| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09685369B2 |
Contact etch stop layers of a field effect transistor
A representative method for fabricating a field effect transistor comprises forming a source region and a drain region disposed in a substrate; forming a gate structure over the substrate, the gate structure comprising sidewalls and a top surface, the gate structure interposing the source region and the drain region; forming a contact etch stop layer (CESL) over at least a portion of the top surface of the gate structure; forming an interlayer dielectric layer over the CESL; forming a gate contact extending through the interlayer dielectric layer; and forming a source contact and a drain contact extending through the interlayer dielectric layer, wherein a first distance between an edge of the source contact and a first corresponding edge of the CESL is about 1 nm to about 10 nm. |
| US09685368B2 |
Interconnect structure having an etch stop layer over conductive lines
A multilayer interconnect structure for integrated circuits includes a first dielectric layer over a substrate and a conductive line partially exposed over the first dielectric layer. The structure further includes an etch stop layer over both the first dielectric layer and the exposed conductive line, and a second dielectric layer over the etch stop layer. The second dielectric layer and the etch stop layer provide a via hole that partially exposes the conductive line. The structure further includes a via disposed in the via hole, and another conductive line disposed over the via and coupled to the conductive line through the via. Methods of forming the multilayer interconnect structure are also disclosed. The etch stop layer reduces the lateral and vertical etching of the first and second dielectric layers when the via hole is misaligned due to overlay errors. |
| US09685366B1 |
Forming chamferless vias using thermally decomposable porefiller
A method for forming chamferless vias comprises receiving a substrate stack comprising a hard mask layer, a porous dielectric layer underlying the hard mask layer, a cap layer underlying the dielectric layer, and a conductive layer underlying the cap layer. The hard mask layer is opened to reveal a portion of the dielectric layer. A plurality of vias are opened to extend through the dielectric layer and the cap layer. A pore filling material comprising a thermally decomposable polymer is deposited into the vias. The pore filling material in the vias is hardened and driven into the pores of the dielectric layer adjacent to the vias by an annealing process. The hard mask layer is removed. A trench is patterned and etched coincident with the vias. A dissipation process is conducted to remove the pore filling material. |
| US09685364B2 |
Silicon-on-insulator integrated circuit devices with body contact structures and methods for fabricating the same
Silicon-on-insulator integrated circuits including body contact structures and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed. A method for fabricating a silicon-on-insulator integrated circuit includes filling a plurality of first and second shallow isolation trenches with an insulating material to form plurality of first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) structures, the plurality of second shallow isolation trenches having doped regions therebeneath, and forming a gate structure over the semiconductor layer that includes a first portion disposed over and parallel to at least two of the plurality of second STI structures and a second portion disposed in between the at least two of the plurality of second STI structures. The method further includes forming contact plugs to a body contact or gate region of the semiconductor layer. The body contact region includes a portion of the semiconductor layer between at least one of the plurality of first STI structures and at least one of the plurality of second STI structures. |
| US09685362B2 |
Apparatus and method for centering substrates on a chuck
An apparatus and method for centering substrates determining on a chuck. The apparatus includes a chuck in a process chamber, the chuck configured to removeably hold a substrate for processing; an array of two or more ultrasonic sensors arranged in the process chamber, each ultrasonic sensor arranged relative to the chuck so as to send a respective ultrasonic sound wave to a respective preselected region of the substrate and receive a respective return ultrasonic sound wave from the preselected region of the substrate; and a controller connected to each ultrasonic sensor and configured to compare a measured position of the substrate on the chuck to a specified placement of the substrate on the chuck based on a measured elapsed time between sending the ultrasonic sound wave and receiving the return ultrasonic sound wave from each ultrasonic sensor. |
| US09685359B2 |
Load port device
A load port device comprises a link mechanism that has a main moving link whose one end is connected with a door holding member in a rotatable manner, a guide that bends and extends from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction and that guides one end of the main moving link, a main moving block with which the other end of the main moving link is connected in a rotatable manner and a door hoisting shaft that extends in the vertical direction and that moves the main moving block in the extending direction. The link mechanism allows the end of the main moving link to move from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction or from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction along the guide in a state that the other end of the main moving link moves to the vertical direction. |
| US09685357B2 |
Apparatus for treating substrate
A substrate treating apparatus according to the present invention includes: an index unit having an index robot and a port on which a container containing a substrate is placed; a process treating unit having a development treating unit in which a first development treating chamber and a second development treating chamber for performing a substrate development process are arranged in divided layers; and a first path unit arranged between the development treating unit and the index unit, wherein the first development treating chamber includes a development module, a first heating module, and a first main transport robot arranged in a movement passage accessible to the development module and the first heating module, wherein the first path unit includes a second heating module, a first buffer module, a cooling module, a second buffer module, and a first buffer transport robot arranged in a movement passage accessible to the second heating module, the first buffer module, the cooling module and the second buffer module. |
| US09685355B2 |
Laser dicing device and dicing method
A laser dicing device includes a laser light source, an AF light source, a light path of the processing laser light and a light path of the AF laser light being partially shared with each other, a condenser lens arranged on the shared light path between the first laser light and the second laser light, an AF signal processing unit that generates a focus error signal based on reflected light of the AF laser light reflected by the surface of the wafer, a controller that moves the condenser lens such that a distance between the condenser lens and the surface of the wafer is made constant based on the focus error signal, and a focus lens group that adjusts the position of the condensing point of the AF laser light in a state where the position of the condensing point of the processing laser light is fixed. |
| US09685338B2 |
Compound semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A compound semiconductor device includes: a compound semiconductor layered structure; a gate electrode formed above the compound semiconductor layered structure; a first protective insulating film that covers a surface of the compound semiconductor layered structure and is made of silicon nitride as a material; a second protective insulating film that covers the gate electrode on the first protective insulating film and is made of silicon oxide as a material; and a third protective insulating film that contains silicon oxynitride and is formed between the first protective insulating film and the second protective insulating film. |
| US09685332B2 |
Iterative self-aligned patterning
A method for self-aligned patterning includes providing a substrate, forming a patterned mandrel layer that includes a plurality of mandrel features, the patterned mandrel layer being formed on the substrate, depositing a first spacer layer over the mandrel layer, the first spacer layer comprising a first type of material, anisotropically etching the first spacer layer to leave a first set of spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel features, removing the mandrel layer, depositing a second spacer layer over remaining portions of the first set of spacers, and anisotropically etching the second spacer layer to form a second set of spacers on sidewalls of the first set of spacers. |
| US09685329B2 |
Embedded gallium-nitride in silicon
A method and structure for integrating gallium nitride into a semiconductor substrate. The method may also include means for isolating the gallium nitride from the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09685328B2 |
Low defect relaxed SiGe/strained Si structures on implant anneal buffer/strain relaxed buffer layers with epitaxial rare earth oxide interlayers and methods to fabricate same
A method provides a substrate having a top surface; forming a first semiconductor layer on the top surface, the first semiconductor layer having a first unit cell geometry; epitaxially depositing a layer of a metal-containing oxide on the first semiconductor layer, the layer of metal-containing oxide having a second unit cell geometry that differs from the first unit cell geometry; ion implanting the first semiconductor layer through the layer of metal-containing oxide; annealing the ion implanted first semiconductor layer; and forming a second semiconductor layer on the layer of metal-containing oxide, the second semiconductor layer having the first unit cell geometry. The layer of metal-containing oxide functions to inhibit propagation of misfit dislocations from the first semiconductor layer into the second semiconductor layer. A structure formed by the method is also disclosed. |
| US09685325B2 |
Carbon and/or nitrogen incorporation in silicon based films using silicon precursors with organic co-reactants by PE-ALD
Methods for the deposition of a silicon-containing film using an organic reactant, a silicon precursor and a plasma. |
| US09685324B2 |
Selective nanoscale growth of lattice mismatched materials
Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods of forming high-quality semiconductor devices using lattice-mismatched materials. In one embodiment, a composite film including one or more substantially-single-particle-thick nanoparticle layers can be deposited over a substrate as a nanoscale selective growth mask for epitaxially growing lattice-mismatched materials over the substrate. |
| US09685323B2 |
Buffer layer structures suited for III-nitride devices with foreign substrates
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a buffer structure suited for III-N device having a foreign substrate. The buffer structure can include a first buffer layer having a first aluminum composition and a second buffer layer formed on the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer having a second aluminum composition. The buffer structure further includes a third buffer layer formed on the second buffer layer at a second interface, the third buffer layer having a third aluminum composition. The first aluminum composition decreases in the first buffer layer towards the interface and the second aluminum composition throughout the second buffer layer is greater than the first aluminum composition at the interface. |
| US09685320B2 |
Methods for depositing silicon oxide
The embodiments herein focus on plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) processes. Conventional PEALD techniques result in films having high quality at the bottom and top of a feature, but low quality on the sidewalls. The disclosed embodiments achieve more uniform film quality as evidenced by more uniform wet etch rates and electrical properties throughout the film. The disclosed embodiments may use one or more of a relatively high deposition temperature, a relatively high RF power for generating the plasma, and/or relatively long RF plasma exposure duration during each cycle of the PEALD reaction. |
| US09685316B2 |
Semiconductor process
A semiconductor process includes the following steps. A wafer on a pedestal is provided. The pedestal is lifted to approach a heating source and an etching process is performed on the wafer. An annealing process is performed on the wafer by the heating source. In another way, a wafer on a pedestal, and a heating source on a same side of the wafer as the pedestal are provided. An etching process is performed on the wafer by setting the temperature difference between the heating source and the pedestal larger than 180° C. |
| US09685314B2 |
Positioning device for horizontal external ignition apparatus
The invention discloses a positioning device for a horizontal external ignition apparatus. The positioning device comprises a rotating module, an expansion module, a lifting module, and a mounting member fixed at the bottom of a water cooling device of the ignition apparatus. The rotating module drives the mounting member and the external ignition chamber of the ignition apparatus to rotate around the spindle member of the rotating module and adjust the rotation angle. The expansion module adjust the lateral movement of the mounting member and the external ignition chamber along the expansion member of the expansion module. The lifting module adjust the longitudinal movement of the mounting member and the external ignition chamber. |
| US09685313B2 |
Combined mass-to-charge ratio and charge state selection in tandem mass spectrometry
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion mobility spectrometer and an ion gate. A collision cell is arranged downstream of the ion gate. The operation of the ion mobility spectrometer and the ion gate are synchronised so that only ions having a particular mass to charge ratio and a desired charge state are onwardly transmitted to the collision cell. |
| US09685307B2 |
Sputtering target, sputtering target-backing plate assembly and deposition system
Provided is a tabular sputtering target on which an erosion portion and a non-erosion portion are formed, and the surface area thereof exceeds 100% but is less than 125% of the surface area when the target is assumed to be planar. Also provided is a tabular sputtering target on which an erosion portion and a non-erosion portion are formed comprising one or more concave portions on the target surface region, and the surface area thereof exceeds 100% but is less than 125% of the surface area when the target is assumed to be planar. An inexpensive, small-capacity power supply unit can be used by minimizing the electrical variations in the sputtering circuit as much as possible throughout the lifespan of the target through self sputtering or high power sputtering. |
| US09685306B2 |
Ventilation systems for use with a plasma treatment system
A gas containment apparatus for use with an end effector including at least one plasma head includes at least one enclosing structure coupled to the end effector. The enclosing structure is configured to capture a gas produced by the at least one plasma head. The gas containment apparatus also includes a duct coupled to the at least one enclosing structure and configured to channel the gas from within the enclosing structure. |
| US09685303B2 |
Apparatus for heating and processing a substrate
A system and method for heating a substrate while that substrate is being processed by an ion beam is disclosed. The system comprises two arrays of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed above and below the ion beam. The LEDs may be GaN or GaP LEDs, which emit light at a wavelength which is readily absorbed by silicon, thus efficiently and quickly heating the substrate. The LED arrays may be arranged so that the ion beam passes between the two LED arrays and strikes the substrate. As the substrate is translated relative to the ion beam, the LEDs from the LED arrays provide heating to the substrate. |
| US09685290B1 |
Compact magnetic switch for circuit boards
Small, low-profile magnetic switch assemblies (26, 76, 126, 168) include a base (38, 78, 156) equipped with first and second laterally spaced apart switch electrodes, indentations (62, 102, 158) between the electrodes, and electrically conductive movable components (72, 110, 166), which are magnetically shiftable between a first switch position in simultaneous contact with the base electrodes, and a second switch position out of such simultaneous contact. The switch position of the component (72, 110, 166) is determined by the magnetic field conditions experienced by the component (72, 110, 166). The indentations (62, 102, 158) and associated shiftable components (72, 110, 166) permit the assemblies (26, 76, 126, 168) to be constructed as comparatively tiny units, which may be mounted on circuit boards. |
| US09685289B1 |
Wireless alarm switch assembly
Switch apparatus (10) includes a switching assembly (16) and an operating component assembly (18) respectively designed for mounting upon relative shiftable members, such as a door (12) and frame (14). The assembly (16) includes a magnetic switch unit (30) having an elongated housing (40), first and second spaced apart switch elements (36, 38), and a shiftable, electrically conductive body (50) within the housing and movable between a first switch state where the body is in simultaneous contact with the switch elements (36, 38), and a second switch state where the body is not in such simultaneous contact. In order to prevent unauthorized opening of the relatively shiftable members through use of an external defeat magnet (62), the switch unit (30) is mounted substantially horizontally rather than in an upright or oblique orientation. |
| US09685288B2 |
Connection piece for a switch pole of a switching apparatus
A connection piece is disclosed for a switch pole of a switching apparatus which improves the properties of the switch pole as concerns centering and current-carrying capacity. According to an embodiment of the invention, a connection piece for a switch pole of a switching apparatus is provided for connecting in electrically conductive manner to a movement contact connection pin of a vacuum switching tube disposed in the switch pole. The connection piece includes a centering ring for centering the vacuum switching tube, the centering ring being formed from an electrically conductive material and being connected in electrically conductive manner via at least one connector to a connection region of the connection piece. |
| US09685283B2 |
Interlock for circuit interrupting device
A circuit-interrupting device includes a load-breaker operable between an open state and a closed state and a first interlock member operatively associated with the load-breaker. The first interlock member moves between a first position and a second position when the load-breaker moves between the closed state and the open state. The circuit-interrupting device further includes a disconnect switch that moves between an open state and a closed state. When the load-breaker is in the closed state, the first interlock member is in the first position and contacts the disconnect switch to prevent the disconnect switch from moving from the closed state to the open state. |
| US09685280B2 |
Switchgear operating mechanism
An operating mechanism for a switchgear unit is disclosed. The operating unit includes an input drive shaft operable to rotate and counter-rotate. A trip linkage has a cam disk rotatably coupled to the input drive shaft and is coupled to a spring-drive mechanism for opening and closing the vacuum interrupter. An over-center linkage has a drive link rotatably coupled to the input drive shaft, and a follower link for opening and closing the isolating disconnect. Rotation of the input drive shaft through a first range drives the trip linkage for opening the vacuum interrupter and moves the drive link though an over-center position without opening the isolating disconnect. Rotation of the input drive shaft though a second range drives the over-center linkage for opening the isolating disconnect after the vacuum interrupter is opened. |
| US09685278B2 |
Energy storage devices having enhanced specific energy and associated methods
Ultracapacitor electrodes having an enhanced electrolyte-accessible surface area are provided. Such electrodes can include a porous substrate having a solution side and a collector side, the collector side operable to couple to a current collector and the solution side positioned to interact with an electrolytic solution when in use. The electrode can also include a conductive coating formed on the solution side of the porous substrate. The coating can have a first side positioned to interact with an electrolytic solution when in use and a second side opposite the first side. The coating can have discontinuous regions that allow access of an electrolyte solution to the second side during use to enhance electrolyte-accessible surface area of the conductive coating. |
| US09685276B2 |
Capacitive energy-storage for a mobile working machine
A capacitor module includes a capacitor element, a first voltage terminal connected to a first pole of the capacitor element, and a second voltage terminal connected to a second pole of the capacitor element. The capacitor module further includes a cooling duct system for cooling the capacitor element, and a housing encapsulating the capacitor element and the cooling duct system. The housing comprises wiring lead-throughs for the first and second voltage terminals and piping lead-throughs for the cooling duct system. As the capacitive module is encapsulated and includes the cooling ducts and the wiring and piping lead-throughs, modular capacitive energy-storages of different sizes can be built by interconnecting capacitor modules of the kind described above, and there is no need to build separately an encapsulation provided with cooling ducts. |
| US09685275B2 |
Power storage device and method for manufacturing the same
Provided is a method for manufacturing a power storage device in which a crystalline silicon layer including a whisker-like crystalline silicon region is formed as an active material layer over a current collector by a low-pressure CVD method in which heating is performed using a deposition gas containing silicon. The power storage device includes the current collector, a mixed layer formed over the current collector, and the crystalline silicon layer functioning as the active material layer formed over the mixed layer. The crystalline silicon layer includes a crystalline silicon region and a whisker-like crystalline silicon region including a plurality of protrusions which project over the crystalline silicon region. With the protrusions, the surface area of the crystalline silicon layer functioning as the active material layer can be increased. |
| US09685267B2 |
Coil component
A coil component is of the type where a helical coil is directly contacting a magnetic body where such coil component still meets the demand for electrical current amplification. The coil component is structured in such a way that a helical coil is covered with a magnetic body. The magnetic body is mainly constituted by magnetic alloy grains and contains substantially no glass component, and each of the magnetic alloy grains has an oxide film of the grain on its surface. |
| US09685261B2 |
Formation of a transparent conductive film by interfacial graphene assembly
Advantageous films and coatings (e.g., transparent conductive films), and improved methods for fabricating such films and/or coatings, are provided. The improved methods for fabricating transparent conductive films/coatings may involve trapping at least a portion of a layered material (e.g., graphene sheet(s) or layer(s) of graphite) at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an interface of two non-mixing solvents). Transparent, one to four layer, conductive films/coatings of pristine natural flake graphene are produced by kinetically trapping graphene sheets at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an oil/water interface). |
| US09685260B2 |
Method of cooling a superconductive cable
A method of cooling at least one superconductive cable is disclosed which is arranged in a cryostat having at least one thermally insulated pipe with a free space surrounded by the pipe, wherein the cable and at least one tubular structure are arranged in the free space, and wherein a cooling agent is conducted through the free space from a feeding point located at one end to a distal end. The cooling agent is conducted through the cryostat and the tubular structure exclusively in one direction of the cable until it reaches its temperature of operation and is discharged to the outside at the distal end. After reaching the temperature of operation, the cooling agent is returned from the distal end of the arrangement through the tubular structure to the feeding point. |
| US09685259B2 |
Shielded electrical cable
A shielded electrical cable includes a conductor set and a shielding film. The conductor set includes one or more substantially parallel longitudinal insulated conductors. The shielding film includes a cover portion partially covering the conductor set, and parallel portions extending from both sides of the conductor set. |
| US09685257B2 |
Electrical transmission cables with composite cores
The present invention discloses electrical cables containing a cable core and a plurality of conductive elements surrounding the cable core. The cable core contains at least one composite core, and each composite core contains a rod which contains a plurality of unidirectionally aligned fiber rovings embedded within a thermoplastic polymer matrix, and surrounded by a capping layer. |
| US09685254B2 |
Dielectric film, method for manufacturing the same, and transducer including the same
A dielectric film includes an elastomer and nanoparticles dispersed in the elastomer while chemically bound to the elastomer. The nanoparticles have cyano groups and are manufactured by a sol-gel process using an organometallic compound. A method for manufacturing a dielectric film includes: producing a chelate compound of an organometallic compound; producing a sol of metallic oxide particles having cyano groups by adding a silane coupling agent having a cyano group, an organic solvent, and water to the chelate compound; preparing a mixed solution by mixing the sol of the metallic oxide particles having cyano groups and a polymer solution containing a rubber polymer having a functional group capable of reacting with a hydroxy group; and forming a dielectric film by applying the mixed solution to a substrate and by curing a coating film. |
| US09685252B2 |
Aluminum electrode, method of forming an aluminum electrode and electronic device therewith
The present disclosure relates to an aluminum electrode, a method of forming an aluminum electrode and an electronic device therewith. An aluminum electrode according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a bottom layer consisting of molybdenum; a top layer consisting of molybdenum; and an aluminum layer located between the bottom layer and the top layer, wherein the bottom layer, the top layer and the aluminum layer are formed at a temperature below 120° C. An aluminum electrode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure eliminates the mouse bite phenomenon. An aluminum electrode according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a bottom layer consisting of a metal or metal-alloy nitride; a top layer consisting of molybdenum; and an aluminum layer located between the bottom layer and the top layer, wherein the bottom layer, the top layer and the aluminum layer are formed at a temperature below 120° C. An aluminum electrode according to another embodiment of the present disclosure eliminates both of the mouse bite phenomenon and the undercut phenomenon, and can further arrive at a desired profile angle by controlling the content of nitrogen. |
| US09685244B2 |
Active zone of lead-cooled fast reactor
An active zone includes a homogeneous uranium-plutonium nitride fuel, the mass fraction of which is a minimum 0.305, and consists of central, intermediate and peripheral parts which form fuel assemblies comprising fuel elements with geometrically identical shells but differing heights. The radial distribution of the fuel across the volume of the active zone has a stepped shape. The radius of the central part is from 0.4 to 0.5 of the effective active zone radius, while the height of the fuel column in the fuel elements in the central part is from 0.5 to 0.8 of the height of the fuel column in the peripheral part. The heights of the fuel columns forming a stepped intermediate part for diameters ranging from 0.5 to 0.85 of the effective active zone diameter are within the range from 0.55 to 0.9 of the height of the fuel column in the peripheral part. |
| US09685237B2 |
Driver circuit charging charge node
Disclosed is a driver circuit. The driver circuit includes a clamp transistor, a comparison voltage transistor, an amplification transistor, a bias transistor, and a charge circuit. The comparison voltage is configured to provide a comparison voltage. The amplification transistor includes an amplification gate connected to a first node of the clamp transistor, a first amplification node configured to receive the comparison voltage, and a second amplification node connected to a gate of the clamp transistor. The bias transistor is configured to supply a bias voltage. The charge circuit is at least one of configured to drain a current from the first node through the clamp transistor and configured to supply a current to the first node through the clamp transistor. |
| US09685235B2 |
Method of initializing 3D non-volatile memory device
A 3D non-volatile memory device may include a dummy string selection line, string selection lines, wordlines, bitlines, a ground selection line, and memory layers. Each of the memory layers comprising channel lines respectively coupled to the bitlines via first ends and coupled to a common source line of the memory layer via second ends. The dummy string selection line, the string selection lines, the wordlines, and the ground selection line intersect with the channel lines, and each of the channel lines defines a memory string. Initializing the 3D non-volatile memory device may include programming string selection transistors coupled with the string selection lines to have one or more threshold values, and programming a dummy string selection transistor coupled with the dummy string selection line to have a predetermined threshold value, such that the dummy string selection transistor together with the string selection transistors function as string selection transistors. |
| US09685233B2 |
Programming multibit memory cells
A multiple bits per cell memory is operated by applying a one-pass, multiple-level programming, using a single pulse sequence one time (or in one-pass), such as an incremental pulse program sequence, with program verify steps for multiple target program levels, to program multiple bits per cell in a plurality of memory cells. Using these techniques, the number of program pulses required, and the time required for programming the data can be reduced. As a result, an improvement in programming throughput and a reduction in disturbance conditions are achieved. Variants of the one-pass, multiple-level programming operation can be adopted for a variety of memory cell types, memory architectures, programming speeds, and data storage densities. |
| US09685232B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having a memory string that includes a transistor having a charge stored therein to indicate the memory string is defective
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory string having first and second selective transistors, each of which includes a charge storage layer and a control gate, a back gate transistor which includes a charge storage layer and a control gate, and memory cell transistors connected to each other and to the back gate transistor in series between the first and second selective transistors. In case any of the memory cell transistors is defective, the defect is indicated by storing a charge in the charge storage layer of at least one of the first and second selective transistors and the back gate transistor. |
| US09685229B2 |
Method for operating a conductive bridging memory device
A method is disclosed for operating a Conductive Bridge Random Access Memory (CBRAM) device that includes an electrolyte element sandwiched between a cation supply top electrode and a bottom electrode. The method comprises conditioning the CBRAM device by applying a forming current pulse having a pulse width (tf) of 100 ns or less and a pulse amplitude (If) of 10 uA or less, and when programming, setting the conditioned CBRAM device to a Low Resistance State (LRS) by applying a set current pulse having a pulse width (ts) of 100 ns or less and a pulse amplitude (Is) equal to or larger than the forming current pulse amplitude (If). |
| US09685227B2 |
Control of memory device reading based on cell resistance
A method of reading a memory device that includes a memory cell that stores data of at least two bits includes determining whether a cell resistance level is no greater than a threshold resistance level. If the cell resistance level is smaller than or equal to the threshold resistance level, then the data is read based on a first factor that is inversely proportional to the cell resistance level. If the cell resistance level is greater than the threshold resistance level, then the data is read based on a second factor that is proportional to the cell resistance level. |
| US09685226B2 |
Tracking signals in memory write or read operation
A signal generating circuit includes a first circuit, a tracking circuit, and a delay circuit. The delay circuit is coupled with the first circuit and the tracking circuit. The first circuit is configured to receive a first clock signal and an output signal from an output of the delay circuit, and to generate a second clock signal and at least one first tracking signal. The tracking circuit is configured to receive the at least one first tracking signal and to generate a second tracking signal. The delay circuit is configured to receive the second clock signal and the second tracking signal and to generate the output signal. |
| US09685225B2 |
Semiconductor storage device for controlling word lines independently of power-on sequence
The disclosed invention provides a semiconductor storage device that creates no trouble, independently of power-on sequence. A semiconductor storage device includes a first power supply for the memory cells, a second power supply which is turned on independently of the first power supply and provided for a peripheral circuit which is electrically coupled to the memory cells, and a word line level fixing circuit for fixing the level of the word lines, which operates in accordance with turn-on of the first power supply. The word line level fixing circuit includes multiple level fixing transistors which are provided to correspond respectively to the word lines and provided between one of the word lines and a fixed potential and a level fixing control circuit which controls the level fixing transistors in accordance with input of a signal responding to turn-on of the second power supply. |
| US09685224B2 |
Memory with bit line control
A memory comprises a first set of memory cells coupled between a first data line and a second data line. The memory also includes a first input/output (I/O) circuit coupled to the first data line and the second data line. The first I/O circuit is also coupled to a first control line to receive a first control signal and coupled to a first select line to receive a first select signal. The first I/O circuit is configured to selectively decouple the first data line and the second data line from the first I/O circuit during a sleep mode based on the first control signal and the first select signal. |
| US09685223B2 |
Voltage controller
A voltage controller is provided that is connected to a voltage inducing circuit which is connected to a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell. The voltage controller comprises a voltage clamping circuit and a pull up circuit. The voltage clamping circuit comprises one or more transistors. The voltage clamping circuit is configured to inhibit a second voltage of a second signal at a second node of the voltage inducing circuit from exceeding a first specified voltage threshold so that a fifth voltage of a fifth signal at a fifth node of the voltage inducing circuit is inhibited from exceeding a second specified voltage threshold. The pull up circuit is configured to maintain the second voltage substantially equal to a specified pull up voltage. The fifth node is connected to the SRAM cell, and a voltage to which the SRAM cell is exposed is thereby controlled. |
| US09685220B2 |
DDR controller, method for implementing the same, and chip
There are provided a DDR controller, a method for implementing the same and a chip, which are applicable to the field of DDR controller technology. The method includes the steps of: parsing a plurality of buffered commands concurrently (S501); prejudging relationships between a bank and a row of an address to be accessed by each parsed command and a bank and a row of an address for a currently executed command; and transmitting a PRECHARGE command and an ACTIVE command in advance. With the above technical solution, the PRECHARGE command and ACTIVE command which should have been transmitted serially can be transmitted in advance by being hidden in parallel in a Read or WRITE period to thereby make full use of a bandwidth of a DDR device. |
| US09685218B2 |
Memory device and memory system having the same
A memory device includes a memory cell array, an intensively accessed row detection circuit, and a refresh control circuit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cell rows. The intensively accessed row detection circuit generates an intensively accessed row address indicating an intensively accessed memory cell row among the plurality of memory cell rows based on an accumulated access time for each of the plurality of memory cell rows. The refresh control unit preferentially refreshes neighboring memory cell rows adjacent to the intensively accessed memory cell row indicated by the intensively accessed row address when receiving the intensively accessed row address from the intensively accessed row detection unit. The memory device effectively reduces a rate of data loss. |
| US09685217B2 |
Memory device with over-refresh and method thereof
In a method, error detection and correction is performed on output data from a memory cell of a memory device to generate a result of error detection and correction. The memory cell is determined as a weak cell by determining a number of times of data retention failures of the memory cell based on the result of the error detection and correction. In a refreshing cycle, normal cells and the weak cell are refreshed and the weak cell is additionally refreshed at least once. |
| US09685215B1 |
Semiconductor memory device including a ferroelectric layer
A semiconductor memory device may include a pillar, a gate and at least one ferroelectric layer. The pillar may include a source, a drain and a channel region. The drain may be arranged over the source. The channel region may be arranged between the source and the drain. The gate may be formed on an outer surface of the pillar. The ferroelectric layer may be interposed between the pillar and the gate. |
| US09685204B2 |
Cross-point memory single-selection write technique
A system and technique is disclosed for writing data in a cross-point memory. The state of one or more memory cells of the cross-point memory are sensed and then are continued to be selected and left on. It is then determined which of the one or more memory cells are to change state based on incoming user data that is to be written into the one or more memory cells. The one or more memory cells determined to change state and are still selected to be on are then written by applying a write-current pulse to the memory cells. In one exemplary embodiment, the one or more memory cells comprise one or more phase-change-type memory cell devices. |
| US09685203B2 |
Power supply voltage switching circuit capable of preventing current leakage
A power supply voltage switching circuit includes a power selecting module, a level shifting module, and a supply switching module. The power selecting module receives a first supply signal and a second supply signal, and outputs an intermediate supply signal according to the first supply signal and the second supply signal. The level shifting module receives the intermediate supply signal as a power supply, and generates a first shifted signal and a second shifted signal by shifting voltage levels of a first control signal and a second control signal respectively. The supply switching module receives the first supply signal and a third supply signal, and generates an output signal according to the first shifted signal, the second shifted signal, the first control signal, and the second control signal. |
| US09685197B2 |
Method for generating thumbnail and electronic device thereof
A method and apparatus for generating a thumbnail of a video content in an electronic device is provided. The method for generating the thumbnail of the video content in the electronic device includes dividing a video content into a plurality of pieces, extracting a characteristic point of each of the plurality of pieces, comparing the characteristic point of each of the plurality of pieces and a characteristic point of each of a plurality of pieces of at least one other video content, and determining a thumbnail of the video content from a piece of the video content that is not the same as a piece of the at least one other video content, based on a result of the comparing. |
| US09685195B2 |
Geographical location information/signal quality-context based recording and playback of multimedia data from a conference session
Playback of multimedia data associated with a recorded conference session is simplified, particularly for a person who participated in the conference session from a mobile device. At a recording server that is in communication with a plurality of endpoints in a conference session, multimedia received from the plurality of endpoints participating in the conference session is recorded. The recording server obtains geographical location information for at least one mobile endpoint participating in the conference session as the at least one mobile endpoint moves. The recording server temporally correlates the geographical location information for the at least one endpoint with recorded multimedia data for the conference session. The recording server stores data tags for the geographical location information for the at least one mobile endpoint in association with the recorded multimedia data for subsequent use in indexing to map data to retrieve a portion of the recorded multimedia data for playback. |
| US09685190B1 |
Content sharing
A first device captures content and streams the captured content to a second device as the first device continues to capture the content. |
| US09685185B2 |
Glass substrate for magnetic disk and magnetic recording medium
With regard to a glass substrate 1 according to the present invention, a value of an amendment concentricity AC that has taken into consideration Sk and/or Ku calculated from a shape profile over the whole circumference of an inside hole, or the skewness is within a predetermined range. The glass substrate for a magnetic recording medium can stably read servo information including track information stored on a magnetic disk when the glass substrate is used for an HDD. |
| US09685183B2 |
Magnetic layer
An apparatus includes a substrate and a magnetic layer coupled to the substrate. The magnetic layer includes an alloy that has magnetic hardness that is a function of the degree of chemical ordering of the alloy. The degree of chemical ordering of the alloy in a first portion of the magnetic layer is greater than the degree of chemical ordering of the alloy in a second portion of the magnetic layer, and the first portion of the magnetic layer is closer to the substrate than the second portion of the magnetic layer. |
| US09685180B2 |
Coarse actuator positioning algorithm
A computer program product for positioning an actuator, according to one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se. The program instructions are executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method that includes generating or receiving, by the processing circuit, a first value representative of a lateral position of a tape, and using, by the processing circuit, the first value to adjust a position of a coarse actuator for moving a magnetic head in response to determining that the first value is in a first range relative to a first threshold. An integrator value is used by the processing circuit to adjust the position of the coarse actuator in response to determining that the first value is in a second range relative to the first threshold. |
| US09685175B1 |
Text synchronization with audio
A technology for synchronizing text with audio includes analyzing the audio to identify voice segments in the audio where a human voice is present and to identify non-voice segments in proximity to the voice segments. Segmented text associated with the audio, having text segments, may be identified and synchronized to the voice segments. |
| US09685172B2 |
Method and device for suppressing residual echoes based on inverse transmitter receiver distance and delay for speech signals directly incident on a transmitter array
The present invention discloses a method and a device for suppressing residual echoes. The method comprises: performing adaptive filtering on M transmitter signals respectively to obtain M adaptive filtered signals; performing array-filtering 5 on the M−1 adaptive filtered signals other than the first adaptive filtered signal to obtain M−1 array-filter output signals by considering relative positions of the receiver and each of the transmitters and the time delay attributed to distances between the transmitters and the receiver; subtracting each of the M−1 array-filter output signals from the first adaptive filtered signal respectively to obtain M−1 difference signals, performing time-domain/frequency-domain conversion on the M−1 difference signals respectively and selecting one of the frequency-domain signals that has the least energy; performing time-domain/frequency-domain conversion on the first adaptive filtered signal and the Mth adaptive filtered signal and then performing speech probability filtering on the converted first adaptive filtered signal and the converted Mth adaptive filtered signal to obtain one frequency-domain speech probability signal; and multiplying the frequency-domain speech probability signal with the selected signal that has the least energy, and performing frequency-domain/time-domain conversion on the multiplication result to obtain a signal as a transmitter output signal. The technical solutions of the present invention can suppress the residual echoes effectively without impairing near end speech. |
| US09685171B1 |
Multiple-stage adaptive filtering of audio signals
The systems, devices, and processes described herein may include a first microphone that detects a target voice of a user within an environment and a second microphone that detects other noise within the environment. A target voice estimate and/or a noise estimate may be generated based at least in part on one or more adaptive filters. Based at least in part on the voice estimate and/or the noise estimate, an enhanced target voice and an enhanced interference, respectively, may be determined. One or more words that correspond to the target voice may be determined based at least in part on the enhanced target voice and/or the enhanced interference. In some instances, the one or more words may be determined by suppressing or canceling the detected noise. |
| US09685169B2 |
Coherent pitch and intensity modification of speech signals
A method comprising: receiving an utterance, an original pitch contour of the utterance, and a target pitch contour for the utterance, wherein the utterance comprises a plurality of consecutive frames, and wherein at least one of said frames is a voiced frame; calculating an original intensity contour of said utterance; generating a pitch modified utterance based on the target pitch contour; calculating an intensity modification factor for each of said frames, based on said original pitch contour and on said target pitch contour, to produce a sequence of intensity modification factors corresponding to said plurality of consecutive frames; calculating a final intensity contour for said utterance by applying said intensity modification factors to said original intensity contour; and generating a coherently modified speech signal by time dependent scaling of the intensity of said pitch modified utterance according to said final intensity contour. |
| US09685164B2 |
Systems and methods of switching coding technologies at a device
A particular method includes encoding a first frame of an audio signal using a first encoder. The method also includes generating, during encoding of the first frame, a baseband signal that includes content corresponding to a high band portion of the audio signal. The method further includes encoding a second frame of the audio signal using a second encoder, where encoding the second frame includes processing the baseband signal to generate high band parameters associated with the second frame. |
| US09685152B2 |
Technology for responding to remarks using speech synthesis
The present invention is provided with: a voice input section that receives a remark (a question) via a voice signal; a reply creation section that creates a voice sequence of a reply (response) to the remark; a pitch analysis section that analyzes the pitch of a first segment (e.g., word ending) of the remark; and a voice generation section (a voice synthesis section, etc.) that generates a reply, in the form of voice, represented by the voice sequence. The voice generation section controls the pitch of the entire reply in such a manner that the pitch of a second segment (e.g., word ending) of the reply assumes a predetermined pitch (e.g., five degrees down) with respect to the pitch of the first segment of the remark. Such arrangements can realize synthesis of replying voice capable of giving a natural feel to the user. |
| US09685151B2 |
Transitioning between arrayed and in-phase speaker configurations for active noise reduction
A noise cancellation method and system comprises a system controller that produces a command signal in response to a signal from at least one microphone detecting sound in an area. The system controller includes an arrayed speaker controller for producing a driver signal for each speaker in response to the command signal such that combined sound emitted by the speakers in response to the driver signals produces a substantially uniform sound pressure field adapted to attenuate a noise field corresponding to the sound detected by the at least one microphone. The system controller includes an in-phase speaker controller for producing a common in-phase driver signal for all speakers in response to the command signal and a signal director module for proportioning the command signal between the arrayed and in-phase speaker controllers in response to a magnitude of voltage associated with driving the speakers in accordance with the command signal. |
| US09685150B2 |
Noise removal system
A system for noise removal is coupled to a signal unit that provides a digital signal. The noise removal system includes a transformation module to transform the digital signal into an f-digital signal, a threshold filter to generate a noiseless signal from the f-digital signal based on a threshold profile, and a signal synthesizer to provide a gain to the noiseless signal and to transform the noiseless signal into an output signal. |
| US09685145B2 |
Carbon fiber guitar
A stringed musical instrument has a molded sound box and neck where the sound box is formed of between 20% to 60% carbon fibers, or other suitable fibers, and a polymeric resin or binder. The composition of materials utilized in the sound box is selected to increase stiffness and to control the tone of the instrument. The sound box includes an adjustable attachment mechanism having a pivot which is used to secure the neck to the sound box. The sound box includes a molded bracing structure having a plurality of braces and a molded bridge having a plurality of pockets which are used to enhance the structure for the sound box and provide a desired tone quality for the stringed instrument. The neck may include a molded neck insert and a molded fingerboard which are used to enhance the stiffness and stability of the neck. |
| US09685142B2 |
Obtaining and displaying relationships between elements
A method, computer program product, and system to optimize the display of related elements. The method includes a processor obtaining data elements and groups of data elements, and relationships between data elements in different groups and identifying parent-child dependencies between the groups. The processor identifies a root group among the groups: the root group has no parent dependency. The processor orders data elements in the root group, based on a predetermined policy and determines a display order of data elements in groups that are not root groups by optimizing a length of relationship lines representing the relationships between the data elements in different groups. The processor also determines a scroll position for each group and displays, in a graphical user interface on the display, the groups with a scroll bars at the scroll position in each group, and the relationships between data elements in different groups. |
| US09685133B2 |
Strobe driving circuit, strobe driving method, array substrate and display apparatus
There are provided with a strobe driving circuit, a strobe driving method, an array substrate and a display apparatus. The strobe driving circuit includes: a first driving unit for receiving a timing control signal, generating a first strobe driving signal based on the power signal under the control of the timing control signal; a first energy storing unit, storing energy based on the first strobe driving signal; a second driving unit connected to the first energy storing unit, for generating a second strobe driving signal based on the energy stored by the first energy storing unit under the control of the timing control signal. In the technical solution according to the embodiments of the application, the number of required bonding pads is reduced, so that the complexity of semiconductor manufacturing process and the difficulty of the manufacturing procedure are reduced. |
| US09685132B2 |
Gate driving circuit unit, array substrate, and display device
A gate driving circuit unit, an array substrate, and a display device are disclosed, whereby the problem of high cost resulted from the large amount use of G-COF in the prior art can be solved. The driving circuit unit comprises a first selection unit and a second selection unit, wherein an input end of said first selection unit and an input end of said second selection unit are both connected with a same gate signal line of a G-COF, and an output end of said first selection unit and an output end of said second selection unit are connected with two gate lines respectively. During a first scanning cycle, the first selection unit outputs a high-level signal, and the second selection unit outputs a low-level signal; and during a second scanning cycle, the second selection unit outputs a high-level signal, and the first selection unit outputs a low-level signal. |
| US09685123B2 |
Method of testing a display apparatus and a display apparatus tested by the same
In a method of testing a display apparatus, a plurality of minimum compensation data for a plurality of grayscales, respectively and a plurality of maximum compensation data for the plurality of grayscales, respectively are determined. The display apparatus includes a display panel displaying an image having the plurality of grayscales. A plurality of grayscale compensation data corresponding to the plurality of grayscales, respectively are set based on the plurality of minimum compensation data and the plurality of maximum compensation data. A flicker characteristic with respect to the plurality of grayscales is measured based on the plurality of grayscale compensation data and test images displayed on the display panel. The flicker characteristic is optimized by selectively changing the plurality of grayscale compensation data based on the measured flicker characteristic. |
| US09685122B2 |
Pixel circuit and display device having the same
A pixel circuit and a display device having the pixel circuit are disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a switching thin-film TFT and a light sensing TFT. The switching thin-film TFT includes a first source electrode electrically connected to a data line. A first gate electrode of the switching thin-film TFT and a second source electrode of the light sensing TFT are electrically connected to a first gate line. A first drain electrode of the switching thin-film TFT and a second drain electrode of the light sensing TFT are electrically connected to a pixel electrode. |
| US09685120B2 |
Image formats and related methods and apparatuses
Image data may be color graded, distributed and viewed on target displays. Mappings that preserve mid-range points and mid-range contrast may be applied to view the image data for color grading and to prepare the image data for display on a target display. The image data may be expanded to exploit the dynamic range of the target display without affecting mid-tone values. |
| US09685117B2 |
Display device, control device for driving the display device, and drive control method thereof
A display device, a driving control device of the display device, and a driving control method are disclosed. In one aspect, the display device comprises a display unit consisting of a plurality of pixels including a light emitting element emitting light according to a driving current corresponding to a data signal; a scan driver transmitting a scan signal through a plurality of scan lines; a data driver transmitting a data signal through a plurality of data lines; a power supply unit supplying a driving voltage to drive a plurality of pixels through a power source wire; and a driving controller connected to the power source wire, obtaining an actual output voltage value of the driving voltage output from the power source voltage supply unit, and compensating a deviation of the driving voltage in a process step by using the actual output voltage value. |
| US09685112B2 |
Display unit, display panel, and method of driving the same, and electronic apparatus
A display unit (1) includes a light-emitting device (13) and a pixel circuit (12) in each pixel (11), and a drive section (20) configured to drive the pixel circuit (12). The pixel circuit (12) includes a drive transistor (Tr1) configured to drive the light-emitting device (13), and a write transistor (Tr2) configured to control application of a signal voltage corresponding to an image signal to a gate of the drive transistor (Tr1). The drive section (20) performs Vth correction that allows a gate-source voltage of the drive transistor (Tr1) to be brought close to a threshold voltage of the drive transistor (Tr1) on all pixel rows, and then performs writing of the signal voltage corresponding to the image signal to gates of the drive transistors (Tr1) in all pixel rows. |
| US09685111B2 |
Display device, control device for driving the display device, and control method thereof
Provided is a display device, including: a display unit including a plurality of pixels that emit light according to a plurality of data signals supplied through a plurality of data lines; a power voltage supplier configured to supply a power voltage to the plurality of pixels; a current detector configured to detect a total current flowing in the plurality of pixels; and a controller configured to receive image information of one frame unit and generate a reference voltage signal corresponding to the image information of one frame unit. The current detector compares the total current and the reference voltage signal and controls driving of the power voltage supplier according to the comparison. |
| US09685106B2 |
Method for compensating image distortion caused by the curvature of a display device
Disclosed are a curved display device and a driving method therefor. The curved display device includes: a display panel including a curved portion and a flat portion; a luminance compensator configured to determine a first luminance compensating value for the flat portion and to determine a second luminance compensating value for one or more positions of the curved portion; and a signal controller for adjusting an input image signal corresponding to the first and second luminance compensating values set by the luminance compensator so as to compensate luminance of those portions of the input image signal corresponding to both the curved portion and the flat portion of the display panel, and for transmitting the compensated image signal to the display panel. |
| US09685103B2 |
Door with built-in exit signal
A door with an “EXIT” signal which operates automatically includes a door panel and a light source. The door panel includes a first plate. The first plate includes a front surface. The front surface defines a plurality of pits. The pits form a predetermined pattern, in the shape of a word. The light source is fixed above the first plate. The light source emits light to toward the pits to illuminate the predetermined pattern in the shape of a word when the door is in a closed state. |
| US09685101B2 |
Solid state light-emitting devices with improved contrast
Solid state light emitting devices and display devices include at least one filtering material arranged to provide at least one spectral notch comprising a wavelength of greatest attenuation in at least one spectrum between dominant wavelengths of solid state light emitters of the light emitting and/or display devices. The at least one spectral notch may be non-overlapping with a majority or an entirety of spectral output of each solid state light emitter. Filtering material may be arranged in a light path between at least some emitters and) at least one light output surface of a light emitting or display device, with the filtering material(s) arranged to receive incident ambient light, such that at least a portion of reflected ambient light exiting the device exhibits at least one spectral notch. |
| US09685092B2 |
Stationary obstacle identification system
A stationary object identification system includes memory and a transmitter. The memory has obstacle data stored therein that includes a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of stationary obstacles located at a location, such as an aerodrome. The transmitter is in operable communication with the memory and is configured to generate a plurality of signals. Each of the signals is associated with a different one of the stationary obstacles and has a power level representative of the plurality of parameters associated with the stationary obstacle. |
| US09685091B2 |
Aerial vehicle awareness display
A method of displaying information pertaining to an air vehicle is disclosed. Information is displayed indicative of first portions of a map where distance between a current altitude of the air vehicle and terrain in the map are within a first threshold. Information is displayed indicative of second portions of a map where a distance between the current altitude of the air vehicle and terrain in the map are within a second threshold. The first and second portions are updated based on a change in the current altitude of the air vehicle. In another example, a map including a projected flight path of an aircraft is displayed. Location-based information pertaining to radio frequency (RF) status between the aircraft and at least one ground radio is displayed on the map. The location-based information pertaining to RF status is updated based on a change in the current position of the air vehicle. |
| US09685088B2 |
Communication travel plan generation system
A communication travel plan generation system for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a communication hub, a system input and at least one controller. The communication hub is housed in the vehicle and is configured to communicate with a plurality of spaced subscriber communication nodes. The system input is configured to receive mission-specific information. The at least one controller is in communication with the system input. Moreover, the at least one controller is configured to apply the mission-specific information to a mission planning system to generate a mission plan of the vehicle. The at least one controller is further configured to implement the communication travel plan generation system to automatically generate travel waypoints for the mission planning system based at least in part on the mission-specific information applied to the mission planning system. |
| US09685087B2 |
Remote air traffic surveillance data compositing based on datalinked radio surveillance
In one example, a method for combining radio surveillance data includes receiving air traffic surveillance data from one or more aircraft via one or more remotely operable data link systems. The method further includes combining the air traffic surveillance data from the one or more aircraft into a composite air traffic surveillance data set. The air traffic surveillance data is based at least in part on radio surveillance messages received by the one or more aircraft from additional aircraft. |
| US09685085B2 |
Computer-implemented system and method for providing available parking spaces en route
A computer-implemented system and method for providing available parking spaces en route is provided. Each of a plurality of parking spaces are associated with a hold time during which other vehicles are prevented from parking within that parking space while available and prior to commencement of a reservation. A request for an available parking space is received from a user. One or more of the parking spaces are identified as available. A duration of time for arrival by the user to each of the available parking spaces is determined. The hold time for each available parking space is applied to the arrival time duration for that available parking space. At least one of the available parking spaces for which the user's arrival time duration is less than the hold time is selected and provided to the user. |
| US09685084B2 |
Traffic event monitoring
Information on a traffic event, such as a traffic accident, may be provided to a vehicle equipped with a system for performing a wireless data communication with a traffic event center. The system can determine automatically if the vehicle approaches the traffic event by receiving corresponding information in a wireless data transmission, or by a determination based on the vehicle's current position and a location of the traffic event received in a wireless data transmission. If it is determined by the system that the vehicle has approached a traffic event, the system can automatically acquire image data of the vehicle environment, and transmit the acquired image data to the traffic event center. |
| US09685083B2 |
Computer program product and driver assistance system for a vehicle
A non-transitory computer readable medium stores a computer program causing a computer to execute a process. The process includes determining traffic regulations which are applicable in a region of current surroundings of a vehicle. The process further includes determining if a driver of the vehicle violates at least one of the determined traffic regulations and determining a degree of severity of a violation. The process further includes determining a parameter illustrating a driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle based on the classified degree of severity of the violation. A message is then output including the determined parameter with at least one output device. |
| US09685081B2 |
Traffic light preemption management system
A method and system for managing a set of traffic lights at an intersection, measuring the Doppler Effect of a signal emitted by a vehicle, where such Doppler Effect being a function of the vehicle movement with respect to said intersection, and deciding as a function of such measure a new state for each traffic light at the intersection so as to facilitate passage of the approaching vehicle. |
| US09685077B2 |
Traffic control system
A traffic control system (TCS) is provided comprising at least one traffic control unit, TCU, (9) equipped with a proximity enabled traffic user equipment, PETUE, (1) and adapted to control traffic of mobile entities wherein the proximity enabled traffic user equipment, PETUE, (1) of said traffic control unit, TCU, (9) is configured to transmit traffic information by sending at least one discovery message, DM, directly via a user equipment to user equipment link to at least one other proximity enabled traffic user equipment, PETUE, of a mobile entity, wherein said discovery message, DM, includes a proximity service, ProSe, application identifier comprising a string of traffic labels, TLs, representing hierarchical traffic information levels. |
| US09685074B2 |
Method and system for remote interaction with electronic device
Various aspects of a method and system for remote interaction with an electronic device via a user interface are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the method comprises establishment of a first communication channel between a first electronic device and a second electronic device by use of a first communication protocol. A second communication channel is dynamically established with the second electronic device based on the established first communication channel. The second communication channel uses a second communication protocol. Data associated with the second electronic device is received by the first electronic device. The data is received via the established second communication channel. |
| US09685068B2 |
Emergency notification within an alarm community
The present invention relates to a process of detecting if a handheld device (10) has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer (13) comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold, and if the handheld device have been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold sending, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit (16) comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident, the process being implemented as a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the program being executed on the handheld device having processing capabilities. |
| US09685064B2 |
Automated detection of an emergency by a user device
A user device may determine that an environmental parameter, sensed by the user device, satisfies a condition, and may detect an emergency based on detecting that the environmental parameter satisfies the condition. The user device may output, via the user device, an alarm notification, and may determine whether an input is received by the user device to cancel the alarm notification. The user device may notify an emergency device when the user device determines that input is not received by the user device to cancel the alarm notification. |
| US09685063B2 |
Car seat occupant detection and alert apparatus, system, and method
A car seat occupant detection system for a car seat installed in a vehicle is provided. The system includes at least one harness sensor for detecting whether connectors of a car seat harness are connected and a weight sensor for detecting the weight of an occupant in the car seat. The system includes a controller in communication with the at least one harness sensor and the weight sensor. The system includes a transceiver configured to selectively communicate with a driver device via a local wireless link and with a third party device via a wide area wireless link. The controller determines whether or not an occupant in the car seat has been abandoned by a driver based on detections of the at least one harness sensor, the weight sensor, and communication range status between the transceiver and the driver communication device via the local wireless link. |
| US09685062B2 |
Electronic device, security warning system and method
A security warning system applied in an electronic device includes a motion identifying unit, a walking speed calculation unit, an image processing unit, and an executing unit. The motion identifying unit identifies whether a number of continuous walking steps of a user of the electronic device is greater than a first predetermined value. The walking speed calculation unit calculates a walking speed of the user and compares the calculated walking speed to a second predetermined value. The image processing unit determines whether the user is in a special sidewalk. The executing unit determines whether the user is in a walking state and whether the electronic device needs to execute a security mode. An electronic device and a security warning method are also provided. |
| US09685060B2 |
Method of warning in hunting and road traffic and based on it apparatus for personal safety and protection
The method of warning in the sport of shooting and hunting and road traffic, and based on it apparatus for personal safety and protection are provided. The method is based on analyzing the coordinates of the devices, which are exchanging this information by direct radio communication in real time using a suitable for the chosen application radio frequency. The apparatus is based on RF communication technology and, as an additional feature, digital photo and video technology, and the methods of this technology utilization for efficiency and convenience for users. |
| US09685051B2 |
Evacuation assistance apparatus
An evacuation assistance apparatus for indicating a route within a building or other structure is disclosed. Multiple housings contain laser light line sources for producing a beam of laser light as a linear line. Adjusters are used to alter the laser light line so that the line starts substantially vertically below said housing. The adjusters also allow the line to be directed on to a portion of the wall to highlight an exit doorway. The apparatus is provided as a modular system including multiple sensors making it suitable for installation in many buildings and providing feedback information to prevent or determine the cause of a fire. |
| US09685047B2 |
Self-service lottery machine
The present invention provides a self-service lottery machine, comprising a casing forming an accommodation space; a display device for providing a lottery self-service sales operation interface, which including a touch display screen; a coin-feed and card reading integrated module for completing payment, which including a coin-feed and card reading operation interface; a data input module for implementing keyboard input, the data input module including an input keyboard; and a main board for completing lottery self-service sales according to user's operation received by the data input module, the coin-feed and card reading integrated module and the display device, wherein the display device, the coin-feed and card reading integrated module, the data input module and the main board are arranged inside the accommodation space, and the touch display screen, the coin-feed and card reading operation interface and the input keyboard are all exposed from a first face casing of the casing. |
| US09685036B2 |
Verifying a gaming device is in communications with a gaming server by passing an indicator between the gaming device and a verification device
A system includes a verification server and a gaming server, which provides gaming activities and possibly other services to a player through a gaming device. The system further includes a verification device in communications with the verification server. The verification server passes an indicator between the verification device and gaming device via the gaming server and in this fashion, verification can be made that the gaming device is in communications with the gaming server. |
| US09685035B2 |
Apparatus and method for a game with blockading game symbols
An apparatus and method for a game of play for use in a casino establishment, or on a general purpose computing device for offering games with multiple outcomes and including blockading game elements or symbols. A base game, or an outcome on a base game that triggers a sub-game or a bonus game involves forming winning combinations from combinations of symbols in a matrix using only accessible symbol positions. Achieving winning combinations of symbols among accessible symbols results in awards to players. The apparatus and method are offered on electronic gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines, but may also be deployed on other devices such as on a general purpose computing device or mobile phone in stand-alone form or connected to a network, such as the internet. |
| US09685029B2 |
Actuating gaming machine chair
Wagering game systems including gaming chairs are described herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving, in a wagering game machine, access information identifying a wagering game player, and determining the wagering game players motion profile associated with a gaming chair connected to the wagering game machine, wherein the motion profile indicates movements of the gaming chair that are acceptable to the wagering game player. The method also includes determining prescribed motions for the gaming chair, wherein the prescribed motions are associated with wagering game events, and determining that one of the wagering game events occurred on the wagering game machine. The method also includes moving the gaming chair in accordance with the prescribed motions for the gaming chair and the wagering game players motion profile. |
| US09685025B2 |
Optical sensing system
An optical sensing system for detecting objects passing through a volume of interest, wherein the sensing system has an emitter and a detector. The detector detects motion of object shadows generated as the object passes through the volume of interest between the emitter and detector. Motion detection algorithms, using computed motion vectors of the detected object, logically determine whether an object has traveled completely through the detection space, and can be used to discriminate a specific outcomes and/or impediments. |
| US09685017B2 |
Intelligent door lock system retrofitted to exisiting door lock mechanism
A wireless access control system is provided to lock or unlock a first door at a dwelling of a user. A user remote access device transmits a first signal and a second signal. The user remote access device is configured to be in communication with an intelligent door lock system at a dwelling with a door and associated lock. The intelligent door lock system includes a position sensing device coupled to a drive shaft, with the position sensing device sensing position of the drive shaft and configured to assist in locking and unlocking the lock, an engine with a memory coupled to the positioning sensing device and the drive shaft, and an energy source configured to provide electrical energy. When the user remote access device is at an exterior of the dwelling and in a close proximity to the dwelling, the drive shaft is caused to rotate by the engine and the energy source to provide an unlocking of the door when the door is in a locked state. The user remote access device is configured to be coupled to a second lock at a vehicle of the user or at an office of the user. The second lock has one or more wireless communication devices configured to receive the second signal causing the second lock to lock or be unlocked. The remote access device has a controller for generating the first and second signals. The controller generates the first and second signals in response to an action taken by user relative to the remote access device. |
| US09685012B2 |
Access management and resource sharing platform based on biometric identity
Disclosed are an apparatus and method that enables an owner/administrator to manage access to a shared resource based on identity that is established by use of biometric data. For example, access to a shared physical resource can be restricted via use of a biometric locking device. An access management platform can be used to authorize a new user to access the shared resource. Once authorized, the new user can unlock the biometric locking device based on, for example, fingerprint data of his finger. The access management platform can similarly be used to manage access to a virtual shared resource, such as an online account. A virtual locking device, such as a computer that acts as an intermediary between the user and the online account, can be used to restrict access to the online account. The access management platform can enable the user to access the online account based on biometric data. |
| US09685011B2 |
Vehicle safety control apparatus and method using cameras
A vehicle safety control apparatus using cameras includes a first camera configured to photograph a current object at at least one of a narrow angle and a straight angle during running, a second camera configured to photograph the current object at a wide angle during the running, an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on first current object image data captured by the first camera and second current object image data captured by the second camera, a recognition unit configured to recognize the first and second current object image data on which the image processing unit has performed the image processing, a storage unit configured to cause the recognized data to match preset reference object-specific data and separately store the data matching the preset reference object-specific data; and a control unit configured to receive the recognized data and deliver a storage command to the storage unit. |
| US09685010B1 |
Systems and methods for associating vehicle operators with driving misses indicated in vehicle operation data
Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may receive and analyze image data depicting an individual located within a vehicle. The electronic device may also access and compile vehicle operation data and operator data corresponding to a state or condition of the vehicle operator. The electronic device may identify, from the vehicle operator data, a set of close misses experienced by the vehicle, correlate the set of close misses with a state or condition of the vehicle operator, and attribute at least some of the close misses to the vehicle operator. A remote server may aggregate and compile corresponding data from a plurality of vehicles. |
| US09685007B2 |
Managing a vehicle incident
A system and computer implemented method for managing a vehicle incident is disclosed. The method may include monitoring, in response to a triggering event, a first vehicle having a first vehicle state including a set of physical condition characteristics. The method may also include detecting, for the first vehicle, a vehicle incident including a change of one or more physical condition characteristics of the set of physical condition characteristics. The method may also include collecting, in response to detecting the vehicle incident for the first vehicle, incident circumstance information including a set of potential causes of the vehicle incident. In certain embodiments, the method may include providing incident data based on at least a portion of the incident circumstance information and at least a portion of the change of one or more physical condition characteristics. |
| US09685005B2 |
Virtual lasers for interacting with augmented reality environments
Systems and methods enabling users to interact with an augmented reality environment are disclosed. Real-world objects may have unique markers which are recognized by mobile devices. A mobile device recognizes the markers and generates a set of virtual objects associated with the markers in the augmented reality environment. Mobile devices employ virtual pointers and virtual control buttons to enable users to interact with the virtual objects. Users may aim the virtual pointer to a virtual object, select the virtual object, and then drag-and-drop the virtual object to a new location. Embodiments enable users to select, move, transform, create and delete virtual objects with the virtual pointer. The mobile device provides users with a means of drawing lines and geometrically-shaped virtual objects. |
| US09685001B2 |
System and method for indicating a presence of supplemental information in augmented reality
A method and system are provided for indicating a presence of supplemental information in augmented reality to a user. The method includes capturing a field of view of a camera, obtaining supplemental information for at least one object in the captured field of view, displaying the captured field of view on a display and tracking a point of regard of the user. The point of regard is indicative of an area on the display at which the gaze of the user is focused. The method also includes, for each object associated with supplemental information, displaying, overlaid the captured field of view, a respective indicator that the supplemental information is associated with the object if one or more criteria are satisfied. The one or more criteria are based on at least a proximity between an image of the object in the captured field of view and the point of regard. |
| US09685000B1 |
Using augmented reality in data storage management
A method is used in using augmented reality in data storage management. An original image of data center equipment is received. Based on the original image, the data center equipment is automatically identified. Based on the identification, management/status information about the data center equipment is automatically retrieved. An augmented reality image is derived from the original image and the management/status information. |
| US09684998B2 |
Pixel serialization to improve conservative depth estimation
One embodiment includes determining a first z-range for a first portion of a coarse raster tile, where the first portion includes a plurality of pixels having a first set of pixel locations, retrieving from a memory a corresponding z-range related to a second set of pixel locations associated with the coarse raster tile, where the first set of pixel locations comprises a subset of the second set of pixel locations, and comparing the first z-range to the corresponding z-range to determine whether the plurality of pixels is occluded. If the plurality of pixels determined to be occluded, then the plurality of pixels is culled. If the plurality of pixels is determined to not be occluded, then the plurality of pixels is transmitted to a fine raster unit for further processing. The coarse raster tile comprises a plurality of portions, including the first portion, and those portions are processed serially. |
| US09684988B2 |
Imaging device, image processing method, and recording medium
An imaging device includes an imaging unit that images a subject so as to obtain first image data, an image processing unit that performs image processing on the first image data so as to obtain second image data, a first storage unit in which image data including one or both of the first image data and the second image data is stored, an image analysis unit that analyzes a feature of the image data stored in the first storage unit, a scenario generation unit that generates scenario data on the basis of an analysis result of the image analysis unit, a scenario changing unit that performs setting so as to change the scenario data, and an image collage processing unit that combines the plural pieces of image data stored in the first storage unit on the basis of the scenario data so as to generate the image collage data. |
| US09684984B2 |
Nearsighted camera object detection
A system and process of nearsighted (myopia) camera object detection involves detecting the objects through edge detection and outlining or thickening them with a heavy border. Thickening may include making the object bold in the case of text characters. The bold characters are then much more apparent and heavier weighted than the background. Thresholding operations are then applied (usually multiple times) to the grayscale image to remove all but the darkest foreground objects in the background resulting in a nearsighted (myopic) image. Additional processes may be applied to the nearsighted image, such as morphological closing, contour tracing and bounding of the objects or characters. The bound objects or characters can then be averaged to provide repositioning feedback for the camera user. Processed images can then be captured and subjected to OCR to extract relevant information from the image. |
| US09684983B2 |
Three dimensional visualization of big data
A method for visualization of big data using three dimensional pie charts. The method includes receiving at least a first set of data, comprising information detailing one or more subsets of values, each value having an associated time element. The method includes determining a three dimensional pie chart based on the at least first set of data, which includes at least as first layer comprising a first set of wedges and a second layer comprising a second set of wedges. The method includes displaying the three dimensional pie chart comprising at least the first layer and the second layer. |
| US09684982B2 |
Isotropic volume reconstruction from multiple 2D scans using super-resolution techniques
A computer-implemented method for performing isotropic reconstruction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data includes receiving a stack of slices acquired by an MRI device in two or more directions and reslicing the stack of slices into (i) an acquired view stack comprising high-resolution slices acquired in-plane, and (ii) a reslice stack comprising degraded slices acquired out of plane. An estimated slice profile is generated based on the stack of slices and the acquired view stack is convolved with the estimated slice profile to yield a simulated distorted slice stack. The simulated distorted slice stack is subtracted from the acquired view stack to yield a high-frequency band estimate and the high-frequency band estimate is combined with the reslice stack to yield isotropic reconstruction results. |
| US09684981B2 |
Method, apparatus, and storage medium for reconstructing cardiac image
A method includes: collecting projection data and recording electrocardiogram data when computed tomographic scanning is performed on a patient, selecting, from the projection data and based on the electrocardiogram data, first projection data related to each cardiac pixel in a same phase, and reconstructing, based on the first projection data, an image of the related cardiac pixel, to obtain a cardiac image; determining, based on the electrocardiogram data, a reconstruction phase of each reconstruction pixel in a first reconstruction region, where the first reconstruction region is an image region selected along the patient's head-to-foot direction from the cardiac image; and selecting, based on the reconstruction phase of each reconstruction pixel and from the projection data, second projection data related to the reconstruction pixel in the reconstruction phase, and reconstructing, based on the second projection data, an image of the reconstruction pixel. |
| US09684980B2 |
Prior image based three dimensional imaging
Described herein are technologies for facilitating three-dimensional imaging based on prior image data. In accordance with one aspect, deformable registration is performed to align three-dimensional (3D) image data to a sparse set of two-dimensional (2D) projection image data of at least one structure of interest. An iterative reconstruction scheme may then be performed to minimize a difference between the aligned 3D image data and the 2D image data. |
| US09684977B2 |
Method and apparatus for road map rendering
A road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving data representing a road broken line, the data including multiple line segments and a road traffic condition; expanding the road broken line into a polygon based on the multiple line segments and creating a geometric-topological structure for the polygon using the received data, the geometric-topological structure including a vertex list and an index list; selecting texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition; and filling the polygon using the selected texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition. In the road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application, a road traffic condition is rendered by invoking a texture, so that performance of a graphics processing unit of a mobile terminal can be exploited and a good rendering effect can be achieved, thereby clearly indicating the road traffic condition. |
| US09684973B2 |
Systems and methods for selecting imaging data for principle components analysis
A method is provided that includes acquiring, with a detector defining a field of view (FOV), emission imaging data of an object over the FOV. The method also includes determining, with one or more processing units, a volume of interest (VOI) of the emission imaging data, wherein the VOI defines a volume smaller than an imaged volume of the object. Further, the method includes performing, with the one or more processing units, a multivariate data analysis on the VOI to generate a waveform for the VOI. Also, the method includes determining, with the one or more processing units, an amount of motion for at least the VOI based on the waveform. The method further includes displaying, on a display unit, at least one of the amount of motion or an image reconstructed based on the emission imaging data. |
| US09684968B2 |
Method, system and computer program for detecting and characterizing motion
A method for motion detection/characterization is provided including the steps of (a) capturing a series of time lapsed images of the ROI, wherein the ROI moves between at least two of such images; (b) generating a motion distribution in relation to the ROI across the series of images; and (c) identifying motion of the ROI based on analysis of the motion distribution. In a further aspect of motion detection/characterization in accordance with the invention, motion is detected/characterized based on calculation of a color distribution for a series of images. A system and computer program for presenting an augmented environment based on the motion detection/characterization is also provided. An interface means based on the motion detection/characterization is also provided. |
| US09684967B2 |
Imaging segmentation using multi-scale machine learning approach
A robust segmentation technique based on multi-layer classification technique to identify the lesion boundary is described. The inventors have discovered a technique based on training several classifiers such that to classify each pixel as lesion versus normal Each classifier is trained on a specific range of image resolutions. Then, for a new test image, the trained classifiers are applied on the image. Then by fusing the prediction results in pixel level a probability map is generated. In the next step, a thresholding method is applied to convert the probability map to a binary mask, which determines a mole border. |
| US09684966B2 |
Foreground / background separation in digital images
A method for providing improved foreground/background separation in a digital image of a scene is disclosed. The method comprises providing a first map comprising one or more regions provisionally defined as one of foreground or background within the digital image; and providing a subject profile corresponding to a region of interest of the digital image. The provisionally defined regions are compared with the subject profile to determine if any of the regions intersect with the profile region. The definition of one or more of the regions in the map is changed based on the comparison. |
| US09684965B1 |
Obstacle removal using point cloud and depth map data
A system having a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the non-transitory storage medium contains a first image captured at a first position relative to background subject matter, wherein undesirable structure is interposed between the first position and the background subject matter, and a second image captured at a second position, different from the first position, relative to the background subject matter wherein the undesirable structure is interposed between the second position and the background subject matter; a point cloud generation module coupled to the non-transitory storage medium, wherein the point cloud generation module generates a point cloud in response to the first image and the second image, and wherein the point cloud generation module stores the point cloud in the non-transitory storage medium; an identification module coupled to the non-transitory storage medium for retrieving the point cloud and identifying within the point cloud the undesirable structure and the background subject matter; and an image generation module coupled to the identification module for generating a third image in response to the background subject matter within the point cloud, wherein the image generation module stores the third image in the non-transitory storage medium. |
| US09684960B2 |
Automated histological diagnosis of bacterial infection using image analysis
The invention relates to an automated decision support system, method, and apparatus for analysis and detection of bacteria in histological sections from tissue biopsies in general, and more specifically, of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in histological sections from gastric biopsies. The method includes image acquisition apparatus, data processing and support system conclusions, methods of transferring and storing the slide data, and pathologist diagnosis by reviewing and approving the images classified as containing bacteria, and more specifically HP findings. |
| US09684958B2 |
Image processing device, program, image processing method, computer-readable medium, and image processing system
An image processing device 20 acquires captured images obtained by imaging a sample including a target cell, performs machine learning based on a first image feature quantity, sets a plurality of object regions for detecting the target cell in the captured images, and displays the plurality of object regions in an order determined based on the first image feature quantity of each of the plurality of object regions. The image processing device 20 calculates a second image feature quantity in each of the plurality of object regions, sorts the plurality of displayed object regions in an order of the second image feature quantity similar to the second image feature quantity of a reference object region selected from among the plurality of object regions, and displays the plurality of object regions. |
| US09684957B2 |
Systems methods, and media for detecting an anatomical object in a medical device image using a multi-stage classifier
Systems, methods, and media for detecting an anatomical object in a medical device image are provided. In some embodiments, system for detecting an anatomical object in a medical device image are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor that: applies the medical device image to a classifier having a plurality of stages, wherein a first stage of the plurality of stages and a second stage of the plurality of stages each includes a strong learner formed from a plurality of weak learners, and the weak learners in the second stage include a plurality of the weak learners included in the first stage; and identifies the medical device image as being positive or negative of showing the anatomical object based on the application the medical device image to be classifier. |
| US09684954B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
The image processing method includes acquiring multiple parallax images produced by image capturing of an object, the parallax images having a parallax to one another. The method further includes acquiring, by using the respective parallax images as base images, relative difference information on a relative difference between each of the base images and at least one other parallax image in the multiple parallax images, and detecting an unwanted component contained in each of the parallax images by using the relative difference information. |
| US09684951B2 |
Efficient convolutional sparse coding
Computationally efficient algorithms may be applied for fast dictionary learning solving the convolutional sparse coding problem in the Fourier domain. More specifically, efficient convolutional sparse coding may be derived within an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework that utilizes fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to solve the main linear system in the frequency domain. Such algorithms may enable a significant reduction in computational cost over conventional approaches by implementing a linear solver for the most critical and computationally expensive component of the conventional iterative algorithm. The theoretical computational cost of the algorithm may be reduced from O(M3N) to O(MN log N), where N is the dimensionality of the data and M is the number of elements in the dictionary. This significant improvement in efficiency may greatly increase the range of problems that can practically be addressed via convolutional sparse representations. |
| US09684950B2 |
Vision correction through graphics processing
An apparatus configured for graphics processing includes a memory configured to store graphics data, and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors configured to output, for display, a plurality of test graphics images, receive input indicative of a perception of a user of the computing device of at least one test graphics image from the plurality of test graphics images, determine at least one parameter modification value and generate a corrected graphics image based at least in part on the at least one parameter modification value. |
| US09684948B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating enhanced display characteristics based on viewer state
Systems and methods for facilitating enhanced display characteristics based on viewer state are provided. A media device may process an indication of a first state of a first viewer of a display device that is coupled to the media device. The indication of the first state of the first viewer may be captured at a time corresponding to the display device displaying first content with a first set of one or more size characteristics. The media device may determine a display adjustment based at least in part on the indication of the first state of the first viewer. The media device may cause the display device to display second content in accordance with the display adjustment so that the display device displays at least a portion of the second content with a second set of one or more size characteristics that is different from the first set of one or more size characteristics. |
| US09684947B2 |
Indicating availability of indoor content on a digital map
An interactive digital map of a geographic area is provided via a viewport that defines a visible portion of the digital map. The digital map includes a representation of a structure. The viewport is panned relative to the digital map in response to receiving a user request. An indication that indoor map data is available for the structure is displayed in response to determining that the viewport is panning, and the indication is removed in response to determining that the viewport has stopped panning. |
| US09684946B2 |
Image making
A method of making an image of a scene (including a scene made by the method) generally corresponding to that perceived by the human brain via the human eyes, the method including the steps, in any suitable order, of: capturing, recording, generating, or otherwise representing a scene consisting of the entire field of view, or part thereof, visible to a human observer from a given ‘Viewing Point’ (VP) when fixating on a given region within the scene, progressively enlarging the image towards the area of the scene, and progressively compressing the area of the scene corresponding to the peripheral field of vision to thereby produce a modified image of the scene generally corresponding to how the scene would appear to the human perceiver. |
| US09684944B2 |
Graph-based application programming interface architectures with node-based destination-source mapping for enhanced image processing parallelism
A flexible representation of destination-source data block dependency is included in an image graph implementation optimization API to provide a mechanism for a graph node developer to communicate limits of scheduling constraints imposed by a graph's node connections. An image graph compiler and/or image graph executor may employ the destination-source data block dependency defined through the image graph implementation API to schedule work tasks to hardware resources in a more efficient manner. |
| US09684940B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method and computer-readable medium
In one example embodiment, an information processing apparatus causes a display device to display a first image from images associated with an observation target object. The images include the first image and a second image which corresponds to an annotation mark. In this embodiment, the information processing apparatus also causes the display device to display the annotation mark corresponding to the second image. In this embodiment, the displayed annotation mark overlaps the first image. |
| US09684930B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating media playback in online auctions
Systems and methods are provided for facilitating media playback in online auctions. A method may include detecting an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle. The method may also include determining current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction. The method may further include determining auction event information associated with the auction event. Additionally, the method may include identifying, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more media files for playback on a bidder device. The method may also include transmitting, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the one or more media files for playback on the bidder device according to a determined sequence, which may result in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases. |
| US09684928B2 |
Foot tracking
A system and method are described for tracking the location and orientation of a user's feet for an augmented reality display. A depth sensor generates a depth map of a scene within the field of view of the depth sensor, the field of view containing at least a portion of the user. A processor is configured to identify a portion of the depth map as a candidate object for foot tracking, determine a central skeleton representation of the identified portion, determine a location of a toe of the user's foot and a location of an ankle of the user's foot, based on the central skeleton representation, and calculate an orientation of the user's foot based on the determine locations of the toe and the ankle. |
| US09684925B2 |
Precision enabled retail display
A system includes a highlighter that is installed in a store to highlight a physical position of an item on display in the store. The system also includes a processor installed in the store to determine a location and identification (ID) of a mobile device, and retrieve a profile of a user of the mobile device based on the ID. The processor controls the highlighter to highlight the item when the location of the mobile device is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the item, and when the item is determined to be of interest to the user of the mobile device based on information obtained in the profile. |
| US09684920B2 |
Dual encoding of machine readable code for automatic scan-initiated purchase or uniform resource locator checkout
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for allowing a single representation of a trigger for payment across different environments using machine readable codes. A machine readable code may be encoded with a URL and information about a product to which the machine readable code is attached. A first electronic device may be able to scan and decode the machine readable code into first recognizable product information using a complaint application. The compliant application may populate a first form on the first electronic device for a first transaction with the recognizable product information without having to access a server. A non-compliant application on a second electronic device will launch a browser using the URL and provide the unrecognizable product information to the server for decoding. The server will decode the unrecognizable product information into a second recognizable product information that may be used to populate a second form for a second transaction. |
| US09684918B2 |
System and method for candidate domain name generation
A system and method for the generation of candidate domain names are presented. The method includes receiving, by at least one server communicatively coupled to a network, a request to access or purchase access to a software application, the request being received from a user. Keywords associated with at least one of the user, a website of the user, and a business of the user are generated and a candidate domain name relevant to the keywords is generated. A user interface is displayed including the candidate domain name. The user interface enables the user to register the candidate domain name. |
| US09684917B2 |
Product interoperability determination
A user input pertaining to a question is received. Based on the question a new message is generated and posted in at least one web based forum. Responses to the new message are monitored and analyzed to determine whether, for each response, the response pertains to a subject of the question. Responsive to determining that at least one response pertains to the subject of the question, information contained in the response is presented to the user. |
| US09684916B2 |
Retail system for selling products based on a flexible product description
According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant. |
| US09684913B2 |
Retail photo system configuration module and system
The present invention is a configuration module for a Retail Photo System. The configuration module is a memory module that provides system configuration information for use with a network connected Retail Photo System. Physical and digital controlled access to the configuration module is provided by a locking enclosure, password protected access, and an automatic scenario based activation means. Access to the configuration module is limited to authorized personnel and remote access, or via scenario based activation. |
| US09684909B2 |
Systems and methods for providing location based coupon-less offers to registered card members
The system provides location based coupon-less offers based upon a location of a card member (CM). A location of a CM may be determined based upon one or more of a travel itinerary, a GPS signal, a proximity of a mobile communication device to a cellular base station, and/or a zip code. An offer from a merchant registered to provide coupon-less offers may be transmitted to a mobile communication device based upon the location. An offer, once accepted by a CM, may be matched to a record of charge associated with a transaction account held by the CM. A credit may be applied to the CM's transaction account and a debit may be applied to a transaction account of the registered merchant. One or more offer categories and/or one or more offer category classes may be transmitted to the mobile communication device based upon the CM's location. |
| US09684908B2 |
Automatically generated comparison polls
A content item presented to a user may involve two or more topics, such as news articles mentioning athletes or actors. Users may enjoy expressing opinions about a comparison of the topics, such as personal preferences or an evaluation of talent. Presented herein are techniques for automatically generating, for the content item, a poll among the topics of the content item. The respective comparisons of a comparison set are evaluated for the topics of the content item, and a comparison relevance score is computed identifying the relevance of the comparison of the topics. The comparison having the highest relevance for the topics is selected, and a comparison question is formulated and presented to the user with the content item. Results may be tabulated and presented for the topics of the content item. These techniques facilitate user expression about the content item without depending upon user-authored polls for each content item. |
| US09684907B2 |
Networking with media fingerprints
An information element, uniquely related to a media fingerprint that is uniquely derived from a media content portion during play out thereof, is provided to a first web page. The first web page stores the information element with an associated first information set, which relates to one or more media fingerprints. One or more second web pages store at least a second information set, which relates to one or more media fingerprints. The first and at least second web pages are accessed and crawled in relation to the first and the at least second information sets. One or more information elements, which are common to the first and the at least second information sets, are indexed. The first web page and the at least one of the second web pages are related based on the indexed common information elements. |
| US09684905B1 |
Systems and methods for data verification
Systems and methods for verifying data including income and employment, assets, healthcare claims, clinical data, and other types of data subject to various regulatory and/or privacy restrictions. |
| US09684901B2 |
Selective presentation of real-time contact options based on user and system parameters
Embodiments of configuring elements of a publication server of a product or server sales architecture in mechanisms are described generally herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09684897B2 |
Intelligent credit card system
A new credit card system which enables improved reading and other operations. Reading can be done in the short edge of the credit card thereby shortening the aspect ratio and size of the card reader. The reader can be electrical, reading information via contacts, or can be optical readers. |
| US09684896B2 |
Systems and methods for secure wireless payment transactions when a wireless network is unavailable
Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed which allow a mobile device user to complete financial transactions even when the mobile device is not connected to a wireless network. The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure may utilize a combination of an encrypted lockbox containing out of network payment codes on the mobile device and a matching set of out of network payment codes stored on a server of a payment authority. |
| US09684894B2 |
Method and apparatus for invoking a degraded mode architecture
An apparatus for invoking a degraded mode architecture is provided. The apparatus may include a desktop application, a branch processor, and/or a data center. The branch processor may be in communication with the data center and the desktop application. The branch processor may transmit activities that occurred in the branch processor and the desktop application to the data center. During a termination of communication between the data center and the branch processor, the branch processor may save branch processor activities and desktop application activities. After the termination of communication, the branch processor may transmit the saved activities to the data center. In addition, many components which may be found on the desktop application may also be found on the branch processor. This may enable the branch processor to perform the desktop application capabilities when there is a termination of communication between the desktop application and the branch processor. |
| US09684892B2 |
Proximity payment with coupon redemption using a server and an identification code
The invention describes how a consumer can hold their NFC enabled device in proximity to an NFC enabled point-of-sale terminal and with a single “wave” or “tap” to automatically redeem coupons, pay for a purchase using a default payment card or a selected card, view receipts view reward point balances, and receive relevant coupons and other digital artifacts both before and after the purchase. The NFC enabled device includes a secure element with a payment application, payment credentials, and other digital artifacts such as coupons. The secure element can be internal to the mobile device, externally affixed to the mobile device, or inserted into a slot within the body of the mobile device. |
| US09684890B2 |
System and method for collecting and disbursing electronic gratuities
The present invention relates to systems and methods for collecting and disbursing electronic gratuities. According to one embodiment, a device for submitting gratuities by credit card is provided at a place of business or other appropriate location. A method of using this device is disclosed, whereby consumers pay a predetermined or adjustable gratuity amount by inserting a credit card into the device. According to another embodiment, technological infrastructure is provided to transmit encrypted payment information such that the acquiring bank of the device provider obtains authorization for gratuity transactions conducted using the device. The acquiring bank is thus enabled to credit the device provider's merchant account or disbursal accounts with electronic gratuity payments less acquisition fees. According to another embodiment, a method of disbursing gratuity shares to employees of the business is provided, wherein processing fees are collected by the device provider. |
| US09684889B2 |
System and method for providing certification-related and other services
A system for warranting the identity of a party over an electronic network. The system comprises a root entity and a plurality of additional entities. Each additional entity is admitted to the system after agreeing to abide by a plurality of operating rules promulgated by the root entity. The additional entities may comprise level-one participants and level-two participants. Certificate authorities maintained by level-one participants issue digital certificates to their customers. The digital certificates bind the customers to their public keys. System customers are also provided with a warranty request formatter which is adapted to formulate a request for a warranty as to the veracity of information contained in a digital certificate. The warranty request formatter is also adapted to transmit the request for the warranty to the customer's level-one participant. The level-one participants maintain an intelligent messaging gateway which is adapted to receive messages from their customers and to transmit messages to appropriate system entities. Warranty offers are issued by the participant that issued the digital certificate identified in the warranty request. The participants are required to maintain collateral with a collateral custodian. |
| US09684887B2 |
Priority of outbound messages communicated among end user communication devices
An exemplary method implemented by a first end-user communication device originates an electronic communication. User input is received to create information to be conveyed by the transmission of a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment. The user data segment contains a user message and a priority value where the priority value conveys a corresponding message priority to a recipient device. The priority value and the user message are determined by the user of the first end-user communication device. Under the control of a first module of an enhanced services application program, a composition screen is displayed by which the user input including the user message is entered. Visual indicia indicative of a current message priority to be assigned to the user message is displayed on the composition. The first module causes insertion of the priority value corresponding to the current message priority in a priority field in the user data segment prior to transmission of the digital packet. The digital packet is transmitted with the user data segment that contains the user message and the priority value. |
| US09684883B2 |
Inventory management system with late transaction processing
An inventory management system processes late transactions. The system takes snapshots of stock counts recorded in an accounting system and receives a transaction record after taking the snapshots. The system then determine whether there is an open stock count corresponding to the transaction record and whether the snapshots include a snapshot of the open stock count. When the open stock count and the snapshot exist, the system writes the transaction record to a staging table. Then, upon proceeding from a first phase to a second phase of a plurality of stock count phases, the system updates the snapshot based on the staging table. The stock count phases include a count phase, a recount phase, and an authorize phase. |
| US09684882B2 |
Permitted assignment user interface
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for displaying a visual task board comprising a permitted assignment user interface are disclosed. Displaying a permitted assignment user interface may comprise generating a first card representing a first record, wherein the first record comprises an information element that has a first value of a visualization metric, generating an output for display, the output comprising a first lane representing the first value of the visualization metric and comprising the first card, and, in response to operator input indicating a primary context and on a condition that an association between the primary context and the first record is prohibited, updating the output by generating an updated first card representing the first record and indicating that the association between the first record and the primary context is prohibited, and generating an updated output for display omitting the first card and comprising the updated first card. |
| US09684881B2 |
System and method of workforce optimization
A method of workforce optimization includes acquiring video data. The video data is obtained from a plurality of video cameras in a facility comprising a plurality of departments. A customer load for each of the plurality of departments is identified. A location of each of a plurality of employees in the facility is identified. A customer-to-employee ratio is determined for each department. The determined customer-to-employee ratio for each department is provided to a computing device. At least one employee deployment notification is provided from the computing device to another computing device. |
| US09684879B2 |
Method and system for tracking and reporting environmental impact and agricultural-producer information
Various embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for tracking and reporting environmental impact and agricultural-producer information. In an example embodiment, a method comprises receiving first data associated with an impact on groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the impact on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution resulting from a production of an agricultural product, the first data being received from a single representative sampling location; receiving second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the second data being received from at least one of a plurality of representative sampling locations; generating an aggregate result based on the second data; calculating comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first data; and reporting the aggregate result and the comparative data to a user. |
| US09684875B1 |
Data mining technique with experience-layered gene pool
Roughly described, a computer-implemented evolutionary data mining system includes a memory storing a candidate gene database in which each candidate individual has a respective fitness estimate; a gene pool processor which tests individuals from the candidate gene pool on training data and updates the fitness estimate associated with the individuals in dependence upon the tests; and a gene harvesting module providing for deployment selected ones of the individuals from the gene pool, wherein the gene pool processor includes a competition module which selects individuals for discarding from the gene pool in dependence upon both their updated fitness estimate and their testing experience level. Preferably the gene database has an elitist pool containing multiple experience layers, and the competition module causes individuals to compete only with other individuals in their same experience layer. |
| US09684871B2 |
Efficient fact checking method and system
An efficient fact checking system analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The efficient fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information efficiently and/or provides a status of the information. |
| US09684869B2 |
Infrastructure and architecture for development and execution of predictive models
A system that enables development and execution of predictive models comprises a centralized data management system, a data extraction tool a model validation tool and a model execution tool. In embodiments, a data management system includes a data management server that can be accessed via a web browser that stores data in the form of a flat file. An extraction tool extracts data. A model validation tool validates a model by scoring an analytical environment data set and a production environment data set. A model execution tool allows a user to select when and how often a model is scored. |
| US09684862B2 |
Microelectronic smart tags
A smart tag comprises a processor, a non-volatile memory, at least one of an internal power source and an external power source, and a transceiver configured for two-way communication with a reader external to the smart tag. The smart tag is formed as an integrated circuit chip less than 10 cubic millimeters in size to less than 0.000125 cubic millimeters in size. An apparatus comprising the smart tag may further include an antenna connect to the smart tag. |
| US09684853B2 |
Image forming apparatus that writes data from volatile memory to non-volatile memory
An electronic device includes volatile memory, flash memory, and a CPU. The volatile memory includes a first actual data region that records actual data and a first log region that records update information including update data used for updating the actual data. The flash memory includes blocks and undergoes block unit initialization when writing is to be performed thereto. The blocks each include a second actual data region that records actual data and a second log region that records update information written from the first log region. The CPU writes update information corresponding to update data to the first log region when updating actual data using the update data. At a preset specific timing, the CPU collects update information recorded in the first log region, writes the collected update information to the second log regions in accordance with a specific order, and subsequently initializes the first log region. |
| US09684848B2 |
System and method for retrieving an image containing image statistical data
A system and method of retrieving an area of interest of an image stored in a storage device. The method includes selecting the area of interest having user desired features, the stored image being divided into a plurality of polygonal image sections, each polygonal image section having substantially homogenous features, the image being further divided into a plurality of quads such that each quad has boundaries that contains at least a portion of a first polygonal image section and at least a portion of a second polygonal image section. The method further includes determining in which quad in the plurality of quads each pixel of the area of interest is located and determining for each quad, in which portion of the first polygonal image section or the second polygonal image section each pixel is located. |
| US09684845B2 |
Viewpoints of a point of interest
A method, computer program product, and a computer system is provided. A processor determines a first viewpoint of the point of interest, the first viewpoint includes a first image group captured from a first location. A processor retrieves an image from an online repository. In response to content of the image matching content of the first image group, a processor assigns a location of the image to the first viewpoint. A processor determines a second viewpoint of the point of interest, the second viewpoint includes a second image group captured from a second location. A processor determines a first ranking score for the first viewpoint based, in part, on the first image group. A processor determines a second ranking score for the second viewpoint based, at least in part, on the second image group. A processor generates a ranked list of the first viewpoint and the second viewpoint based. |
| US09684842B2 |
Methods and apparatus to extract text from imaged documents
Methods and apparatus to extract text from imaged documents are disclosed. Example methods include segmenting an image of a document into localized sub-images corresponding to individual characters in the document. The example methods further include grouping respective ones of the sub-images into a cluster based on a visual correlation of the respective ones of the sub-images to a reference sub-image. The visual correlation between the reference sub-image and the respective ones of the sub-images grouped into the cluster exceeding a correlation threshold. The example methods also include identifying a designated character for the cluster based on the sub-images grouped into the cluster. The example methods further include associating the designated character with locations in the image of the document associated with the respective ones of the sub-images grouped into the cluster. |
| US09684841B2 |
Method of transmitting moving image and surveillance system using the method
A method of transmitting a moving image and surveillance system using the method are provided. The method includes: receiving a frame image having a first resolution from a camera; generating a first frame image having the first resolution and a second frame image having a second resolution with respect to the frame image of a moving image; extracting an image of a setting region from the first frame image having the first resolution that is higher than the second resolution; generating a combined frame image by combining the extracted image of the setting region and the second frame image having the second resolution; and transmitting the combined frame image to a client apparatus. |
| US09684840B2 |
Detection system
A detection system comprises a light source configured to illuminate an object, an image sensor configured to receive light reflected from the object, and a processor. The image sensor generates a first picture when the light source is turned on. The image sensor generates a second picture when the light source is turned off. The processor is configured to subtract the second picture from the first picture for determining an object image produced by the object. |
| US09684839B2 |
Blank paper check with dual-sided variable printing
An article for use as a negotiable instrument includes a substrate having a front side and reverse side; first machine-printed information on the substrate's front side including an account number associated with the negotiable instrument, and a unique identifier associated with the negotiable instrument, the first machine-printed information uniquely identifying the negotiable instrument; and second machine-printed information on the substrate's reverse side that corresponds to the first machine-printed information such that comparison of respective images of the substrate's front and reverse sides indicates that the images correspond to the same negotiable instrument. |
| US09684835B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method, and program
An image processing system, an image processing method, and a program capable of suppressing errors related to association of a person appearing in a video are provided. An image processing system includes: an image acquiring unit which accepts input of videos captured by a plurality of video cameras; a next camera predicting unit which predicts a video camera on which an object detected in a video is to appear next; and a display control unit which announces a confusability of an object according to a similarity between the detected object and another object that is likely to appear in a video of the video camera predicted by the next camera predicting unit and which causes a display device to display a video from the video camera predicted by the next camera predicting unit. |
| US09684830B2 |
Automatic target selection for multi-target object tracking
Techniques related to automatic target object selection from multiple tracked objects for imaging devices are discussed. Such techniques may include generating one or more object selection metrics such as accumulated distances from frame center, accumulated velocities, and trajectory comparisons of predicted to actual trajectories for tracked objects and selecting the target object based on the object selection metric or metrics. |
| US09684820B2 |
Method and apparatus for subject identification
Comprehensive 2D learning images are collected for learning subjects. Standardized 2D gallery images of many gallery subjects are collected, one per gallery subject. A 2D query image of a query subject is collected, of arbitrary viewing aspect, illumination, etc. 3D learning models, 3D gallery models, and a 3D query model are determined from the learning, gallery, and query images. A transform is determined for the selected learning model and each gallery model that yields or approximates the query image. The transform is at least partly 3D, such as 3D illumination transfer or 3D orientation alignment. The transform is applied to each gallery model so that the transformed gallery models more closely resemble the query model. 2D transformed gallery images are produced from the transformed gallery models, and are compared against the 2D query image to identify whether the query subject is also any of the gallery subjects. |
| US09684808B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus and mobile device
A wireless communication apparatus includes an amplifier circuit configured to amplify a signal output by a wireless communication unit that executes wireless communication, to output the signal having amplified to a transceiver unit; and a decision unit configured to decide, based on an operational mode of the wireless communication unit, whether to transmit the signal from the transceiver unit via the amplifier circuit, or transmit the signal from the transceiver unit without going via the amplifier circuit. |
| US09684806B2 |
Modular application of peripheral panels as security protection screens with individual locking mechanisms within a rack-based information handling system
A rack-based information handling system (RIHS) includes a rack chassis having at least two opposing side panels which are structurally held in place by one or more segments spanning between the two opposing side panels to generate an internal volume between the at least two opposing side panels. The internal volume has structures that enable insertion and retention of information technology (IT) gear and other components of the IHS at one of a front access space and a rear access space of the rack chassis that extend between the two opposing side panels. The RIHS also includes at least one security screen that is removably affixed to opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and span across a first segment of an access space to prevent direct physical access to the IT gear or other components that are inserted within the rack chassis behind the security screen. |
| US09684805B2 |
Method and apparatus for securing computer interfaces
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for securing otherwise unsecured internal and external computer communications. According to one aspect, the invention relates to methods and apparatuses for implementing device gatekeeping. According to another aspect the invention relates to methods and apparatuses for encrypting and decrypting data sent over an external or internal interface. According to another aspect, the invention relates to methods and apparatuses for implementing device snooping, in which some or all traffic passing between a host and a connected device is captured into memory and analyzed in real time by system software. In embodiments, the software can also act upon analyzed information. According to certain additional aspects, the security functions performed by methods and apparatuses according to the invention can be logically transparent to the upstream host and/or to the downstream device. |
| US09684802B2 |
Verification and access control for industry-specific solution package
A solution package, that has configured computing system assets from a base computing system, is received and analyzed to verify that it meets a set of predetermined verification criteria. A request is received to view the solution package. A user interface component is controlled to restrict access to the solution found in the solution package. |
| US09684799B2 |
Audience-based sensitive information handling for shared collaborative documents
A method for providing audience-based redaction of sensitive information in an electronic document may include receiving a request from a computing device to access an electronic document, retrieving the electronic document, identifying the user(s) associated with the computing device, determining an access level for each user associated with the computing device, determining the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device, generating a rendering of the electronic document for display on the computing device based on the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device, and providing the rendering of the electronic document to the computing device for display. When generating the rendering of the electronic document for display, sensitive information in the electronic document is typically redacted based on the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device. |
| US09684796B2 |
Information processing system, service providing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program
The present invention is related to an information processing system, a service providing apparatus and method, an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program that are intended to simultaneously share content data in private virtual spaces. A home server 11 is arranged at user A's home. A portable user terminal 1 and so on can access the home server 11. A virtual home DB server 21 supplies the layout information about virtual home and so on to the portable user terminal 1. An authentication server 22 executes authentication processing on the portable user terminal 1. An inter-user-terminal communication relay server 23 executes the processing associated with the communication between a plurality of users. A user information holding server 24 stores the personal data of each user and the content data, which are shared with other users. The present invention is applicable to programs realizing realtime communication by use of the Internet. |
| US09684793B2 |
Entitlement security and control
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for entitlement security and control. An example method includes granting an entitlement permission after an entitlement request for the computer user has been determined to satisfy one or more predetermined entitlement rules for one or more computer resources of a computing device. Also, an audit trail is generated, comprising information relating to the computer user receiving the entitlement permission. In addition, a change to one or more user characteristics of the computer user in one or more data sources is tracked. The audit trail is automatically updated to reflect the change to the one or more data sources. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09684788B2 |
Self-repair and distributed-repair of applications
A method is provided to instrument applications with an instrumentation policy that is visually configurable and allows for run-time modifications of the policy. Instrumentation is achieved without modifying the source code of the applications. Modification of the instrumentation policy of an application is applied without re-compiling, re-deploying, and re-provisioning the application. The instrumentation tracks the flow of values at run time throughout the execution of an application and fixes any security violation automatically by dynamically modifying any value that violates integrity or confidentiality. |
| US09684785B2 |
Providing multiple isolated execution environments for securely accessing untrusted content
A sandbox tool can create and maintain multiple isolated execution environments, simultaneously. The sandbox tool can assign a unique security label to each isolated execution environment. In order to ensure the security labels are unique, the sandbox tool, for each security label, can bind a communication socket in an abstract name space of the operating system with a name that is the same as the security label. If the operating system returns an error that the name for the communication socket is already in use, the sandbox tool can determine that the security label is already in use by another isolated execution environment or other process. |
| US09684778B2 |
Extending user authentication across a trust group of smart devices
Particular embodiments described herein provide for a wearable electronic device with a biometric sensor and logic. At least a portion of the logic is implemented in hardware. The logic is configured to receive input data indicative of biometric input and attempt to authenticate the input data based, at least in part, on at least one biometric credential of an authorized user. The logic is configured to establish a wireless connection to a smart device, determine whether the smart device is included in a trust group of one or more smart devices, and send a communication to unlock the smart device when the input data is successfully authenticated and when the trust group includes the smart device. |
| US09684776B2 |
Allowing access to applications based on user authentication
Authenticating users comprises a computing device that receives a manual authentication input of a user and initiates a first user session between the user and the user computing device. The device communicates a request for a first user authorization data from an authentication technology associated with the one or more computing devices and receives the first user authentication data. The user or the device terminates the first user session and subsequently receives an input of the user to initiate a second user session. The device communicates a request for second user authentication data from the authentication technology and compares the first user authentication data and the second user authentication data. The device identifies a match of one or more features of the first user authentication data and one or more features of the second user authentication data and authorizes the user to conduct the second user session. |
| US09684772B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program
An information processing apparatus includes a data processing section for reproducing contents stored in a medium having a general purpose area in which encrypted contents and corresponding utilization controlling information are stored and a protected area including a plurality of blocks having access limitation set thereto and including a block having an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted contents stored therein. The data processing section acquires utilization controlling information corresponding to a content from the general purpose area, decides, based on the utilization controlling information, whether validity period information indicative of a content utilization permission period is to be acquired from the utilization controlling information or the encryption key storage block, acquires the validity period information based on a result of the decision and then compares the acquired validity period information and current date information to decide permission or inhibition of content reproduction. |
| US09684771B2 |
Methods, systems, and software for identifying bio-molecules using models of multiplicative form
The present invention provides methods for identifying bio-molecules with desired properties, or which are most suitable for acquiring such properties, from complex bio-molecule libraries or sets of such libraries. More specifically, some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for building sequence-activity models comprising multiplicative terms and using the models to guide directed evolution. In some embodiments, the sequence-activity models include one or more interaction terms, each of which including an interaction coefficient representing the contribution to activity of two or more defined residues. In some embodiments, the models describe relation between protein or nucleic acid sequences and protein activities. In some embodiments, the present invention also provides methods for preparing sequence-activity models, including but not limited to stepwise addition or subtraction techniques, Bayesian regression, ensemble regression and other methods. The present invention further provides digital systems and software for performing the methods provided herein. |
| US09684767B2 |
System and method for adapting alarms in a wearable medical device
According to another example, a wearable medical device controller is provided. The device controller includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to determine a correlation between a phenomenon identifiable by the wearable medical device controller and at least one response pattern associated with a patient and store, responsive to detecting the correlation, an adaptation path to address the at least one response pattern, the adaptation path specifying an adaptation of at least one characteristic of an alarm. The at least one response pattern may include a plurality of response patterns and the adaptation path may reflect adaptations made to address at least some of the plurality of response patterns. |
| US09684766B2 |
Bulk encoding of medical items using RFID tags
A system and method for bulk encoding medical items in a tracking system in a healthcare facility comprises attaching to each of a plurality of identical medical items a blank RFID tag. When activated simultaneously, the serial numbers of all RFID tags on all the identical medical items are read and their serial numbers are associated with the pre-stored characteristics of the medical item in a data base. The RFID tags are blank in that they include no human-readable data concerning the medical article to which the RFID tag is attached. A data mining system and method are provided for mining the database. |
| US09684765B2 |
Systems and methods for remote identification
Improved systems and methods are described for improving patient care, safety, and workflow. In particular, a rewritable identification device is provided. In some examples, identification data is exchanged between an identification device and a bidirectional device. At the outset, the identification device may receive a request for identification data from the bidirectional device. In response to the request, the identification device may retrieve the requested identification data as well as supplemental data associated with the identification data. After retrieval, the identification device may transmit, within an ultra-high frequency range, a radio frequency identification tag containing the requested identification data and the supplemental data to the bidirectional device. |
| US09684764B2 |
Data communication system, data analysis apparatus, data communication method, and program product
In a plurality of data analysis apparatuses communicatively coupled to one another, a database is accessed at a given access level. Based on the data acquired from the database, an application program is executed to perform data analysis. Communication control is performed to allow transmission and reception of a data analysis result with respect to another data analysis apparatus at a different access level. |
| US09684763B2 |
Medical measuring device and medical measuring system
In a housing configured to mount thereon a biosensor in an attachable and detachable manner in which the biosensor is configured to have a liquid sample of a biological object deposited thereon, the medial measuring device includes a measuring component operable to measure biological information from the liquid sample of the biological object, a recording component operable to store a result measured by the measuring component, and an information protection component operable to determine an access limitation to personal information data stored in the recording component. With this configuration of the device, it is possible to properly protect personal information stored in the device. |
| US09684754B2 |
Standard cell architecture layout
Various implementations described herein are directed to providing standard cell architecture layout design. A request to activate a grid is received. A request to place at least one edge of a shape at a particular location on the grid is received from an input device. The at least one edge of the shape is automatically placed in an allowed location based on pre-defined rules. |
| US09684753B2 |
Techniques for generating nanowire pad data from pre-existing design data
In one aspect, a CAD-based method for designing a lithographic mask for nanowire-based devices is provided which includes the steps of: create a design for the mask from existing (e.g., FINFET or planar CMOS) design data which includes, for each of the devices, one or more nanowire mask shapes (FINFET design data) or continuous shapes (planar CMOS design data); for FINFET design data, merging the nanowire mask shapes into continuous shapes; expanding the continuous shapes to join all of the continuous shapes in the design together forming a single polygon shape; removing the continuous shapes from the single polygon shape resulting in landing pad shapes for anchoring the nanowire mask shapes; for CMOS design data, dividing the continuous active shapes into one or more nanowire mask shapes; and merging the landing pad shapes with the nanowire mask shapes to form the lithographic mask. |
| US09684752B2 |
Automating system on a chip customized design integration, specification, and verification through a single, integrated service
A user specified high level design selects a plurality of IP cores for placement in a customized system on a chip. A single integrated service automatically performs each of a design integration phase, specification phase, and verification phase for the user specified high level design to generate an integration file specifying stitching between a plurality of pins of each of the plurality of IP cores, a specification file specifying one or more characteristics of the customized system on a chip based on the user specified high level design, and a verification testbench for verification of the user specified high level design. |
| US09684750B1 |
Concurrent design process
The present disclosure relates to a method for multi-user, at least partially concurrent, electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, at a client computing device, a user input corresponding to a change to an electronic circuit design, wherein the electronic circuit design is accessible by multiple users in an at least partially concurrent manner. Embodiments may also include implementing the change to the electronic circuit design at the client computing device without receiving authorization from a server computing device and transmitting the implemented change to the electronic circuit design to the server computing device. |
| US09684748B1 |
System and method for identifying an electrical short in an electronic design
The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for electronic design automation. The method may include providing, using one or more computing devices, an electronic design including a first net and a second net. The method may include identifying a shortest path between the first net and the second net and determining at least one common shape associated with the shortest path. The method may also include identifying one or more adjacent shapes to the at least one common shape and identifying at least one fork associated with each of the one or more connectivity reference points. The method may further include analyzing an intermediate fork of the at least one fork to identify an electrical short associated with the electronic design. |
| US09684747B2 |
Parameter modeling for semiconductor arrangements
One or more systems and techniques for modeling are provided. An original device model, such as a SPICE model, is used as a basis for fabricating a semiconductor arrangement, such as an integrated circuit arrangement, upon a semiconductor wafer. Fabrication process variations cause measured e-parameters and measured size e-parameters of the semiconductor arrangement to vary from original design parameters of the original device model. Accordingly, a partial set of e-parameters and a partial set of size e-parameters are measured from the semiconductor arrangement, and are expanded into a full set of e-parameters and a full set of size e-parameters using e-parameter derivation and size-centric derivation. The original device model is retargeted using the full set of e-parameters and the full set of size e-parameters to create a new device model that more accurately represents the real-world or fabricated semiconductor arrangement. |
| US09684743B2 |
Isolated debugging in an FPGA based emulation environment
For a design under test (DUT) that is to be emulated, a host system partitions the DUT into multiple partitions and maps each partition to an FPGA of an emulator which will emulate the partition. The host system stores information describing to which FPGAs each component of the DUT has been mapped. Additionally, mapped to each FPGA is trace and injection logic that traces signals exchanged by the FPGA with other FPGAs during emulation of the DUT. After the emulation of the DUT is complete, if a user wishes to debug a component of the DUT, the FPGAs that are configured to emulate the component are identified. For each identified FPGA, the trace and injection logic injects previously traced signals into the logic of the FPGA in order to reemulate the component. The host system generates waveforms for the user that include signals traced during the reemulation of the component. |
| US09684741B2 |
Presenting search results according to query domains
A query may be applied against search engines that respectively return a set of search results relating to various items discovered in the searched data sets. However, presenting numerous and varied search results may be difficult on mobile devices with small displays and limited computational resources. Instead, search results may be associated with search domains representing various information types (e.g., contacts, public figures, places, projects, movies, music, and books) and presented by grouping search results with associated query domains, e.g., in a tabbed user interface. The query may be received through an input device associated with a particular input domain, and may be transitioned to the query domain of a particular search engine (e.g., by recognizing phonemes of a voice query using an acoustic model; matching phonemes with query terms according to a pronunciation model; and generating a recognition result according to a vocabulary of an n-gram language model.) |
| US09684732B2 |
Creating a service mashup instance
A method for creating a service mashup instance comprises recording at least two services being selected by a user during an exploration procedure, obtaining a relationship between the at least two services, and generating the service mashup instance based on the relationship. Additionally, a method of using content retrieved from external data sources to create a service based on that content comprises, with a browser application, recording at least two services being selected by a user during an exploration procedure, analyzing the relationship between the at least two services selected, generating the service mashup instance based on the relationship, and storing the relationship between the at least two services in a repository. |
| US09684731B2 |
Systems and methods for progressively launching websites
A method for progressively launching a website is disclosed. A production phase website may be launched or made available to a limited number of consumers. In addition, the performance of the production phase website may be evaluated based upon a comparison of the performance of the production phase website to a performance of the predecessor website. Further, the predecessor website may be replaced with the production phase website. |
| US09684728B2 |
Sharing video
A system and method that provides a hosted network video guide application. The guide application is provided as a service to web portals and other websites that wish to expose access to the video content available on a public network such as the Internet. The operation of the guide includes mechanisms for search application hosting and processes for content gathering. Video index information can be derived from random content owners, guide affiliates, proactively gathered public domain content, and proactively harvested video content from the network via a video spidering mechanism. The video index information can be collected and maintained in a hosted, centralized repository and made available via an application interface, which can be customized, to users of the network. The video spidering mechanism generates an index of each accessed video, and the index is committed to the guide repository along with the URL information of the video being indexed. |
| US09684724B2 |
Organizing search history into collections
Computer-storage media, methods, and systems for improving the ability of a user to accomplish a task that is pending during a search session are provided. When a user invokes the pending task, a collection of elements that are associated with the pending task are dynamically organized into a sharable content page that may be shared with a user's contacts via a social network. The user's contacts may comment on or provide feedback related to the pending task. The feedback may be published to the sharable content page and presented to the user on a user interface. |
| US09684723B2 |
Adaptable real-time feed for site population
Aspects of the subject disclosure are directed towards increasing a community of interest group users of an interest group, e.g., a network site having a feed of posts generally related to a particular topic. Many newly created interest groups do not have enough content to keep users interested and attract new users. The technology described herein automatically obtains content that backfills such an interest group with additional related content. The backfilled content may be found by keywords search and/or by crawling general public data, data from specific sites, historical conversation data, and/or more widely scoped data. Also described is creating a new interest group and seeding the group with content based upon backfilling technology. |
| US09684720B2 |
Lateral search
A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client. |
| US09684719B2 |
Object search by description
Systems and methods search video data for objects that satisfy a general object description. A database is populated with identified objects and object characteristics detected in video data with at least one identifier that specifies video image data. At least one search parameter is received that presents a general object description. The database is queried based upon the received at least one search parameter. At least one identifier is returned from the database based upon the at least one search parameter. |
| US09684718B2 |
System for searching for a web document
Provided is a system for searching for a web document. The system includes a receiver configured to receive a user's search request. A search engine is configured to search for a web document related to the search request based on a web document index, and to determine a move path for accessing the web document based on a move path index of the web document. A sender is configured to send the move path for accessing the web document to the user. |
| US09684716B2 |
Video display method
A method for video playback uses only resources universally supported by a browser (“inline playback”) operating in virtually all handheld media devices. In one case, the method first prepares a video sequence for display by a browser by (a) dividing the video sequence into a silent video stream and an audio stream; (b) extracting from the silent video stream a number of still images, the number of still images corresponding to at least one of a desired output frame rate and a desired output resolution; and (c) combining the still images into a composite image. In one embodiment, the composite image having a number of rows, with each row being formed by the still images created from a fixed duration of the silent video stream. Another method plays the still images of the composite image as a video sequence by (a) loading the composite image to be displayed through a viewport defined the size of one of the still images; (b) selecting one of the still images of the composite image; (c) setting the viewport to display the selected still image; and (d) setting a timer for a specified time period based on a frame rate, such that, upon expiration of the specified time period: (i) selecting a next one of the still images to be displayed in the viewport, unless all still images of the composite image have been selected; and (ii) return to step (c) if not all still images have been selected. |
| US09684713B2 |
Methods and systems for retrieval of experts based on user customizable search and ranking parameters
Methods and systems for finding experts based upon user customizable search and ranking criteria, and providing the search results at a person or expert level are disclosed. The methods generally entail cataloging data within one or more document databases, and includes the steps of (a) inputting disparate data sources which may include publications, awarded grants, clinical trials, and/or patents; (b) processing the data within each document in the document database(s); (c) creating a document profile for each document using relevant keywords; (d) assigning weighting factors to the relevant keywords based upon selected attributes; (e) assigning an identifier to each document and document author; (f) removing duplicate document data using a disambiguation algorithm; (g) extracting author level attributes from the retrieved documents; and (h) creating or updating each document profile. The method steps may be implemented using a system of computer servers communicatively linked to a plurality of clients via a global network. |
| US09684712B1 |
Analyzing tenant-specific data
A method for use in analyzing tenant-specific data is disclosed. First data for a first tenant and second data for a second tenant is stored in a multi-tenant data storage system. A first portion of the first data is selected. Based on the selection, the first portion of the first data is copied to a data store that is specific to the first tenant. Data analysis techniques are applied to the data store. |
| US09684710B2 |
Extending random number summation as an order-preserving encryption scheme
A method and system for cryptographically indexing, searching for, and retrieving documents is provided. In some embodiments, an encryption system is provided that generates a document index that allows users to retrieve documents by performing encrypted queries for keywords associated with the documents. In some embodiments, each keyword maps to the same number of encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an extractor graph is employed to map an indication of each keyword to a number of buckets storing encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an order-preserving encryption system is provided. The encryption system uses an ordered index that maps encrypted instances of ordered attribute values to documents that are associated with those values. The ordered index enables queries containing query operators that rely on order, such as less than (“<”) or greater than (“>”), to be successfully performed on encrypted attribute values. |
| US09684708B2 |
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. |
| US09684706B2 |
Method for mapping media components employing machine learning
The present document relates to cloud computing. In particular, the present document relates to methods and systems for cloud computing which enable the efficient and flexible placement of application components within a cloud. A computing device (101) is described. The computing device (101) is adapted to receive a plurality of component placement requests for one or more components (703) of a corresponding plurality of applications (700); determine a plurality of feature vectors (203) from the plurality of component placement requests, respectively; wherein each feature vector (203) comprises vector dimensions which describe different attributes of the respective component placement request: determine a plurality of placement decisions (205) regarding the plurality of component placement requests, respectively: wherein each placement decision (205) comprises an indication of one or more executing computing devices (101) onto which the one or more components (703) of the respective application (700) have been placed; cluster the plurality of feature vectors (203), thereby yielding one or more clusters (202); wherein each cluster (202) comprises a default feature vector (203) describing the different attributes of a default component placement request; determine a default placement decision (205) for each of the one or more clusters; and store the one or more default feature vectors and the respective one or more default placement decisions (205) in a database (204) of the computing device (101). |
| US09684704B2 |
Data extraction and sparseness discovery from multidimensional databases
Techniques for a method for efficiently extracting data from multidimensional databases are disclosed herein. When extracting data from a subset of a multidimensional database, the method first extracts data from high-level cells within the subset. If there are any empty high-level cells, the method removes lower-level cells that roll-up into the empty high-level cell, without extracting data from these lower-level cells. The method improves the data extraction efficiency by reducing the overhead of extracting data from empty cells of multidimensional databases. |
| US09684702B2 |
Database redistribution utilizing virtual partitions
In some embodiments, a partitioned database is stored in a plurality of logical or physical partitions on at least a logical or physical first data storage node, and a subset of a first partition among the plurality of logical partitions is configured as a virtual partition. An input indicating an allocation of a second physical data storage node to store the partitioned database is received. A second partition is configured on the second data storage node. In response to the input, the partitioned database is redistributed over the first and second data storage nodes by moving data within the virtual partition on the first partition to the second partition. |
| US09684698B1 |
Methods and systems for social awareness
The embodiments described herein relate to a method and system for social awareness which may be based on social networks for knowledge exchange. More specifically, the embodiments may refer to specific social networks with social elements in the user interface based on knowledge exchange, social theory of group memberships within an enterprise or organization context. In addition, the disclosed group memberships may be predicated upon many different types of relationships. Furthermore, the social network (through a program interface) may provide to users the required specific project resources (project team members), which may be need to develop a better project performance according to the experience and knowledge of the new members. The required project team members may match with the attributes and criteria established during the project planning. |
| US09684697B1 |
Ranking search results
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving a search query from a client device; receiving search result data identifying a first plurality of search result resources and respective initial scores for each of the first plurality of search result resources; identifying a respective group of resources to which each of the search result resources belongs; determining a respective group-based modification factor for each group of resources; and adjusting the initial score for each of the search result resources based at least in part on the group-specific modification factor for the group of resources to which the search result resource belongs to generate a respective second score for each of the search result resources. |
| US09684695B2 |
Ranking test framework for search results on an online social network
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a first set of scored results from a first user, the scored results comprising one or more results generated by a first search algorithm in response to a query from the first user, wherein the one or more results correspond to one or more content objects, respectively, the one or more results being personalized for the first user; and one or more scores inputted by the first user corresponding to the one or more results, respectively, calculating a discounted cumulative gain for each result in the first set of scored results based on the score inputted by the first user corresponding to the result, and modifying the first search algorithm based on the calculated gain for each result, wherein the first search algorithm is modified to improve the ranking of results personalized for the first user. |
| US09684692B2 |
Data distributing method and management node
A data distributing method and a management node are provided, which include: according to a received request for cross join, acquiring the number of sub-tables, serial numbers of sub-tables, the number of nodes and serial numbers of nodes, wherein the sub-tables and the nodes are separately included in table A and table B which need to perform cross join; setting the serial numbers of the sub-tables included in the table A or the table B in abscissa or ordinate in sequence, to form length or width of a big rectangle separately to generate the big rectangle; dividing the big rectangle into two sub-rectangles according to a construction method, wherein the two sub-rectangles are respectively the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle; evenly dividing the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle separately to form several small rectangles, wherein each small rectangle corresponds to a serial number of a computing node and corresponds to a serial number of a sub-table; distributing the sub-table corresponding to each small rectangle to the computing node corresponding to each small rectangle. Thus, the amount of data transmitted can be decreased, and the network transmission load is lightened. |
| US09684689B2 |
Distributed parallel processing system having jobs processed by nodes based on authentication using unique identification of data
The system and method of the present disclosure relates to data stored in a common database of a network for parallel processing by multiple processors or processing centers. As consumers and business continue to generate more and more data, the amount of data being stored across networks and computing environments increases. To monitor and process increasingly large amounts of data, the system and method of the present disclosure utilizes the atomicity of certain databases and storage devices to efficiently identify and mark data for processing by a designated processor or processing center, such that the designated processor or processing center is responsible for processing the identified and marked data. Consequently, the system ensures that no two processors or processing centers are processing the same data at the same time without the use of schedulers, queues or other conventional techniques. |
| US09684688B2 |
System and methods for matching identifiable patterns and enabling associated actions
A system and method are provided, the method comprising: receiving, at a registry service, a request to register an identifiable pattern for matching patterns in text; registering, in a registry, the identifiable pattern and a corresponding handler for performing an action; and updating at least one client library accessible to a corresponding client process with the identifiable pattern. |
| US09684682B2 |
Sharding of in-memory objects across NUMA nodes
Techniques are provided for sharding objects across different compute nodes. In one embodiment, a database server instance generates, for an object, a plurality of in-memory chunks including a first in-memory chunk and a second in-memory chunk, where each in-memory chunk includes a different portion of the object. The database server instance assigns each in-memory chunk to one of a plurality of computer nodes including the first in-memory chunk to a first compute node and a second in-memory chunk to a second local memory of a second compute node. The database server instance stores an in-memory map that indicates a memory location for each in-memory chunk. The in-memory map indicates that the first in-memory chunk is located in the first local memory of the first compute node and that the second in-memory chunk is located in the second local memory of the second compute node. |
| US09684679B2 |
Conservative garbage collecting and tagged integers for memory management
Aspects for conservative garbage collecting are disclosed. In one aspect, root objects included in a call stack are identified, which comprise integers and pointers. Integer representations are tagged and distinguishable from untagged pointer representations. Root objects are traced to corresponding memory locations such that a subsequent tracing is performed on the pointer representations and skipped on the integer representations. Memory allocated to objects unreachable by the call stack is then freed. In another aspect, an object graph associated with a call stack is tagged, and a heap is generated comprising objects included in an executed portion of the call stack. Objects included in an unexecuted portion of the call stack are traced to corresponding memory locations on the heap such that a subsequent tracing is only performed on the untagged pointer representations. Memory locations corresponding to heap objects unreachable by the unexecuted portion of the call stack are then cleared. |
| US09684678B2 |
Methods and system for investigation of compositions of ontological subjects
Methods and systems are given for investigation of compositions of ontological subjects in accordance with various aspects of significance. Accordingly, the present invention provide a unified method and process of investigating the compositions of ontological subjects, modeling an unknown system, and obtaining as much worthwhile information and knowledge as possible about the system or the composition or the body of knowledge along with exemplary services utilizing such investigations. |
| US09684677B2 |
Method for reliable and efficient filesystem metadata conversion
A method for converting metadata in a hierarchical configuration within a filesystem from a first format to a second format includes reading metadata in the first format within the hierarchical configuration; writing the metadata from the hierarchical configuration into a flat file; and writing the metadata back into the hierarchical configuration, the metadata being in the second format. The method can also include increasing the size of each of a first inode and a second inode within a first inode chunk in the filesystem, assigning the first inode to the first inode chunk, and assigning the second inode to a second inode chunk. |
| US09684670B2 |
Moving shared files
A client device accesses a shared data system and begins moving data from one location to another. The client device generates a tombstone object that indicates that includes metadata indicating that the data has been moved. When another client accesses the data at the old location, it encounters the tombstone and begins accessing the data at the new location. If the data has not already been completely moved to the new location, the second client to access the data assists in transferring the data to the new location. |
| US09684660B2 |
File processing method and system
Various embodiments provide a file processing method and system. An exemplary file processing method can include receiving a request for opening a file, applying for a memory area corresponding to the file requested for opening and setting a property of the memory area as non-readable and non-writable. After receiving a request for reading the file, the memory area corresponding to the file requested for reading can be accessed. If the accessing fails for a failure reason that the property of the memory area is non-readable and non-writable, file data requested for reading can be obtained from a disk by calling a memory access exception handler function registered in an operating system. The obtained file data can be stored in the memory area. The property of the memory area can be set as readable and writable and the file data can be read from the memory area. |
| US09684658B2 |
SWAT command and API for atomic swap and trim of logical pages
Example embodiments provide access to an updated file performed by at least one processor, wherein responsive to receiving a first list of logical page numbers (LPNs) and a second list of LPNs for an update, wherein the first list of LPNs is mapped to a first list of physical page numbers (PPNs), and the second list of LPNs is mapped to a second list of PPNs, the method, comprising: atomically remapping the first list of LPNs so that the first list of LPNs is mapped to the second list of PPNs; and trimming a mapping of the first list of LPNs to the first list of PPNs. |
| US09684649B2 |
Method and system for discovering suspicious account groups
In one exemplary embodiment, a system for discovering suspicious account groups establishes a language model according to the post contents from each account of a first group of accounts during a first time interval, to describe the speech of the account, and compares the similarity among a plurality of language models of the first group of accounts to cluster the first group of accounts; and for a plurality of newly added data during a second time interval, discovers near-synonyms of at least a monitored vocabulary set, and updates the near-synonyms to a plurality of language models of a second group of accounts. The system further integrates the first and the second groups of accounts, and re-clusters an integrated group of accounts. |
| US09684642B2 |
Method and device for updating electronic document and associated document use records
A method for a device to update an electronic document includes obtaining data update information and use record information of the electronic document, the data update information including a first position in the electronic document where an updating is to be performed, the use record information including a second position; determining whether the first position in the data update information is before the second position in the use record information; adjusting the use record information according to the data update information, if it is determined that the first position in the data update information is before the second position in the use record information; and updating the electronic document according to the data update information and the adjusted use record information. |
| US09684637B1 |
Collaborative workflow through messaging conversations
A networked application and email application were described herein that provide for an intuitive system by which users can participate in collaborative workflow relating to a network document. In one implementation, a system includes a messaging server component to provide messaging services and an application server component to provide a networked application. The application server component interacts with the messaging server component in response to a user command to initiate collaboration on the network document. The interaction with the messaging server component includes providing a link that refers to a version of the network document as created or edited by the user. |
| US09684634B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating predictive model
In an approach for evaluating a predictive model, a computer identifies features of training samples in a set of training samples and selects at least one evaluation metric from a set of evaluation metrics as one or more available metrics based on the identified features. The computer applies a predictive model created based on the set of training samples to a set of test samples so as to calculate values of the one or more available metrics and evaluates the predictive model by using the one or more available metrics and the values of the available metrics. With the technical solutions described with respect to the embodiments of the present invention, one or more evaluation metrics that are applicable to specific training sample features may be determined from several evaluation metrics, so that users can precisely evaluate predictive models by using the determined evaluation metrics. |
| US09684632B2 |
Parallel processing and internal processors
Systems, internal processors, and methods of parallel data processing in an internal processor are provided. In one embodiment, an external controller sends instructions to a memory device, and the internal processor on the memory device executes the instructions on the data. The internal processor may include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and each ALU may perform an operation on an entire operand, such that one or more operands may be processed in parallel by one or more ALUs in the internal processor. The operations may be completed on each operand in one or more cycles through the circuitry of the ALU, and the path of the operands through the ALU may be based on the width of the ALU, the size of the operands, or the type of operation to be performed. |
| US09684629B2 |
Efficient calibration of a low power parallel data communications channel
A calibratable communications link includes multiple parallel lines. Calibration is performed at dynamically variable and/or interruptible intervals determined by an automated mechanism. Calibration is preferably initiated responsive to a command generated by an executable software process, which initiates calibration responsive to detection of a probable impending need as indicated by, e.g., temperature change, calibrated parameter drift, error rate, etc. Calibration is also preferably initiated according to probable minimal disruption of device function, as indicated by low activity level. Furthermore, in one aspect calibration may be temporarily suspended to transmit data and then resumed. |
| US09684628B2 |
Mechanism for inserting trustworthy parameters into AJAX via server-side proxy
A system for retrieving information from a remote server is disclosed. The system includes a browser having a webpage executing JavaScript adapted to communicate a request with client identifying information to a first server. The first server has a proxy adapted to dynamically insert information into the request received from the client and communicate the request with inserted information to a second server, whereby the request with inserted information is trusted by the second server. The second server and first server are each adapted to also provide a response to the request. A method of communicating in a networked environment is also disclosed. |
| US09684627B1 |
Determining a likelihood of completion of a task
Methods and apparatus related to determining a likelihood that a task is completed. One or more task completion entities with which the user can interact to complete the task may be determined. One or more activity data indicators may be determined for a given entity of the task completion entities. The activity data indictors are indicative of the user performing the action through interaction with the given entity. User activity data may be received and compared with the activity data indicators to determine one or more matching activity data indicators of the activity data indicators that match the user activity data. A likelihood that the task is completed may be determined based on the matching activity data indicators. |
| US09684621B2 |
CAN bus termination connector
A termination connector for use in a heavy machine environment operable to terminate an electronic signal of a communication network. The termination connector has a connector housing which can be mated with a separate receptacle to connect to the communication network. The termination connector has a plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing which connect to a termination circuit. The termination circuit has at least two resistors in electric series with one another connected to a first pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles and connected to a second pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles. A capacitor is connected between the at least two resistors in electric series at a front capacitor end and the back capacitor end is connected to a third pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing. |
| US09684620B2 |
Signal adaptor, signal receiving circuit and associated methods
A signal relaying circuit includes an input interface arranged for receiving an input signal; a DisplayPort (DP) output interface arranged for outputting a DP-like signal, where the input interface and the DP output interface correspond to different interface standards; and a relaying circuit coupled between the input interface and the DP output interface, arranged for relaying the input signal to the DP output interface according to the characteristics of channels, so as to generate the DP-like signal. A signal receiving circuit, signal relaying method and signal receiving method are also disclosed. |
| US09684618B2 |
Peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) ping in a switch-based environment
A sideband PCI Express (PCIe) packet initiator in a distributed PCIe switch fabric verifies a PCIe connection between a host device and a PCIe endpoint device without having to power on the host device. The packet initiator assembles a PCIe test packet that acts as a ping for testing reachability of the endpoint device, from the perspective of the host device. The test packet may also verify configurations and settings of the path to the endpoint device. The distributed switch fabric is configured to compare completion data with expected results to verify the PCIe connection, without having to boot the host device. |
| US09684617B2 |
Bus relay device for relaying communication through bus of I/O apparatus and CPU wherein relay device has lower side transmission unit to transmit interrupt factor address
A relaying device, when having received an interrupt notification 151 from an I/O device, transmits an interrupt factor read request 159(1) for an interrupt factor to the I/O device, based on an address information memory table 1041, without waiting for a response from a CPU, and transmits the interrupt notification 151 received, to the CPU. When having received an interrupt factor 160(1), the relaying device transmits an intra-I/O-device data read request 159(2) to the I/O device, based on an intra-I/O-device data read address storing table 1081, without waiting for a response from the CPU. |
| US09684613B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing spurious interrupts in a data storage system
A storage controller of a data storage system maintains, for each interrupt vector, (1) a pending status that indicates whether one or more completions are pending in the completion queue (CQ) associated with the interrupt vector, and (2) an in-progress status that indicates whether or not the storage controller is currently in the process of composing an interrupt. The storage controller utilizes these two statuses to reduce or eliminate spurious interrupts by preventing an interrupt from being composed if there are no completions in the CQ, by preventing an interrupt from being composed if the corresponding interrupt mask has been set before composition of the interrupt begins, and by preventing an interrupt from being sent to the host system in cases where the interrupt mask was set after composition of the interrupt began, but before the interrupt has been sent to the host system. |
| US09684611B2 |
Synchronous input/output using a low latency storage controller connection
Aspects include transmitting a synchronous I/O command to a persistent storage control unit (SCU in response to a synchronous I/O request from an operating system (OS). A unit of work in the OS corresponding to the synchronous I/O request remains active at least until the synchronous I/O request is completed. Based on an operation code of the synchronous I/O command specifying a read operation and in response to detecting that the persistent SCU has stored one or more read data records in a memory located on the processor, the firmware indicates to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed. Based on the operation code specifying a write operation and in response to detecting an indication from the persistent SCU that write data has been written or indicating that an error has occurred, indicating to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed. |
| US09684608B2 |
Maintaining a secure processing environment across power cycles
Embodiments of an invention for maintaining a secure processing environment across power cycles are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction unit and an execution unit. The instruction unit is to receive an instruction to evict a root version array page entry from a secure cache. The execution unit is to execute the instruction. Execution of the instruction includes generating a blob to contain information to maintain a secure processing environment across a power cycle and storing the blob in a non-volatile memory. |
| US09684607B2 |
Automatic recovery of application cache warmth
The automated recovery of the warmth of cache of an application that has been subject to a running state change that degraded the warmth of the cache. To prepare for a loss in warmth, the state of a cache portion identifiers are captured. Such identifies the cache portions that are within the application cache at an instant in time. Thereafter, the application experiences a change in running state that diminishes the warmth of the application cache. For instance, the application might be stopped and restarted. After and despite this cache degradation, the application may continue to operate. However, in order to warm the application cache more quickly, while the application is operating, the application cache is automatically warmed. For instance, while the application is operating, cache portions identified by the captured cache portion identifiers are automatically accessed from a source that is external to the application cache. |
| US09684605B2 |
Translation lookaside buffer for guest physical addresses in a virtual machine
Embodiments of an invention for a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer are disclosed. In an embodiment, a processor includes an instruction decoder, a control register, and memory address translation hardware. The instruction decoder is to receive an instruction to transfer control of the processor to guest software to execute on a virtual machine. The virtual machine is to have a plurality of resources to be controlled by a virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor is to execute on a host machine having a host-physical memory to be accessed using a plurality of host-physical addresses. The plurality of resources is to include a guest-physical memory. The guest software is to access the guest-physical memory using a plurality of guest-virtual addresses. The control register is to store a pointer to a plurality of virtual address page tables. The memory address translation hardware is to translate, without causing a virtual machine exit, guest-virtual addresses to host-physical addresses using the plurality of virtual address page tables and a plurality of extended page tables. The memory address translation hardware includes a virtual address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of virtual address entries corresponding to guest-virtual address to host-physical address translations. The memory address translation hardware also includes a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of guest-physical address entries corresponding to guest-physical address to host-physical address translations. |
| US09684603B2 |
Memory initialization using cache state
Techniques are generally described for cache management in a processor with a cache. In response to receiving a bulk memory modification instruction, data blocks of the cache associated with the bulk memory modification instruction may be identified. A cache coherence state of the identified data blocks may also be identified. The updated cache coherence state may be indicative of a zero value of the data blocks and the cache coherence state of the identified data blocks may be updated without modification to a cache data array. |
| US09684599B2 |
Hybrid tracking of transaction read and write sets
Embodiments of the invention relate to tracking processor transactional read and write sets, thereby eliminating speculative mis-predictions. Both non-speculative read set and write set indications are maintained for a transaction. The indications are stored in cache. In addition, load and write queues of addresses are maintained. The load queue of addresses relates to speculative members of a read set and the write queue of addresses relates to speculating member of a write set. For a received read request, a transaction resolution process takes place, and a resolution is performed if an address match in the write queue is detected. Similarly, for a receive write request the transaction interference additionally checks the load queue and the non-speculative read set for the pending address. |
| US09684597B1 |
Distributed cache coherent shared memory controller integrated with a protocol offload network interface card
Network interface circuitry forms a local node. At least one processor offloads from a host computer at least one stateful communication connection between the host computer and a peer, and also operates a cache coherence protocol to scale coherent memory to multiple nodes. The processor operates the communication protocol processing offload at least in part according to communication connection states maintained in the memory, including accessing each communication connection state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that communication connection state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that communication connection state. The processor further operates the cache coherence protocol at least in part according to coherence states maintained in the memory, including accessing each coherence state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that coherence state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that coherence state. |
| US09684591B2 |
Storage system and storage apparatus
A storage system comprises a first controller and a plurality of storage devices. The plurality of storage devices configure RAID, each of which includes one or more non-volatile memory chips providing storage space where data from a host computer is stored, and a second controller coupled to the non-volatile memory chips. In case where the first controller receives an update request to update first data to second data from the host computer, the second controller in a first storage device of the storage devices is configured to store the second data in an area different from an area where the first data has been stored, in the storage space of the first storage device; generate information that relates the first data and the second data; and generate an intermediate parity based on the first and the second data. |
| US09684584B2 |
Managing assertions while compiling and debugging source code
The present disclosure relates to maintaining assertions in an integrated development environment (IDE) tool. According to one embodiment, while the IDE tool is compiling the source code of a development project, the IDE tool generates at least a first compiler warning. The first compiler warning generally corresponds to at least one line of source code in a first source code component of the development project. A first set of assertions to add to the source code of the development project is determined based on the line of source code that resulted in the first compiler warning. The IDE tool adds the first set of assertions to the source code of the development project. The first set of assertions are compiled as part of the source code of the development project. |
| US09684583B2 |
Trace data export to remote memory using memory mapped write transactions
A method for easily tracing the execution of an application in a computer system having a plurality of computing nodes interconnected by high speed data links is disclosed. While executing the application on one or more of the computing nodes, trace data is collected into a separate temporary trace buffer coupled to each computing node. A trace transfer request event may be generated after collecting a portion of the trace data. The trace data is recorded on a designated recording and analysis computing node by transferring the trace data from each trace buffer to a recording buffer in the designated recording node in response to the transfer request by performing memory mapped write transfers initiated by each computing node that has collected trace data. The address of the recording buffer is memory mapped into an address space of each computing node that has collected trace data. |
| US09684580B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for efficient scrambling of data for line rate transmission in high speed communications networks
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for efficiently scrambling data in high speed communications networks. One exemplary method includes, in a network equipment test device, providing a scrambler for scrambling data to be transmitted to a device under test. Scrambling the data includes separating a scrambling algorithm into a scramble key portion and a data portion. Scrambling the data further includes pre computing and storing the scramble key portion. Scrambling the data further includes precomputing and storing the data portion. Scrambling the data further includes logically combining the precomputed scramble key portion with the precomputed data portion to produce a data bus width scrambled output data. The method further includes transmitting the scrambled output data over a network to the device under test. |
| US09684578B2 |
Embedded universal serial bus (USB) debug (EUD) for multi-interfaced debugging in electronic systems
Embedded Universal Serial Bus (USB) debug (EUD) for multi-interfaced debugging in electronic systems are disclosed. Electronic systems contain complex integrated circuits (ICs) that require extensive testing and debugging to ensure good quality and performance. In exemplary aspects, an EUD is provided in an electronic system. The EUD is configured to send control information to and/or collect debugging information from multiple internal debugging interfaces in the electronic system. The EUD is also configured to convert the debugging information into a USB format so that the debugging information can be externally accessed through a USB interface provided by the electronic system. The EUD can provide non-invasive monitoring of the electronic system. The electronic system is able to use a USB port for communications in a mission mode while EUD is enabled. Additionally, the electronic system can turn on or off all system clocks during power-saving mode while the EUD continues to function. |
| US09684575B2 |
Failover handling in modular switched fabric for data storage systems
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes storage drives each comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to data transactions. The data storage system also includes processing modules each comprising one or more processors, where a first processor is configured to receive data transactions and transfer the data transactions for delivery to associated ones of the storage drives. A monitoring system is configured to identify when the first processor fails, and responsively instruct a second processor to handle further data transactions directed to storage drives associated with the first processor. |
| US09684573B2 |
Dismounting a storage volume
In response to an instruction to dismount a storage volume, for example, an object in the storage volume is identified and a handle that references the object is closed. Once an exclusive lock on the storage volume is acquired, the storage volume can be dismounted. The storage volume can then remounted. |
| US09684571B2 |
Namespace mirroring in an expandable storage volume
Technology for maintaining a backup of namespace metadata of an expandable storage volume is disclosed. In various embodiments, the expandable storage volume backs up metadata of a namespace constituent volume of the expandable storage volume into a namespace mirror volume. The namespace constituent volume is responsible for storing the metadata for data objects stored in multiple data constituent volumes of the expandable storage volume. In response to a signal indicating that the namespace constituent volume is unavailable, the namespace mirror volume replaces the role of the namespace constituent volume. The new namespace constituent volume continues to provide metadata for a data object of the data objects in response to an operation request for the data object. |
| US09684566B2 |
Techniques for backup restore and recovery of a pluggable database
A container database stores redo records and logical timestamps for multiple pluggable databases. When it is detected that a first read-write instance of the pluggable database is opened and no other read-write instances of the pluggable database are open, offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. When it is detected that a second read-write instance of the pluggable database is closed, and the second read-write instance is the last open read-write instance, the offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. The pluggable database is restored to a logical timestamp associated with a restore request based on the offline range data. |
| US09684563B1 |
Techniques for backup management
Techniques for backup management are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for backup management comprising the steps of receiving power level information from a backup client, determining a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting a backup time window for the backup client, identifying a portion of data of the backup client for backup based on the determination, and providing an instruction to the backup client communicating the identified portion of data. |
| US09684560B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method to increase data integrity in a redundant storage system
In various embodiments, an apparatus, system, and method may increase data integrity in a redundant storage system. In one embodiment, a request is received for data stored at a storage system having a plurality of storage elements, where one or more of the plurality of storage elements include parity information. A determination is made that one of the plurality of storage elements is unavailable, the unavailable storage element being a functional storage element and including at least a portion of the data. Responsive to the determination, the data is reconstructed based on at least a portion of the parity information and data from one or more of the plurality of storage elements other than the unavailable storage element; a response is provided to the request such that the response includes the reconstructed data. |
| US09684559B1 |
Methods and apparatus for storing error correction information on a memory controller circuit
A memory controller circuit is disclosed. The memory controller circuit is coupled to an external memory device. The memory controller circuit selectively generates error-correction information for a user input. The selection is based on whether the user input is one of predefined inputs. In order to facilitate that, the memory controller circuit includes a command processor circuit and a memory circuit. The error-correction information is stored within the memory circuit located within the memory controller circuit. Selectively generating the error-free correction information may significantly reduce the amount of memory storage that is required within the memory controller circuit. |
| US09684556B2 |
Method and apparatus for a self-adjusting calibrator
A self-adjusting calibrator is provided. The calibrator may include a calibrator datastore. The calibrator datastore may store assimilated performance data. The assimilated performance data may relate to a collection of configuration items. The calibrator datastore may also store performance metrics. The performance metrics may map historic error events in a system to a plurality of configuration items. The calibrator may also include an optimal value computation engine. The optimal value computation engine may be in communication with the calibrator datastore. The optimal value computation engine may determine an optimal threshold value for each configuration item in the collection of configuration items. The optimal threshold value may enable a receiver, which may be associated with calibrator datastore, to receive true error event information that occurred in the system. The optimal threshold value may also prevent the receiver from receiving false error event information that occurred in the system. |
| US09684554B2 |
System and method for using failure casting to manage failures in a computed system
A system and method for using failure casting to manage failures in computer system. In accordance with an embodiment, the system uses a failure casting hierarchy to cast failures of one type into failures of another type. In doing this, the system allows incidents, problems, or failures to be cast into a (typically smaller) set of failures, which the system knows how to handle. In accordance with a particular embodiment, failures can be cast into a category that is considered reboot-curable. If a failure is reboot-curable then rebooting the system will likely cure the problem. Examples include hardware failures, and reboot-specific methods that can be applied to disk failures and to failures within clusters of databases. The system can even be used to handle failures that were hitherto unforeseen—failures can be cast into known failures based on the failure symptoms, rather than any underlying cause. |
| US09684553B2 |
Generation of instructions for repairing an electromechanical system
The invention provides for an electromechanical system comprising a machine. The machine comprises at least one mechanical component and at least one electrical sensor for acquiring measurement data. The system further comprises a data logger computer system for logging the measurement data and error reports as historical data, wherein the error reports are descriptive of one or more failure modes of the at least one mechanical component, wherein the error reports are further descriptive of repair actions taken to repair the one or more failure modes. The system further comprises a machine monitor comprising a repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a memory containing processor instructions that implement the repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a processor for executing the processor instructions. The system further comprises a data transfer system for transferring the data from the machine to the machine monitor. The system further comprises a client computer system. Execution of the processor instructions cause the processor to: receive the measurement data from the data transfer system; receive the historical data from the data logger computer system; search the historical data to determine a current failure mode and a selected repair action, wherein the current failure mode is selected from the one or more failure modes of the historical data, wherein the selected repair action is selected from the repair actions; generate repair instructions using the selected repair action; and transfer the repair instructions of the selected repair entry to the client computer system. |
| US09684550B2 |
Robust and adaptable management of event counters
Embodiments include a method for verifying a counter design within a tolerance window within which a race condition occurs between a context event and a design event. The method includes receiving a plurality of events within the counter design, the plurality of events including the context event and the design event. The method also includes dynamically determining the tolerance window around the context event by setting a first portion of the tolerance window to precede an occurrence of the context event and by setting a second portion of the tolerance window to follow the context event. Additionally, the method includes performing a verification of whether the design event is within the first portion of the tolerance window or the second portion of the tolerance window. |
| US09684549B1 |
Event management architecture
Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to the management of event data. In one aspect, an event management service obtains information related to one or more events and implements steps related to the collection of event data. In another aspect, based on the collected information, the event management service can implement one or more event data management protocols. For example, the event management service can track the progression of data analysis related to the event data, such as implementing various error analysis tools or methodologies. In another example, the event management service can implementing tracking methodologies that can determine when to implement various escalations or follow up actions based on the processing of event data. In still a further aspect, the event management service can implement various reporting or auditing related to the collection of the event data, the processing of the event data or both. |
| US09684547B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling security of an application and its extension
Techniques for handling security of an application and its extension are described. In one embodiment, an application manager of an operating system running within a data processing system launches an application in a first sandboxed environment based on a first security profile associated with the application. In response to receiving a request from the application for accessing a function of an application extension that is associated with the application, the application manager launches the application extension in a second sandboxed environment based on a second security profile associated with the application extension. The application manager is to individually enforce security and manage resources of the application and the application extension in the first and second sandboxed environments based on the first and second security profiles, respectively. The second security profile specifies resources fewer than the first security profile. |
| US09684546B2 |
Job scheduling and monitoring in a distributed computing environment
A view of data transformation jobs can be presented by way of a user interface. Related jobs can subsequently be identified automatically after a job is selected based on data dependencies between jobs. Execution status can also be determined and presented such that successful and failed execution of jobs, for example, can be differentiated. Furthermore, selection of a job run that failed to execute successfully can trigger identification of related jobs runs that failed or are predicted to fail to execute successfully. |
| US09684543B1 |
Distributed data set storage, retrieval and analysis
An apparatus includes a processor and a storage storing instructions causing the processor to: maintain a federated area; receive a request to perform a job flow with a data set from a remote device; retrieve a job flow definition specifying the tasks of the job flow from the federated area; determine whether there is an instance log in the federated area generated by a previous performance of the job flow with the data set; in response to there being such an instance log, compare the version specified in the instance log of each task routine for each task to the most recent version stored in the federated area; and in response to each version specified in the instance log matching the most recent version, provide the remote device with access to a result report generated by the previous performance in lieu of generating a new result report. |
| US09684540B2 |
Dynamically controlled workload execution by an application
Methods and systems for optimizing workloads on information handling systems involve determining, by an application, a computing task for execution by the application. The application may determine workload attributes for a computing task for execution at an information handling system. The workload attributes are used by the application to dynamically determine a workload policy for configuration of hardware resources at the information handling system. After dynamic configuration by the application of the hardware resources according to the workload policy, the computing task is executed at the information handling system by the application. |
| US09684537B2 |
Regulating hardware speculative processing around a transaction
A transaction is detected. The transaction has a begin-transaction indication and an end-transaction indication. If it is determined that the begin-transaction indication is not a no-speculation indication, then the transaction is processed. |
| US09684536B2 |
Scheduling method and scheduling system
A scheduling method includes determining whether priority of an application to be activated is of a given priority, the determining being performed by a first data processing apparatus that is included in a first group having at least one data processing apparatus; transferring to a second data processing apparatus that is included in any one among a second group and the first group, a predetermined function of the first data processing apparatus so as to execute the application by the first data processing apparatus, the transferring being performed when the priority of the application is of the given priority, and the first and the second groups being among a plurality of groups that each includes at least one data processing apparatus; and placing the application in an execution queue of the first data processing apparatus, when the priority of the application is not the given priority. |
| US09684533B2 |
Management of a virtual machine in a virtualized computing environment based on a concurrency limit
One or more concurrency limits may be checked in connection with the performance of a virtual machine management operation such as a virtual machine deploy, resize or migration operation to enable the virtual machine management operation to be scheduled on a host for which no concurrency limits have been met. |
| US09684531B2 |
Combining blade servers based on workload characteristics
To perform a workload, a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) may be assigned to a plurality of blade servers. To assign the VMs, a computing system uses the characteristics of the workloads that will be executed by the virtual machines such as the number of processors or the amount of memory, storage the workload is estimated to use, and the like. Based on these workload characteristics, the computing system determines an optimal solution for deploying the VMs onto the blade servers. In one embodiment, the computing system determines whether two or more of the blade servers should be stitched together. For example, the computing system compares the workload characteristics of one of the virtual machine to the combined available resources of at least two of the blade servers. If the combined available resources satisfy the workload characteristics, the computing system stitches the blade servers together. |
| US09684530B2 |
System and method for assigning virtual functions and management host thereof
A system and a method for assigning virtual functions, and a management host thereof are provided. The management host is connected with a computer host through a bridge and has at least one virtual function. A management processor of the management host updates a mapping table according to a virtual function establishing request to assign the at least one virtual function to the computer host according to the mapping table, wherein the management processor determines whether to establish the virtual function according to the mapping table. The management processor transmits a hot-plug event to the corresponding computer host via a switch according to an assignment result and connects the virtual function with the corresponding computer host to dynamically adjust an allocation of the virtual function. |
| US09684529B2 |
Firmware and metadata migration across hypervisors based on supported capabilities
A system and methods are disclosed for employing firmware metadata and migrating firmware in virtualized environments. In accordance with one example, a hypervisor that is executed by a computer system obtains an address of a firmware program stored in a non-volatile memory of the computer system. The hypervisor also obtains metadata that specifies a set of capabilities of the firmware program, where the metadata is not accessible to any virtual machine hosted by the computer system. |
| US09684527B1 |
Classification and validation system and method for an integrated computing system
An integrated computing system configuration system includes a computing system that executes an engine to receive component specifications for each of one or more components supplied by a plurality of suppliers, and receive user input for selecting a subset of the component specifications to be implemented in a customized integrated computing system by generating a base configuration that comprises the component specifications of the subset of the components. From the received component specifications and user input, the engine may generate a component classification for each component specification according to its functionality, validate each component classification according to one or more other component specifications in the subset of components, and display the validated components for each component on a display. |
| US09684526B2 |
Techniques for configuring a generic program using controls
According to some aspects, a method of operating a data processing system is provided wherein at least one computer program is configured, the data processing system comprising least a first control, a second control and a third control, the first, second and third controls comprising at least user interface portions and operational portions, the method comprising rendering a first user interface based on the user interface portion of the first control, receiving first user input through the first user interface, the first user input providing configuration information for the at least one program, identifying the second control based at least in part on the operational portion of the first control, rendering a second user interface based on the user interface portion of the identified second control, and receiving second user input through the second user interface, the second user input providing configuration information for the at least one program. |
| US09684524B1 |
Service-oriented system optimization using trace data
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for implementing optimization of a service-oriented system using trace data are disclosed. One or more call graphs are determined based on trace data for a plurality of service interactions between individual ones of a plurality of services. The trace data comprises performance data for the service interactions. The call graphs comprise one or more call paths, and the call paths represent individual ones of the service interactions between the services. An optimized configuration for the services is determined based on the performance data. The optimized configuration improves a total performance metric for one or more call paths in the one or more call graphs. A location of one or more of the services is modified based on the optimized configuration. |
| US09684521B2 |
Systems having discrete and continuous gesture recognizers
A software application includes a plurality of views and an application state. The method includes displaying one or more views, where a respective view includes a respective gesture recognizer having a corresponding delegate to the respective gesture recognizer. The method includes detecting one or more events and processing a respective event of the one or more events using the respective gesture recognizer. The processing of the respective event includes processing the respective event at the respective gesture recognizer in accordance with a respective gesture definition corresponding to the respective gesture recognizer, executing the corresponding delegate to determine one or more values, and conditionally sending information corresponding to the respective event to the software application in accordance with the one or more values determined by the delegate. The method includes executing the software application in accordance with information, received from the respective gesture recognizer. |
| US09684520B2 |
Computing system with non-disruptive fast memory restore mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method for operating a computing system includes: monitoring a central interface for a power event; accessing a high-speed memory for pre-shutdown data; accessing a non-volatile memory during the power event for the pre-shutdown data previously stored on the high-speed memory; selecting a multiplexer for allowing external access to the high-speed memory; and formatting the pre-shutdown data in the non-volatile memory for access through a non-disruptive interface. |
| US09684516B2 |
Register renamer that handles multiple register sizes aliased to the same storage locations
A processor may include a physical register file and a register renamer. The register renamer may be organized into even and odd banks of entries, where each entry stores an identifier of a physical register. The register renamer may be indexed by a register number of an architected register, such that the renamer maps a particular architected register to a corresponding physical register. Individual entries of the renamer may correspond to architected register aliases of a given size. Renaming aliases that are larger than the given size may involve accessing multiple entries of the renamer, while renaming aliases that are smaller than the given size may involve accessing a single renamer entry. |
| US09684514B2 |
Inference based condition code generation
A condition code can depend upon a numerical output of a floating point operation for a processing pipeline. A classification can be determined for the floating point operation of a received instruction. In response to the classification and using condition determination logic, a value can be calculated for the condition code by inferring from data that is available from the processing pipeline before the numerical output is available. The value for the condition code can be provided to branch decision logic of the processing pipeline. |
| US09684511B2 |
Using software having control transfer termination instructions with software not having control transfer termination instructions
In an embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a decode unit, an execution unit, and a retirement unit. The decode unit is to decode control transfer instructions and the execution unit is to execute control transfer instructions. The retirement unit is to retire a first control transfer instruction, and to raise a fault if a next instruction to be retired after the first control transfer instruction is not a second control transfer instruction and a target instruction of the first control transfer instruction is in code using the control transfer instructions. |
| US09684510B2 |
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing a shuffle and operation (Shuffle-Op)
Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing in a computer processor a data element shuffle and an operation on the shuffled data elements in response to a single data element shuffle and an operation instruction that includes a destination vector register operand, a first and second source vector register operands, an immediate value, and an opcode are described. |
| US09684509B2 |
Vector processing engines (VPEs) employing merging circuitry in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory to provide in-flight merging of output vector data stored to vector data memory, and related vector processing instructions, systems, and methods
Vector processing engines (VPEs) employing merging circuitry in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory to provide in-flight merging of output vector data stored to vector data memory are disclosed. Related vector processing instructions, systems, and methods are also disclosed. Merging circuitry is provided in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory in the VPE. The merging circuitry is configured to merge an output vector data sample set from execution units as a result of performing vector processing operations in-flight while the output vector data sample set is being provided over the output data flow paths from the execution units to the vector data memory to be stored. The merged output vector data sample set is stored in a merged form in the vector data memory without requiring additional post-processing steps, which may delay subsequent vector processing operations to be performed in execution units. |
| US09684503B2 |
Electronic device and method for saving power in the electronic device
A method for saving power of an electronic device includes establishing relationship between operational states and operations carried out by the electronic device. According to the relationship, an operation to the electronic device is executed after acquiring current operational states of the electronic device periodically. And the operational states of the electronic device is refreshed after executing the operation to the electronic device. |
| US09684502B2 |
Apparatus, systems, and methods for distributed application orchestration and deployment
Embodiments disclosed facilitate distributed orchestration and deployment of a cloud based distributed computing application. In some embodiments, the distributed orchestration may be based on a cloud agnostic representation of the application. In some embodiments, an ordered set of events may be obtained based on a starting sequence for the plurality of components, where each event in the ordered set is associated with a corresponding set of prerequisites for initiating execution of the event. Event identifiers corresponding to the ordered set of events may be placed on an event message bus with persistence that is shared between a plurality of distributed nodes associated with a cloud. Upon receiving an indication of completion of prerequisites for one or more events, a plurality of nodes of a distributed orchestration engine may select the one or more events corresponding to the one or more selected event identifiers for execution on the cloud. |
| US09684501B2 |
Associating a URL or link between two applications
Methods and systems for associating, in a secure manner, a link between web sites (or other network resources) and installed applications. In one embodiment, a signed list of one or more URLs is downloaded and validated to establish an association, which is stored in a data structure, between a first application and a second application. In response to receiving a selection of a URL in the second application, comparing the selected URL to URLs in the data structure and displaying, in the first application, content of the selected URL in response to determining that at least a prefix portion of the selected URL matches one of the URL associated with the first application in the data structure. |
| US09684499B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating installation of software applications
In at least one embodiment, a system for facilitating installation of a software application is provided. The system includes a communications component configured to communicate with external devices, and a processor configured to detect an intent to install the software application to a computing device, cause the communications component to provide an installer of the software application for retrieval by the computing device, and direct the communications components to communicate with a mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a guide in installation of the software application to the computing device. |
| US09684498B2 |
File processing method and electronic apparatus
A file processing method applied to an operating system, includes: packaging a first package file which supports a plurality of language versions into a plurality of first single-language package files, wherein the plurality of first single-language package files correspond to the plurality of language versions, respectively; and adding the plurality of first single-language package files to a plurality of language packages, respectively. |
| US09684494B2 |
Efficient parallel computation of dependency problems
A computing method includes accepting a definition of a computing task, which includes multiple Processing Elements (PEs) having execution dependencies. The computing task is compiled for concurrent execution on a multiprocessor device, by arranging the PEs in a series of two or more invocations of the multiprocessor device, including assigning the PEs to the invocations depending on the execution dependencies. The multiprocessor device is invoked to run software code that executes the series of the invocations, so as to produce a result of the computing task. |
| US09684492B2 |
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. |
| US09684491B2 |
Annotation-based item description
Example systems and methods that provide annotations of item descriptions are described. In one implementation, a method accesses data associated with an item and identifies multiple attributes associated with the item. The method further generates a Java class associated with the item and annotates the Java class to include the attributes associated with the item. |
| US09684490B2 |
Uniform interface specification for interacting with and executing models in a variety of runtime environments
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with the generation and execution of analytical models are described. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes identifying a selected runtime environment for executing an analytical model that includes analytical expressions. A user-script data structure is generated and provides mapping of the analytical expressions to executable expressions of the runtime environment. A computerized specification object is generated that includes a pre-script data structure, the user-script data structure with the analytical model, and a post-script data structure. The pre-script data structure specifies how the runtime environment is to access input data to be operated upon by the analytical model. The post-script data structure specifies how to output results data, produced by the analytical model, from the runtime environment. The computerized specification object is transmitted over a computer network to the runtime environment for execution of the analytical model in the runtime environment. |
| US09684487B2 |
Line-multiplexed UART
A line multiplexed UART interface is provided that multiplexes a UART transmit and CTS functions on a transmit pin and that multiplexes a UART receive and RTS functions on a receive pin. In this fashion, the conventional need for an additional RTS pin and an additional CTS pin is obviated such that the line multiplexed UART interface uses just the transmit pin and the receive pin. |
| US09684485B2 |
Fast-resume audio playback
A network device transmits to at least one playback device, audio information and playback timing information, wherein the audio information is associated with a first timestamp and a second timestamp; wherein the first timestamp and the second timestamp identify a time to playback the audio information; and wherein the playback timing information comprises the first timestamp. After transmitting the audio information and playback timing information, the network device receives while playback of the audio information is paused via the network interface, a command to resume playback of the audio information; wherein the audio information is paused prior to a time indicated by the first timestamp and second timestamp to play back the audio information. The network device instructs the at least one playback device to update the first timestamp, and updates the second timestamp to facilitate playback the audio information in synchrony. |
| US09684484B2 |
Playback zone silent connect
Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states. |
| US09684483B2 |
Seamless illuminated panel
A device and method of providing a versatile illuminated panel for walls, product displays, and other surfaces is described. Panels are constructed from a variable number of rectangular illuminated tiles, where the tiles mate edge-to-edge so as to create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. Illumination within each tile is uniform to also create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. End-users may create panels of varying sizes and shapes by using different quantities of a standard tile. The software within the invention automatically determines the number and arrangement of tiles within each assembled panel. Each tile comprises a plurality of illuminators, an optical means to distribute light from the illuminators uniformly across the tile, and at least one communication interface. In one embodiment the tiles are linked into a communications tree-structure; and the location of each tile within the tree constitutes its logical address. |
| US09684478B2 |
Controlling distribution of a depletable resource on a network-enabled device
A network-enabled device can operate to permit user access to the depletable resource only if information stored on the device indicates that the replenishment for the depleted resource is being obtained from an appropriate or approved source. |
| US09684475B2 |
Multi-mode hybrid storage drive
Embodiments of systems and methods for managing a multi-mode hybrid storage device are described. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying an operational state of a system having a hybrid data storage device and an interfacing processor configured to interface with the hybrid data storage device. A method may also include interacting with the hybrid data storage device according to one of a plurality of interaction modes in response to the operational state of the system. |
| US09684473B2 |
Virtual machine disaster recovery
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting data. In some embodiments, this includes creating a copy of a backup virtual machine on a deduplicated data storage device, registering the copy with a virtual environment manager, operating a virtual machine based on the copy and storing changes made during operation of the virtual machine to the copy. |
| US09684470B2 |
Rapid migration to managed clouds with multiple change windows
An image version of a source instance is prepared and is transferred to a destination environment. Two or more copies of the transferred image version of the source instance are created at the destination environment. The first copy of the transferred image version of the source instance is adjusted while the source instance is in use. The second copy of the transferred image version of the source instance is resynchronized with one or more changes made to the source instance. The adjustments made to the first copy of the source instance are applied to the resynchronized second copy of the source instance. |
| US09684469B1 |
System and method for cache replacement using access-ordering lookahead approach
Data objects of a file are cached in a cache memory of a storage system. An access sequence of the cached data objects is determined based on metadata of the file. In response to a request for cache space reclamation, a data object is evicted from the cache memory whose next access is a farthest amongst the cached data objects based on the access sequence of the data objects. |
| US09684467B2 |
Management of pinned storage in flash based on flash-to-disk capacity ratio
Methods, systems, and programs are presented for managing a storage device memory. One method includes an operation for receiving a request to pin a volume stored in the storage device. The device includes disk storage and a solid state drive (SSD) cache, where pinned volumes in the storage device have all active volume data in the SSD cache. Further, the method includes an operation for determining the maximum amount of pinnable space in the SSD cache, the maximum amount of pinnable space being calculated based on the sizes of the disk storage and the SSD cache. Further, the method includes operations for determining the available pinning space, which is the maximum amount of pinnable space minus the current amount of pinned data in the SSD cache, and for granting the request to pin the volume when the available pinning space is greater than or equal to a size of the volume. |
| US09684464B2 |
Semiconductor storage device and control method for same
A semiconductor storage device includes at least one memory from among a primary memory, a mirror memory storing data corresponding to data stored in the primary memory, and a buffer memory; and a controller that controls the at least one memory so as to store data in the at least one memory and read data from the at least one memory. |
| US09684457B2 |
Gathering sensed data from devices to manage host command transmission and cooling of the devices
Provided are a computer readable storage media, method, and system for gathering sensed data from devices to manage host command transmission and cooling of the device. Host commands are retrieved from a host memory in a host to perform Input/Output operations with respect to a device. The retrieved host commands are transmitted to the device to perform the I/O operations of the host command. A monitor command is transmitted to obtain sensed data from the device while processing the host commands. A rate of transmitting the host commands is adjusted in response to determining that the sensed data received from the device in response to the monitor command satisfies a condition. |
| US09684452B2 |
System and method for controlling automated page-based tier management in storage systems
The system includes host computers, file servers and a storage system having automated page-based management means. The storage system interface receives instructions to change the condition for decision for migration regarding particular parts or the whole volume. The host computer can control execution of the migration performed by the storage system by specifying areas or volumes with the condition via the interface. Highly optimized, appropriate data placement and data relocation in computer system can be achieved when the application, host computer or management computer can recognize or predict the usage of the data or files. The storage system having automated page-based management may include compression/decompression and a control method for the compression and decompression process. |
| US09684451B2 |
Mapping of logical volumes to host clusters
A method for data storage includes defining a host cluster within a group of host computers, which access a storage system that includes multiple logical volumes. The host cluster includes two or more of the host computers. A single mapping instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a set of one or more of the logical volumes, is accepted. Responsively to the single mapping instruction, each of the host computers in the host cluster is mapped to access the logical volumes in the set. In another disclosed method, a single control instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a configuration operation to be applied to the host computers in the host cluster, is accepted. Responsively to the single control instruction, the configuration operation is applied to each of the host computers in the host cluster. |
| US09684448B2 |
Device input system and method for visually impaired users
A device and user interface for visually impaired users for, and methods for manufacturing and using same. One aspect includes a method of providing a device user interface for visually impaired users and receiving touch-based user input via the interface, the method including: replacing automatically a default device user interface with the device user interface for visually impaired users; presenting via a touch screen of the user device a first menu item comprising menu text; and presenting via a speaker of the user device a first audio message corresponding to the first menu item text. Another aspect includes a user device for visually impaired users comprising a touch screen configured to receive touch input from a user and present a touch-input interface for Braille input comprising a plurality of input regions defined by and separated by input region boundaries. |
| US09684446B2 |
Text suggestion output using past interaction data
In one example, a device includes at least one processor and at least one module operable by the at least one processor to output, for display, a graphical user interface including a graphical keyboard and one or more text suggestion regions, and select, based at least in part on an indication of gesture input, at least one key of the graphical keyboard. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine a plurality of candidate character strings, determine past interaction data that comprises a representation of a past user input corresponding to at least one candidate character string while the at least one candidate character string was previously displayed in at least one of the one or more text suggestion regions, and output the at least one candidate character string for display in one of the one or more text suggestion regions. |
| US09684444B2 |
Portable electronic device and method therefor
An electronic device is provided including a display, a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the display and the memory to carry out a method of facilitating user interface navigation in the electronic device. In a first view shown on the display, a first application interface provides a visual representation of a first application. In response to receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface, a transitional view is displayed including a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface. The displayed transition can be dependent on a property of the received navigational command. The first and second application interfaces can be displayed to appear in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and can have sheet-like properties or behaviors. |
| US09684438B2 |
Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing consistent application generation
Systems and methods are provided for generating a plurality of applications of disparate types. A graphical user interface is provided for designing an interactive user experience, where a designed user experience includes an arrangement of experience elements, where the experience elements include a plurality interactive elements and decorative elements, and where each of the experience elements are configured for display according to one or more attributes. An identification of the experience elements and the attributes of the experience elements is received via the graphical user interface. An identification of a plurality of disparate types of applications to be generated based on the designed experience is received. The experience is translated for each of the disparate types of applications to generate the plurality of applications of disparate types. |
| US09684435B2 |
Camera selection interface for producing a media presentation
To generate a media presentation of a live event, a user interface is coupled to at least three cameras that share substantially the same vantage point. One of the cameras (e.g., a context camera) provides a context view of the event that is displayed on a screen of the user interface. The views of the other two cameras are superimposed onto the context view to define sub-portions that are visually demarcated within the context view. Based on user interaction, the user interface can switch between the cameras views and control the cameras to capture different portions of the context view. Based the image data captured by the views of the cameras within the context view, the user interface generates a media presentation that may be broadcast to multiple viewers. |
| US09684433B2 |
Trusted device identification and event monitoring
A method includes identifying individuals that are affiliated with a user. The method includes incorporating trusted devices associated with the identified individuals into an event monitor network that is configured to monitor for an occurrence of a monitored event. The method includes identifying a particular input that suggests the occurrence of the monitored event. The method includes communicating to the trusted devices, an input sample that is used for recognition of the particular input from general input that is measured by sensors of the trusted devices. The method includes receiving from at least one of the trusted devices, an event message that indicates the particular input is observed by at least one of the sensors. In response to the event message, the method includes communicating to a user interface of a user device associated with the user, an alarm message that indicates the occurrence of the monitored event. |
| US09684432B2 |
Web-based system for collaborative generation of interactive videos
Systems and methods are provided for adding and displaying interactive annotations for existing online hosted videos. A graphical annotation interface allows the creation of annotations and association of the annotations with a video. Annotations may be of different types and have different functionality, such as altering the appearance and/or behavior of an existing video, e.g. by supplementing it with text, allowing linking to other videos or web pages, or pausing playback of the video. Authentication of a user desiring to perform annotation of a video may be performed in various manners, such as by checking a uniform resource locator (URL) against an existing list, checking a user identifier against an access list, and the like. As a result of authentication, a user is accorded the appropriate annotation abilities, such as full annotation, no annotation, or annotation restricted to a particular temporal or spatial portion of the video. |
| US09684431B2 |
Sharing media content
Among other things, a method includes receiving, from a user of a user interface of a media authoring application, first settings specifying a destination for media content authored in the media authoring application, the destination selected from a set of destinations supported by the media authoring application, and second settings specifying a set of media characteristics of media content authored in the media authoring application, and generating data representing a user interface element usable to provide media content authored in the media authoring application to the destination specified in the first settings at the set of media characteristics specified in the second settings. |
| US09684428B2 |
Method of starting applications installed on a mobile operating system in a multi-window mode and device using the same
A method and a device of starting applications installed on a mobile operating system (OS) is performed by a mobile device for the mobile OS to flag any application installed on the mobile OS as a windowed application and display the application under a multi-window mode when the application is started. When multiple applications are simultaneously started, the mobile OS sequentially determines if each application is a windowed application. If positive, the application is displayed under the multi-window mode, and the size and location of the displayed window frame with the application running thereon are adjustable, rendering higher operational efficiency and convenience of software applications installed on a mobile OS. |
| US09684426B2 |
Non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a 3D graphical user interface program and a computing device for operating the same
A user interface for a computing device, the interface comprising means for defining a coordinate system of a 3D frame (1), the 3D frame (1) being rotatable within a 3D environment of the user interface; and a plurality of 3D elements (2), each 3D element (2) being locatable at a position relative to the coordinate system for rotation with the 3D frame (1) and comprising a graphical indicator for identifying the 3D element (2). |
| US09684420B2 |
Touch substrate, its manufacturing method and display device
A self-capacitive touch panel includes a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of driving signal transmission lines corresponding to the touch electrodes. A plurality of via-holes is arranged at an identical amount and in an identical manner at a region where each touch electrode is located, and each driving signal transmission line is connected to the corresponding touch electrode through the via-hole. Projections of the via-holes at the regions where the touch electrodes other than the corresponding touch electrode are located in a direction perpendicular to the substrate are not located on the driving signal transmission line. |
| US09684418B1 |
Self and mutual capacitance measurement in a touch screen
A water-resistant capacitance sensing apparatus comprising a plurality of capacitive sense elements and a capacitance sensing circuit configured to measure both the mutual capacitance and self-capacitance on the plurality of capacitive sense elements.A method for water-resistant capacitance sensing, the method comprising performing a self-capacitance scan and a mutual capacitance scan, and detecting, by a processing device, a presence of an object with the plurality of sense elements. The method further determines whether the detected presence of the object is legitimate. |
| US09684416B2 |
Image sensor
Disclosed is an image sensor comprising: an image sensing unit array, for sensing an object and comprising a plurality of image sensing units arranged in a sensing matrix with M rows and N columns; an image data reading circuit, for reading and outputting image data caught by at least part of the image sensing units; and a control unit for controlling the image data reading circuit to read image data for a reading region in the sensing matrix. The image sensor further comprises a buffer for storing the image data. A number for the buffer rows of the buffer can be smaller than a number for the buffer columns of the buffer to reduce the buffer size. |
| US09684415B2 |
Optical touch-control system utilizing retro-reflective touch-control device
An optical touch-control system is provided. The optical touch-control system includes: a display unit; a light source; a retro-reflective touch-control device; at least two image capturing units, and a processor. The image capturing units are configured to capture a plurality of images in front of the display unit, which are generated by the retro-reflective touch-control device reflecting the light emitted from the light source. The processor determines whether at least one first cluster is in the images from the image capturing units based on a first threshold. The processor further calculates a touch position of the retro-reflective touch-control device on the display unit based on the at least one first cluster. |
| US09684412B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a three-dimensional user interface
A method for providing a three-dimensional user interface includes generating an image of a three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters. The three-dimensional scene includes a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements. The three-dimensional graphical elements are associated with a plurality of applications stored on a computing device. The method further includes receiving a user input; adjusting the camera parameters according to the user input; and updating the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters. |
| US09684410B2 |
Touch sensitive surface with recessed surface feature for an electronic device
An electronic device (300) includes a housing (301). A touch sensitive surface (100) can be disposed along the housing. The touch sensitive surface can include a recessed surface feature (106) on a portion of the touch sensitive surface. A control circuit (315), operable with the touch sensitive surface, can detect a predetermined gesture sequence (501, 502, 503) when a touch actuation along the touch sensitive surface interacts with the recessed surface feature. |
| US09684409B2 |
Hover position calculation in a touchscreen device
A method calculates the position of a conductive object hovering above a plurality of mutual capacitance sensors, where each mutual capacitance sensor is represented as a unit cell in an array of unit cells. The method measures the capacitance of each sensor. The method identifies a peak unit cell based on the measured capacitances and calculates an edge cutoff value. A plurality of unit cells with measured capacitances within a range defined by the edge cutoff value are selected and the position of the hovering object is calculated. In some embodiments, the array comprises a first plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a first axis and a second plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a second axis. In some embodiments, the array and a controller form a user interface device, and the controller is configured to calculate the position of the conductive object using the method described above. |
| US09684406B2 |
Electronic device suites, protective covers and methods for operating user interface
A method for operating a user interface, adapted to an electronic device. The steps include: receiving a wake-up signal; enabling a proximity sensing unit; determining whether the sensing value is greater than a predetermined value or not; displaying an application program in a first display area of a display unit by a processing unit and detecting a touch event corresponding to one of a plurality of sensing objects only by a second touching sensing area of a touch-sensing unit when the sensing value is greater than the predetermined value; obtaining a touch position corresponding to the touch event; and enabling an operation of the application program by the processing unit according to the touch position. A first touch-sensing area of the touch-sensing unit corresponds to the first display area, and the second touch-sensing area corresponds to a second display area. |
| US09684404B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a display panel including a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed on one side of the display panel; a first flexible pritned circuit board (FPCB) configured to connect the first substrate to the PCB; a second FPCB configured to connect the second substrate to the PCB; and an insulating member disposed between the first and second FPCBs. |
| US09684396B2 |
Method and apparatus for configuring and selectively sensing use of a device
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for subdividing a touch-sensitive interface of a mouse accessory into a first plurality of sectors for defining a first plurality of mouse buttons, where each sector of the first plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct mouse button. The method can further include receiving a first signal from the touch-sensitive interface of the mouse accessory, detecting, from the first signal a selection of a sector of the first plurality of sectors, and generating a second signal indicating the selection of the sector. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09684394B2 |
Button functionality
Button functionalities for user interfaces, e.g., for use with a portable multifunction device, are disclosed. Exemplary button functionalities are described for an electronic device with a display, a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, and/or a button. Different device features may be accessed, depending on whether the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button is activated, and further depending on whether the activation represents a single press, a double press, or an extended press on the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button. |
| US09684391B1 |
Telescopic mechanism and touch tool for writing instrument or the like
An exemplary embodiment of a touch tool mechanism includes a touch tool, including a stylus and an elongated bar connected with the stylus. The mechanism is carried on a pen holder. A rotating sleeve assembly is rotatable by the user, which extends the stylus above a retracted position for use in operating on an intelligent device. Further rotation of the sleeve assembly retracts the stylus into a storage position. |
| US09684390B2 |
Image display device, projector, and control method for image display device
As a start operation for an auxiliary line mode is accepted, the projector displays an auxiliary line. When an auxiliary line mode end operation is accepted or a non-drawing state exceeds a certain time, the projector erases the auxiliary line and ends the auxiliary line mode. |
| US09684389B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining an operation to be executed and associating the operation with a tangible object
An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that can receive a signal from a tangible object, where the signal includes an indication of an operation to be executed upon receipt of a user input applied by the tangible object, and that can determine the operation based on the indication. In this way, the user is not required to provide additional user input to define the particular operation that is desired. The apparatus may determine at least one recipient with whom data selected via a user input applied by the tangible object may be shared. The apparatus may further provide for the determination of an operation to be executed based on an identification of a selection of content and may provide for the association of the operation with the tangible object, such that subsequent user input applied via the tangible object causes execution of the operation. |
| US09684387B2 |
Adjustable pointing device
Methods and apparatus provide for an adjustable pointing device. The adjustable pointing device includes a base and an adjustable arm connecting a portion of the base with an input control portion. The input control portion includes at least one input control. A first end of the adjustable arm, which is distal from the base, allows for and independently maintains changes to various orientations of the input control portion. In other words, after the user adjusts the input control portion to be set at a new orientation, the first end of the adjustable arm maintains the input control portion at the new orientation as the user interacts with the adjustable pointing device. In addition, a second end of the adjustable arm, proximal to the base, also allows for and independently maintains changes in a distance between the input control portion and the base itself. |
| US09684385B2 |
Display device, display system, and data supply method for display device
A display device can make it possible to easily recognize a plurality of indication bodies as a plurality of pointing devices. The display device is provided with a function device having a first interface and a second interface, and stores configuration information assigning the same class to the first interface and the second interface in a storage section. The display device detects a first position indicated by a first indication body to a display surface and a second position indicated by a second indication body to the display surface, assigns first coordinate data representing the first position to the first interface, assigns second coordinate data representing the second position to the second interface, and supplies a host device with the first coordinate data and the second coordinate data. |
| US09684384B2 |
System and method for eliminating spurious motion of mouse
A method for minimizing spurious motion of a mouse includes: determining whether the mouse enters a specific mode; and when the mouse is determined to enter the specific mode, generating a large correlation matrix by generating a standard size correlation matrix multiple times. The multiple standard size correlation matrices are offset with respect to each other so that an edge of each standard size correlation matrix touches at least an edge of another standard size correlation matrix to form the large correlation matrix. The specific mode is a skating mode wherein the mouse will move at high speed over a large area. |
| US09684382B2 |
Input device configuration having capacitive and pressure sensors
Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors and a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate. The flexible contact layer is configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input of a computing device. The flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad that is configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a capacitive sensor assembly arranged in an array that is configured to detect a location of an object that is proximal to a respective capacitive sensor of the capacitive sensor assembly and a pressure sensitive sensor assembly including a plurality of pressure sensitive sensor nodes that are configured to detect an amount of pressure applied by the object against a respective pressure sensitive sensor node of the pressure sensitive sensor assembly. |
| US09684380B2 |
Operating environment with gestural control and multiple client devices, displays, and users
Embodiments described herein includes a system comprising a processor coupled to display devices, sensors, remote client devices, and computer applications. The computer applications orchestrate content of the remote client devices simultaneously across the display devices and the remote client devices, and allow simultaneous control of the display devices. The simultaneous control includes automatically detecting a gesture of at least one object from gesture data received via the sensors. The detecting comprises identifying the gesture using only the gesture data. The computer applications translate the gesture to a gesture signal, and control the display devices in response to the gesture signal. |
| US09684377B2 |
Drive apparatus, electronic device, drive control program, and drive signal generating method
A drive apparatus includes a memory to store waveform data representing a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying a frequency f1=(m/n)×q(t) (m and n: natural numbers, m≠n), to vibrate a vibration-generating device m times, where q(t) is a time characteristic of a resonance frequency of the vibration-generating device, or ((m/2)×r) times (r: natural number≠0, m and n: positive odd, m≠n), the vibration-generating device having the resonance frequency varying depending on an acceleration amplitude in a range between first and second resonance frequencies including the rated value f0; and a drive-processor to output the drive signal to the vibration-generating device. The q(t) is obtained when driving the vibration-generating device by a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying f1=(m/n)×f2, to vibrate the vibration-generating device m times if m≠n, or ((m/2)×r) times. |
| US09684374B2 |
Eye reflection image analysis
Example methods and devices are disclosed for generating life-logs with point-of-view images. An example method may involve: receiving image-related data based on electromagnetic radiation reflected from a human eye, generating an eye reflection image based on the image-related data, generating a point-of-view image by filtering the eye reflection image, and storing the point-of-view image. The electromagnetic radiation reflected from a human eye can be captured using one or more video or still cameras associated with a suitably-configured computing device, such as a wearable computing device. |
| US09684366B2 |
Distributed power management system with plurality of power management controllers controlling zone and component power caps of respective zones by determining priority of other zones
A zone power cap for a power management zone that defines a limit of power consumption for the power management zone is determined. The power management zone comprises a plurality of components, wherein the power management zone is associated with a controller. A set of one or more characteristics of a workload associated with the power management zone is determined. A component power cap for one or more of the plurality of components is set based, at least in part, on the set of one or more characteristics of the workload and the zone power cap. |
| US09684365B2 |
Responding device and responding method
A responding device has operating modes including a first mode and a second mode. The responding device includes a first responding unit and a second responding unit. The first responding unit operates during the first mode and outputs, when receiving a request, a response including information in accordance with the type of the request. The second responding unit outputs the response in place of the first responding unit during the second mode. The second responding unit includes a storage section, an information accumulation section, and a mode transition control section. The information accumulation section stores in the storage section the information included in the response output from the first responding unit during the first mode. The mode transition control section causes the responding device to transition to the second mode when a first condition and a second condition in terms of the information stored in the storage section are satisfied. |
| US09684357B2 |
Predictive electrical appliance device power management mode based on presence detection of mobile device
Approaches are provided for a predictive electrical appliance power-saving management mode. An approach includes ascertaining a location and pace of a mobile device. The approach further includes calculating an amount of time that it will take to enable or start programs and services upon a computing device waking from a sleep mode or hybrid sleep mode. The approach further includes determining a distance threshold to the computing device that allows for the calculated amount of time to pass such that the programs and services are enabled or started prior to a user of the mobile device arriving at the computing device when the user is returning to the computing device at the ascertained pace. The approach further includes sending a signal to awaken the computing device from the sleep mode or hybrid sleep mode when the mobile device is within the distance threshold. |
| US09684352B2 |
Memory system and operating method thereof
A memory system and an operating method thereof stably supplies power, so that it is possible to improve performance of a memory system by omitting an operation, which has been performed in order to prevent an error due to the blocking of a power supply, in a condition in which an error due to the blocking of the power supply may not be generated. |
| US09684349B2 |
System and method for configuring UPS outlets
A system for configuring outlet groups on an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is provided. The system includes a computer system connected via a communication link to the UPS. The computer system includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive data pertaining to at least one device, receive data pertaining to a plurality of outlet groups associated with the UPS, determine one configuration profile for the at least one device, the one configuration profile being included in a plurality of configuration profiles, determine one outlet group of the plurality of outlet groups, the one outlet group being configured for the one configuration profile, associate the one configuration profile with the one outlet group and provide an instruction for a user to connect the at least one device in an outlet included in the one outlet group. |
| US09684347B2 |
Systems and methods for automated display of permissive logic in control systems associated with a power generation unit
Certain embodiments herein relate to automated display of permissive logic in control systems associated with a power generation unit. A control device may be configured to provide automated updates of system data, such as signals received from power generation equipment, to a human machine interface (HMI) or a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) display, as non-limiting examples. A logic builder block may receive permissive logic configurations, including one or more combinational logic blocks. A logic builder block may be associated with power generation equipment to facilitate the identification of related system data and the subsequent association of the system data to corresponding input pins for the combinational logic blocks. The permissive logic configurations may be compiled into object code and downloaded to the control device, where it may be executed to perform the above described functions, among other functions. |
| US09684344B2 |
Exterior case and electronic device
An exterior case includes a first member to which a hinge bracket is attached, a fastener portion being a portion of the first member surrounding a hole in the first member, and being thickened in a thickness direction of the first member, a second member that is fixed to the first member and surrounds the fastener portion of the first member, and at least one fastener screw screwed into the hole to fasten the first member and the second member together and to fasten the hinge bracket to the first member. |
| US09684343B2 |
Radius hinge
The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a display portion that includes a display screen and an input portion that includes an input device. This example can also include a radius hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions. The radius hinge assembly can be configured to provide a curvilinear articulation that allows 360 degrees of relative rotation between the first and second portions. |
| US09684333B2 |
Electronic device and case member
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first flexible member, a rigid member positioned on one surface of the first flexible member, and a second flexible member positioned on the one surface of the first flexible member in at least a part of a periphery of the rigid member. The first flexible member is attached to a case member of the electronic device with the rigid member and the second flexible member being interposed therebetween. |
| US09684329B2 |
Automatic locking knob assemblies and methods of use
Embodiments of the present technology relate to safety knobs. An example automatic locking knob assembly includes a knob, a base, an adapter, and a locking sub-assembly. The locking sub-assembly is configured to automatically lock the knob into place when a valve stem of a stove is in an off position. The locking sub-assembly also allows for controlled rotation of the valve stem of the stove by actuation of buttons associated with the knob. |
| US09684326B2 |
Method and circuit for detecting short circuit in an asynchronous DC-DC boost converter
A simple, cost-effective and efficient short circuit protection with simple routing of the ground on the PCB is achieved in an asynchronous DC-DC boost converter wherein a voltage sensing controller selectively isolates an input power supply to a load in the event of a short circuit. The controller alleviates need for additional components by utilizing the circuit for under voltage lockout protection and the circuit for overvoltage protection to generate signals for detecting short circuit. A predetermined offset voltage is added to a sensed output voltage to generate a reference voltage that is compared to a sensed input voltage and an output signal having a high state is generated in the event that the reference voltage is less than the sensed input voltage for selectively disabling the source of input power when the output signal is in the high state. |
| US09684321B2 |
On-chip regulator with variable load compensation
An integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator to supply a regulated voltage and a data output that couples to an unterminated transmission line. The circuit draws a variable amount of power from the voltage regulator according to the data. The voltage regulator includes a first current generation circuit to provide a data transition-dependent current. |
| US09684320B2 |
DC-DC converter and method for controlling the same and power supply of energy storage system including the same DC-DC converter
A DC/DC converter includes n converters connected in parallel to each other and configured to adjust a level of an input voltage according to a duty ratio of a first pulse signal applied to a first switch device to output an output voltage, wherein the n is an integer of 2 or more; and a control unit configured to compare an average of n sensing currents with the n sensing currents sensed from the converters, respectively, to adjust the duty ratio of the first pulse signal. |
| US09684319B2 |
Heating circuit, electronic apparatus, and method for entering operation mode in low-temperature environment
A method for entering an operation mode in a low-temperature environment is applicable in a situation that plural electronic devices in an electronic apparatus are not activated. Through performing the method, the electronic apparatus obtains a temperature of each electronic device after receiving a request of a user. Then the electronic apparatus determines whether the temperatures of all the electronic devices reach a threshold value. If the temperatures of at least two electronic devices do not reach the threshold value, the electronic apparatus generates a plurality of corresponding enable signals for the electronic devices having the temperatures lower than the threshold value. The waveforms of the enable signals vary alternately. The electronic apparatus transfers the enable signals to a plurality of corresponding heaters. Being activated by the received enable signal, each of the heaters heats the corresponding electronic device. |
| US09684312B1 |
Resource consumption measurement system and method
An HVAC controller, in one embodiment, may include a gas valve interface and an AC unit switch interface, and a controller that may communicate with at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch. An identification module may identify one or more time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal, and a calibration module may open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch according to calibration schedule data. A computational module may calculate a computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on a calibration open time, a calibration close time, and the actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time. The computed flow rate may be utilized to identify anomalies and provide notifications thereof. |
| US09684308B2 |
Transport mode conversion
A self-propelled paving machine includes a plurality of swing legs, each swing leg being supported from a ground surface by an associated crawler track steerably connected to an outer end of its associated swing leg. The machine may be re-oriented from a paving mode to a transport mode by driving the ground engaging units to rotate the frame substantially in place on the ground through a re-orientation angle of the frame relative to the ground, and as the frame is rotating, pivoting one or more of the swing legs from a paving position relative to the frame, to a transport position relative to the frame. |
| US09684305B2 |
System and method for mobile robot teleoperation
Example implementations include a system and method for remotely controlling the motion of a robot. In example implementations, the user is presented with a display having video from a camera on the robot augmented with abstract sensor data, and facilitates the user to draw motion path commands directly on the camera view. Analysis of the scene for obstacles is performed, so that the drawing of commands is interactive, preventing the user from drawing impossible paths. The path sketch is then transformed into the coordinate system of the robot and used to generate commands that will move the robot to the desired location. Sensor data is also used to augment the camera view, in particular for highlighting dangers and obstacles. |
| US09684300B2 |
Semiconductor device, motor control device, lens unit for imaging apparatus, and imaging apparatus
In a motor control device, a matrix circuit and logic circuits are arranged between PWM signal generation circuits and output terminals. It is possible to output PWM signals to the output terminals as they are and to synchronize the PWM signals and output a synchronized signal to a desired output terminal/terminals in the output terminals by changing a coupled state of the matrix circuit. Therefore, it is possible to change the kind of the motor to be controlled, the number of motors to be controlled and so forth without changing the motor control device. |
| US09684298B2 |
Numeric control machine tool
A numeric control machine tool of the type comprising: a basement; a substantially rectilinear main supporting crossmember which extends above the basement and has two axial ends structured so as to rest stably and in an axially sliding manner on two reciprocally parallel rectilinear guides present on the basement; a movable slide which is fixed protruding onto a side of the main supporting crossmember, with the possibility of moving along the body of the main supporting crossmember; a substantially rectilinear vertical movable tower, which is fixed on the movable slide in a substantially vertical position and with the possibility of translating with respect to the movable slide in a vertical direction; and a tool-hold head which is fixed on the lower end of said vertical movable tower; the main supporting crossmember being structured so as stably to support the weight of the movable slide, the vertical movable tower and the tool-holder head, and the numeric control machine tool also comprising a substantially rectilinear auxiliary supporting crossmember, which extends beside the main supporting crossmember so as to be locally facing and distanced from the side of the crossmember which supports the movable slide; and on which the movable slide rests by means of interposition of a reaction member which is structured so as to vary its height, simultaneously exercising an upward thrust on the projecting arm. |
| US09684295B2 |
Molding system and method for operating the same
A method for operating a molding machine includes specifying a simulating domain corresponding to a genuine domain in a mold disposed on the molding machine. The method proceeds to perform a virtual molding by using a setting packing pressure profile to generate a simulated state waveform, generating a designed state waveform including an isobaric phase and an isochoric phase while taking into consideration the simulated state waveform, and obtaining an updated packing pressure profile for applying a molding pressure to a portion of the genuine domain while taking into consideration a difference between the simulated state waveform and the designed state waveform. Subsequently, the method proceeds to set the molding machine while taking into consideration the updated packing pressure profile to perform an actual molding by applying an actual molding pressure to the at least a portion of the genuine domain to prepare the molding product. |
| US09684292B1 |
Conditional switch rate low pass filter
A conditional switched rate filter system having a two stage digital filter to remove noise from the input signal. The first stage of the filter effectively removes the random noise from the input signal higher in frequency (cut-off frequency) than outside the characteristic response of the closed loop system. The second stage of the filter is used to filter out noise that is at same frequency response as the closed loop system. |
| US09684289B2 |
Power control device, system, and method using switches for fast stabilization of a power source
A power control device includes a control circuit configured to control a power source as a control target; and a control calculation unit configured to calculate a manipulation amount by which the control circuit controls the power source, wherein when a disturbance occurs in the power source, the control calculation unit adjusts the manipulation amount based on a predetermined parameter in the manipulation amount during a disturbance occurrence period. |
| US09684287B2 |
Controlling device and controlling method
A controlling device includes an upper limit elapsed time measuring portion measuring an elapsed time TH after updating of a manipulated variable upper limit value OH1 through communication, a lower limit elapsed time measuring portion measuring an elapsed time TL after updating of a manipulated variable lower limit value OL1 through communication, an upper limit automatic reset portion storing, as a new manipulated variable upper limit value OH1, a manipulated variable upper limit value OH2 when the elapsed time TH has arrived at a specified time TR, and a lower limit automatic reset portion storing, as a new manipulated variable lower limit value OL1, a manipulated variable lower limit value OL2 when the elapsed time TL has arrived at the specified time TR. |
| US09684280B2 |
Cooling device including air blower, and image forming apparatus including cooling device
A cooling device includes an air blower, a first support frame, and a second support frame. The first support frame supports the air blower and has a first groove portion extending from a blowing port of the air blower to a predetermined discharge port. The second support frame supports a driving portion for transmitting a driving force to a portion to be driven of an image forming apparatus, and is configured such that the first support frame is connectable thereto. The second support frame has a second groove portion. The second groove portion is engaged with the first groove portion, in a state where the first support frame is connected to the second support frame, to form an air duct configured to guide air blown from the air blower, to the discharge port. |
| US09684274B2 |
Transmission device for photosensitive drum and drum device having same
The invention relates to a transmission device for engagement with a photosensitive drum having a drum axis, comprising a shell detachably attached to the photosensitive drum coaxially to the drum axis; a sleeve coupled with the shell coaxially to the drum axis, such that the shell and the sleeve define at least one guiding groove therebetween; and a transmission unit comprising a shaft disposed to the sleeve coaxially to the drum axis, such that the shaft is rotatable about the drum axis relative to the sleeve and movable along the drum axis relative to the sleeve, wherein ranges of the rotation and motion of the shaft relative to the sleeve are subjected to the at least one guiding groove. Accordingly, the transmission device can be connected with and separated from the drive member smoothly. |
| US09684272B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an exposure device, and a developing device. A sensor detects a toner image formed by the developing device to output density information, and a supply device supplies developer to the developing device. In addition, a controller controls the supply device on the basis of a detection result of a supply control toner image formed by the exposure device, a storing portion stores the detection result, and an exchange detecting portion detects information for discriminating exchange of the photosensitive member and the developing device. When the developing device is not exchanged but the photosensitive member is exchanged, the controller executes an operation in a mode in which the controller adjusts an exposure condition for forming the supply control toner image by the exposure device after exchange of the photosensitive member. |
| US09684268B2 |
Image forming apparatus including controller which controls primary transfer bias and secondary transfer bias
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, a plurality of primary transfer members, a secondary transfer member, a first guide member, and a controller. The first guide member guides a recording medium along a conveying direction. The controller controls a primary transfer bias and a secondary transfer bias. A plurality of the primary transfer members include an upstream side primary transfer member and a downstream side primary transfer member. The controller makes an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the downstream side primary transfer member larger than an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the upstream side primary transfer member. The controller lowers an absolute value of the secondary transfer bias when the recording medium separates from the first guide member. |
| US09684267B2 |
Roller coating
A method of preparing the surface of a roller comprising adding a coating comprising isocyanate to a ground surface of the roller. A roller comprising a ground surface, the ground surface having unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller and a layer of isocyanate layered over the unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller, the isocyanate forming a urethane bond on the surface of the roller. |
| US09684266B1 |
Developer transport device and image forming apparatus
A developer transport device includes a cylinder member including first and second cylinders in which a transport path, through which a developer is transported, is formed, a transport member disposed in the transport path so as to transport the developer by rotating, a to-be-fastened member that is formed on one of the first and second cylinders and that has a first surface formed in a downstream end portion thereof in a direction in which the second cylinder is fastened to the first cylinder and a second surface extending in the direction, and a fastening member that is formed on another one of the first and second cylinders and is to be fastened to the to-be-fastened member, the fastening member having first and a second fastening surfaces that respectively face the first and second surfaces when the fastening member is fastened to the to-be-fastened member. |
| US09684260B2 |
Image forming apparatus with control of transfer bias and charging bias
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, a charging voltage source, an exposure device, a developing device, a developing voltage source, a transfer member, a transfer voltage source, a detecting member, a setting portion for setting, a transfer voltage applied to the transfer member on the basis of a detection result of the detecting member, and an adjusting portion for increasing a potential difference between the potential of the photosensitive member charged and the developing voltage so as to be large when an absolute value of the transfer voltage set by the setting portion is a first threshold or more and an absolute value of the current flowing at the time of application of the transfer voltage to the transfer member is a second threshold or less. |
| US09684258B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of switching operation mode
An image forming apparatus includes: first and second photosensitive drums; first and second developing rollers each defining an axis in an axial direction; first and second driving-force inputting sections; first and second couplings; and a connecting mechanism. A driving force inputted to each coupling is transmitted to each developing roller via each driving-force inputting section when each coupling is connected to the corresponding driving-force inputting section. The connecting mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position to cause the first and second couplings to move in the axial direction such that the first and second couplings are connected or disconnected relative to the first and second driving-force inputting sections. |
| US09684255B2 |
Coating agent and method for producing electrophotographic member
Provided is a coating agent having a polymerizable compound containing a hydroxyl group in the molecule, conductive inorganic particles whose surface is treated with a dispersing agent having a nitrogen atom in the molecule, and a solvent, in which when the interatomic distance between an oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group and the atom farthest away from the oxygen atom in the molecule of the polymerizable compound is represented by D1 and the interatomic distance between the nitrogen atom and the atom farthest away from the nitrogen atom in the molecule of the dispersing agent is represented by D2, D1 and D2 satisfy the relationship represented by the following formula (1). [(|D1−D2|)/D2]≦0.30 Formula (1) |
| US09684252B2 |
Optical element with an antireflection coating, projection objective, and exposure apparatus comprising such an element
An optical element (14) transparent for radiation with a wavelength λ in the ultraviolet wavelength range below 250 nm, in particular at 193 nm, comprises a substrate (17) with a refractive index ns larger than 1.6, and an antireflection coating (16) formed on at least part of the surface of the substrate (17) between the substrate (17) and an ambient medium with a refractive index nA, preferably with nA=1.0. The antireflection coating (16) consists of a single layer of a material with a refractive index nL of about nL=√{square root over (nAnS)}, in particular nL>1.3, and the optical thickness dL of the single layer is about λ/4. The optical element (14) is preferably part of a projection objective (5) in a microlithography projection exposure apparatus (1) and located adjacent to a light-sensitive substrate (10). |
| US09684251B2 |
Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and method of correcting optical wavefront deformations in such an apparatus
A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a correction device configured to correct optical wavefront deformations. The correction device includes first and second optical elements and a drive mechanism configured to move the first and second optical elements between a first arrangement and a second arrangement. In the first arrangement the first optical element is an inner optical element having at least a portion that is arranged in a projection light path, and the second optical element is an outer optical element that is arranged completely outside the projection light path. In the second arrangement the second optical element is the inner optical element, and the first optical element is the outer optical element. The correction device further includes a temperature control device configured to modify a temperature distribution in the outer optical element. |
| US09684249B2 |
Lithographic apparatus with a metrology system for measuring a position of a substrate table
A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table for accommodating a substrate; a projection system for imaging a pattern onto the substrate, and a metrology system for measuring a position of the substrate table with respect to the projection system. The metrology system comprises a metrology frame connected to the projection system, a grid positioned stationary with respect to the metrology frame, and an encoder connected to the substrate table and facing the grid for measuring the position of the substrate table relative to the grid. The metrology frame has a surface oriented towards the substrate table, and the surface has been configured, e.g., by writing or etching, so as to form the grid. |
| US09684247B2 |
Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method
There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile. |
| US09684237B2 |
Circuit board formation using organic substrates
A method of forming a circuit board includes forming a conductive pattern on a substrate; forming a first negative resist on the substrate after formation of the conductive pattern; partially exposing the first negative resist on the surface of the conductive pattern to form a first via exposure portion; forming a second negative resist on the substrate after formation of the first via exposure portion; partially exposing the second negative resist on the first via exposure portion to form a second via exposure portion larger than the first via exposure portion; developing the first negative resist and the second negative resist after formation of the second via exposure portion to form a via opening reaching the conductive pattern; and filling the via opening with a conductive material. |
| US09684236B1 |
Method of patterning a film layer
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a first patterned hard mask over a material layer. The first patterned hard mask defines an opening. The method also includes forming a direct-self-assembly (DSA) layer having a first portion and a second portion within the opening, removing the first portion of the DSA layer, forming spacers along sidewalls of the second portion of the DSA layer and removing the second portion of the DSA layer. The spacers form a second patterned hard mask over the material layer. |
| US09684235B2 |
Directed self-assembling composition for pattern formation, and pattern-forming method
A directed self-assembling composition for pattern formation includes a block copolymer. The block copolymer includes a polystyrene block having a styrene unit, and a polyalkyl (meth)acrylate block having an alkyl (meth)acrylate unit. The block copolymer has a group that is bound to at least one end of a main chain of the block copolymer and that includes a hetero atom. |
| US09684232B2 |
Glass substrate for mask blank, and method for producing the same
A glass substrate for a mask blank has a rectangular planar shape. In four square regions each positioned at each corner of a first region (quality assurance region) and having one side of 8 mm, an angle between a least square plane in each the square region and that in the first region is 3.0 μad or less, and a PV value relative to the least square plane is 30 nm or less. In four strip regions each positioned in an area between one side of the first region and 8 mm inside the side and excluding the square regions, an angle between a least square plane in each the strip region and that in the first region is 1.5 μad or less, and a PV value relative to the least square plane is 15 nm or less. |
| US09684228B2 |
Dynamic rotation monopod
The handheld telescopic dynamic rotation monopod is an essential tool for photography and videography enthusiasts, comprised of an easy to use control member positioned in the handle, whose rotation will engender a corresponding horizontal rotation from a camera mount positioned at the opposite end of the handle. A lockable vertical rotation of said camera mount is achieved by means of an input and output section, one able to pivot relative to the other due to guide pins restrictedly able to move within guide tracks and studs to restrictedly move within elongated channels. |
| US09684226B2 |
Illumination device for a camera
An illumination device for illuminating a camera's field of view, including a light source, and a reflector unit having reflecting sections is provided. Each reflecting section is associated with a light distribution, wherein the light distributions for different reflecting sections are different. The reflector unit is arranged such that light emitted by the light source is deflected by one of said reflecting sections being selected based on the camera's field of view. A method for illuminating a camera's field of view is also provided. |
| US09684222B2 |
Optical waveguide and optical device based on the same
Disclosed is a technology related to an optical waveguide which is insensitive to an ambient temperature and is capable of adjusting a wavelength error due to a manufacturing processing deviation. The optical waveguide includes: a clad layer positioned on a substrate; a core layer positioned between the substrate and the clad layer, and including patterns positioned in a first region and a second region; and a wavelength adjusting unit positioned in the first region between the substrate and the clad layer, and configured to adjust a wavelength of an optical signal propagated through patterns passing through the first region based on received electric energy, in which the clad layer includes a material having a Thermo-Optic Coefficient (TOC) with an opposite sign to that of a material included in the core layer. |
| US09684221B2 |
Broadband terahertz generation of metamaterials
Provided are systems and methods to generate single-cycle THz pulses from a few tens of nanometers thin layer of split ring resonators (SRRs) via optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses. The emitted THz radiation, with a spectrum ranging from about 0.1 to 4 THz, arises exclusively from pumping the magnetic-dipole resonance of SRRs around 200 THz. This resonant enhancement, together with pump polarization dependence and power scaling of the THz emission, underpins the nonlinearity from optically induced circulating currents in SRRs, with a huge effective nonlinear susceptibility of 0.8×10−16 m2/V that far exceeds surface nonlinearities of both thin films and bulk organic/inorganic crystals and sheet nonlinearities of non-centrosymmetric materials such as ZnTe. |
| US09684219B2 |
Electrochromic device containing color-tunable nanostructures
An electrochromic device and method, the device including: a first transparent conductor layer; a working electrode disposed on the first transparent conductor layer and including nanostructures; a counter electrode; a solid state electrolyte layer disposed between the counter electrode and the working electrode; and a second transparent conductor layer disposed on the counter electrode. The nanostructures may include transition metal oxide nanoparticles and/or nanocrystals configured to tune the color of the device by selectively modulating the transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) and visible radiation as a function of an applied voltage to the device. |
| US09684215B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor are provided. In the first transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a first wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to a gate terminal of the second transistor; a gate terminal is electrically connected to a fifth wiring. In the second transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a third wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to a sixth wiring. In the third transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a second wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to the gate terminal of the second transistor; a gate terminal is electrically connected to a fourth wiring. In the fourth transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to the second wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to the sixth wiring; a gate terminal is connected to the fourth wiring. |
| US09684214B2 |
Display device
The present invention relates to a display device, comprising: a substrate comprising a display region and a non-display region surrounding the display region; a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and partially covering the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor layer; and there is a spacing between a first side of the semiconductor layer and a second side of the second conductive layer from a top view, wherein the first side of the semiconductor layer is adjacent to the second side of the second conductive layer; wherein the spacing in the display region is a first distance, the spacing in the non-display region is a second distance, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance. |
| US09684211B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device having a second substrate and a first substrate that is placed so as to face the above-described second substrate with pixel regions aligned in a matrix is provided with: protrusions that are formed on pixel boarders and protrude from the second substrate on the liquid crystal side; first electrodes made of sidewall electrodes formed on sidewalls of protrusions and a lower end side electrode extending from the sidewall electrodes on the bottom side; and second electrodes made of a first linear electrode formed within a pixel region and a second linear electrode that is formed on the second substrate and faces the first linear electrode. |
| US09684210B2 |
Curved liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing method thereof
A curved liquid crystal display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The method includes a step of using a mask having a light-shielding portion to expose a color-filter photoresist layer, wherein the light-shielding portion is arranged in a position corresponding to an edge of the display panel; a step of developing the exposed color-filter photoresist layer, so that a concave portion corresponding to the position of the light-shielding portion is formed on the color-filter photoresist layer; and a step of forming photo spacers at a position corresponding to the concave portion of the color-filter photoresist layer on a substrate of the display panel. |
| US09684209B2 |
Curved liquid crystal display
A curved liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present system and method includes: a first substrate; a first thin film display layer disposed at an upper surface of the first substrate; a second substrate; a second thin film display layer disposed at a lower surface of the second substrate; a sealant disposed at an edge of the first substrate and the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and sealed by the sealant, wherein the first thin film display layer and the second thin film display layer face each other, the first substrate and the second substrate are curved to have the same degree of curvature, and a thickness of a side surface of the second substrate is thinner than a thickness of a center portion of the second substrate. |
| US09684208B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
To improve the display quality of a vertical alignment liquid crystal display apparatus. The apparatus comprises two substrates, a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a crystal layer provided between the substrates, a pixel is configured where the two electrodes intersect, an electrode edge of the second electrode is of a shape that includes line segments obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back, the pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed, and the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that the angle of the alignment direction of the crystal molecules at the center and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is greater than 0°, and the alignment direction of the crystal molecules and the direction of obliquely crossed line segments don't become perpendicular. |
| US09684206B2 |
Copolymer, and liquid crystal alignment layer including cured product thereof
Provided is a liquid crystal alignment layer of which a constituent member is a polymer represented by the general formula (I). |
| US09684192B2 |
Optical closed loop microresonator and thyristor memory device
A semiconductor device that includes an optical resonator spaced from a waveguide structure to provide for evanescent-wave optical coupling therebetween. The optical resonator includes a closed loop waveguide defined by a vertical thyristor structure. In one embodiment, the vertical thyristor structure is formed by an epitaxial layer structure including complementary (both an n-type and a p-type) modulation doped quantum well interfaces formed between an N+ region and a P+ region. |
| US09684190B1 |
Athermal optical filter with active tuning and simplified control
Embodiments of the invention describe systems, apparatuses and methods for providing athermicity and a tunable spectral response for optical filters. Finite impulse response (FIR) filters are commonly implemented in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) to make devices such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) devices, asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers (AMZIs) and array waveguide gratings (AWGs). Athermicity of an FIR filter describes maintaining a consistent frequency transmission spectrum as the ambient temperature changes. A tunable spectral response for an FIR filter describes changing the spectrum of an FIR filter based on its application, as well as potentially correcting for fabrication deviations from the design. In addition, embodiments of the invention reduce energy dissipation requirements and control complexity compared to prior art solutions. |
| US09684186B1 |
Glasses with changeable lens
A pair of glasses with changeable lenses is revealed. A right frame and a left frame are communicated by a channel disposed on a bridge of an eyeglass frame. The eyeglass frame is divided into an upper part and a lower part by the channel, each of which is arranged with a magnetic part. The lenses are positioned by the magnetic parts attracted each other to close the channel. Or the two magnetic parts are pulled and separated to open the channel so that the lenses are able to be replaced. Therefore the lenses can be disassembled and assembled easily. |
| US09684183B2 |
Control of an SMA actuation apparatus
SMA actuator wires in an SMA actuation apparatus are connected in tension between a movable element and a support structure, applying forces to the movable element in opposed directions. Measures of the resistances of the SMA actuator wires are detected. A feedback difference measure is derived being the sum of the measures of resistance of the SMA actuator wires, relatively scaled by factors, in respect of the SMA actuator wires, the magnitude of which represents a component along the predetermined axis of a force applied by the SMA actuator wire and the sign of which represents a direction along the predetermined axis. The ratio has opposite signs for respective ones of said opposed directions. The powers of drive signals supplied to the SMA actuator wires are controlled in response to the feedback difference measure to reduce the difference between the feedback difference measure and a target difference measure. |
| US09684181B2 |
Optical device and projection video display device
The optical device includes a diffuser which diffuses light, a holder which holds the diffuser, a driver which vibrates the holder, and a supporter whose one end elastically supports the holder at one point and whose other end is fixed to an installation plane. |
| US09684180B2 |
Color separating/combining system and image display apparatus using the same
A color separating and/or combining system configured to guide blue (or first) light in a light beam from a light source to a blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to guide red (or second) light to a red-light (or second-light) liquid crystal panel includes a PBS configured to guide one of the blue (or first) light and the red (or second) light in a direction different from a direction of the other color light, a quarter-wave plate, and a color separation element configured to guide the blue (or first) light to the blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to suppress the red (or second) light from being guided to the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel. The quarter-wave plate and the color separation element are provided between the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel and the PBS. The color separation element is provided between the PBS and the quarter-wave plate. |
| US09684172B2 |
Head worn computer display systems
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to mounting electronics and optical systems in head-worn see-through computer displays. In embodiments, a head worn computer includes an optical chassis with a rigid open box structure configured to provide a stable optical mounting reference plane and a plurality of image source reference planes. The head worn computer further includes a first image source mounted on one of the image source reference planes to project first image light through a first hole in the optical mounting reference plane and a second image source mounted on a second of the image source reference planes and configured to project second image light through a second hole in the optical mounting reference plane. An outer frame holds the optical chassis such that, when worn by a user, the first and second image light is aligned with the eyes of the user. |
| US09684171B2 |
See-through computer display systems
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the see-through computer display systems with a wide field of view. |
| US09684169B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method for viewpoint determination
While a first mode is set as the operation mode of an image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space containing a virtual object seen from a first viewpoint having a position and orientation set by a user is generated and output. While a second mode is set as the operation mode of the image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space seen from a second viewpoint determined based on information of the first viewpoint and the position of a head mounted display device is generated and output. |
| US09684167B2 |
Display device for vehicle
When a combiner is used, a cut part of a shift in an outer circumferential edge portion of the combiner is reduced, and a front scenery of a vehicle is more easily seen and recognized. A vehicular display device includes a displayer 4 configured to project display information; and a combiner 1 which enlarges and reflects the display information projected to the displayer 4, images the display information on a vehicle front side, and shows both a virtual image made by the imaging and the front scenery of the vehicle which is seen through. The thickness of an end portion of the combiner 1 gradually becomes thinner as being close to an edge of the combiner 1. |
| US09684165B2 |
Eye imaging in head worn computing
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for imaging, recognizing, and tracking of a user's eye that is wearing a HWC. Aspects further relate to the processing of images reflected from the user's eye and controlling displayed content in accordance therewith. |
| US09684162B2 |
Optical sensors
An optical sensor includes an array of pixels configured to convert photons into electrons for forming an image. A tunable filter assembly is optically connected to the array of pixels for passing an adjustable bandwidth of photons to the array of pixels. The tunable filter assembly includes a first mirror defining an optical axis and a second mirror spaced apart from the first mirror along the optical axis. A first electrode is mechanically connected to the first mirror and a second electrode is fixed relative to the second mirror. The first and second electrodes are positioned relative to one another to adjust the position of the first mirror with respect to the second mirror when a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes to tune the spectral bands being passed through the filter assembly to the array of pixels. |
| US09684161B1 |
Reflectance in electrowetting displays
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to improving luminance and reducing color shifts in electrowetting displays. The electrowetting display comprises a plurality of electrowetting elements separated by partition walls and spacers. The spacers and/or partition walls are reflective. When incident light that enters a pixel or subpixel is reflected and encounters a spacer and/or partition wall, the light is reflected such that the reflected light exits the pixel or subpixel into which the incident light entered. This improves luminance and reduces color shifts of the electrowetting display. |
| US09684157B2 |
Projection zoom lens and projection type display device
A projection zoom lens includes: a first lens group having a negative refractive power provided most toward the magnification side, which is fixed when changing magnification; and at least two movable lens groups that move to change the relative distance therebetween in the direction of an optical axis when changing magnification. The first lens group is constituted by, in order from the magnification side to the reduction side, a front group having a negative refractive power and a rear group having a negative refractive power. The front group is fixed and only the rear group moves in the direction of the optical axis during focusing operations. Conditional Formula (1) related to the focal length f1a of the front group and the focal length f1b of the rear group is satisfied: f1b/f1a<0.8 (1). |
| US09684152B2 |
Endoscope objective optical system
To off-axis and on-axis aberrations at low cost while having a wide angle of view, an endoscope objective optical system (1) has in order: a negative first lens (L1); a negative second lens (L2) and a third lens (L3) joined to each other; a brightness diaphragm (S); and a positive lens group (G2) having a cemented lens (CL2) including one positive lens and one negative lens joined to each other, and satisfies expressions (1) and (2): 1.0 |
| US09684145B2 |
Distributed split configuration for multi-dwelling unit
Installing a fiber distribution system in a building having multiple floors includes routing a feed fiber to a first enclosure located at one of the floors of the building; disposing pre-connectorized ends of distribution fibers within the first enclosure; routing optical ferrules, which terminate second ends of the distribution fibers without connector bodies, through the building via a sheath; accessing the optical ferrules of the distribution fibers at respective floors; attaching connector bodies around the optical ferrules; and disposing the connector bodies within fiber distribution terminals at the appropriate floors. |
| US09684143B2 |
Releasable connection interface for a fiber optic component holder
A fiber management tray is described including a releasable connection interface. The tray can include a base defining at least one component mounting location having a structure for mounting optical components. The structure may define a first side and an opposite second side. The structure may also define a first retention opening and a second retention opening that extend through the structure from the first side to the second side. The first retention opening can include a T-shaped slot having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the T-shaped slot may have a larger cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the second portion of the T-shaped slot. The second retention opening may have a first portion in which a flexible cantilever is positioned and a second portion. The second portion of the second retention opening may have a smaller cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the first portion of the second retention opening. The flexible cantilever can include a release member that projects outwardly in a first direction from the first side of the structure. |
| US09684140B2 |
Optical device and optic transceiver device
An optical device and an optic transceiver device are provided. The optical device includes a light splitting surface. The optical device further includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other and parallel to each other. The light splitting surface separately intersects the first surface and the second surface. An angle between the light splitting surface and the first surface is not equal to 90 degrees. A medium between the light splitting surface and the first surface and a medium between the light splitting surface and the second surface are the same. The medium is formed by a light transmissive material. |
| US09684137B2 |
Optical connector ferrule
Adhesive reservoirs having shapes of stepped grooves are provided at corners in outer edges of an opening of an insertion opening portion having a shape of a rectangular opening of a main body of the ferrule which is formed by consecutively installing the insertion opening portion provided on a rear end side such that a boot having substantially a shape of a square tube and having an optical fiber core wire at a distal end is inserted and supported, and optical fiber core wire insertion holes provided on a front end side such that a side of a distal end portion of the optical fiber core wire is inserted into a deep portion of the insertion opening portion and the distal end portion is exposed outwardly. In this way, an adhesive is prevented from leaking out from a gap between the boot and the insertion opening portion. |
| US09684132B2 |
Optical slip ring arrangement
A slip ring arrangement is simple to produce for contactless data transmission for high-frequency data signals, wherein two optical components are provided which are rotatable relative to one another about a common axis of rotation. The first optical component has a plurality of optical fibers which are disposed along at least one circular arc segment having a radius on a first end face. For this purpose the fibers are guided in a first carrier which has a coupling surface to which a first planar optical waveguide chip configured as a combiner is coupled. |
| US09684127B2 |
Passive optical diode on semiconductor substrate
An optical device includes a first optical cavity, a second optical cavity, a first light guide and a second light guide. Each of the first and second optical cavities is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and is configured to store light. The first light guide has an input, and is optically coupled to the first optical cavity by a first coupling strength. In addition, the first light guide is optically coupled to the second optical cavity by a second coupling strength. The second light guide has an output, and is coupled to the second optical cavity by a third coupling strength. The first coupling strength is greater than the second coupling strength, and the third coupling strength is greater than the second coupling strength. |
| US09684123B2 |
Display device and television receiver
The display device comprises a light guide plate arranged at the side of a surface, of a display panel which has a display surface on one surface, opposite to the display surface, a plurality of light source elements arranged to face an end surface of the light guide plate, an optical sheet arranged at the display panel side of the light guide plate, and the display panel arranged to face the optical sheet, and further comprises a first holding portion shielding the light from the plurality of the light source elements to the display panel and holding the optical sheet at the light guide plate side, and a second holding portion separating the optical sheet from the display panel and holding the optical sheet at the side opposite to the first holding portion. A space is formed between the optical sheet and the display panel by the second holding portion. |
| US09684119B2 |
Lightguide
Flexible unitary lightguide and a method of making the same are disclosed. The lightguide includes a structured input side that includes a first pattern having smaller features superimposed on a second pattern having larger features. The lightguide further includes a structured top surface that includes a first region and a different second region. The first region includes a plurality of discrete light extractors for extracting light that propagates within the flexible unitary lightguide by total internal reflection. The second region includes a taper portion for directing light from the structured input side to the first region. The light extractors form a periodic array that has a first period along the length of the flexible unitary lightguide. The first period is such that substantially no visible moire fringes occur when the flexible unitary lightguide is used as a backlight in a pixelated display. |
| US09684116B2 |
Light guide plate, and backlight unit and display device including the same
Provided are a light guide plate, and a backlight unit and a display device including the same. A light guide plate includes a light output surface configured to output light to the outside; a reflective surface positioned opposite the light output surface; a light incident surface provided on at least one side surface of side surfaces which connect the light output surface and the reflective surface, and configured to receive light projected from a light source; and a reflection pattern including an embossed portion having a circular shape and configured to protrude to the outside of the reflective surface when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflective surface, and a concave portion having a ring shape which surrounds the embossed portion and recessed in the reflective surface when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflective surface. Here, the center of the embossed portion is provided to be different from the center of the concave portion. |
| US09684114B2 |
Backlight source and display device
The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a backlight source and a display device, which address the problem that the misalignment readily occurring between the LED strip and the light guide plate results in a light leakage in the light-emitting diodes and hence a reduced performance of the display device. A backlight source comprises a scattering substrate and a light-emitting diode strip, wherein the light-emitting diode strip comprises a circuit board and light-emitting diodes arranged at intervals on the circuit board, and the scattering substrate comprises recesses at a surface corresponding to the light-emitting diode strip, the recesses corresponding one-to-one with the light-emitting diodes, the light-emitting diodes embedded into the recesses. A display device comprises the backlight. |
| US09684112B2 |
Lighting device, display device and television device
A backlight device includes an LED, a light guide plate having one edge surface as a light entrance surface, one plate surface as a light exit surface and another plate surface as an opposite plate surface, further includes a chassis having a bottom plate portion that includes a light guide plate support portion supporting the light guide plate from a side of the opposite plate surface and a light guide plate non-support portion not supporting the light guide plate from the side of the opposite plate surface, and further includes a reflection sheet having an extended reflection portion that extends closer to the LED than the light entrance surface of the light guide plate and having a cutout portion that is formed by cutting out at least a part of a portion of the extended reflection portion overlapping with the light guide plate non-support portion. |
| US09684104B2 |
Thin film polarizer having superior optical properties, manufacturing method thereof, and polarizing plate and display device including the same
There are provided a thin film polarizer having superior optical properties and a method of manufacturing the same. The thin film polarizer includes: forming a film laminate by attaching a non-stretched polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based film to at least one surface of a thermoplastic polyurethane film, using attractive force therebetween or using an adhesive; stretching the film laminate at a temperature of 45° C. to 55° C.; and separating the PVA-based film from the thermoplastic polyurethane film. |
| US09684102B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a display, a rear frame disposed on a rear side of the display and comprising a rear frame-side engagement portion that protrudes toward the display in a front direction, and an optical sheet comprising an optical sheet-side engagement portion comprising a slit or a notch that engages with the rear frame-side engagement portion. The optical sheet-side engagement portion is snapped onto the rear frame-side engagement portion such that the optical sheet is suspended by the rear frame, and at least one of the rear frame-side engagement portion or the optical sheet-side engagement portion comprises a disengagement prevention portion that prevents the optical sheet-side engagement portion from disengaging in the front direction of the rear frame-side engagement portion. |
| US09684100B2 |
Anti-reflection nano-coating structure
Provided are an anti-reflection nano-coating structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The anti-reflection nano-coating structure has low dependency on incident light. The anti-reflection nano-coating structure has a normal-align nano-structure on the entire surface of the substrate regardless of curvature of the substrate by controlling a ratio of reactive gas during sputtering. |
| US09684098B2 |
Antiglare hard coat film
An antiglare hard coat film formed by providing an antiglare hard coat layer containing fine particles and a resin on a transparent film. When an average value of height in an evaluation region on a surface of the antiglare hard coat film is set at zero (0), a maximum cross sectional height represented by a difference between a height maximum value in the evaluation region and a height minimum value in the evaluation region is from 1.0 to 3.0 μm, and an average inclination angle of unevenness on the surface of the antiglare hard coat film is 1 degree or less. The total value of the transmissive clarity measured through four optical combs using a transmissive clarity measuring device according to JIS K 7105-1981 is 280% or more, and the value of the transmissive clarity measured through each optical comb is 70% or more, respectively. |
| US09684097B2 |
Scratch-resistant articles with retained optical properties
One or more aspects of the disclosure pertain to an article including an optical film structure disposed on a substrate, which may include a strengthened or non-strengthened substrate that may be amorphous or crystalline, such that the article exhibits scratch resistance and retains the same or improved optical properties as the substrate, without the optical film structure disposed thereon. In one or more embodiments, the article exhibits an average transmittance of 85% or more, over the visible spectrum (e.g., 380 nm-780 nm). Embodiments of the optical film structure include aluminum-containing oxides, aluminum-containing oxy-nitrides, aluminum-containing nitrides (e.g., AlN) and combinations thereof. The optical film structures disclosed herein also include a transparent dielectric including oxides such as silicon oxide, germanium oxide, aluminum oxide and a combination thereof. Methods of forming such articles are also provided. |
| US09684096B2 |
Unit for image display device having adhesive layer, and image display device using the unit
This invention provides a unit for an image display device in which an optical film laminate and a panel for an image display device are laminated with an adhesive layer therebetween. The optical film laminate contains a polarizer and a polarizer protection functional layer laminated to only one surface of the polarizer. The adhesive layer is laminated to the surface of the polarizer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer protection functional layer. The panel for an image display device is laminated to the surface of the adhesive layer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer. A glass transition temperature of the adhesive layer is in a range of from 50° C. to 90° C. |
| US09684094B2 |
Photonic crystal supporting high frequency sensitivity self-collimation phenomenon and design method and use thereof
A photonic crystal supporting highly frequency-sensitive self-collimation phenomenon, which is formed by at least two kinds of materials, and has a periodic distribution of refractive index, the photonic crystal has straight equi-frequency contours or flat equi-frequency surfaces in a certain band in the first Brillouin zone of wave-vector space, and the frequency-sensitivity of self-collimation is at least 50 times higher than the change rate of curvatures of the equi-frequency contours or the equi-frequency surfaces with frequencies in a vacuum. |
| US09684087B2 |
Dynamic threshold methods for filtering noise and restoring attenuated high-frequency components of acoustic signals
Methods of providing for filtering noise and/or restoring attenuated spectral components in acoustic signals, are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a method includes dynamically filtering each of a plurality of raw FFT data samples of a record to remove or attenuate background noise contained therein to thereby produce a corresponding plurality of cleaned FFT data samples. The sample-specific background noise is removed or attenuated by a record-specific dynamic filter to produce the corresponding cleaned FFT data samples. The method can also include restoring the attenuated high-frequency components of the cleaned data samples through application of a record-specific Restoring Processor at least partially defined by a portion of the cleaned data samples and a Gain Function to thereby produce cleaned and restored data samples, and applying an inverse transformation to convert the cleaned and restored data samples into cleaned and restored data samples in time domain data. |
| US09684086B2 |
Method for acquiring and processing marine seismic data to extract and constructively use the up-going and down-going wave-fields emitted by the source
A method for marine seismic surveying includes separating up-going and down-going wavefields from seismic energy emitted by at least one marine seismic energy source. The separated up-going and down-going wavefields are propagated from the at least one marine seismic energy source to at least one of a water surface and a common reference depth. One of the up-going and down-going wavefields is phase shifted 180 degrees. The propagated, phase shifted up-going and down-going wavefields are summed. |
| US09684078B2 |
Method for optically scanning and measuring an environment
A method, system and computer program product are provided for displaying three-dimensional measurement points on a two-dimensional plane of a display screen having a plurality of pixels. The method includes projecting the measurement points onto the plane. Each of the measurement points is assigned to one of the pixels. A depth value is assigned to each of the pixels. A first pixel is selected having a first measurement point and a first depth value. A first side is searched for a second pixel having a second measurement point and a second depth value. A second side is searched for a third pixel having a third measurement point and a third depth value. It is determined whether the second and third measurement points are on a same plane. The first depth value of the first pixel is changed when the second and third measurement points are on the same plane. |
| US09684075B2 |
Scanning laser time of flight 3D imaging
Laser light pulses are reflected off a scanning mirror. A time-of-flight distance measurement device receives reflected light pulses and determines distances. The light pulses have abrupt changes in amplitude. Reflected pulses are differentiated to reduce sensitivity to amplitude variations. Differentiated pulses may be compressed to keep the receiver from saturating. Distance measurements are combined with location information to produce a 3D image of a surface. |
| US09684074B2 |
Optical sensor arrangement and method of producing an optical sensor arrangement
An optical sensor arrangement, in particular an optical proximity sensor arrangement comprises a three-dimensional integrated circuit further comprising a first layer comprising a light-emitting device, a second layer comprising a light-detector and a driver circuit. The driver circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting device and to the light-detector to control the operation of the light-emitting device and the light-detector. A mold layer comprising a first light-barrier between the light-emitting device and the light-detector configured to block light from being transmitted directly from the light-emitting device to the light-detector. |
| US09684072B2 |
Range determination apparatus and method
Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus (100) for detecting an erroneous measurement of a range of a target object 20 from a subject object 5. A transmitter transmits a signal (111S) having a first frequency from the subject object (5) to the target object (20). A detector (113) detects a portion of the signal (113S) reflected from the target object (20) back to the subject object (5); a controller is configured to determine the range (202) of the target object (20) from the subject object (5) by reference to a time of flight of the portion of the signal (111S), (113S) from the transmitter (111) to the detector (113); determine the rate of change of the range (203) by reference to a difference between the first frequency and an apparent frequency of the reflected portion of the signal (113S) detected by the detector; and provide an indication (206) that an erroneous measurement of range has been made if the range (202) increases while the rate of change of range (203) is negative. |
| US09684071B2 |
SAR data processing
An apparatus is disclosed for a spaceborne or aerial platform having a frequency demultiplexer for frequency demultiplexing a signal corresponding to a range line or an azimuth line of SAR data, and including information about a plurality of target points, into a plurality of frequency channels, and a compression device for performing compression on each frequency channel, each frequency channel signal having information about the same target points. The frequency demultiplexer and the compression device can be implemented in hardware. The apparatus may be used for either or both of the range compression and the azimuth compression of a SAR arrangement on board a spaceborne or aerial platform and the SAR arrangement may generate a plurality of sub-images corresponding to the frequency channels from the SAR raw data. The sub-images may be combined by averaging in order to reduce the volume of memory required to store the SAR data. |
| US09684068B2 |
Methods for detecting sensor degradation in distance sensors
A method for detecting a sensor degradation in distance sensors, having the following: a) sending out at least one transmit pulse; b) acquisition of a sensor signal at least in a decay interval; and c) determination of a degree of degradation based on a frequency response of the acquired sensor signal. Also described is a computer program product, a distance sensor unit, and a driver assistance system for carrying out such methods. |
| US09684053B2 |
Wafer for testing and a test system
To test a probe card with an examination apparatus that tests a device under test, provided is a test system that tests a device under test and includes a test section that includes a plurality of test units that input or output a signal; a probe card that includes a plurality of probe terminals connected to a terminal of the device under test, and transmits signals between the device under test and the test section; and a wafer for testing that is connected to the probe card, instead of the device under test, when testing the probe card, and includes a connection wire that electrically connects two of the probe terminals to each other. The test section measures output of at least one of two test units connected to the two probe terminals, and judges pass/fail of the two probe terminals. |
| US09684052B2 |
Method of measuring and assessing a probe card with an inspection device
A method of assessing functionality of a probe card includes providing a probe card analyzer without a probe card interface, removably coupling a probe card having probes to a support plate of the probe card analyzer, aligning a sensor head of the probe card analyzer with the probe card, and measuring a component of the probes with the sensor head. |
| US09684051B2 |
System and method for prepolarizing magnetic resonance- or relaxation-based measurements
The invention relates to a prepolarizing magnetic resonance- or relaxation-based measurement system, comprising a prepolarizing coil for producing a prepolarizing field at the target zone, means for pulsing the prepolarizing field according to a first pulsing scheme, and means for measuring magnetization of a target placed in the target zone. According to the invention, the system further comprises a shielding coil for producing a shielding field and means for pulsing the shielding field according to a second pulsing scheme, whereby the shielding coil and the second pulsing scheme are arranged to reduce the formation of unwanted transient fields caused by the coupling of the prepolarizing coil to conducting or magnetic structures in the surroundings of the system. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of measurement and a process of designing the pulsing schemes for the system or process. By means of the invention, the formation of unwanted eddy currents, for example, in the surroundings of the measurement system, can be reduced. |
| US09684049B2 |
Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for correction of magnetic resonance data
In a method and apparatus to acquire correction data in connection with pulse sequences to acquire measurement data whose echo times—the duration between excitation and measurement data acquisition of the pulse sequences—are less than 500 microseconds, the pulse sequences acquire measurement data by repetition of a pulse sequence scheme, wherein different gradients for spatial coding are switched in each repetition, and correction data are acquired every n repetitions in a time window in which no gradients are switched, wherein n is a predetermined natural number. The method and apparatus enable correction of measurement data with which solid substances can be depicted without the hardware being used needing to be adapted and without external sensors being necessary. |
| US09684046B2 |
Magnetic resonance coil apparatus
A magnetic resonance coil apparatus includes a receiving region for receiving a subregion of a patient to be examined, a housing shell unit enclosing the receiving region, and an antenna unit for picking up magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance coil apparatus includes a camera unit with at least one light field camera element. |
| US09684045B2 |
Imaging the teeth by means of magnetic resonance technology with non-unique gradients
A gradient system according to the invention generates three superimposed gradient fields of which at least one of the three gradient fields is not unique in space (i.e. not bijective) and at least one of the three gradient has areas of the same field strength, which extend in parallel or orthogonally to a approximately U-shaped center plane of the teeth of one jaw of a patient. |
| US09684043B2 |
Mounting for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device
A mounting device for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device is provided. The mounting device includes a suspension device that has at least one suspension element. The at least one suspension element is mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil. The suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil. The mounting device also includes an adjustment device that has an adjuster for changing a position of the body coil, and adjustment indicators for displaying the position of the body coil. The adjustment device is provided for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process. The mounting device includes an attachment device differing from the suspension device. The attachment device includes at least one attachment element for mechanical interaction with the body coil. |
| US09684041B2 |
Production method of gas cell, and gas cell
A production method of a gas cell includes: forming a coating layer on a surface of a plate material; assembling a plurality of the plate materials having the coating layer formed thereon so as to form a cell surrounded by the surface having the coating layer formed thereon; and filling the formed cell with an alkali metal gas. |
| US09684038B2 |
Magnetic field sensor system
A magnetic field sensor system has a plurality of magnetic field sensor elements, which each are configured to provide an individual sensor value, and of which a first portion is arranged in a first contiguous area and a second portion is arranged in a second contiguous area, and a coil wire arrangement with a first coil portion and at least a second coil portion being connected to the first coil portion, wherein the first coil portion is arranged close to the sensor elements of the first area and the second coil portion is arranged close to the sensor elements of the second area such that, if a predetermined current is applied to the coil wire arrangement, a first magnetic field component is generated at the first area and a second magnetic field component is generated at the second area being opposite to the first magnetic field component. The magnetic field sensor system is configured to produce a total sensor value that is based on a difference between the individual sensor values provided within the areas. |
| US09684035B1 |
Magnetic tunnel junction loaded ring oscillators for MRAM characterization
Circuits are provided for modeling and characterizing the switching of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) elements. More specifically, ring oscillators loaded with MTJ elements are used to characterize magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element performance. The circuits can include a ring oscillator (RO) having an odd number of inverters connected in series with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element inserted between each inverter. In some embodiments, the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) elements are arranged to act as a load to the inverters. The circuits optionally include one or more of a time to amplitude converter, a pulse distribution analyzer and/or PFET(s) and NFET(s). Methods of characterizing the switching characteristics of MTJ elements are also provided herein. Such MTJ elements can be suitable for use in magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) devices. Methods of making the ring oscillator are further provided herein. |
| US09684034B2 |
Efficient method of retesting integrated circuits
Efficient production testing of integrated circuits (ICs). A first production test is implemented on a group of ICs and failures among the test group are assessed. Specifically, the results of the first test are analyzed such that ICs having a recoverable fail and ICs having a non-recoverable fail are differentiated. The ICs are integrated based on the analyzed results and a second production test is implemented. The second production test tests the ICs responsive to the segregation, such that the second production test is limited only to ICs with a recoverable fail. The next succeeding production test will then use the new test program in the second production test with the handler bin designated as having ICs not to be re-tested. |
| US09684033B2 |
Low power scan path cells with hold state multiplexer circuitry
Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present disclosure describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer. |
| US09684031B2 |
Contact probe and semiconductor element socket provided with same
The invention provides a contact probe and a semiconductor element socket provided with the same, the contact probe capable of smooth inspection of a device while securing good conductivity. A contact probe has an upper plunger having a contact stem portion, a lower plunger having an insertion hole with which the contact stem portion is capable of coming into contact, and a coil spring connected to the upper plunger and the lower plunger in such a way as to cover the contact stem portion. The coil spring is configured by helically winding a wiring, and includes a guide portion wound tight in the axial direction of the coil spring by the wire, the guide portion located on the lower plunger side of the coil spring and also includes the upper plunger side portion than an upper end portion of the insertion hole. |
| US09684026B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatic ground fault location determination in high resistance grounded motor drive system
A PLC or other industrial controller programmed to locate ground faults in a networked high resistance grounded multi-drive system through network communications messaging to automatically place networked motor drives in various operational states to isolate individual drives for ground fault identification testing and selectively identify individual drives as suspected ground fault locations. |
| US09684023B2 |
RF measurement device and system
A EUT (equipment under test) positioning device is disclosed. The device comprises a holder element configured to hold EUT, a sliding element configured to move the holder element horizontally, a rotating element attached to the sliding element and configured to rotate the holder element, at least three telescopic elements attached to the rotating element and configured to independently move the holder element vertically, at least five actuators individually attached to the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, wherein the actuators are configured to activate movement of the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, and a position monitoring element configured to monitor the position of EUT. The holder element, the sliding element, the rotating element, and the telescopic elements comprise radio frequency transparent material. |
| US09684022B2 |
Sensor device and sensing method using the same
Provided are a sensor device and a sensing method using the same. The sensor device according to the present invention includes: a sensing voltage generating unit outputting different voltage values depending on an external environment; a pulse generating unit generating a pulse having a period which is proportional to an input voltage; a divider dividing an output of the pulse generating unit; and a counter unit measuring a length of an output pulse of the divider in a clock unit. As a result, the sensor device including an analog-digital converter (ADC) using a pulse width modulation technology is a miniature device and has high resolution. |
| US09684021B2 |
Resistance measurement
This disclosure describes techniques for measuring the resistance of a component with measurement circuitry that is electrically coupled to the component via one or more electrical conductors (e.g., one or more bond wires). The resistance measurement techniques of this disclosure may measure a resistance of an electrical conductor, and generate a value indicative of a resistance of a component other than the electrical conductor based on the measured resistance of the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor for which the resistance is measured may be the same as or different than one or more of the electrical conductors that the couple the measurement circuitry to the component to be measured. Using an electrical conductor resistance measurement to determine the resistance of a component may improve the accuracy of the resistance measurement for the component. |
| US09684017B2 |
Current measurement device and method using a Rogowski type current transducer
A current measurement device for measuring a current through a primary conductor is provided. The current measurement device comprises a current transducer of the Rogowski type, the current transducer comprising a conductor winding connected to a pair of transducer terminals and adapted to induce there between a measurement voltage indicative of a current through the primary conductor; a pair of calibration terminals adapted for providing a calibration current to a calibration current path conforming to the primary conductor, so that the calibration current induces a calibration response voltage component between the pair of transducer terminals; and a control circuit. The control circuit comprises a calibration current generator for generating the calibration current and connected to the pair of calibration terminals for providing the calibration current via the pair of calibration terminals to the calibration current path, and a voltage analyzer connected to the pair of transducer terminals for receiving the calibration response voltage component induced between the pair of transducer terminals. |
| US09684016B2 |
Sensors
A current sensor comprises a first component comprising plural coils. Each coil comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and the planes of the coils are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first component. A second component comprises soft magnetic material and has first and second planar faces that are at opposite ends of the first component and are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the first component. |
| US09684010B2 |
Screen-less ballistic chronograph
An apparatus and method for detecting a moving object as it passes through a light curtain generated by one or more emitters, by the means for detecting the light of the light curtain reflected by the passing object onto a photoelectric detector. The object sensing area is not constrained by mechanical means and is limited only by the light curtain shape. Velocity of the object is determined primarily by dividing the known distance between two or more parallel light curtains by the time of passage between the light curtains. Additional velocity measurement obtained from the known object length divided by the time of its passage through the light curtain allows verification of the primary velocity measurement. Direction of the object motion across the sensitive area is determined by implementing two or more uniquely identifiable, closely spaced parallel light curtains, and corresponding uniquely identifiable detectors. |
| US09683999B2 |
Diagnostic blood test for sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation in affected organs. We have developed a blood test using mycobacterial catalase-peroxidase that has a high positive predictive value for confirming a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. |
| US09683997B2 |
Monoclonal antibody recognizing human papillomavirus (HPV) L2 protein and method for measuring HPV-neutralizing antibody titer using the same
The present invention relates to the development of a monoclonal antibody which has binding activity to many high-risk types of HPV, etc. The present invention also provides a simple and high-throughput method for measuring cross-neutralizing antibody titers, which is used for assay of cross-neutralizing antibody against HPV in serum samples from subjects, etc. The method of the present invention for measuring cross-neutralizing antibody titers comprises the steps of: preparing a monoclonal antibody against a peptide having a specific amino acid sequence common to high-risk types of HPV; and assaying cross-neutralizing antibody using this monoclonal antibody. |
| US09683996B2 |
Assessment of solid tumor burden
The present disclosure is directed toward measurement of expression of one or both of an activating Natural Killer (NK) cell receptor and its ligand(s) on peripheral blood cells as a means to assess solid tumor burden. In particular, the present disclosure provides tools for assessing cancer recurrence or risk thereof following reduction of a solid tumor, and for developing a treatment regime for a cancer patient. |
| US09683995B2 |
Method of treatment of SETDB1 expressing cancer
Provided herein are methods for diagnosing cancer by determining the level of expression of SETDB1 in a biological sample. Also provided herein are methods for treating cancer by administering an inhibitor of SETDB1 to a subject in need thereof. |
| US09683992B2 |
Ligand passivated gold nanoparticles
The invention provides novel gold nanoclusters of the formula Au20(SR)15(weak ligand), wherein each R is independently an organic group, and the weak ligand is a weakly associating gold ligand of Formula I as described herein. The nanocluster can have an approximate molecular weight of 6 kDa. Corresponding dimers of the nanocluster can have an approximate molecular weight of 10 kDa (by SEC). The invention also provides methods of making and using the gold nanoclusters. |
| US09683990B2 |
Composition comprising an angiopoietin-4 fragment
The present invention relates to Angiopoietin-3 (Ang-3) and Angiopoietin-4 (Ang-4). The present invention also relates to methods of modulating an activity of Ang-3 or Ang-4. The present invention further relates to methods of treating cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. |
| US09683988B2 |
Cell model and method for screening c-Fms kinase inhibitors
The present invention provides a cell model and a method for screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Specifically, the present invention provides a cell that expresses macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor and STAT1 protein simultaneously. The present invention further provides a method for screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors, a method for evaluating the inhibiting activity of a compound or a composition against c-Fms tyrosine kinase, and use of the cell in screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The cell model established in the present invention is sensitive, highly effective and reliable, and can be used in high-throughput screening and/or high-content screening of c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. |
| US09683980B1 |
Method for detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution
A method of detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with a composition containing a plant extract and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. The composition has an average particle size of 30-50 nm. A color change following the contacting indicates the presence of Hg2+ in the aqueous solution. The composition is preferably synthesized by reduction of a silver salt with an extract of Ocimum basilicum. |
| US09683976B2 |
Containers and systems for the measurement of radioactive gases and related methods
Containers for a fluid sample containing a radionuclide for measurement of radiation from the radionuclide include an outer shell having one or more ports between an interior and an exterior of the outer shell, and an inner shell secured to the outer shell. The inner shell includes a detector receptacle sized for at least partial insertion into the outer shell. The inner shell and outer shell together at least partially define a fluid sample space. The outer shell and inner shell are configured for maintaining an operating pressure within the fluid sample space of at least about 1000 psi. Systems for measuring radioactivity in a fluid include such a container and a radiation detector received at least partially within the detector receptacle. Methods of measuring radioactivity in a fluid sample include maintaining a pressure of a fluid sample within a Marinelli-type container at least at about 1000 psi. |
| US09683975B2 |
Volumetric flow regulation in multi-dimensional liquid analysis systems
A multi-dimensional liquid analysis system includes a first dimension system and a second dimension system, wherein outflow from the first dimension system is separated at a flow splitter under controlled conditions. The flow splitter separates the first dimension outflow into first and second split outlet flows, with one of the split outlet flows being metered to a designated flow rate with a flow metering device disposed downstream from the flow splitter. The flow metering device selectively closes or opens an outlet flow path to define a volumetric flow rate along that outlet flow path, so that the other split outlet flow is correspondingly controlled. |
| US09683974B2 |
Cascaded gas chromatographs (CGCs) with individual temperature control and gas analysis systems using same
The disclosure describes a cascaded gas chromatograph including a first gas chromatograph having a first temperature control and a second gas chromatograph coupled to the first gas chromatograph. The first and second chromatographs have individual temperature controls that can be controlled independently of each other. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed. |
| US09683971B2 |
Object information acquiring apparatus and control method thereof
Adopted is an object information acquiring apparatus that includes: a probe including multiple conversion elements that transmit acoustic waves to an object, and convert the reflected waves into time-series received signals; and a processor that performs frequency domain interferometry, through application of adaptive signal processing, by using the multiple received signals output from the multiple conversion elements and a reference signal, and obtains acoustic properties of multiple positions. The probe is configured such that, when a direction in which the multiple conversion elements are arranged is a first direction and a second direction, end portions in the second direction have a lower transmission sound pressure of the acoustic waves than a midportion in the second direction. |
| US09683970B2 |
Object information acquiring apparatus and control method for the object information acquiring apparatus
An object information acquiring apparatus that transmits an acoustic wave to an object, and receives and analyzes the reflected acoustic wave to acquire internal information of the object, comprises a probe that transmits and receives the acoustic wave; a holding member disposed between the object and the probe to hold the object; and an air bubble detection unit that detects an air bubble present between the object and the holding member on the basis of an intensity of the acoustic wave received after a first time from the transmission by the probe, the first time being calculated on the basis of a time when the acoustic wave reaches a predetermined distance. |
| US09683968B2 |
Combination sensor
One example discloses a combination sensor, comprising: a pressure sensor having an actuator which has a first resonant frequency; a cavity, coupled to the pressure sensor and able to receive a substance; wherein the cavity, in an absence of the substance, has a second resonant frequency in response to excitation by the actuator; wherein the cavity, in a presence of the substance, has a third resonant frequency in response to excitation by the actuator; wherein the first resonant frequency differs from the second and third resonant frequencies; and a sensor circuit which outputs a substance detected signal in response to the third resonant frequency in the cavity. |
| US09683967B2 |
Integrated circuits based biosensors
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for implementing molecular sensors. In one aspect, an ion-gas sensor device includes a pre-concentration module to collect and concentrate a gas-phase chemical for analysis; a piezoelectric fan to produce an air-flow through acoustic streaming to drive the gas-phase chemical released by the pre-concentration module to one or more downstream modules; an ionizer downstream from the piezoelectric fan to ionize the gas-phase chemical; and a gas sensor downstream from the piezoelectric fan and the ionizer to detect the ionized gas-phase chemical driven by the piezoelectric fan. The piezoelectric fan can include a stack of thin-film layers that includes a thin-film piezoelectric layer. The ion-gas sensor device is made into an ultra-portable package capable of integration with mobile communication devices, such as PDA devices or smart phones. |
| US09683965B2 |
Hybrid ion mobility spectrometer
A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet at one end and an ion outlet at an opposite end, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and a set of ion gates each controllable between an open position to pass ions therethrough and a closed position to block ions from passing therethrough. The set of ion gates may be controlled to pass at least some ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to pass at least some ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube. |
| US09683963B2 |
Ion mobility spectrometer with high throughput
A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving ion mobility spectrometry by using a fast and spatially wide ion gate based on local RF field barrier opposed to a switching DC field. Alternatively, the speed and charge throughput of ion mobility separator are improved by arranging coaxial mobility cell followed by conical coaxial ion channel. The improvement accelerates the ion mobility analysis and improves charge throughput and dynamic range of the IMS. The invention is particularly suited for rapid dual gas chromatography, fast CE. Preferably, the accelerated and wide bore IMS is coupled to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a fast encoded orthogonal acceleration. Speed and sensitivity of IMS with fast pulsing MR-TOF make it practical to arrange analytical methods of comprehensive and orthogonal separation in multiple analytical dimensions. |
| US09683962B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring particles in an aerosol
The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for monitoring particles in a channel (11) or a space comprising aerosol and to an ion trap arrangement in the apparatus. The apparatus (1) comprises an ejector (24), gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) arranged to feed an essentially particle free ionized gas flow (C) to the ejector (24), a sample-inlet arrangement (2) arranged to provide a sample aerosol flow (A) from the channel (11) into the ejector (24) by means of suction provided by the gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) and the ejector (24) for charging at least a fraction of the particles of the sample aerosol flow (A), and an ion trap (12) extending at least partly into ejector (24) for removing ions not attached to the particles. According to the invention the ion trap (12) is a provided as a metal trap wire. |
| US09683956B2 |
Method of manufacturing nano gap sensor using residual stress and nano gap sensor manufactured thereby
Provided are a method of manufacturing a nano gap sensor and a nano gap sensor manufactured by the method. According to the method of manufacturing the nano gap sensor, fine cracks are formed in a substrate including a silicon wafer, etc. in order to form the nano gap with simplified processes and low manufacturing costs, and after that, a metal catalyst layer is stacked on the nano gap to manufacture a sensor capable of selectively detecting a certain material or a gas such as hydrogen. In particular, when palladium or a palladium alloy is used as the metal catalyst layer, highly sensitive hydrogen sensors capable of responding various concentrations of hydrogen may be produced in large quantities. |
| US09683952B2 |
Test stand for XRF instrument enabling multi-way operation
Disclosed is a test stand that supports and stabilizes a handheld XRF analyzer, and holds a body of sample to be tested. The test stand allows both horizontal and vertical analysis positions of the analyzer. The preferred embodiment of the test stand comprises a shielded X-ray chamber in which samples are tested and which affixes to the XRF analyzer's window via a spring loaded handle, a stabilizing base to which the analyzer's handle is situated, and a stanchion for horizontal mounting of the XRF analyzer. In the horizontal orientation, the chamber contains an adjustable platform and soil sample retainer to facilitate the positioning of the sample to be tested. The stanchion can be stored under the base. |
| US09683940B2 |
Particle detecting and discriminating device and method
A particle detecting device includes: a light measuring instrument that measures measured values for intensities of first, second, and third lights of mutually differing wavelengths, produced by particles to be measured; a boundary information storing portion that stores a non-linear discriminating boundary for separating a class of a first classification of particles and a class of a second classification of particles; and a particle classifying portion that classifies the particle being measured into either of the classifications for the first and second classifications of particles, based on measured values for the intensities of the first through third lights and on the discriminating boundary. |
| US09683932B2 |
Variable ICE and methods for measuring sample properties with the same
A system and method for measuring properties of a sample utilizing a variable integrated computation element (ICE) formed of one or more layers of film that is physically sensitive to an electrical field or a magnetic field applied through the material. The thickness of a layer, and hence the optical properties of the ICE, can be electrically or magnetically altered to adjust the ICE for a analysis of a particular property of the sample, or to calibrate the ICE or to adjust the ICE to compensate for alterations to the ICE resulting from environmental conditions. The film may be formed of electrostrictive materials, piezoelectric materials, magnetorestrictive materials, and/or piezomagnetic materials. |
| US09683931B2 |
Apparatus for detecting a component in a sample
An apparatus for detecting a first component in a sample, the first component being responsive to at least radiation of a first wavelength, the sample comprising the first component and a second component responsive to at least radiation of a second wavelength. |
| US09683930B2 |
Polarization properties imaging systems
This disclosure is generally directed to systems for imaging polarization properties of optical-material samples. As one example, there is provided a system for precise, simultaneous imaging of both the in-plane and out-of-plane birefringence properties of sample material over a wide range of incidence angles. An example spatially resolved imaging approach described herein is amenable to determination of a wide range of polarimetric properties, in addition to the in-plane and out-of-plane birefringence measure discussed as a preferred embodiment. |
| US09683927B2 |
Device for receiving small volume liquid samples
Improvements in and relating to devices for receiving liquid samples A device for receiving a liquid sample may form part of a micro sampling head for an instrument such as a spectrophotometer. The device receives a liquid sample to be analyzed by a process involving the passing of electromagnetic radiation through the sample, and comprises a light inlet guide (20) for directing electromagnetic radiation into the sample, a light receiving element (23) situated in an opposed relationship to the guide and spaced from the guide by a fixed distance to define a fixed path length gap (21), which is, in use, filled with the sample. In use, radiation is passed from the light inlet guide to the light receiving element (23), and the path length of radiation through the sample is defined by the gap (23). The device is open or openable to allow a droplet of sample to be deposited directly in the gap. |
| US09683925B1 |
Tactile sensor system and method for inspecting the condition of a structure
In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D contact scanner includes a tactile sensor system having at least one tactile sensor for generating 3D data points based on tactile feedback resulting from physical contact with at least part of the structure. A 3D model is constructed from the 3D data and is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure. |
| US09683924B2 |
Infrastructure corrosion analysis
The disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatus for analyzing an infrastructure system including measurement of a parameter associated with the infrastructure system, electronically recording the measured parameter as a data, transferring the data to an infrastructure unit which may be remote from the infrastructure system, analyzing the data to generate a risk model, and predicting a characteristic of the infrastructure system according to the risk. An implementation plan may be generated, and/or maintenance services may be performed as per the characteristic that is predicted. |
| US09683922B2 |
Use of vibrational spectroscopy for DNA content inspection
This disclosure concerns a cytometry system including a handling system that enables presentation of single cells to at least one laser source. The laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce bond vibrations in the cellular DNA. The system further includes a detection facility that detects the signature of the bond vibrations, wherein the bond vibration signature is used to determine the folding or packing of the DNA. |
| US09683917B2 |
Method of determining sidewall aggression performance parameters
A powered massaging assembly includes a handle and a massage head each having an enclosure that presents a chamber. The massage head includes a drive shaft that extends into and out of the chamber. The massage head also includes a driven massage element drivingly attached to the drive shaft and mounted outside the chamber to manipulate tissue. The enclosures include connectors rotatably attached to each other to provide a swivel joint that rotatably interconnects the handle and head. |
| US09683916B2 |
Rough road simulation
A system includes a platform for receiving a test device programmed to output a data signal. A shaft is spaced from the platform. A plurality of impact objects are disposed on the shaft and are configured to strike the platform. A motor is coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate the shaft. A processor is programmed to identify an anomaly in the data signal as a result of the plurality of impact objects striking the platform. |
| US09683913B2 |
System and method for evaluating remaining life of an operative sub-system of a vehicle
A vehicle may include an operative sub-system positioned within a body of the vehicle, and a sensor assembly secured to the operative sub-system. The sensor assembly may include at least one sensor configured to detect vibration or shock energy, directed into the operative sub-system; and a processing unit configured to determine damage to the operative sub-system as damage data that is based on one or both of a magnitude and duration of the vibration or shock energy detected by the sensor(s). The sensor assembly may be self-powered. |
| US09683910B2 |
Turbine leak detection system
Various embodiments include a leak detection system for a turbine compartment. In some embodiments, the leak detection system includes: a tracer fluid system fluidly connected with the turbine compartment, the tracer fluid system configured to provide an optically detectable fluid to a fluid supply of the turbine compartment; an optical detection system operably connected to the turbine compartment, the optical detection system configured to detect the presence of the optically detectable fluid in at least one location of the turbine compartment; and a control system operably connected to the tracer fluid system and the optical detection system, the control system configured to obtain data about the presence of the optically detectable fluid in the at least one location, and provide an indicator indicating a potential leak location based upon the data about the presence of the optically detectable fluid in the at least one location. |
| US09683908B2 |
Method and system for monitoring gas pressure for reference cavity of capacitance diaphragm gauge
A system and method detect the presence of an unacceptable quantity of gas molecules in the reference vacuum cavity of a capacitance diaphragm gauge (CDG). An independent pressure transducer has an active portion exposed to the reference vacuum cavity. The transducer includes a ring anode, a cylindrical inner wall surface that forms at least one cathode, and a magnet positioned with respect to the ring anode such that the magnetic flux of the magnet is generally aligned with the central axis of the ring anode. A high voltage source applies a voltage between the ring anode and the cathode. A current sensor senses a magnitude of any current flowing between the ring anode and the cathode via ionized gas molecules. A monitoring unit monitors the magnitude of the current sensed by the current sensor and activates an alarm when the magnitude of the current exceeds an acceptable magnitude. |
| US09683897B2 |
Temperature indicator for electrical equipment
A system for determining when an electrical contact or other component reaches a predetermined temperature. In operation, a trace material is dispersed into a surrounding environment (e.g., head space within a compartment above insulating oil), where the trace material is detected. A barrier may be ruptured or broken by temperature-induced gas pressure, or pierced by a spring-loaded member that is located within the same section that contains the trace material, and devices may be provided for moving the trace material through the foil barrier as the barrier is ruptured. The barrier may be opened solely by internal gas pressure. According to another embodiment, improved fail-safe operation may be achieved by providing a spring-loaded member and configuring the barrier to be ruptured by the pressure of the detectable gas material before the barrier is ruptured by the spring-loaded member. |
| US09683893B2 |
System for detection and imaging by spectral analysis in several wavelength bands
The invention relates to a system for detection and infrared imaging by spectral analysis in several wavelength bands comprising: —an imaging sensor comprising a plurality of elementary sensors together forming a matrix sensitive surface; —an imaging optic adapted for forming on the sensitive surface of the imaging sensor, a first image of the scene to be analyzed in a first wavelength band, and at least one second image of the scene to be analyzed in a second wavelength band, characterized in that said detection and imaging system furthermore comprises an optical device consisting of a fixed optical plate adapted for shifting the first image with respect to the second image in the plane of the sensitive surface, the shift between the images being along a direction defined by a row, a column or a diagonal of elementary sensors, the shift distance being equal to the spacing of the elementary sensors of the matrix sensitive surface along this direction or to a multiple of this spacing. |
| US09683890B2 |
Image sensor pixels with conductive bias grids
An image sensor with an array of pixels is provided. In order to achieve high image quality, it may be desirable to improve well capacity of individual pixels within the array by forming deep photodiodes in a thick substrate. When forming the array of pixels, conductive contacts may be formed in a back surface of the substrate opposing ground contacts located on a front side of the substrate. A conductive grid layer may be formed over the conductive contacts. A color filter layer may be formed over the conductive grid layer that may include a barrier grid in which color filter material is deposited. The conductive grid layer and conductive contacts may be biased to a voltage to improve the strength of electric fields in the substrate. Conductive contacts will thereby improve charge collection and electrical isolation and prevent electrical crosstalk and blooming. |
| US09683888B2 |
Measurement of the light radiation of light-emitting diodes
The invention relates to a method for measuring a light radiation (300) emitted by a light-emitting diode (210). In the method, an end (121) of an optical fiber (120) which is connected to a measuring device (130) is irradiated with the light radiation (300), which is emitted by the light-emitting diode (210), through an optical device (140), so that a portion of the light radiation (300) is coupled into the optical fiber (120) and is guided to the measuring device (130). The optical device (140) causes the light radiation (300) passing through the optical device (140) to be emitted in diffuse form in the direction of the end (121) of the optical fiber (120). The invention also relates to an apparatus (100) for measuring a light radiation (300) emitted by a light-emitting diode (210). |
| US09683887B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device with improved alignment precision and optical fiber coupling connector having the same
A photoelectric conversion device includes a circuit board, a light emitting module, a light receiving module, and an optical coupling lens. The circuit board includes two positioning portions apart from each other. The light emitting module and the light receiving module are mounted on the circuit board, and are spaced apart from each other. The optical coupling lens includes a bottom surface facing the light emitting module and the light receiving module, two first converging portions formed on the bottom surface, and two locating portions. Centers of the positioning portions are aligned with centers of the locating portions to ensure perfect alignment of the light emitting module and the light receiving module with the first converging portions. |
| US09683883B2 |
Weighing module for measuring wheel contact forces
The present invention relates to a weighing module for measuring wheel contact forces of rail-bound vehicles, comprising a measuring rail and a number of strain gauges, wherein the strain gauges are applied directly on the measuring rail. The measuring rail comprises a load introduction region, made of at least one load introduction part, and at least two deformation bodies, which are connected fixedly in each case to a load output plate and, via a hinge, to the load introduction region. The strain gauges are arranged on the deformation bodies and capture the shear strain acting between the hinges and load output plates. |
| US09683878B2 |
Electromagnetic flowmeter
An electromagnetic flowmeter applies a magnetic field, which is generated by excitation current, to a fluid to be measured flowing in a measurement tube, and measures a flow rate of the fluid to be measured on the basis of a detection signal to be generated from an electrode provided in the measurement tube. The electromagnetic flowmeter includes an excitation circuit configured to generate the excitation current having a positive excitation period, a negative excitation period and a non-excitation period, and a diagnosis unit configured to detect an abnormality based on characteristics of the fluid to be measured, on the basis of a level of the detection signal in a non-excitation stable period, which is a period in which a differential noise of detection signal to be generated in the non-excitation period converges. |
| US09683872B2 |
Water-ingress label using a double coating capsule structure
A water-ingress label using a double coating capsule structure includes a water absorbent layer which is formed from any one of paper, synthetic paper, non-woven fabric, synthetic non-woven fabric, Korean paper or an absorbent coating for absorbing water; an ink layer which is formed on the back surface of the water absorbent layer as an ink having a double coating capsule structure including a colorant selected from any one or a plurality of water-soluble dyes, pigments, metallic silica, metallic oxides and mica together with a hydrophilic/water-absorbing halogen-free resin; and an ink barrier layer having a damp-proofing and water-proofing function, which is formed on the back surface of the ink layer and prevents leaking, into the back surface of the ink layer, of the colorant selected from any one or more of water-soluble dyes, pigments, metallic silica, metallic oxides and mica. |
| US09683867B2 |
Electrical power switch control with usage data display
A device to be connected to first electrical power wiring and for displaying electrical power usage information of at least one first electrical load connected to the first electrical power wiring, the device including terminals to electrically connect to the first electrical power wiring of a building, a controller to receive information representing at least a current to the at least one first electrical load, determine first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load using the received information, a user interface to display the determined first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load, and a communications interface to transmit the determined first electrical power usage information to at least one second electrical device for display, and receive determined second electrical power usage information of at least one second electrical load from the at least one second electrical device for display. |
| US09683851B2 |
Indoor magnetic field based location discovery
There is provided an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is caused to acquire a location estimate of a positioning device that is to determine its location inside a building, wherein the location estimate is acquired on the basis of an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system; access an indoor Earth's magnetic field, EMF, map of plurality of buildings, wherein the indoor EMF map represents at least one of magnitude and direction of the Earth's magnetic field affected by the local structures of a corresponding building; and select a part of the indoor EMF map on the basis of the location estimate of the positioning device, wherein the selected part of the indoor magnetic field map includes the indoor EMF map for the area in which the positioning device currently is. |
| US09683845B2 |
Virtual gyroscope using dual magnetometers for electronic devices
A magnetometer unit which may be incorporated in an electronic device receives first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor. The magnetometer unit generates a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data, and stores the composite response surface representation in a non-transitory memory. |
| US09683841B2 |
Imaging range finder fabrication
Fabrication of an imaging range finder is disclosed. The range finder can be formed of an imaging lens and an array of emitters and photodetectors in optical communication with the lens. The emitters in the array can be formed to emit light that is directed by the lens toward a target object. The photodetectors in the array can be formed to detect light received from the object through the lens and onto the photodetectors. The lens, the array, or both can be movable to adjust the light emitted by the range finder. The range finder can be formed to find the object's range based on characteristics of the emitted light and/or the detected light. |
| US09683838B2 |
Ultrasonic measurement method and ultrasonic measurement apparatus
An ultrasonic measurement method includes: a measuring point setting step of setting an arbitrary measuring point near a weld portion inside of steel material and assuming a virtual reflecting surface that includes the measuring point and is parallel to a weld line direction; a focused beam setting step of transmitting ultrasonic waves of a shear wave mode and focusing onto the measuring point via a coupling medium at a predetermined incident angle with respect to the virtual reflecting surface; a detecting step of detecting reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves at a boundary between a base metal portion and the weld portion; and an evaluating step of evaluating a shape of the weld portion based on the reflected waves. |
| US09683835B2 |
System and method for scanning an intraoral cavity
According to the invention, a method and system are provided for scanning, and for facilitating scanning of, an intraoral cavity. The target parts of the intraoral cavity that it is desired to have scanned are identified, and the spatial relationships between a scanning device and the target parts of the intraoral cavity suitable for enabling said target parts to be scanned by said scanning device, are also identified or otherwise determined. These relationships are then displayed, and the displayed relationships are used as a guide for scanning the intraoral cavity. |
| US09683833B2 |
Surveying apparatus having a range camera
Embodiments described herein include a surveying apparatus for surveying a measurement scenery. The surveying apparatus may include a base defining a vertical axis; a support tiltable around the vertical axis; a telescope unit tiltable around the vertical axis and around a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the vertical axis and comprises means for distance measurement; motor means for rotational driving of the support and the telescope unit; and angle determination means for detecting an orientation of the telescope unit with respect to the base. In some embodiments, the telescope unit comprises a first camera capable to take a visible image of the measurement scenery and/or means for capturing coordinates of 3D-points of the measurement scenery. In some embodiments, the surveying apparatus comprises a display capable to display at least a portion of the visible image taken by the first camera and/or at least a portion of the 3D-points. |
| US09683832B2 |
Method and apparatus for image-based positioning
Method and apparatus are provided for image based positioning comprising capturing a first image with an image capturing device. Wherein said first image includes at least one object. Moving the platform and capturing a second image with the image capturing device. The second image including the at least one object. Capturing in the first image an image of a surface; capturing in the second image a second image of the surface. Processing the plurality of images of the object and the surface using a combined feature based process and surface tracking process to track the location of the surface. Finally, determining the location of the platform by processing the combined feature based process and surface based process. |