planning and testing component operable to receive task data based used to create a plurality of plausible tests for at least one robot control program. The plurality of plausible tests is designed to execute at least one task associated with the task data. The test planning and testing component is further operable to define test parameters for each of the plurality of plausible tests. The system further includes a robot controller operable to execute the plurality of plausible tests substantially simultaneously on the simulated robot, analyze results of the execution to select an optimized robot control program from the at least one robot control program, and based on the analysis, selectively optimize the test associated with the optimized robot control program. |